Ok I Am Done!

[katykaye]

I have my new tank up and running. I used the filter media and water from my old tank and just did a complete change in a few hours. My danios didn't look too impressed but they are looking suitably chilled and relaxed swimming in their new larger home

In for a penny in for a pound - I added 8 new fish at the same time so now the stocking is as shown below in my sig - thoughts on that please? and on what else I can add in a few weeks time

I tested the water at 3pm - readings were:
PH 7.8
Nitrite 0
Amonia 0.25
NitrAte 10

At 7:45pm the readings were:
PH 7.8
NitrIte 0
Amonia 0
NitrAte 20

so my nitrates seem to be rising a little but i can't remember if that is anything to worry about or not (so mixed up with nitrate and nitrite)

Anyway, I have gone from a 54L to a Juwel Rekord 120L The water is clearing, still a touch cloudy, but other than that all seems well. Just looking for some reassurance

Many thanks
Kaye

 

[rabbut]

Water stats look very good to me. Nitrate is good, nitrite is bad. I presume you have ammonia in your tap water?

What species are your golden loach? If you don't know the exact one, can you post a pic of them? I am concerend that the may be chinese algea eaters, which grow large (12inches) and agressive when older. Past 6 inches they need protien in their diet, and have been known to hunt tank mates to get it if no other sources are offered Only with larger, more aggressive fish, in a large tank should these be kept, and they IMO should be removed from the trade, as few can care for them correctly

Otherwise, as said above, all looks fine

All the best
Rabbut

 

[Piltdownpaul]

Thats funny rabbut i was wondering what the golden loach was......... If it is the chinese alage eater-good luck- i got rid of mine years ago. Last weekend i seen a tank full of them in a shop and they were marked community-I've seen this so many times i find it really annoying.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

it's normal to have a small amount of ammonia if you test a tank shortly after having a change around, it's just cos inevitably a load of muck gets stirred up into the water, as long as the filter has dealt with it within a few hrs and you've got 0 ammonia and nitrite then it's fine. this little bump of extra ammonia gives the extra nitrate as well, it'll go back to a normal steady rise from now on.

sounds like everythings gone fine

 

[katykaye]

Yes they are Chinese Algea Eaters and I know they have to go - thanks for your concern though. I bought them as a "newbie" to fishkeeping and a lfs told me they were "peaceful community fish"

They are, so far, peaceful in the tank but I do have a new home for them in the next few weeks.

Ideas of what to replace them with would be gratefully recieved.

and thanks for your comments

Kaye

 

[rabbut]

Bristle nose plecsos are a good choice, but messy, as are clown plecs, rubber nosed plecs and a few others. Clown plecs need groups of 6+, thus need a good sized tank. Never kept rubbernoses though, so can't realy say if they do need a group.
Oclosinctus catfish are a low waste producing algea eater, that will tank more or less every algea excluding BGA. They need a mature tank though, so wait 6 months before adding them to this one

IMO, bristlenoses are best, followed by the sometimes tempremental Ottos

All the best
Rabbut

 

[ryanp15]

are chinese algae eaters the same as sucking loach? I'm worried I might have one, I've had it for about 3 years now though!

 

[Corleone]

They're usually the same thing, though in my area it's usually hillstream loaches sold with the name "sucking loaches." Common names tend to cause no end of confusion.