Urgent Help/Advice needed: 29gallon + fish

[Fin & Feather]

As to algae. Increase the amount of other water plants. They will out compete the algae for nutrients. Also you can add bare root house plants to the any open chamber of the filter or add a refugium which can be an oxygenated breeding box with added bare root terrestrial plants as in hydroponics. The fish, water quality and plants all benefit from this arrangement.
There are also battery operated aqyarium air pumps available reasonably at some retail deparment stores, fish stores and online.
. Exert caution in selecting the more tiny floating plants. They will be caught your outflow pushing them down to your intake. They are pulled into your filter intake and then into your filter impeding filter function. They grow quickly and cover your surface and block light, subtely killing plants below by blocking light. Blocking fish from their food. They reproduce quickly yes, put die quickly, adding to waste loads . They were a nuisance to and almost to impossible to remove. The plan die offs of these surface planted and caused die off of my my other plants. I had to remove the fish and start that tank over. I was able to ressurect it quickly, by using seeding material from my other tanks. But I would n't wish that mess and misery on you or anyone. Water Wisteria is the filter plant I suggest. And if you want to remove it, it is easy to remove as the whole plant rather than thousands of tiny floating, plants.

 

[xcalibreplcp]

As to Safe Start, it is dormant bacteria that is activated when added to aquarium water. Some aquaria outlets keep it refrigerated. I have refrigerated unused portions. I can enquire further from the company if the initial sealed bottle requires cooling or extends viability life.

yes pls let me know

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[xcalibreplcp]

Yes well shop filters depending on the hygiene of your fish store. Ours have individual tanks not systemic water with impeccable care and knowledge. They don't have systemic water system. Never gotten a sick fish in 40 plus years with them. Usually use jump starts with filters from my among my own tanks.
As for using your old media yes, do use the media but not the remaining water. As oxygen deprived water degenerates and developes toxins as little as in 24 hours depending on air temperature. However there can be surviving anaerobic bacteria that require little or no oxygen. As there different beneficial bacteria cultures in a healthy functioning tank. Some require more oxygen and flow.
Agreed with plants. Another very fast growing plant that will serve as an attractive floating plant and/or rooted in media is Water Wisteria. As a floating plant it's roots draw the Ammonia and nitrates directly from the water and in turn releases oxygen. It's lacy foilage allows light to plants below and allows fish to reach floating food. An added bonus the fish seem to enjoy playing, sheltering, feeding and resting in it.
As too water changes others have addresses that and many people have different answers. After initial large water change usually 75 to 50% IF water reading toxin levels are high. Subsequent water changes can be small amounts daily or slightly more 20% every other day, the duration of which is not dependant on any length of time but rather on amount and size of fish stock and toxicity levels and cars devoted during this crucial time. Again additional seeding can speed up cycling. Micro organisms will be present on the fish and in the water no matter where you got the fish from. The key is in water quality, which is key to the fish remaining healthy as they will not manifest any illness that is carried in the water. Also Safe Start is a bottled cultured but natural bacteria/bacteria starter that can increase your good bacteria volume and cycling speed greatly on both counts.

btw heres the tank... not pretty but keeping them alive... now that some of the dust cloud from the gravel has settled i can see i need a few more plants.... i have more plants so ill be good there... its crazy how it doesnt look over stocked but i feel that it might be

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[Fin & Feather]

Nice tank. I have found Tetra Safe Start.at Petco for $5 at Petco, $6 at Walmart. $7 Chewy.com. I am waiting for a customer representative from Tetra to call me back as to the question if Safe Start requires cooling during storage. she was out of the office. I am about to have MRI. Out of communication for a little while. - M

 

[Colin_T]

Did you wash the gravel before using it in the tank?

If gravel is washed well before use, it should not make the tank cloudy. The easiest way to clean gravel is to add a couple of inches of gravel to a 10 litre bucket. Then hose vigorously until the bucket is half full of water. Tip the dirty water out and hose the gravel again. Repeat process however, many times it takes to get clean water. Then put that gravel in the tank and clean some more.

 

[xcalibreplcp]

Did you wash the gravel before using it in the tank?

If gravel is washed well before use, it should not make the tank cloudy. The easiest way to clean gravel is to add a couple of inches of gravel to a 10 litre bucket. Then hose vigorously until the bucket is half full of water. Tip the dirty water out and hose the gravel again. Repeat process however, many times it takes to get clean water. Then put that gravel in the tank and clean some more.

no. it was an emergency... typically i run the gravel in an overflowing bucket inside a bathtub til it clears... i wonder if the dust particles help... hmmmm

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[xcalibreplcp]

