New to fish hobby

[Dino78413]

So I started with guppies and them moved up to a larger aquarium so I can raise 2 Oscars, long story short, all my snails died my 3 cori catfish died and the Oscar’s showed signs of ick, I treated tank for about a week with rid ick and aquarium salt. Oscars finally gave up the fight, I have since pulled the aquarium down and washed all the stone bed in boiling water, added new water, treated water with quick start and declorinator. Tested the water after 2 days, no NITRATE, no NO NITRITE, PH IS ABOUT 6.8, and AMONIA IS 1 to 1.5 parts per million, di i have to add anything else before I will start to see the ph and amonia get better?

 

[Byron]

Many of us could tell a similar beginners story. This time it will be very different.

First things first. Test your tap water on its own (not from within the tank) for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. It is good to know if any of these are present. And, do they add chlorine or chloramine, or both, to your water?

Also on the tap water, do you know the GH (general hardness), pH and KH (carbonate hardness, also called Alkalinity)? The GH in particular is significant for fish, the pH also important but as it is connected to the GH and KH, knowing all three is advisable. You may be able to ascertain this data from the website of your water authority.

Changing the pH as you've asked about is usually only achievable in connection with the GH/KH. But it may not be necessary anyway...what do you think is wrong with a pH of 6.8?

Ammonia here may well be due to the "Quick Start," or if chloramine is used; we can come back to this once we have the above data.

Which conditioner are you using? Should not be an issue, but worth knowing.

 

[Dino78413]

I’m using PRIME water conditioner/declorinator. I thought the PH SHOULD BE HIGHER, but I guess 6.8 is ok.

 

[Byron]

I’m using PRIME water conditioner/declorinator. I thought the PH SHOULD BE HIGHER, but I guess 6.8 is ok.

Once we know the GH/KH/pH of the tap water, we will have a better idea of the pH. The pH can change in an aquarium, usually by lowering. However, this is tied to the GH and KH, and those numbers will tell us what to expect.

 

[Dino78413]

Here is what I can find on the water website. I hope this helps

 

[enricosonic]

It’ll be advised that you get your tank fully cycled next time before adding fish. Getting beneficial bacteria growth established is a major factor in avoiding/controlling deadly ammonia spikes caused by fish food/fish poop etc. No judgement from me, I jumped right into adding fish to my kid’s tank, using some “instant” cycling product like Prime or Stability, don’t remember. After constant monitoring, a battle with ICH and then consistent water changes we managed to save the fish. Fewer fish than what you dealt with.

What size tank do you have?

 

[Byron]

Here is what I can find on the water website. I hope this helps

Right at the bottom...GH is given as 102-262 ppm (range) [= 6 - 14 dH], and Alkalinity as 121-153 ppm [= 7 - 8 dKH]. This is sufficient to buffer the pH somewhat, preventing it from fluctuating. So it will likely remain where it is.

That deals with parameters. Re the ammonia, can you respond on the other questions I asked in post #2?

 

[Oblio]

No judgement from me, I jumped right into adding fish to my kid’s tank, using some “instant” cycling product like Prime or Stability, don’t remember.

Back when I was a boy (in the day of piston air pumps and UGFs), my mother would dutifully clean the tank with hot soap and water, and we would condition the water by letting it sit for a day (nothing wrong there in the 60s). Add in all the pretty fish we wanted from the LPS in a 10 gal tank, I'm amazed any survived more than a few hours.

 

[enricosonic]

Back when I was a boy (in the day of piston air pumps and UGFs), my mother would dutifully clean the tank with hot soap and water, and we would condition the water by letting it sit for a day (nothing wrong there in the 60s). Add in all the pretty fish we wanted from the LPS in a 10 gal tank, I'm amazed any survived more than a few hours.

I had tanks in the late ‘70s during junior high and on through my 20s. I’m probably selectively remembering but I don’t remember fish dying often, just the rare ones who jumped out. UGFs were common then too.

 

[Oblio]

I had tanks in the late ‘70s during junior high and on through my 20s. I’m probably selectively remembering but I don’t remember fish dying often, just the rare ones who jumped out. UGFs were common then too.

I'm not sure it was often (so long ago) but certainly more than now, I do recall a crayfish I caught and rehomed being a root cause of many deaths. I don't recall ever doing water changes. But I was a pre-teen in the 60s, and college damaged my long term memory.

I'd love to be able to keep Neons again, they are a visual equivalent of the smell of a fresh box of crayons