Please help me. Any advice is welcome.

[Zbbal]

Hello everyone. I need some help.

Back in May, my mother suggested that I get an aquarium to help me with my anxiety. She used to have five, 30 gallon aquariums when she was a teenager. Although I was reluctant, I agreed. We bought a 10 gallon aquarium -with an under gravel filter, heater, gravel, 6 artificial plants, a lighthouse and sunken ship, testing set, stand, etc.- off of Craigslist.

Of course, I knew nothing about aquariums, so I just set everything up and added water. About 24 hours later, I put the Chlorine and Chloramine remover in the water as well as Ammo Lock 2 -we have ammonia in our tap water-, and a bacteria starter.

I went to the pet store and bought a book on freshwater aquariums, but it had so many different ideas in it, I found myself lost. I did learn a few things from the book, such as Cycling the tank and New Tank Syndrome. I went back to PetSmart the next day, and proceeded to see what fish would do best for Cycling -Huge mistake on my part-. I got two Red-Eyed Tetras, and went home.

After a week of having stable water conditions, I went back and bought an Albino Catfish. All and all, I thought I was doing good, since everything was stable.

Then, a week later I bought another fish -I don't remember what kind-, and brought him home. I also brought home a pack of weekend feeders, because the PetSmart worker recommended them -Also a big mistake-. I put the fish in the tank, and all seemed well...until the next day. His nose was cover in this white mold like substance. At first I thought it was just the weekend feeder particles covering his nose, but it turned out it wasn't. I think it was Cotton Mouth. That evening I had to flush him.

After that, I left the weekend feeder in, not thinking much about it. I didn't feed my fish for about a week. I didn't realize what I was doing. All the sudden, about 12 days later, my Ammonia was high. I took the feeder out, and put some Ammo Lock 2 in.

My ammonia stayed. It didn't increase nor decrease.

Then one of my tetras got sick. His fins started to fray, and I assumed he had Fin Rot. I wasn't sure how to treat it, so I left it alone. Then about a week or two later, my catfish's fins started to fray, as well. He died within the next 48 hours. My sick tetra stayed alive for another week or two, and then he died as well.

Around the time he died, the Ammonia decreased and the Nitrites started to climb. A reddish colored algae started to show up.

All the while, the other tetra has remained fine. He was the largest of the two tetras. At times he has seemed stressed -which I understand, what with me using him to cycle my tank-, but none of the diseases have affected him. A employee at PetSmart said that he might have bullied the other fish, though I only saw him chase the other tetra a few times.

Because my Nitrites were up, I decided to do my first water change. I got a siphon -something I should have got way earlier in this adventure-, a large pot for the water I was removing, and got a huge jug of conditioned water. I did a 50% water change -By accident. I siphoned too much.-, and while my one remaining fish seemed upset for the next 24 hours, he looked better the next day.

I decided a few days ago to get my water tested at PetSmart. -The lady was a real jerk.- She tested my water, and told me that I had made a huge mistake by doing the water change. According to her, I had made my tank start the Cycling process all over again. She also said that it would take 64 weeks -That's over a year!- to Cycle my tank. As well, her readings for Ammonia and Nitrites were different than mine. Mine were 0 Ammonia and 0 Nitrite -the Nitrites were between .25 and .5 before the water change-, while she said both my Ammonia and Nitrites were up. I'm not sure if anything she said was true.

Also, some stats on the tank. The temperature usually remains between 74 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The pH is usually between 7.2 and 7.6 . My tests say the Nitrites are at 0. The Ammonia is at 0. The Chlorine and Chloramine are at 0. The Water Hardness is far too high, at around 250ppm.

My testing kit looks to be rather old, though it seems to work fine. I’m not sure.

-My one remaining tetra seems stressed at the moment. I'm assuming that this is because he's all alone?-

So here I am, really confused. I hate seeing animals stressed and sickly, and I want to do whatever I can to make up for the mistakes I've made so far. Any advice or guidance is welcome and appreciated.
​

 

[KarlTh]

The woman at the shop is wrong; the water doesn't cycle; the filter and tank surfaces do, so changing water makes no difference at all and indeed is essential to keep the fish alive. All you can do now is keep the water changes up to keep ammonia and nitrite as low as possible and wait.

The hardness test kit result means your water is very soft. Don't worry about that for now. I don't understand why the tank water is so much harder and more alkaline than the tap water (250ppm is not "too high" - what sort of hardness is that?); I think you may have something leaching into the water, although it might just be the weekend feeder blocks. Having said that, you don't want the water too soft whilst cycling as the associated low pH does slow the process down.

 

[Zbbal]

The woman at the shop is wrong; the water doesn't cycle; the filter and tank surfaces do, so changing water makes no difference at all and indeed is essential to keep the fish alive. All you can do now is keep the water changes up to keep ammonia and nitrite as low as possible and wait.

The hardness test kit result means your water is very soft. Don't worry about that for now. I don't understand why the tank water is so much harder and more alkaline than the tap water (250ppm is not "too high" - what sort of hardness is that?); I think you may have something leaching into the water, although it might just be the weekend feeder blocks. Having said that, you don't want the water too soft whilst cycling as the associated low pH does slow the process down.

