View Full Version : Damsel in distress....
Bittabit
10-09-2003, 12:51 PM
I am two days new to this whole fish thing.
I have a 33 gallon fish tank and the "LFS" gave me an albino cory and three pristella tetras to cycle my tank with. It has been two days and I have been adding "cycle" to the tank, I added two capfuls on the first day, before I got fish, then once the fish were added, I put in one more capful. Today I added another capful (bottle says you can't overdose). The fish seem okay, but the water is a bit milky, not lots but definately not crystal clear. I have a test for ph which is perfect, and one for nitrate which I think is for a couple of weeks from now to see if I am cycled. I am not sure if any of this is normal, the milky water and all. Should I be doing daily water changes? I am so over my head right now! Thanks in advance to all you experts.....
OrionGirl
10-09-2003, 1:21 PM
Look at the sticky threads on cycling so you understand what is going on in your tank. The cloudiness is probably not a problem, pH is pretty much irrelevant right now, and the cycle is little more than snake oil--quit pouring it in. It is likely why the tank is cloudy and it is not helping in the development of the beneficial bacteria your tank needs. Pick up test kits for ammonia and nitrites--these are much more important right now that pH.
Bittabit
10-09-2003, 2:55 PM
I did pick up the ammonia and nitrite tests...so far my ph is 7.4 and I am reading 0 on everything else. Do I change the water daily if the readings are good or if it ain't broke don't fix it...
OrionGirl
10-09-2003, 3:00 PM
As long as there is no ammonia or nitrites, you don't need to do a water change. With 33 gallons, and 3 small bodied fish and one medium, you won't see a strong cycle--the fish don't produce a lot of waste for that volume of water. Ammonia should be detected in low titers within 4-5 days. This doesn't mean that you should add a bunch more fish though--you still want to give the bacteria time to develop.
Welcome aboard, by the way!
Bittabit
10-09-2003, 3:13 PM
Thank you for the welcome and the info, this can all be a little overwhelming. I made the mistake of listening to Petsmart people at first and don't think they helped much, the guy at the fish store here in my little town is quite knowledgable but I don't want to be calling him three or four times a day...he might ban me :eek: ! I read a bit here and thought you all sounded like you know what you are doing. I was really curious as to the cloudy water in the tank but I was adding the cycle product daily and may have inadvertently overfed the fish. I am not sure how much these little guys eat. The cory is the same size as the pristellas right now so there is a whole lotta tank and barely any fish. Out of curiousity, at what level of ammonia should I do a water change? I am lucky that my tap water has a ph of 7.4 which is pretty much perfect for tropicals from what I gather. Thank you again for the welcome.
OrionGirl
10-09-2003, 3:40 PM
Cloudiness is usually one of two things--an algae bloom, or a bacterial cloom. The algae bloom will appear green against a white background, while a bacterial bloom will look whitish, or milky against a dark background. Both are caused by an abundance of some factor--foods in the water column, that we can't see, but provide a huge food source for little things-algae, bacteria, and a variety of micro fauna (little critters, like small bugs, worms, amoeba, etc).
Bacterial blooms are very common in new setups. The bacteria in question is probably not the beneficial bacteria that consume ammonia or nitrites, but a normal part of the aquarium system that is out of control right now. Not a big deal--the food source, whatever it is, will soon be consumed, and the bacteria will die back to a normal level. I would stop using the cycle--it is likely the food source for the bacteria.
Ammonia levels should be kept below 1.5 or less. You can establish a regular water change schedule now, even if ammonia/nitrites are not out of control--it's good to get into the habit of changing the water regularly. Then, as you monitor, if the levels jump, additional changes will help prevent serious problems for the fish. Once the tank is in balance, you won't see ammonia or nitrites, nor nitrates if you add plants. So, a regular schedule will ensure good maintenance for your tank in the long run.