Tetras

[hellstorm]

yup i have tetras (rummynoses) i think its becos the light is too bright for them, do u think so? i was wondering if i should get floating plants or not and my friends goldfish tank has been going the exact time as mine and his water is crystal clear, but ive got an internal filter and hes got exteranl

 

[shtinkypuppie]

It shouldn't be too bright, they should be able to adjust... i think. Anyone else got any ideas?

I think the longer cycling time is due to the rinsing of the filter cartridge. How many gallons is the filter rated for?

 

[pondfreak4365]

Hellstorm, There may be the possiblity that the test is old and therefore not giving an accurate reading. Otherwise I really would have expected a lot of fish death with that reading of nitrite. When my tank was right at the point of cycling, the nitrite readings were hovering around 2. That was when I lost fish Also, earlier you asked about adding any chemicals to tap water, are you using anything to remove the chlorine and chloramines?

 

[hellstorm]

My Filter pumps 105 us gallons per hour, i had 8 rummynoses lost one about 2 weeks ago, i just only purchased the test kits a weeks ago they cant be too old.. and when i do water cahnges i just add pure tap water in there i didnt put in any chemicals to remove the chlorine ect sorry to hear about ur fish pf

 

[Macquatic]

Hellstorm, firstly welcome to the forum.
The thing you require most of when you start fishkeeping is patience. By cleaning your filter pads in tapwater you have virtually gone back to square one I'm afraid. Cloudiness is also part of your tank cycling (maturing),and this may take up to 6 weeks!
Do water changes up to 50% every 2-3 days if the fish show distress, feed very lightly and don't touch the filter. When the time comes, clean one pad only in fish water you have removed at a water change. Water to refill your tank should be treated with a chlorine/chloramine neautralizer. (Any form of chlorine is harmful to your fish and filter.
Hope this is of some help and just be patient. Mac.

 

[gadazobe]

Amonia levels decrease quite a while before the nitrite levels. Even though it will prolong the cycle, do frequent water changes so as not to subject your fish to too much stress from high nitrite levels. Don't buy any more fish untill your tank is stable. The general rule is 1" fish to 1 gal. (this is for smaller *narrow* fish like tetras) I know it's difficult and you need lots of patience but, in the long run, it's better for the fish. Do you have any hidey holes for the fish? ornaments or rocks that they can hide behind. Could be that they don't move around a lot when the lights are on coz they're a bit traumatised by the bright light and have nowhere to shelter from it. Plants are good and will help to quicken your cycle. And finally, welcome to the best forum on the web. Happy fish keeping

 

[hellstorm]

Thanks for the replies
yes i have some places for them to hide, they could hide behind the driftwood or in the clay flower pot i put in, they are showing no signs of distress, only when the light goes on/off they swim around really fast like they got a fright, then they just stay in the same spot and dont move...

 

[hellstorm]

Ive just got a shell about 6cm wide and 6 cm long from a goldfish tank that has been runnin for 3 years and didnt wash it at ALL and put it in my planted tank 12-15gallon... will that help speed up the process?? enough bacteria??

 

[gadazobe]

Be careful with goldfish water. Goldfish tend to have certain diseases that are harmless to them but can make tropicals sick. Imho your best bet is slowly but surely - carry on with the cycle as the tank is now. Don't worry, your tank will get stable soon.

 

[hellstorm]

sometimes only sometimes.. i see food left over.. will that increase the ammonia levels in the tank? is that good towards the cycle? or should i net it out?

 

[gadazobe]

It will increase the amonia levels, net it out if you can. During the cycle feed very sparingly - fish are very resiliant regarding food and a little goes a long way with them.

 

[hellstorm]

will they survive(and be healthy) if i only feed once a day for the rest of their lifes and only flakes? (not that im gonna do it but just wondering )

 

[William]

Yes. Many people just feed plain flakes, once a day is plenty too I know some people who only feed every other day.

To get the most out of your fish try some bloodworm/brine shrimp but I wouldn't recomend doing this until the cycle is over (ammonia and nitrite 0) as they can muck up the water a bit! Depending on your fish you can also feed them some veggies once again though make sure you wait until the cycle is finished before doing this

 

[cichlidmaster]

Hey hellstorm,

You ask a very good question here and please don't take this personally, but ask yourself this question...

"would I like to eat the same food everyday for the rest of my life"

While fish will survive on flake food, they won't be at their best. Use flake as their main diet and supplement it with occassional feedings of live or frozen foods.

By feeding a varied diet (combined with good water mangement) your fish will reward you with excellent health, great color and a good deal of activity. This is what all aquarists strive for (or should try to strive for).

HTH

 

[hellstorm]

thanks for the reply, i know what to do know
some questions... how often should i feed them frozen foods?
I got some frozen foods from the lfs the other day i asked the counter for some suitable frozen foods for rummynoses and they gave me livebearer tucker, and my fish dont even want to touch it...