How much, and how often should I change the water?

Opps, I just realized I made a mistake. A few weeks ago, I had to add more water to my aquarium. I used filtered water. The results I gave you for my changing water was the results of the filtered water. Sorry.

My tap water that I use for water changes before adding a Water Conditioner is: 7.4 pH, 0 Nitrites, .25-.50ppm Chlorine, .5-1ppm for both the Chloramine and Ammonia, and 50ppm Water Hardness. I always put Water Conditioner in my changing water.

Also, does it really take over a year to Cycle?

 

[Lupin]

:welcome: to AC, Zbbal!

I am glad you found the right site to go with your queries. Don't worry about your situation. You will pull through this dilemma in no time as you begin to digest more information here.:thumbsup: It is amazing how a "simple" hobby becomes a maze with obstacles in your way but in the end, this is all part of the learning experiences.

Of course, I knew nothing about aquariums, so I just set everything up and added water. About 24 hours later, I put the Chlorine and Chloramine remover in the water as well as Ammo Lock 2 -we have ammonia in our tap water-, and a bacteria starter.

The ammolock was unnecessary. The dechlorinator that binds both chlorine and chloramine however proves very useful as both substances can indeed harm and kill your fish. The brand often recommended for use is Seachem Prime but if yours covers both substances, it should be fine.

After a week of having stable water conditions, I went back and bought an Albino Catfish. All and all, I thought I was doing good, since everything was stable.

Please post a picture of this fish. Most albino catfish may not be suitable for a 10g tank. Some albino catfish turn out to be a common pleco which can quickly outgrow a 10g tank. If this was a corydoras, it wouldn't be an issue.​

Then, a week later I bought another fish -I don't remember what kind-, and brought him home. I also brought home a pack of weekend feeders, because the PetSmart worker recommended them -Also a big mistake-. I put the fish in the tank, and all seemed well...until the next day. His nose was cover in this white mold like substance. At first I thought it was just the weekend feeder particles covering his nose, but it turned out it wasn't. I think it was Cotton Mouth. That evening I had to flush him.

The weekend feeders have plaster of Paris added. Plaster of Paris does influence the pH and hardness levels. Karlth correctly pointed this issue. Could you please post a picture of this fish? Your case involved bacterial infection which can be treated with Maracyn and Maracyn 2 combined.​

Please do not flush the fish! It is a very inhumane method as it involves the fish having to go through the process of toxic wastes that will only slowly kill it which is rather agonizing for the fish to go through. Never euthanize a fish because it has a health problem. Not all health problems would mean the end of the fish. If in doubt with a particular health problem, please do not hesitate to ask us and we will help you as much as possible to save your fish.​

After that, I left the weekend feeder in, not thinking much about it. I didn't feed my fish for about a week. I didn't realize what I was doing. All the sudden, about 12 days later, my Ammonia was high. I took the feeder out, and put some Ammo Lock 2 in.

My ammonia stayed. It didn't increase nor decrease.​

Water changes are a much better route. Ditch the ammolock and forget the chemicals completely that bind ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Those will not effectively help in your scenario.

Then one of my tetras got sick. His fins started to fray, and I assumed he had Fin Rot. I wasn't sure how to treat it, so I left it alone. Then about a week or two later, my catfish's fins started to fray, as well. He died within the next 48 hours. My sick tetra stayed alive for another week or two, and then he died as well.

This is correct. The fish had indeed suffered finrot which is caused by poor water conditions as is happening in your situation. Only water changes can rectify it. If it persists after a few days, treat with Maracyn and Maracyn 2 combined. All antibotics however will interfere with your beneficial bacteria responsible for the nitrogen cycle so at this stage, your water parameters must be monitored closely and water changes be done accordingly.

Around the time he died, the Ammonia decreased and the Nitrites started to climb. A reddish colored algae started to show up.

The algae is diatoms and happens all the time in new tank setup. At this point, the nitrogen cycle is in the middle of the whole process.

All the while, the other tetra has remained fine. He was the largest of the two tetras. At times he has seemed stressed -which I understand, what with me using him to cycle my tank-, but none of the diseases have affected him. A employee at PetSmart said that he might have bullied the other fish, though I only saw him chase the other tetra a few times.

Bullying can be an issue if your two tetras have been pecking each other however this is not really enough to kill your other tetra. The water quality would be the primary culprit of its death.

I decided a few days ago to get my water tested at PetSmart. -The lady was a real jerk.- She tested my water, and told me that I had made a huge mistake by doing the water change. According to her, I had made my tank start the Cycling process all over again. She also said that it would take 64 weeks -That's over a year!- to Cycle my tank. As well, her readings for Ammonia and Nitrites were different than mine. Mine were 0 Ammonia and 0 Nitrite -the Nitrites were between .25 and .5 before the water change-, while she said both my Ammonia and Nitrites were up. I'm not sure if anything she said was true.

