I need some strong advice as I am new at this. I goofed up and put 3 guppies in an uncycled tank, and obviously they are hardy fish because they are not dead and it has been 4-5 weeks. I need advice on what chemicals if any should be added to this tank to get it under control. It is a 5 gallon tank with a biowheel I have added the water conditioner with each water change. The fish seem agitated (I would be if I were them too :mad2), one is always gasping for air, the small one is bullying the large one. Nitrates and nitrites have always been perfect. The ph has had problems stablizing; we have hard water. It spiked to 8.4 and then down to 6.2. The ammonia levels were off the charts. I did 20% water changes a few times but this barely improved anything. I have done 50% water changes the last two times (in the last 8 days), this seems better. Right before the last one, I was sure they were going to be gone in the morning. They were swimming erradically (more than they normally do) and then they would just fall into the rocks while in the middle of swimming or run into things. I took some of their plastic plants and rocks out so they would not continue to beat themselves up. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as well as a good reference book or website. I had wanted to completed clean their tank but because it was uncycled to begin with I was hesitant. Also can anyone tell me about the sludgy type stuff collecting on the filter pad. Is that something that should be cleaned off regularly or replaced?HELP!!!!
Please help, my fish will love you forever!
- Thread starter TEALCAMAROGIRL
- Start date
Some of the advice I got right away was to get a test kit ASAP and check the levels. Do you have a test kit? If not, get one, it has been indespensible for me!
I had ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels thru the roof (I learned after getting the test kit). I had to do major water changes every single day, about 65-70% until I got the levels down to normal/acceptable. Then smaller water changes daily kept it within acceptable range. However, I KNOW I need to get a bigger tank. Whether 3 guppies in a 5 gallon tank is overstocked, I will leave that to the experts on the board, I think the 1" per gallon rule says it is but some people I see scoff at that rule and other say it isn't enough, some say 1" per 2 gallons.
But I think bare minimum you should get the test kit and do major water changes each day until your ammonia is under 0.5 ppm, preferrably 0ppm and the same with your nitrites....and your nitrates below 40ppm, preferrably under 30 or even 20ppm.
This is the advice I have been given and my fish are much better off for it.
GOOD LUCK!
PS - I have heard many say to steer away from the chem's if at all possible.
EDIT: I just re-read your post, you obviously do have a test kit, sorry! Ignore my post, best wait for the experts, SORRY!
I had ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels thru the roof (I learned after getting the test kit). I had to do major water changes every single day, about 65-70% until I got the levels down to normal/acceptable. Then smaller water changes daily kept it within acceptable range. However, I KNOW I need to get a bigger tank. Whether 3 guppies in a 5 gallon tank is overstocked, I will leave that to the experts on the board, I think the 1" per gallon rule says it is but some people I see scoff at that rule and other say it isn't enough, some say 1" per 2 gallons.
But I think bare minimum you should get the test kit and do major water changes each day until your ammonia is under 0.5 ppm, preferrably 0ppm and the same with your nitrites....and your nitrates below 40ppm, preferrably under 30 or even 20ppm.
This is the advice I have been given and my fish are much better off for it.
GOOD LUCK!
PS - I have heard many say to steer away from the chem's if at all possible.
EDIT: I just re-read your post, you obviously do have a test kit, sorry! Ignore my post, best wait for the experts, SORRY!
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You shouldn't need to add any additional chemicals to the tank. What is your Ammonia level currently? Just keep doing large water changes to keep it down until the cycle finishes.
The filter pad shouldn't need replaced, but it may need cleaned a bit if it's getting too clogged up. Just rinse it in old tank water when you do a water change. Don't scrub it sterile though; that's where most of your bacteria are living.
The filter pad shouldn't need replaced, but it may need cleaned a bit if it's getting too clogged up. Just rinse it in old tank water when you do a water change. Don't scrub it sterile though; that's where most of your bacteria are living.
The ammonia levels had been of the chart way past the danger level (these are hardy fish). After the 50% water change last night it is down to 3.0 (which indicates a harmful level). Should I do another water change or should I wait at least 24hrs?
Water changes are a good thing. There is no such thing as too many--especially when you're cycling. some things to consider: what is the pH of the water after sitting out overnight? Many times, water fresh from the tap will be at a different pH than after it has sat for a while, and this is probably what you are seeing. Hard water--what are the readings? What is the KH? Trying to alter these values, especially with chemical treatments, is seldom successfull, and is not needed--the fish can adpat to a range of values, but they need those values to be stable.
One water treatment that may be needed is to treat chlorine/chloramines--chlorine will gas off, but chloramines must be treated. Prime is a good choice for either.
But, in the short term, you need to get the ammonia levels down. Just because the fish haven't died doesn't mean they aren't being harmed. You really can't do too many water changes--clean water is not a bad thing. Rinse the filter pad in dechlorinated water to remove the sludge--that's just more waste in the water. You don't want to completely clean the tank (ie, no bleach, no tear down), but cleaning the substrate with a gravel vaccum will help out, as will rinsing the filter media.
One water treatment that may be needed is to treat chlorine/chloramines--chlorine will gas off, but chloramines must be treated. Prime is a good choice for either.
But, in the short term, you need to get the ammonia levels down. Just because the fish haven't died doesn't mean they aren't being harmed. You really can't do too many water changes--clean water is not a bad thing. Rinse the filter pad in dechlorinated water to remove the sludge--that's just more waste in the water. You don't want to completely clean the tank (ie, no bleach, no tear down), but cleaning the substrate with a gravel vaccum will help out, as will rinsing the filter media.