As to algae. Increase the amount of other water plants. They will out compete the algae for nutrients. Also you can add bare root house plants to the any open chamber of the filter or add a refugium which can be an oxygenated breeding box with added bare root terrestrial plants as in hydroponics. The fish, water quality and plants all benefit from this arrangement.
There are also battery operated aqyarium air pumps available reasonably at some retail deparment stores, fish stores and online.
. Exert caution in selecting the more tiny floating plants. They will be caught your outflow pushing them down to your intake. They are pulled into your filter intake and then into your filter impeding filter function. They grow quickly and cover your surface and block light, subtely killing plants below by blocking light. Blocking fish from their food. They reproduce quickly yes, put die quickly, adding to waste loads . They were a nuisance to and almost to impossible to remove. The plan die offs of these surface planted and caused die off of my my other plants. I had to remove the fish and start that tank over. I was able to ressurect it quickly, by using seeding material from my other tanks. But I would n't wish that mess and misery on you or anyone. Water Wisteria is the filter plant I suggest. And if you want to remove it, it is easy to remove as the whole plant rather than thousands of tiny floating, plants.

btw so far amonia levels no bad. had a small trace of it... around .5

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[Fin & Feather]

Could be your tank is begining it's cycle. Also as far as cloudiness ( I think you said that issue has resolved) It can be caused by sediment in gravel

 

[Fin & Feather]

Algae spores in your muncipal water system or tank. Beginning of your beneficial bacteria cycle. Usually clears up on it's own in a few days. If not can purchase Purigen bio beads. Put bag in your filter. It "polishes" the water by attracting microscopic sentiment and aids your filter in removing toxins. Some say it interferes with intial cycling of tank and to wait installing it until after tank has stabilized.
Also if algae becomes a problem limit light to tank 6-8 hours. If tank is near window move it. Or Draw blinds/curtains part of time. Or cover tank part of time until problem solved. No news yet on Safe Start refrigeration.

 

[Fin & Feather]

Fish store pro said Safe Start is stable as far unrefrigerated shelf storage. I still need a definative answer from the company. I try to contact them now.

 

[Fin & Feather]

Tetra just called me back. Safe Start just needs to be stored in a cool dry place Even after unopened. I remember reading years ago that Fish Stores used to stock their stock of Safe Start in cooler Perhaps formula has changed. I will pursue the question further.
You mentioned .5 Ammonia. Then treat with higher dose of Prime. You Can treat up to 4x normal dose. Prime converts Ammonia quicker to useable form for your beneficial bacteria. Do you have a Nitrate or Nitrite reading yet? There is also Stress Zyme with a slime coating for the fish. The fish have a protective slime coating to ward off infectious agents in the water. This helps during periods of toxin spikes which stress fish and compromise their natural slime coating. I am just giving options here. I just got a couple Albino Cories to add to my veil-tail Albino Barbs. "Ghost Castle Tank" I call it the Water Spirit Citadel, because the pale fish look like spirits flying around and into the castle.

 

[Fin & Feather]

Hi, Add volcanic rock. It is lightweight because it is suffused with microscopic openings for the beneficial bacteria to inhabit. This increases the size of your BB colony. It is very inexpensive at our local fish store or check online. Fit the small pieces in your filter or below your filter. Large pieces make attractive, ornamental mountains that are inhabited by your beneficial bacteria.
Matrix, made by Seachem I think, is basically the same thing- bottled porus stones or ceramic pieces you can add to your filter or tank. Best wishes, Monty.

 

[Colin_T]

no. it was an emergency... typically i run the gravel in an overflowing bucket inside a bathtub til it clears... i wonder if the dust particles help... hmmmm

Dust particles in the water do not help the filter or fish. They clog up the filter and can smother the bacteria, and they clog the fish's gills and make it harder for them to breath. The same thing happens in the wild when it rains heavily and sediment is washed into the river. The fish's gills get coated in fine dust and it takes several days of being in clean water for the dust/ mud to clear off the gills.

 

[Fin & Feather]

Gently vaccum gravel surface after with a suction tube after dust settles, trying not to stir up sentiment. I made my ownvaccum using a pill bottle with a hole drilled or use a heated rod to burn a hole in the bottom of the bottle and bought a length of half inch ½ inch tubing from the hardware store and fit it through the hole. Allows for gentler more detailed cleaning.
Use a clarifying agent that binds the microscopic dust particles together so they sink to the bottom. There are any number on the market. Purigen is good one but recommended for use after your tank has completed the cycle as it disrupts the staging of your tank's cycle.

 

[Fin & Feather]

I forgot to mention as a solution to algae: the highly regarded Nerite Snails and/or Ghost or Glass Shrimp. Both are effective algae eaters. As is the Chinese Algae Eater fish.
The Nerite snails are the most effective, cleaning even a heavily algaed tank. The smaller Olive Nerite snails will clean any surface in the tank, including aquatic plants without harming them. While their larger more ornamented cousins; Tiger/Zebra Nerite Snails mostly clean tank walls. Both are prized, useful and attractive additions to the aquarium owner. They do not breed and infest a tank like some other snails, requiring special water conditions to breed. ( I may take up the challenge.)
The Nerite Snail, Ghost Shrimp and Chinese Alage Eaters need fairly toxin free water conditions.
Happy Aquarium Diving- Mont.