Nightmare

[skymortar]

okay so my aunt ask me if i want an aquarium.i have wanted one for a while.i expected a glass box.she shows up with a full 36 gallon bowfront setup.the worst part is she had 15 fish to go with it.even a complete newbie knows it isnt right to fill a tank and throw fish in it.when i got my test kit the amonia was off the chart.i did a 75 water change and got it to 4.0.next day i did a 50 and went to 2.0.ph is at 8.0,where do i go from here?

 

[aussieant32]

keep doing your water changes, unfortunately a lot of the fish probably wont survive as even a reading of 0.25 ammonia will effect them. If you can ring a lfs and see if they will take them back and start from scratch

 

[fatheadminnow]

Yup, agree^^

You need to keep doing water changes to keep the ammonia, and when it becomes present, nitrite, down as close to zero as you can!

Over time, beneficial bacteria will grow in the filter, and they will process the ammonia. Until then, you have to perform water changes to keep the levels down.

-FHM

 

[skymortar]

it has been a week and a half and i have lost one dalmation molly.when people say mature media,what is that?carbon?i have people who i work with who have estabelishd tanks who looked at me like i had three heads when i asked them.these are the same people who said do a 20 water change a week.what is media and where do i put it?

 

[fatheadminnow]

it has been a week and a half and i have lost one dalmation molly.when people say mature media,what is that?carbon?i have people who i work with who have estabelishd tanks who looked at me like i had three heads when i asked them.these are the same people who said do a 20 water change a week.what is media and where do i put it?

The media is what is inside the filter.

Usually it is some sort of bio-media, or a sponge/foam insert.

Anything inside the filter is fair game; the bacteria will colonize on everything inside the filter.

-FHM

 

[waterdrop]

it has been a week and a half and i have lost one dalmation molly.when people say mature media,what is that?carbon?i have people who i work with who have estabelishd tanks who looked at me like i had three heads when i asked them.these are the same people who said do a 20 water change a week.what is media and where do i put it?

Good job skymortar, you're doing really well considering the situation that happened with your Aunt's gift! Don't worry about meeting other tank owners who think these things sound crazy. When I arrived here at TFF a lot of the posts I saw sounded really interesting, given things I remembered from keeping tanks years ago and having read lots of tropical fish books back then. But even so, once I got to trying out fishless cycling I found myself wondering if I could really trust some of the fascinating but strange advice I was reading. It did not take long though, watching the fish in our family's tank day after day showing signs of vibrant health that was like only a few of the very best times years ago that I finally trusted that I had discovered the real thing: a bunch of aquarists, many of whom have lots and lots of experience and almost all of whom are ready to share their knowledge and advice. They cross-check each other so much in the threads that you're rarely far away from getting some reasonable help. Hope you enjoy it!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[skymortar]

it has been a week and a half and i have lost one dalmation molly.when people say mature media,what is that?carbon?i have people who i work with who have estabelishd tanks who looked at me like i had three heads when i asked them.these are the same people who said do a 20 water change a week.what is media and where do i put it?

Good job skymortar, you're doing really well considering the situation that happened with your Aunt's gift! Don't worry about meeting other tank owners who think these things sound crazy. When I arrived here at TFF a lot of the posts I saw sounded really interesting, given things I remembered from keeping tanks years ago and having read lots of tropical fish books back then. But even so, once I got to trying out fishless cycling I found myself wondering if I could really trust some of the fascinating but strange advice I was reading. It did not take long though, watching the fish in our family's tank day after day showing signs of vibrant health that was like only a few of the very best times years ago that I finally trusted that I had discovered the real thing: a bunch of aquarists, many of whom have lots and lots of experience and almost all of whom are ready to share their knowledge and advice. They cross-check each other so much in the threads that you're rarely far away from getting some reasonable help. Hope you enjoy it!

~~waterdrop~~

i did an 80 water change tonight.so far only one casualty.my goal is not one more.

 

[skymortar]

dowm to .5.an0ther big water change tommorow.good night.update tomorrow night

 

[indigoj]

Keep going! You are doing well so far.

 

[BecciMac1987]

Sky, the guys who said do 20% water changes a week are correct, but thats when the tank is fully cycled, which I assume theirs will be, but yours isn't as its new.
You are doing totally the right thing. If I had your tank, I would be changing about 75% every day for a week, then 50% every day for another week, then 30% a day for another week.
Test the water every day before a water change, then a few hours afterwards. If the ammonia is ever above 0.75ppm Id do a water change immedatley, otherwise stick to the above plan.
Good luck!

 

[skymortar]

did a 75% change at 9 pm.when should i check water?i am on a missi
on not to lose another fish.i WILL charlie mike.[complete mission]

 

[OldMan47]

I wait an hour after a water change just to give the tank's water time to mix well before I test again. It is not only OK but desirable to do several large changes in a row to get the water chemistry good. After you reach that point is soon enough to back off and just change water when the ammonia of nitrites get close to 0.25 ppm. Until you get your water levels below 0.25 ppm, you will lose or damage fish. In a low pH situation, the ammonia that fish tolerate is a bit higher but I really don't think we want to confuse things here with a lot of charts and graphs showing toxicity of ammonia at various pH values. I would not allow my ammonia or nitrites to get as high as BecciMac suggested, but of course we don't all agree on everything. The ammonia left in a tank will be fine for bacteria development whether you do a 90% change or a 20% change as far as that goes so I always err on the side of fish health. I also would not let my water get to 0.75 ppm regardless of the time the tank has been cycling. In a water shortage area with no other option, I would probably drag out the toxicity charts but for most of us that is a chancy thing to start to do and there is no reason to do it.

 

[skymortar]

we are at .25.i am not testing for anything but amonia.that is the biggest threat to my fish.when i get this straight ill fine tune it .first things first.save the fish,airborne.

 

[OldMan47]

It is not only ammonia that is toxic to your fish. Nitrites are just as toxic at about the same 0.25 ppm level. Nitrites prevent the fish using the oxygen in their water the way that carbon monoxide keeps people from using the oxygen in air. It will leave your fish gasping at the surface trying to get a bit of oxygen and shortly after you will see them laying on the bottom with their gills going 100 miles an hour but not getting any oxygen into the blood stream.

 

[waterdrop]

Agree. Its both ammonia and nitrite(NO2) that are important to control and attempt to keep in the 0.25ppm and under range during fish-in cycling. Its hard work but you sound like you are getting there!

~~waterdrop~~