New To Hobby, Started 10 Gallon 1 1/2 Weeks Ago - Progress Overview

[NonstickRon]

Hi, new aquarium hobbyist here. Here is a summary of my experience so far. Dug out a 10 gallon I had in the storage room. Used it as a holding pen for crickets for a few months when I thought it would be a bright idea to save money on reptile food by buying online in bulk. 1 very stinky office later, I decided that wasn't such a great idea. Anyway, cleaned it out really well.

10 gallon tank
40 gallon Top Fin powerfilter with easy change cartridge, set on low most of the time.
white gravel
1 fish tank resin tower ruin
1 silk fish tank plant
1 rubbery green coral looking fish tank thingy
1 live fuzzy plant
currently 1 25 watt incandescent light, one 10 watt (40 watt brightness) flourescent bulb

Shopping list
gravel vac
Sand
Flourite
heater
thermometer
another flourescent bulb
driftwood
some kinda sponge to stick in the filter

First day, set up the tank with wal-mart spring water and let it sit over night with white gravel and a fake plant. Next day, added a female beta and 3 guppies. The beta lasted about 2 days, I quarantiened it back in its fishbowl when it started looking fluffy and tried to medicate it. It looked to me like the medication killed it. I dunno. (Betta Revive in a little plastic fish) Added some Stress Coat to the water. After the beta went, lost 1 guppy a day.

Ok, so this last weekend (friday on the way home from work) I went back to petsmart and said I was sad my fish all died and the lady said "Try some tetras, they're hardy" so I picked three noens cause they were the cheapest. Bought a master test kit. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 7.8 ph. Went back and got a catfish cause I noticed the tetras didn't always notice when I was dropping food in the tank and I figured they needed a maid, also bought some NEUTRAL stuff to bring down the ph. As well as some aquarium salt. Added per instructions. One neon was dead the next morning. I took it and a water sample to Petsmart and the fish dept manager lady was there. She tested my water. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, ph about 7.4

I told her what all I'd gone through so far and she recommended specifically round bodied tetras cause they'd be hardier. I told her whichever are the boldest cause my daughter is visually impaired and only has limited vision out of one eye and I needed fish that wouldn't spend all thier time hiding in the back of the tank. She recommended the Serpae Tetras.

Over the last couple days i've added 2 more doses of the NEUTRAL stuff to try and bring the PH down. I went online last night and researched to see if I could figure out why that stuff was having no effect. I came across a lot of stuff saying hard water maked adjusting the PH a pain. I then tested the spring water in the bottle, and it was at like 6.2 ph. Rather confused, so I did more reading and somethign said that the water could be gaining hardness from gravel. I used walmart fish tank gravel so I wouldn't be surprised. After doing some reading I'd like to switch to a flourite/tihitian black sand mix, and add some driftwood to my tank. I'll probably remove the green rubbery thing cause its rather big and takes up room the wood will probably need.

2 days ago I bought a feeding ring that sucks to the side of the tank to keep the flakes in one area to give the fish a better chance at finding them. (Serpaes are fun to watch eat! Worried about the neons not getting enough, they don't even notice its feeding time someteimes.) So far so good, havn't lost anybody else yet. One of the neons is bigger than the other and is really beating the crap out of the small one though.

Currently spent my weekly hobby allowance my wife lets me have. Next round I plan on buying another flourescent bulb (those incandescents get HOT! and a water heater so the water will stay a consistant temp. Need a gravel vacuum of course...Also trying to figure out what to stick in between the filter cartridge and the out spout on the filter to give the biology something to cling to when I change the filter cartridge bag out.

Any comments would be welcome. Trying to absorb all the info I can.

 

[fishyness0809]

The reason you lost your fish is because your tank didnt have enough time to cycle, 4-6 weeks is the recommended length of time. People have different opinions about spring water because it may carry stuff that tap water carries and isnt as pure as it says it is. There are several articles pinned at the top about 'fishless' cycling however I used a female platy to help cycle my first tank (5 gallon eclipse in my sig) and still have her to this day...HOWEVER she was the only fish in the tank for about 2 weeks and then I added two female guppies AND that was ALL that was in my tank for the first month. This isnt recommended but its the way I went before I found this website . So I am sure others will give you there advice but this is what I have to offer! Hope it helps!!

