used tank help

Zeromason577

Zeromason577

AC Members
Apr 10, 2006
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Portland,Oregon
im new to this forum and looking for good advice,

So saturday I bought a Used 35 gallon freshwater tank with everything included
it has 9 Convict chiclids 4 of them are 4 inches or so and the other 5 are under 3 and one pleco who is 4 iches or near, so i got the tank home and the substrate was just awefull, hopeing that it wouldnt be so bad after adding water and vacing and leaving it sit for a day i proceed to fill it and so on,today i awake to a tank that was still couldy and filled with fish matter, their was no way around it so i did a 100% water change and cleaned out the gravel but not all the way trying to salvage some of the helpfull bacteria, im trying to get info on how to make these fish survive this cycle.

my setup is a cascade 200 power filter and also a powerhead.

any thing i can do to iliminate fish loss?

thanks a ton for any info or help


_-UPDATE-_ How fast should these fish be breeething, to me it looks to fast but the gils are these fish are moving non stop, like once a second and not slowing giving the fish are 3 inches to 5 is this normal?
 
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Hey welcome to the forum. First off that a lot of fish in there, I'm thinking that's the reason the tank was so dirty. So what did you do with the filter? Did you clean it out,change any media, if not & you did'nt rinse out the gravel then I think you dont have to worry about the cycle, but doing that massive w/c hopfully it does not stress out your fish when changing them from that dirty water to clean water & what are your reading?
 
well i had to buy a new filter replacement the day i got the tank, but i did not rinse it befor i decided to go along with the complete water change, and also i rinsed the gravel but not to the point of complete clear water.
right now the fish are all swiming around and all are atleast moving, but the breathing seems some what rapid to me and i tried adding a few (3) chiclid pellets to see if any of them would eat, and none have so i still think they may be some what stressed.

i need to get a complete test kit tomorrow and the other part of my filter (the bio replacement) seeing as i only have the replacement piece with the carbon and for lack of better work "White mesh", im only 16 and hurting for money and im looking to only buy what i need to have right now, which for me is the test kit(i only have PH KH GH) and the replacement part for my filter, anything you sugest me to have would also be of much help because this is my first tank larger then 10 gallons that i have kept on my own.

the things i have now are

-cascade 200 power filter
-powerhead
-all inner things such as gravel rocks fake plants ect
-gravel vac
-PH GH KH testing supplys

UPDATE sorry yes i do have a 150 watt heater(sorta thought that list was short) and the tank is at a pretty steady 79-81 deg F all the time

thanks so much for your replys they are greatly aprciated

reading now are
PH 7.6 (only have low range PH kit could be higer)
GH 90 ppm
KH 90 ppmUPDATE
 
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Congratulations on your first big(ish) tank!

I'm no expert, but from my limited experience I would recommend:
1) Don't do 100% water changes. Your fish have had enough stress! If you really think you need it, do up to 50% per day, using the gravel vac to get out as much gunk as possible.
2) Every time (or every other time) you do a water change, rinse out your filters using the water you've removed. One great thing about a dirty tank is that it has lots of good bacteria. Don't risk killing it! Rinsing the filter media will prevent them getting clogged with debris from your tank and keep the filter working well, but make sure it's in your old tank water.
3) Make sure that when you change the water, you're using a good water conditioner (or leaving the water to stand overnight before adding it to the tank). This will reduce the stress.​
You don't mention a heater among your equipment. If you don't have one, I'd consider that a more important investment than a testing kit. I'd say minimum 100W.

I feel your pain about the money situation! Once you get hooked on this hobby you start wanting more equipment, bigger tanks, more toys ... $$$

Good luck!
 
Yes I agree with everything people have said. 100% water changes are not such a good idea. The fish have adgusted to the water slightly and having a load of new water all of a sudden is a bit of a shock to them. If you are really worried about the state of your tank i would suggest that you do either a 50% water change every 3 days or a 15-30% water change every day. #

Remember to put your dechlorinator in it if you are using regular tap water.

A lot of good bacteria will make its home in your filter and in your gravel. A good thing to do when washing it out is to rinse it in the water you have got out of the tank before you throw that water out. Washing in dechlorinated water will kill off a lot of the bacteria that your tank needs.

When buying your test kits try and get non-strip ones. The liquid based test has been found to be a lot more reliable and more accurate.

You want your levels in the tank to be:
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate <20ppm

If it shows up that your ammonia or nitrite levels are really high then you have your gasping problem sorted. Ammonia is the worst for your fish. It actually stops your fish from being able to breathe. Prolonged exposure to low levels of Nitrite can lead to stress and is often associated with stress-related disease such as bacterial ulcers and fin-rot. High levels can damage your fishes gills and allow bacteria into your fish. When their immune system is down due to stress this can lead to sudden death and many other types of disease. Nitrate is much less toxic to your fish but must be kept below 20ppm for a healthy tank.

Another reason for your gasping problem may be that you dont have much water disturbance on the top of your tank to geet in oxygen?? But a cascade should do the trick if its working properly. If you are concerned get an air stone that looks good and creates a little bit more oxygen in the tank or something that will disturb the top of the water.

If your water has got dirty really quickly, it may be that your filter isnt working at optimum performance or that it cant handle a large ammount of fish. A lot of filters work at much lower levels after years of using them however much you clean them and try to maintain them. Check to make sure it is doing a sufficient job.

Thats all i can think of for now. Need anythin else? Just ask
 
well today seems worse then last night, the fish now seem to be hiding in the very back of tank and still wont eat a drop of food, and als oi am eeing alot of fecle matter in the gravel, is this normal? is their anyway to get these fish to eat? im sure it hasnt been at least 3 days since they have, and i do have quite a bit of water disturbance from the powerhead, and filter, enough making it so i can actualy see the bubble floating around in the watter.

o and the watter is still got a Hazzy-milky look to it, is this normal for a tank this size running for 2-3 days?

im not used to a tank of this size and and just concerned for this fishes health.
 
You have every right to feel concerned. I would suggest that you always get out any food that they haven't eaten and anything that could be creating that murkyness. It could just be too much waste.

What to do:

Dont feed your fish for a bit or if you do, only a very small amount. They will be ok for up to a week of no food. I have known of a group of discus who, while transporting, were not given light, filteration or food for 8days and they all pulled out ok.

Run a net over the top of your aquarium and get any floating food or plant matter.

Do a gravel wash (using a gravel pump)

Check those water parameters (and post them here). If they are not right you have your problem there plain and simple.

Check your filter is working properly.

If you can, reduce the flow on your powerhead slightly (to make it not kick up anything from the substrate into the water)
 
Ok powerhead has been ajusted to add alot of bubbles but not enough to kick up anything on the bottom, tonight i should be geting an ammonia and nitrite liquid testing supplys, i also have a pH test kit to show ranges from 6.0-7.6? a GH and KH also, any others that you think i should get? or any supplys in general that are a must have?

thanks so much for the advice guys im new to the forum and allready in love with that it has to offer.
 
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if your water is showing up with a pH of 7.6. Get the higher testing kit.

Whatever you do dont get pulled into any junk your LFS says about any "miracle remedys" that they have for you 99% of the time they either dont work or do hardly anything and cost a fortune.

A nice all round testing kit for amonia, nitrite and nitrate is a good buy usually. They are often cheaper than getting individual ones and last for ages. Make sure thay are the liquid based ones though. If they dont have any liquid based ones... settle for another type but dont get lots of it. At least it will give is a rough outline of what the levels are in there.
 
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