Very new and probably messed up already

[gale]

About 11 yrs ago my dh and I had a tank that was going pretty well. I honestly don't remember all the details, but after all the fish died (about 5 yrs ago, probably) we emptied the tank and it sat until last summer. So last summer we cleaned it up (didn't use any soap) and refilled it. Within 24 hours we put in a few goldfish which all died within a week. I knew nothing about cycling until yesterday when I read about it here. So anyway, we left the tank with the water in it until recently. Part of that time the filter was running and then when we went on vacation we shut it off. After that (around first part of sept) it was not running. We decided to get some tropical fish and so I called the LFS and they told me to do a 50% water change, put in a new filter cartridge, and let it run for 24 hours before adding fish. I did all that. Then we got some fish-a guppy, a platy, a betta and an albino cory catfish. The LFS did not tell me that this was a bad combination of fish (no pairs, etc). So anyway all but one (the catfish) have since died and about 8 days ago we went to another not-so-local FS and had the water tested. That came out ok and we got a pair of guppies, pair of dalmatian mollies and pair of cherry barbs. So far everyone is fine although the female guppy is very inactive and not eating much at all. She has a gravid spot so I would guess she's ready to have babies but I don't know when. She's pretty small but a little pudgy.

So anyway, here's the setup: the tank is a 20 gal long. We have coarse gravel in it and I am going to add more because I want to put live plants in there. I don't have any interest in using sand. Right now there is just plastic plants and a bubbly dinosaur that my kids picked out. I have an old penguin bio wheel filter that is running without the wheel at this time. I need to figure out if the wheel is fit to use since it sat there for all those years getting dusty. Maybe I should buy a new one. I have a decent heater in it and the temp is holding at 78 degrees F. I used stresscoat when I did the original fill in the summer, and also when I did the recent water change. I did use aquarium salt in the summer but didn't use it wth the water change since I read that the catfish don't like salt. The water is from my tap which is hard unsoftened water. The not-so-local FS guy said to use soft water next time.

btw both fish stores had dead fish in their tanks. I have no other stores, though, other than walmart. So if we want fish we have to buy it from one of the 3 places.

I'm going to buy a couple of low light plants online since my tank gets no natural light at all. Other than that is there anything else I can do to improve my cheapo setup? thanks!

Gale

 

[clutterydrawer]

sounds good so far

I really recommend you get your own test kits if you've got some spare cash, they really are invaluable. when your fish are sick and you want to test the water, it's always 11pm on saturday night and all the shops are shut.

secondly, I know you said you didnt want to use sand but fine gravel or sand would be a great benefit to your cory catfish. they dig in the substrate with their whiskers so coarse gravel can damage them. you should also get a few more cories cos tehy like to be in shoals.

did the lfs guy mention how you were supposed to get softer water?

you said your tank gets no natural light, I presume it has a fluorescent strip though? my favourite low light plants are hygrophila polysperma and cyrptocoryne wendtii, nothign kills them.

hope that helps a bit.

 

[gale]

did the lfs guy mention how you were supposed to get softer water?

We do have a water softener, but our cold water in the kitchen doesn't go through it. So to get soft water I can get it from the bathtub tap instead.

I really recommend you get your own test kits if you've got some spare cash, they really are invaluable. when your fish are sick and you want to test the water, it's always 11pm on saturday night and all the shops are shut.

I am going to get a test kit for sure. Even if these fish don't make it I'm sure my kids will force me (through much begging) to get more.

you said your tank gets no natural light, I presume it has a fluorescent strip though? my favourite low light plants are hygrophila polysperma and cyrptocoryne wendtii, nothign kills them.

The tank does have a flourescent bulb. Thanks for the plant suggestions-I am going to buy them online because the LFS close by doesn't know what their plants are called.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[gale]

Ok I have another question now. I saw on another thread that it is a nono to add water from the fish store when putting the new fish in the tank. I did do that and won't anymore. But my question-in the same thread the person described how he acclimates his fish and it takes 45 min. The LFS is an hour drive from home and the guy there said I shouldn't have the fish in the bag for over an hour so to let them have fresh air when we got home, and then let it float for 15 min and then put them in. Admittedly he didn't say to pour water and all in there but I thought it would help since they were pretty much all coming from the same store on the same day. Bad idea. Anyway, if I get a fish and he's in a bag for an hour should I still do the 45 min long (with adding my existing tank water to the bag, etc etc) anyway as long as the bag is not tied shut? If I don't tie the bag shut will it all sink into my tank??