 

[Axleuk]

Ok, there are a few very important issues that you appear to have missed. It is not advisable to buy a tank, add water and then throw some fishin straight away. You are asking for trouble. As you realised yourself, your fish did not do too well.

There are a couple of articles i would like you to take some time and read, they contain information that will help you on your way to a sucessful tank. The first one is A step by step guide to setting up a tank this will arm you with enough information to set your tank up correctly and have confidence that you have everything you need to start you off

The second article i would like you to read is Fishless Cycling. This will educate you to the method of preparing your water to a level that the fish will find most comfortable and cause them less stress. This is an essential part of fishkeeping and without it you are subjecting your fish needless amounts of discomfort.

I would also like to suggest that you print out the articles and pass them onto the woman you spoke to in Petsmart and suggest that she read them

I have no idea why you would find the need to use spring water, when tap water in most cases is sufficient.

I'm glad you bought a Master Kit, this will allow you to test your water levels and only when these levels are stable should you be considering putting fish in. You never mentioned Nitrates in your results. You need to test for PH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. All this is covered in the two articles i recommend you read.

I am glad you have come here and posted your progress review, it may have saved you money and the discomfort of more fish.

Any further questions you have, please come here and there will be plenty of people willing to guide you in the right direction. Dont always rely on the pet stores.

 

[NonstickRon]

Ok, there are a few very important issues that you appear to have missed. It is not advisable to buy a tank, add water and then throw some fishin straight away. You are asking for trouble. As you realised yourself, your fish did not do too well.

There are a couple of articles i would like you to take some time and read, they contain information that will help you on your way to a sucessful tank. The first one is A step by step guide to setting up a tank this will arm you with enough information to set your tank up correctly and have confidence that you have everything you need to start you off

The second article i would like you to read is Fishless Cycling. This will educate you to the method of preparing your water to a level that the fish will find most comfortable and cause them less stress. This is an essential part of fishkeeping and without it you are subjecting your fish needless amounts of discomfort.

I would also like to suggest that you print out the articles and pass them onto the woman you spoke to in Petsmart and suggest that she read them

I have no idea why you would find the need to use spring water, when tap water in most cases is sufficient.

I'm glad you bought a Master Kit, this will allow you to test your water levels and only when these levels are stable should you be considering putting fish in. You never mentioned Nitrates in your results. You need to test for PH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. All this is covered in the two articles i recommend you read.

I am glad you have come here and posted your progress review, it may have saved you money and the discomfort of more fish.

Any further questions you have, please come here and there will be plenty of people willing to guide you in the right direction. Dont always rely on the pet stores.

Yeah, I had fish in the water before I even heard of cycling. Its a little late for fishless cycling...3 Serpaes, 2 neons and a cory live there now. I've been researching my butt off all week though. Just trying to make it as painless as possible for them now. I've come across lots of fishy forums. I liked this one the best so far, seems a friendly, knowledgable and well established community. I'll definitely take a look at those topics and see if I havn't read them already.

 

[minxfishy]

For now, your best course of action is water changes and possibly lots of them. At the moment your readings are 0 for both ammonia and nitrite? Which is good, however, as this is a new tank set up, those levels wont last for long. Test daily if possible, any time your ammonia or nitrite go above 0.25ppm then you need to do a water change to bring the levels down. The ammonia will rise first, then over time the nitrite will start to rise, both of these as you are probably aware are harmful to the fish, hence the need to keep the water changes up until they both finally reach 0 and stay 0 for at aleast a week, then you can say your tank is cycled.

Is there any chance you could return the fish to the store to enable you to do a fishless cycle. This would be best for the fish and their long term health and less stressful to you.

