i have a 20 gallon aquarium that was given to me by a friend, all his fish died so he gave it to me, they died from ick but i believe it was from new tank syndrome, so being dumb i cleaned everything in a half full bath tub with a capfull of bleach-i know this was probabbly stupid- but i rinsed everything really good. I set up my tank and filled it with water and let it sit for about 4 days. Then i bought a pacu and a oscar and before putting them in i put in some water conditioner. I have had the fish for around 2 months, but everytime i check the water,my water is very hard,and have very high nitrite,and nitrate. Ive been using a cycle bacteria seed liquid for about a month. I have not changed the filter cartridge but i rinse it out weekly. I vacum the gravel every sunday and do a 50% water change every sunday too. Shouldnt my cycling period be complete by now??? or should i stop all water changes for a while? I have a under gravel filter and a side hanging power filter.There are stringy clearish green hairlike alagae that grows inside the carbon cartridge of the under gravel filter tube, and some of the same alagae in my power filter, with this info can you guys give me any advise or info on whats going on - and if you think my cycle is not complete yet??? Please help and thanks in advance
I hate to ask this noobie question
- Thread starter deezdrama
- Start date
I don't know if I can help you with the other stuff, but an oscar and a pacu should NOT be kept in a 20 gallon aquarium. They can both grow HUGE, and I would not think they are compatible. They might be fine when they are small, but if they are kept in a small tank too long their growth will be stunted and they will not be healthy.
yes im aware of there sizes,they get along decent and there both under 4 inches, my oscar was a blueberry oscar and he was dyed so i dont think he will last long anyway,ive always heard that there compatible as long as there close to the same size, anyway im looking at a 150 gallon tank right now that will hopefully house the pacu for several years and then i will probablly build a 500 gallon or inside pond.Oh yeah one more thing about my cycling is im using "cycle" wich ive just heard is pretty much useless. Any suggestions on my cycling process?
I don't think you did anything wrong when you cleaned your tank with bleach. Especially when you knew that the tank just went through major death with ich, as long as you rinsed it well, you did the right thing IMO. Your nitrite and nitrate are probably always high because of the fish you have in your tank, and if you clean the filter and gravel each week, it's probably prolonging your cycle somewhat because instead of doing one or the other, you are doing both each week. Oscars and pacus are messy fish, and are probably producing a lot of waste that in turn keeps your nitrates high. You may want to try doing more frequent water changes where you don't vacuum the gravel each time, but do change out the water more often. Many people gauge their maintenance routines by how long it takes for the nitrate level to get up to 20 ppm. If it takes a week, then they do weekly maintenance. As far as the nitrites, the weekly gravel vacuuming might be slowing down the process, and you don't have to "clean" the filter every week unless the water flow is slowing down, or the filter is getting clogged. More frequent water changes with less than weekly gravel vacs may help get those numbers down. The cycle product is probably not contributing much to your cycle as you have learned like most of us did. I have also read that the cycle product itself can be the cause of excess nitrates in your water. I did not have good results when I tried cycle. It was like adding water to my tank. 
And as far as your choice of fish, and your plans for the future, I think you would be wise to get that 150 gal. tank for your babies with the intent of moving the pacu to a pond in later years. My favorite lfs has 2 pacus in a 225 gal. tank right not, and their new home will be a 1500 gallon cattle trough hopefully at the end of the year. Those things get huge, and the ones in his tank are still babies!
And as far as your choice of fish, and your plans for the future, I think you would be wise to get that 150 gal. tank for your babies with the intent of moving the pacu to a pond in later years. My favorite lfs has 2 pacus in a 225 gal. tank right not, and their new home will be a 1500 gallon cattle trough hopefully at the end of the year. Those things get huge, and the ones in his tank are still babies!
Well. if you're going to keep them, then at least get them a bigger tank. You're setting yourself up for mucho problems in that 20g. If you have the money, buy a 125g tank...that should be big enough for them both for at least 1-2 years. Don't just wait for them to die in the 20g...that just wouldn't be right. 
Read my other post-im looking at buying a 150 gallon oceanic tank right now on ebay. I will have to drive 150 miles to get it but it would be cheaper than wat the pet shops want for one. Hes still only about 4 inches right now so i still have a couple months.