Getting new fish for my birthday!!!

**StarSapphire22** · 07-01-2012, 4:40 PM

Thanks Jamie!!! I had to show my mom that comparison, she thought it was pretty funny.

Good to know my little Samus can kick some butt, and thanks for the gel recommendations.

When should I be adding the safe start in relation to the fish? A day before, 2 days before, right before? As far as water changes, I'm hoping my ammonia doesn't spike too much....there's really nothing I can do then, other than dose prime, since my choramines are so stinking high.

I just moved over my 10 gal filter....kind of contemplating just getting a new cartridge in there and starting from scratch, cause this one is NASTY. Got off what I could but EW. It was covered in brown goo. Just did a 25% water change on the 75 and will be testing the water tomorrow morning (BEFORE feeding this time....DOH!), but everything should be ok in there. Pretty stoked to not have to use buckets any more though...

**JamieMonster** · 07-01-2012, 5:06 PM

Yeah- start a new cartridge. It shouldn't take long for that one to be fully seeded, since you have a fully cycled tank, already. The bacteria is already there, it is just looking for other places to colonize. I would do a water change, and then add the safe start the day before adding the new fish. I'd also dump it right into your filter, and squirt it on the sponge filters directly- that is where most of it will grow, anyways. If you get a larger ammonia spike- get 20-30 gallons of bottled water from the store. It will run you close to $20-$30, but, cheap (and less emotional) in comparison to losing fish. That should have no ammonia in it. Keep on those changes if you see the ammonia climbing, and don't let it get out of control by using the bottled water. And, yes, prime it up.

**StarSapphire22** · 07-01-2012, 8:59 PM

Ok! Thanks for the advice. I think I have a spare cartridge laying around somewhere, I just gotta find it. How long will seeding take? I get paid friday, and am going to try to order the new AC70 ASAP when the money is on the card so that it will be here by Thursday hopefully and safestart that one since it's new. I'll test daily, obviously, but how often should I be priming? Ammonia could still show up on my readings even if prime neutralizes it, but every two days just to be safe, or....? And a regular dose or the double dose like when I change water?

Also, what is everyone elses opinions on this? Poor Jamie's doing all the work here. I always love more input, stories, etc. I want my fish to be happy.

**chibikaie** · 07-01-2012, 9:34 PM

It sounds like an awful lot of fish to add at once to me? I guess with the SafeStart and lots of water changes, you should be okay. I'd be testing the water daily. Well, I'd also be a nervous wreck and only adding one new fish every six months (my tank utterly refused to cycle at first, so now I'm paranoid and also a big fan of SafeStart).

I like the AquaClear filters, by the way. They are awesome - last forever, very quiet, simple to clean, easily customized. Do you put carbon in yours? I read so many conflicting opinions on everything.

**JamieMonster** · 07-01-2012, 10:06 PM

Umm, the prime depends on what your readings say, and how long the spike (if you get one) lasts. Yeah, with 3 larger fish it has the potential to stress your biofilter (hopefully the SafeStart will help with that)- with the fact that shipping for one is $40, and shipping for 3 is $60, I can see why getting them all at once is the plan. RE: the prime, though, TRY not to let it hit 1ppm with ammonia, if its even going to go that high, by using the bottled water suggestion, if it starts to climb. If it does, I would double dose with prime, and keep doing water checks every 12 hrs, or so. I'd repeat double dosing with the prime every 24 hours for a reading that high for sure. For lower than that, I'd probably hit it with a single dose of prime every 24 hours, and keep monitoring closely. I tend not to overdose with the prime, though, because it can reduce the oxygen in the water (which will also stress your fish), and if 5xs the dose can handle locking down a 3-5ppm reading with ammonia or nitrites, it is logical that you don't need that high of a dose to lock down less. For nitrite spikes, you can water change, and still do the prime the same way. Be careful not to do a BIG change with that 1ppm ammonia in your tap water, though, or you're likely to make the nitrite spike higher by that ammonia getting converted, and then not having a strong enough bio-filter to knock it back, in the long run.

**StarSapphire22** · 07-01-2012, 10:11 PM

I am going to be adding the SafeStart (hopefully to the new filter if it gets here in time!), and WILL be testing daily. Any time I see any parameters doing something they aren't supposed to I will be doing a water change, and priming the crap out of the tank. I figured that I see people on here all the time adding 4 angels or 8 danios, or what have you, that as long as I monitor them I should be ok. I'll be taking all the precautions I can though, I too am paranoid about my fish.

I just want to be able to combine shipping and save some money, and make sure nobody else buys them! lol

Right now I just have the one and I'm just using what came with it (sponge, carbon, and biomax). My next one I think I'm going to do sponge, purigen, and biomax/ceremic rings/etc. I haven't decided yet on the last part. I personally don't have an issue with carbon. As long as you take it out when medicating, I don't see what the big deal is. I love mine too though!!!

**StarSapphire22** · 07-01-2012, 10:13 PM

I REALLY hate my tap water.

EDIT: Do you think if I got one of those hook on faucet water filters, that that would help?

**JamieMonster** · 07-01-2012, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by StarSapphire22

I REALLY hate my tap water.

EDIT: Do you think if I got one of those hook on faucet water filters, that that would help?

You'd have to find something that reduces ammonia to run it through. I don't think zeolite works fast enough for it to be a quick, 1 time run through to reduce it, and the carbon that comes standard in the filter cartridges for those won't filter out ammonia- otherwise, you could just run massive carbon on your tank after a change to take it out that way.

**StarSapphire22** · 07-01-2012, 10:26 PM

They always say they reduce chlorine taste and odor or whatever, so thought it might be worth a shot.

**JamieMonster** · 07-01-2012, 10:38 PM

Hey! if your little guy who is prone to swim bladder ends up with buoyancy issues, no matter what you do for him... you could always make him one of these! (Ok, seriously, how cute is this?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsRwn20xAco