ugh, fish stores

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nedword

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Jun 30, 2004
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I have been to the local fish store, which I must say keeps emaculate fresh water and salt water tanks, but the staffers often give questionable advice. They told me when I am cycling my tank to not vacuum or do partial water changes for the first month (and that my ammonia may reach 10.0!!!). So, I of course ignored them as they were clearly trying to kill my fish. Anyway, could anybody tell me about where my ammonia should stand for the first few weeks. Right now it is about .50 and I have done about two PWCs in the past two weeks.
 
I'm assuming you're doing a cycle with fish in the tank? Bad, bad fish store people!!!!

If so, I'd do a smaller water change (25%ish) twice a week. I'm SO bad when it comes to water chemistry, I can't tell you what ammonia, nitrites and nitrates readings should be... all I know is an established tank should have 0 ammonia and nitrItes and nitrAtes below (I think) 30...

Check out the sticky at the top of this forum that explains cycling in depth... and I'm sure someone more knowledgeable in the way of chemistry will be along to help you out!

:)

~Tara
 
NH3 = 0.5 is probably as good as you can expect in a fishy cycle. Keep a close eye on it and if it starts to rise increase the frequency of your water changes. Check the pH and KH of your tank water. Compare this to some tap water that's sat out for a few hours/overnight in a shallow bowl. If they're close, you can make large water changes at little detriment to your fish.

Water changes are the best way to maintain a healthy aquarium, and even the potential shock from the water change is better for your fish than high NH3/NO2 levels.
 
thanks dwayne...I have also noticed that some of my tetras like to drift at odd angles in the current..although they do swim normally as well. Only two of them do it...at first I thought they were sick or that their fins had been nipped (as I do have a tetra I call the godfather, b/c he is a real *******), but now I am starting to think that they play this way. Any thoughts?
 
My tiger barbs sometime do that... they look like they're just floating there, heads pointing almost straight downwards, then 2 seconds later they'll zip around... they are perfectly healthy though!!

~Tara
 
Hmmm, I had neon tetras back when I was cycling my first ever tank. Stupid lfs people told me they were hardy! (and I never bought fish from them again)

Usually when they were starting to go they'd start swimming funny, more drifting really. The sick (or to be sick) ones would also be expelled from the school (such as it was). They would go off on their own and slowly die. Something to watch for. Sorry to be the bearer of potentially bad news. :( I didn't know what it was at the time, just thought I couldn't keep tetras for some reason.:rolleyes:
 
yeh, that's what I was thinking at first. These are black neons, by the way. Because the two ones that don't drift often, definately expel them from the school. But, the drifters often do swim normally and chase the bratty tetras in return. But, the sideways swimming is what happened before one of my first ones died. So, I am concerned. Thanks for the reply.
 
my tetra's love the spraybar on my XP3

They don't do this in my biowheel output, but they'll hang around the output of my Filstar XP3. I've even seen them intentionally face the flow and swim against it like they were exercising (my dojo loach loves to do this too). Considering all my fish originally come from rivers, maybe this is an instictive behavior? Of course I've seen them just play and show off too :). Perhaps the spraybar flow is more to their liking than the output of the penguin 330.
 
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