Newbie here-Just Wanted to Say Hello

Chinxican420

Chinxican420

AC Members
Sep 7, 2005
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Hello everybody :)
Just want to say hello and learn as much as possible about keeping fish.
I've had my tank for about 2 months and thought it was cycled per the lfs.
Then I started to add the fish in my sig. I checked my water last night and here are the readings : pH 7.8, Ammonia .25, Nitrite 2.0, Nitrate 5.0.
I've been doing daily water changes 25% for about 9 days. Adding Aqua safe and stability everytime. I have 60 gallon with 2 filters, emperor 400 and a aqua clear 300/70. I also have a air stone. 1 cichlid cave. 1 treasure chest and a fake tree/cave. I feed the jardini, bichir and saber-tooth barracuds goldfish and the cichlids pellets about once a day.
I think the lfs told me the tank was cycled so then can sell me fish just to make a quick sale.
I don't know what to do now.

Please HELP!!!!

Thanks in advance.
 
Welcome!!! I'm not sure what you are asking for help on. Nitrites seem a pit high to me for all the changes you've done, but the fact that there are nitrates means you have the bacteria needed to cycle the fish waste. You should also find what kind of africans those 3 are, since there are so many types it would help folks determine problems if they arrise in the future. Good luck with those fishies.
 
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I'd keep up with the water changes--maybe increase the quantity, to keep the nitrites a bit lower. I'd also drop daily feedings until the ammonia goes to 0--they won't starve if fed every other or every third day. Salt can be added to reduce nitrite toxicity--see the article on salt here.
 
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If your LFS sells product called BioSpira, get it and dump it into your tank. BioSpira contains the bacteria necessary for the cycle process and can cycle your tank in under 48 hrs. If he tries to sell you anything else, don't buy it.

If you can't get BioSpira, then you'll have to resort to frequent water changes for awhile. Try to keep the ammonia under .25, nitrite under .5, and nitrates under 40. Since it looks like you're going through a nitrite spike and nitrate is already detected, you may still have a week or 2 to go before your tank is cycled. If you're having a hard time keeping the levels low even after a water change, increase the volume of water changed to about 50%. Also check the water out of tap to make sure those chemicals aren't already present.
 
Thank you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm going to my lfs and see if thsy have bioSpria Hopefully my water gets better.
Do you think the way I'm feeding is ok?
 
Cut back the feeding to every other day, or reduce the ammount fed. Also, use the goldfish as you would a milk bone with a dog. Not as a main food but more like an occasional treat.(one or 2 a week)
 
THe only problem with once or twice a week is that the barracudas only eat live. I've tried to feed them ghost shrimp but they wont eat them. Also the jardini will only eat goldfish and guppies. I tried to feed him pellets but wont eat them.
 
Because they're spoiled now :D !! Wait a few days, they'll be fine without food, and they may change their mind about the diet
 
You'd be surprised what they eat when they are quite hungry, my fish learned to love cucumbers when he realized I wasn't gonna feed him anything else till he ate it :D
 
The above 2 are good info. Is the 3 gallon a tank where you breed feeders? Or do you get 5, 10, 40 goldfish once a week and throw 'em in? There is also a large variety of live/frozen foods you can get that will be more nutritional than goldfish. Mealworms? Crickets? Of course as stated above they will need to get used to it.....
 
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