Stupid Newbie Having Problems

[nagus]

My tank has now been set up and running for a about 3 months and Ive come to the conclusion i've made a few mistakes in the process.

1. Tank is getting too much sunlight (Algae problems). Its not close to a window, but in a very bright room.

2. Perhaps didn't clean the sand as much as i should have done (Cloudy water problems). never clears even with regular water changes and using something called acu-clear (works for about 2 days then the cloudy water returns.

3. Plants rotten & dying (not enough experience)

4. Always seems to be bits floating around the tank, despite constant cleaning.

Besides these problems the fish all seem to be ok and water perameters are all ok: Annonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 15, Ph 8, GH 12.

I've almost got to the point of giving up. The thing is i would like to now move the tank to perhaps a more suitable location, and not to sure on how to go about it. As its my first and only tank, ive got nowhere to move the fish when i do this. I would also like to change the substrate to fine pebbles rather than sand. Is it possible to empty the tank completely and start again without having to go through another cycle. So my questions are:

1. Should i save 50%(?) <> old water to re-use.
2. Is there enough good bacteria in the filter to not worry about it.
3. Is all this feasable (*spelling) or am i just talking cr*p.

Sorry its such a long question, but any help would be appreciated

 

[breezer40]

This is what I would do:

Should i save 50%(?) <> old water to re-use.

Yes that sounds good

Is there enough good bacteria in the filter to not worry about it.

There will be bacteria in the filter but it would be wise to use some of the old substrate until everything is stable...changing the substrate can make the tank start a cycle. There are a 3 options I can think of.

1. Move the old substrate to one half of the tank and but the new substrate in the other half..gradually reduce the old substrate over a few weeks till it is completely replaced by the new.

2. Mix the old substrate in with the old...this might not be an option if you are changing type, color etc.

3. Hang old substrate in a stocking inside the tank till you are sure all water levels are stable.

3. Is all this feasable (*spelling) or am i just talking cr*p.

I did this a while ago with one of my tanks so yes it is feasible.

To move the tank empty the 50% water into buckets or whatever you have and add the fish to the buckets. get rid of the rest of the water and move tank. replace substrate and 50% treated new water then fish then the old water.

Others may have come up with different ideas but this worked for me

 

[thecichlidaddict]

There is actually no benefit to saving your old water. The beneficial bacteria that you are trying to preserve is on the surfaces in the aquarium, not free-swimming in the water.

Unless the tank is overstocked you will be just fine saving the filter and changing the water and substrate. Sand is too dense to hold much bacteria anyway, most of it is in the filter. I've done this type of switch many times.

And the debris floating around the tank may very well be from the rotting plants.

 

[plecman]

thecichlidaddict

Im new at this and this probally sounds like a really stupid question but I keep reading about water changes and how you do so much each day or week when you get problems or just maintaining it. am I right in thinking this is wrong and I can clean up all the mess and stuff in my gavel without it doing any harm?

Sorry if this sounds stupid but I want to learn as much as i can.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Im new at this and this probally sounds like a really stupid question but I keep reading about water changes and how you do so much each day or week when you get problems or just maintaining it. am I right in thinking this is wrong and I can clean up all the mess and stuff in my gavel without it doing any harm?

You may need to clarify this for me a bit.

At this point it is obvious you are not happy with things. Essentially what you want to (and can) do is virtually start over.

Fill a bucket with water from the tank in order to keep the temperature constant. Move the fish over.

Empty the tank, replace the sand with well rinsed gravel, replace the live plants with fake if you feel you are not ready for live, fill the tank back up, plug in the filter, heat it up to match the temp. in the bucket, put the fish back in. The bacteria in the filter should be fine if you don't take too long.

do tests for ammonia and nitrite over the next couple of days to make sure things went smoothly. If you notice a rise in either, do water changes to dilute it. The filter won't take long to catch up again.

 

[sinistral]

Besides these problems the fish all seem to be ok and water perameters are all ok: Annonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 15, Ph 8, GH 12.