 

[NonstickRon]

For now, your best course of action is water changes and possibly lots of them. At the moment your readings are 0 for both ammonia and nitrite? Which is good, however, as this is a new tank set up, those levels wont last for long. Test daily if possible, any time your ammonia or nitrite go above 0.25ppm then you need to do a water change to bring the levels down. The ammonia will rise first, then over time the nitrite will start to rise, both of these as you are probably aware are harmful to the fish, hence the need to keep the water changes up until they both finally reach 0 and stay 0 for at aleast a week, then you can say your tank is cycled.

Is there any chance you could return the fish to the store to enable you to do a fishless cycle. This would be best for the fish and their long term health and less stressful to you.

Well...I suppose. I'm rather attatched the the cory and the serpae already though. I'm going to keep a close eye on it. Proving I can do it is important to me.

So no spring water eh? I wouldn't dare use our tap water, the calcium content where i live is insane.

 

[Axleuk]

For now, your best course of action is water changes and possibly lots of them. At the moment your readings are 0 for both ammonia and nitrite? Which is good, however, as this is a new tank set up, those levels wont last for long. Test daily if possible, any time your ammonia or nitrite go above 0.25ppm then you need to do a water change to bring the levels down. The ammonia will rise first, then over time the nitrite will start to rise, both of these as you are probably aware are harmful to the fish, hence the need to keep the water changes up until they both finally reach 0 and stay 0 for at aleast a week, then you can say your tank is cycled.

Is there any chance you could return the fish to the store to enable you to do a fishless cycle. This would be best for the fish and their long term health and less stressful to you.

Well...I suppose. I'm rather attatched the the cory and the serpae already though. I'm going to keep a close eye on it. Proving I can do it is important to me.

So no spring water eh? I wouldn't dare use our tap water, the calcium content where i live is insane.

To be honest, if there is a chance you could return the fish, i would advise it. You may be attatched to the Cory and Serpae now, but with your current setup may not have them to be attatched to for much longer.

If, and its a big unadvisable if, you do wish to keep them, then following Minxsters advice will certianly help your battle a bit.

 

[toshapetriji]

Bactinettes *cough*.

Alex saw your other thread stick with it mate. If it works try to get some evidence. Times move on and trends change. Cycle with Mollies was all the rage not long ago.

 

[NonstickRon]

Bactinettes *cough*.

Alex saw your other thread stick with it mate. If it works try to get some evidence. Times move on and trends change. Cycle with Mollies was all the rage not long ago.

I was rather confused till i googled "bactinettes". lol

Anywhere you know of that sells those in the States? I've been to Petco and Petsmart and didn't see them, nor did I notice anything like that at the local mom'n'pop place.

I'm considering returning the Neons. I'm not interested in seeing the big one abuse the little one to death.

 

[toshapetriji]

Try pm alex he knows more than me but seems US does have something similiar.

 

[NonstickRon]

That Bactinettes must be a UK product eh? I don't see anything anywhere about where to buy it.

 

[toshapetriji]

It has another name in US. PM him he´ll help you out and he had good results with it so he says.

*Edit* Maybe called Bio Spira in US I think.

 

[NonstickRon]

It has another name in US. PM him he´ll help you out and he had good results with it so he says.

*Edit* Maybe called Bio Spira in US I think.

Hmm...pokin around online I came across a site selling Tetra Safestart, billing it as a product that is replacing Bio Spira as an offering by the company. I'm going to try calling local "aquarium" specialty shops. Theres like 4 or 5 in town. (Daytona Beach, FL)

Edit: Cool, I found a mom'n'pop exotics petshop that carries Bio Spira. $15.96

 

[Axleuk]

**I SWEAR TO GOD I DIDNT EVEN MENTION THE DREADED 'B' WORD** i was trying to be a good boy and offer impartial advice based on recent discussions.

I'm staying out of this one

 

[NonstickRon]

**I SWEAR TO GOD I DIDNT EVEN MENTION THE DREADED 'B' WORD** i was trying to be a good boy and offer impartial advice based on recent discussions.

I'm staying out of this one

Eh? Is it bad? Talk about a cliffhanger. lol

I havn't actually bought that stuff yet. I'm at work all day. (hence the active forum posting, lol)