Totally New, Need Advice!

[K-Holed]

Yes this is correct and I said before, there is much science that people can learn if they want to. What I think is most importent though is the gist of what is happening. Through whatever means, ammonia is going to be present in the tank once it is stocked. Bacteria need to develop to deal with this. If someone wants to learn the ins and outs of this, that is a bonus but as long as they are aware of "something" being there and the need to get rid of it, that is the most important thing.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Yes this is correct and I said before, there is much science that people can learn if they want to. What I think is most importent though is the gist of what is happening. Through whatever means, ammonia is going to be present in the tank once it is stocked. Bacteria need to develop to deal with this. If someone wants to learn the ins and outs of this, that is a bonus but as long as they are aware of "something" being there and the need to get rid of it, that is the most important thing.

Good point!

-FHM

 

[waterdrop]

However, fish produce Ammonia when water passes through their gills.

But yes, the fishes waste, and left over fish food in the tank along with other things as well, will eventually start to produce Ammonia.

But more or less it is from the fish as the water passes through their gills.

-FHM

Not everyone knows this and it is 100% correct. Thanks FHM for reminding me of that

This implies that ammonia contribution from ventilation is larger than ammonia contribution via heterotrophic debris breakdown. I'm not aware that that is a known thing, at least I know I wouldn't be sure. I recently had a discussion with a professor who actually studies the "ammonia coming off the gills thing" and the amount of ammonia is small relative to CO2 coming off. But, on the other hand, as we all can imagine, the gill process is going on constantly whereas fish waste production and excess fish food additions, to name two, would be intermittent. So to me it would still be categorized as an unknown, which is the larger contribution to overall ammonia. Obviously, the ratios would also be dependent on dynamic things and varibles, since excess food, plant debris and all these things vary and fish numbers can change.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[OldMan47]

Actually WD, I think that I read that the fish source ammonia is well over 50% from respiration which of course makes the fish waste portion less than a 50% contributor. You are correct though that the decaying plants and excess food will definitely contribute varying amounts depending on how much plant matter and excess food there is. That is what makes the percentage assigned to each source so variable.

 

[waterdrop]

OK, I'm prepared to believe that OM47. I wasn't sure how the constant respiration contribution would stack up against the other things, had not read any sources that talked about it. Interesting.

WD

 

[OldMan47]

I often read the scientific section WD so I pick up odds and ends like that. I am no smarter about maintaining a tank because of it but I do remember what I read. It is no virtue on my part, it is just my nature.

 

[backtotropical]

If I may quote Andywg

If it is as you say, the level of organics required for any substantial bloom in an established tank would be huge. Given that around 80% of the ammonia/ammonium produced in our tank is directly excreted as part of the osmoregulatory functions of a fish (some figures cite closer to 90%), even an instant doubling in the amount of organic waste being processed would just require the AOB to increase in size by 20%.

The thread was about bacterial blooms which isn't relevant here, but he reckons 80 - 90% of the ammonia in our tanks comes from fish respiration.

I'm not sure of the source of his information, but he was usually pretty good with these things.

BTT

 

[waterdrop]

This is interesting because it means there's one more way our beginners might be fooled about the viability of a tank before its cycled. If they believe they will see evidence of debris that has to decay before "the water gets bad" they may get a surprise when new fish in a small tank respire and make the ammonia level go high quickly.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[EllieRocks:)]

My dwarf gourami seems to be bullying the other, he was various spilts in his fins and is chased around by the other. My betta doesn't take any nonsense an nips if the gouramis go for him. Should I take the aggresive gourami back to the shop? I'm going on holiday soon and I don't want to come back to a dead fish! I was wonderin if adding honeyvgoramis would help even out the agression but I'm reluctant to add more fish as the tank is only 2 weeks old. Any advice?

 

[waterdrop]

My dwarf gourami seems to be bullying the other, he was various spilts in his fins and is chased around by the other. My betta doesn't take any nonsense an nips if the gouramis go for him. Should I take the aggresive gourami back to the shop? I'm going on holiday soon and I don't want to come back to a dead fish! I was wonderin if adding honeyvgoramis would help even out the agression but I'm reluctant to add more fish as the tank is only 2 weeks old. Any advice?

As rabbut discussed in his earlier post in this thread, having these gouramis and the male betta in together is a difficult mix. The anabantoids or labyrinth fish behaviours are a little tricky to describe in that most of these fish can live fairly peacefully in a community tank with one another but unfortunately the males in particular can get territorial with each other and will even have quite damaging fights.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[rabbut]

Both the fighter and the Dwarf Gouramis will batter honey Gouramis IME. Also, Honey's need a tank that's been going for 6 months plus, due to their sencitivity to water conditions

IMO, you'd be best getting rid of both Dwarf Gouramis, or one DG and the Fighter

All the best
Rabbut