 

[CathyG]

When acclimatizing (sp?) fish, open up the bag, roll the lip of the bag back, and float it Periodically (every 15 minutes or so) add some of your tank water to the bag (more important if the shop you bought it from does not use local water) then after about 45 minutes of floating, you can net the fish from the bag and add them to your tank. Leave the lights off to reduce stress

 

[sylvia]

When you get more fish, besides getting at least 3 more cories, get another female guppy and female molly or the males will stress them out. Cherry barbs are also shoaling fish and will appreciate a few more, say 2 or 3, cherry barb friends

 

[maestro]

I think anymore talk of getting new fish should be put on hold, you need to get this tank stable first, this will take about a month or more

Get a test kit asap Amonia Nitrite Nitrate, and test water
In the mean time ull need to do frequent water changes about 25% a time, atleast twice a week and make sure you add dechlorinator to the tap water

 

[maestro]

Forgot to say when acclimatising i use a plastic container, i add fish and the water to the conatainer and then frequently add tank water small bits at a time over a 30 min period or one hour for delicate fish, i net the fish and add it the aquarium and throw then water in the container away

 

[gale]

When you get more fish, besides getting at least 3 more cories, get another female guppy and female molly or the males will stress them out. Cherry barbs are also shoaling fish and will appreciate a few more, say 2 or 3, cherry barb friends

Won't that be too many fish for my tank size? Right now there are 7 fish. I thought it was 1" of fish per gallon? Or is that an old wives' tale?

I think anymore talk of getting new fish should be put on hold, you need to get this tank stable first, this will take about a month or more

Yeah, I'm in no big hurry to get anymore fish right now.

Get a test kit asap Amonia Nitrite Nitrate, and test water
In the mean time ull need to do frequent water changes about 25% a time, atleast twice a week and make sure you add dechlorinator to the tap water

I checked wally world today (the only place I was able to get to) and naturally they have no test kits. What is dechlorinator? I have stress coat-does that dechlorinate? If it matters, I have well water. Not city water.

Forgot to say when acclimatising i use a plastic container, i add fish and the water to the conatainer and then frequently add tank water small bits at a time over a 30 min period or one hour for delicate fish, i net the fish and add it the aquarium and throw then water in the container away

That's a great idea. The bags are so floppy. I can use the cheapie gladware containers that I bought before I got into selling tupperware. Now the gladware are inferior. lol.

Now another question. My female guppy is staying way at the top of the water. She is settling herself near things-for example last night it was near the heater and now it is near the filter tube. She doesn't seem to be distressed, but she's pretty inactive. She swims around about a 2-3" area. The male is like a worried mother hen swimming all around her. Is this typical of a guppy that is about to have babies? She's the only one acting this way-all the other fish are all over the tank, top, bottom, middle, and acting like fish normally do.

Thanks everyone!!

 

[clutterydrawer]

cherry barbs are NOT shoaling fish. a pair or trio (1m2f) is fine. no more!

dechlorinator is stuff that removes chlorine from the water. chlorine is poisonousto fish and kills the bacteria needed for the nitrogen cycle. i guess if it's well water it doesnt have chlorine in...right?

I don't think it matters in the slightest whether you add water from teh bag to your tank. I have always done this with no problems. do you think your new fish, which is stressed already from being carried around in a plastic bag, wants to be netted up, carried through the air then dumped in the tank? or does he want to swim out on his own? besides, unless you towel the fish down before you add it to the tank you're still gonna get a few drops of water in it, which is plenty to spread disease if that's what people are stressing about.

haha i got a bit carried away tehre. its jsut my opinion, you may make you own choice.

I'm sure your fish will be fine as long as you monitor the parameters carefuly and do water changes.