the fish are in

[royboy]

Hi all! put in six tetras to-day, -after a week of running with no fish-
all the water readings were zero except for nitrates which was 10pp- so decided to go for it, ( I'm to impatient) .
so now I'm going to keep my eye on the ammonia levels, should I test this each day or every other day?.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Can't help you out, but (for more info and b/c of my curiosity) what type(s) of tetras? And if you're new to fish keeping, welcome.

 

[ryan]

that is quite alot of fish to add at once, what type of tetras are they?

if i were you test daily and if there is any change do a small water change. and try and keep the ammonia level down.

normally you should wait at least 10 days before adding fish and that should be one or two every 10 days or so, the first fish should be hardy and able to cope with water parameter changes

how big is the tank?

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I should've asked you that myself. Personally, I think a goldfish would be perfect to cycle the tank for the first time, but (like and unlike you) I added my fish a few days after setting the tank up and running it. )

 

[fishgeek]

the parameters probably read zero because there has been little nitrogen in your system to feed bacteria that convert from NH3 to NO2

ie some fish food r other source of protein
these bacteria will grow slowly in response to feding hence you should have seen the NH3 rise and drop

the nest stage is the conversion of NO2 to NO3 and this requires a second different group of bacteria to develop again you should see a rise and then fall in NO2

all this should happen before fish are added

dont feed your fish much and feed them only every other day , the less food waste(NH3) the less they pee and poo(more NH3) all this NH3 is poision.........(sometimes i wish i could keep new fish keepers who dont read before they play in a bowl of their own urine for a few weeks !! sorry it just seemed appropriate!

next checking daily will be a bit of a pointless exercise it wont if you follow above change that quick, actually strike that if you have a small tank (tempted to say smaller than your knowledge base)then were in trouble
your going to have to play a balancing game now
NH3 is bad for fish and food for first stage of cycle , we need it and it is bad
really for the fish you wont a reading of zero maybe aim for less that 0.25mg/l of NH3
by the way NH3 and NH4 are interchangeable

then we should see the NO2 rsie again ty again keep it below 0.5mg/l preferably less
the NO3 is the least toxic to the fish

you really havent done things correctly
if you can get mature filter media from a friends established tank get some
otherwise buy one of those supposed filter bacteria cultures from the lfs

fingers crossed the fish stay healthy and maybe 15% changes every other day

read before you start killing fish
this forum has exposed me to the ignorance in my hobby and really disheartend me

please dont take this personally royboy, i'm just upset after only a few days of reading posts here

i'm just sick of twits killing fish through ignorance

bye before i lose it
andrew

 

[FanOFish]

If the tank is fairly large and the tetras were healthy to begin with...my bet would be no problem what so ever.

I have a 42gal. added 10 neons after 1 week.....all 10 still alive and well.

Don't overfeed, don't overcrowd...enjoy

 

[royboy]

Thanks all for your comments, so far so good The neon tetras seem quite happy at the moment, there only small about 3/4 inch The reason for six was if you bought five you got one free, total cost six neon tetras £4.95.
I seem to have upset Andrew, and his forecast of doom for my tank seems like I've wasted my money : but I can assure him that my fish are not swimming around in there own cesspit!. According to advice from a variety of sources and by using Nutrafin cycle and continuous filtration a weeks wait should be o.k.
Thanks all- will keep you informed of any progress or disasters.
Royboy

 

[Debo]

I personally did tests everyday for the first 3-4 weeks and kept the results in a journal. What was really interesting about writing it down was I was actually cycling 2 tanks at the same time but one was 3 weeks older and they were different sizes. I was able to look back at the older notes when I was questioning the results on the second cycle. I learned from this{ and I am about to start cycling a new tank, so the results for this tank will be interesting} that all tanks cycle differently and take different amounts of time for the levels to rise and fall. My largest tank, a 60 gallon never had the high rises and falls that my 15 gallon tank had. By being able to look at the numbers in writing I was able to see a somewhat pattern to it all but then to see how totally different the two tanks are. I had different fish in the tanks during the cycle so I don't know if that had much of a difference. So, I would suggest if you really want to understand the science behind keeping fish to take notes and compare. I know I definetely enjoyed and understood this science project better than any class I ever took in school! Enjoy and good luck to you. before you know it you'll be cycling ANOTHER tank like the rest of us. My husband told me last night that after this tank there is a moratorium on new tanks coming home until 2005. Oh I don't think so. :kira:
PS-Tetras are a bit touchy during cycling and really like an established tank. Don't be too bummed if you lose them during the cycle.
Deb

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

roy, first of all welcome to the forum
what size of tank have you got?
don't worry too much about fishgeek, everyone will tell you different things and they can only go by their experiences (he sounds a bit bitter to me anyway)
keep an eye on your water parameters and take it slowly
as debo says its a good idea to keep a diary for your tank it can help to trace any problems
most of all enjoy your new tank and hobby

 

[david27]

Hi Roy

I would check everyday for a week or two then as you become happier that every thing is settling you can ease back on testing. My tanks are all over 18months old and now I rarely check water.

As Debo said neons can be prone to dropping dead in a cycled tank so don't be to suprised if some/all don't make.

All the best with your new tank.

David

 

[Debo]

As David said, I hardly ever have to test my water now. I do it once a month or so.
Good Luck to you and don't be afraid to ask us questions. We all learn this way.
Deb

 

[royboy]

Thanks Deb, Dave, Fish Crazy.
Funny enough I am keeping details of all I am doing, this morning the nitrite was a Little high, so I have done a 10%water change, sorry to here that the neons might not make it. it just shows you how the advice you receive varies. my local f.s. told me that they would be hardy, altho I would say at the present, they seem O.K .
I shall check all the nitrite e.t.c again tomorrow, and if needed shall do a water change. My tank holds 13 gallon 24x12x15 so its no big deal.
Mind you the only time any thing can go wrong is when I'm in bed because I have been watching the fish all the time, I've already been told off by my lovely lady she is accusing me of ignoring her ! .
Thank you Friends for your help, if it is in my power- Long live my tetras!
Royboy

 

[Inchworm]

....just shows you how the advice you receive varies. my local f.s. told me that they would be hardy, altho I would say at the present, they seem O.K .

Hi royboy

It sounds like you have things well under control!

Don't worry about cycling your tank with fish in it. Although some people are against it, it is the way it has been done for years. If you monitor it carefully, all should go well.

If I may offer you any advice it would be to visit a number of lfs and find one you can trust. If you can find an independently owned fish store or a pet store with a large fish department that is run by someone who keeps and breeds fish himself, you will have found a valuable resource. If not, seek advice on the forum and do your own research before you buy.

Too many chain stores are only in business to sell and the success of their customer's hobbies are not a priority.

When you find a good lfs, make yourself and your tank known to the owner and sales people. It is well worth the effort to cultivate a good relationship with them.

 

[nightlife20]

When you find a good lfs, make yourself and your tank known to the owner and sales people. It is well worth the effort to cultivate a good relationship with them.

as i can agree with as i had a nice peice of rainbow rock and a few live plants and some live shrimp things for nowt off my new friend in the lfs lmao.. he said seeing as i spend so much i might as well have a few freebies everynow and again




everyone losses fish.... it happens even in an established tank (goddamn spellin)
but we all learn from our mistakes.. or at least i hope we do :smb:


Dawn xx

 

[royboy]

Thanks for your encouraging words Inchworm,every thing is still A1 ,checked all the necessary to-day every thing checked out fine.
And thank you Dawn for the Kisses .......Very Nice ...........x........one for you