I've almost got to the point of giving up.

Hi nagus,

Are you really committed to "starting over"? I inquire because it seems like your tank has a number of different virtues that not every tank can claim. These include: excellent water parameters, healthy fish, and a lack of overstocking (if that makes sense).

I wonder if there is a way of salvaging the tank as it is now. What's the thing about the tank as it is now that bugs you the most?

I suspect (and I could be totally off-base) that if you could somehow solve the algae, dying plant, and cloudy water problem that you may feel better about the tank as is. I don't know what you've tried already, but I'm interested in hearing about what kinds of plants you have in the tank, and now much light your hood supplies (in terms of number of light bulbs and wattage). I wonder if the snails in your tank are wreaking havok on the plants and causing a lot of the problem too. How bad is your algae problem?

 

[nagus]

Are you really committed to "starting over"? I inquire because it seems like your tank has a number of different virtues that not every tank can claim. These include: excellent water parameters, healthy fish, and a lack of overstocking (if that makes sense).

I wonder if there is a way of salvaging the tank as it is now. What's the thing about the tank as it is now that bugs you the most?

I suspect (and I could be totally off-base) that if you could somehow solve the algae, dying plant, and cloudy water problem that you may feel better about the tank as is. I don't know what you've tried already, but I'm interested in hearing about what kinds of plants you have in the tank, and now much light your hood supplies (in terms of number of light bulbs and wattage). I wonder if the snails in your tank are wreaking havok on the plants and causing a lot of the problem too. How bad is your algae problem?


No i'm not totally comitted to "starting over", but - i dunno perhaps its just me being too fussy wanting everything to be perfect from the start! As for the plants i dont know what they are (just bought a selection from the lfs) (asked advice and was told would be ok?). As for the lighting i don't know what watage they are, but do know one is marked sun glo and the other aqua glow. The snails arn't too much of a problem, but the algae seems to be growing over everything especially the sand?

 

[sumer_kay]

First, welcome! Don't fret about your tank not being perfect! When I first started (not too long ago) I really didn't like my tank, slowly but surely I have upgraded, and changed everything, including the fish! With this site you are constantly learning new helpful things to make the hobby oh so much better I think that if you want to change the substrate, and plants, you should have no problem just putting the fish in some old water in a bucket, and doing just that. If you want to keept he same fish, and such you aren't really "starting over" (or at least you don't have to) Just, "upgrading" I'm sure you will be very pleased once you get it where you want it. As for the live plants, they can be a pain, some are much easier than others to care for, with plastics being the easiest. I think gravel will be much easier to clean and maintain also. Good luck, and have fun! Show us what it ends up looking like

 

[Sky042]

your plant problems could be related to your choice of plants. If you've bought a plant that requires high levels of light and you have standard lighting on your tank that could cause rotting. You may want to remove them and replaced them with something that doesn't require as much light.


as far as algae you can either clean it yourself or buy a small algae eater like an otto to take care of it for you.

If you do decide to switch things aroung. Try not to let the filter be turned off for more than 30 mins and try to keep the filter full of tank water to keep the bacteria alive.

 

[Bol]

Nagen, here's my opinions.

1. can be solved by moving the tank, or by other methods, and tca gave you some good advice there. Also, it (the algae and sunlight) may not actually be a problem. Certain types of algae are common with newer tanks, no matter where they are located.

2. and 4., given the info, seem to scream to me "insufficient filtration" (personally, I would doubt 2. is caused by insufficient cleaning of the sand, after three months). I'm guessing the tank in question is the 25UK gallon in your signature. What kind of filter are you running, and with what kind of media?

edit: also, when you say "cloudy", do you mean a general cloudiness -- that is, does the water look milky, or does it look 'dirty' because of easily seen particles?

3. is most likely, as Sky mentioned, because you have incorrect plants for your lighting conditions. Easily, if perhaps somewhat expensively, fixed.