She was spewing gibberish about the nitrogen cycle taking that long as Karlth mentioned. What test kit did you both use?

Also, some stats on the tank. The temperature usually remains between 74 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The pH is usually between 7.2 and 7.6 . My tests say the Nitrites are at 0. The Ammonia is at 0. The Chlorine and Chloramine are at 0. The Water Hardness is far too high, at around 250ppm.

The chlorine and chloramine are not needed if you are treating your new water with a water conditioner.

My testing kit looks to be rather old, though it seems to work fine. I’m not sure.

What brand is the test kit? Is this test strip set or liquid? When was it manufactured?​

-My one remaining tetra seems stressed at the moment. I'm assuming that this is because he's all alone?-

So here I am, really confused. I hate seeing animals stressed and sickly, and I want to do whatever I can to make up for the mistakes I've made so far. Any advice or guidance is welcome and appreciated.​

Your tetra will need new companions eventually but we need to address the water quality issue first.​

 

[Lupin]

How much, and how often should I change the water?

That would depend on how far your ammonia and nitrite can go back to zero to keep the fish alive as both substances are extremely toxic to the fish. Doing 50% daily would help though but you need to retest after doing a water change to ensure both substances are zero. Why not ask a friend or your store for their established filter media? This option can allow your tank to quickly cycle thus saving you and your fish the undue stress.

Also, does it really take over a year to Cycle?

No, it doesn't. Depending on the options you tried, it usually takes a time interval of simply one day (if you ask for established filter media) to several weeks (for fishless cycling and fish cycling).

 

[Zbbal]

:welcome: to AC, Zbbal!

I am glad you found the right site to go with your queries. Don't worry about your situation. You will pull through this dilemma in no time as you begin to digest more information here.:thumbsup: It is amazing how a "simple" hobby becomes a maze with obstacles in your way but in the end, this is all part of the learning experiences.


The ammolock was unnecessary. The dechlorinator that binds both chlorine and chloramine however proves very useful as both substances can indeed harm and kill your fish. The brand often recommended for use is Seachem Prime but if yours covers both substances, it should be fine.

Please post a picture of this fish. Most albino catfish may not be suitable for a 10g tank. Some albino catfish turn out to be a common pleco which can quickly outgrow a 10g tank. If this was a corydoras, it wouldn't be an issue.​

The weekend feeders have plaster of Paris added. Plaster of Paris does influence the pH and hardness levels. Karlth correctly pointed this issue. Could you please post a picture of this fish? Your case involved bacterial infection which can be treated with Maracyn and Maracyn 2 combined.​

Please do not flush the fish! It is a very inhumane method as it involves the fish having to go through the process of toxic wastes that will only slowly kill it which is rather agonizing for the fish to go through. Never euthanize a fish because it has a health problem. Not all health problems would mean the end of the fish. If in doubt with a particular health problem, please do not hesitate to ask us and we will help you as much as possible to save your fish.​

Water changes are a much better route. Ditch the ammolock and forget the chemicals completely that bind ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Those will not effectively help in your scenario.


This is correct. The fish had indeed suffered finrot which is caused by poor water conditions as is happening in your situation. Only water changes can rectify it. If it persists after a few days, treat with Maracyn and Maracyn 2 combined. All antibotics however will interfere with your beneficial bacteria responsible for the nitrogen cycle so at this stage, your water parameters must be monitored closely and water changes be done accordingly.

The algae is diatoms and happens all the time in new tank setup. At this point, the nitrogen cycle is in the middle of the whole process.

Bullying can be an issue if your two tetras have been pecking each other however this is not really enough to kill your other tetra. The water quality would be the primary culprit of its death.


She was spewing gibberish about the nitrogen cycle taking that long as Karlth mentioned. What test kit did you both use?


The chlorine and chloramine are not needed if you are treating your new water with a water conditioner.

What brand is the test kit? Is this test strip set or liquid? When was it manufactured?​

Your tetra will need new companions eventually but we need to address the water quality issue first.​

-Thank you for welcoming me to the community. Though at first I was apprehensive about getting an aquarium, I hope to make this a full time hobby. Even with all the bad things that have happened, I think that once everything is under control, it will be enjoyable.

-So I should throw out the Ammo Lock?

-I looked around in hopes of finding a picture of a similar fish, and it turns out that it was actually a Cory. Sorry. I keep forgetting the names of the fish.

-At the time when the fish was dying, I couldn't go to the store. My mom often gets sick, so it would have been days before I could get him treatment. Also, he was barely breathing, and had himself caught sideways in the largest plant. If you could tell me what treatments to have on hand, next time I'm at the store, I'll pick everything up.

-How often should I do a water change? I was think 25% to 50% a week?

-I use a Freshwater Mater Test Kit, by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The lady at PetSmart used strips.

-My testing kit doesn't have a date, but it has a trademark on the back of the box that says 1993. It can't be that old, can it? If it is, I'll go to the store ASAP and get a new one.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Zbbal]

That would depend on how far your ammonia and nitrite can go back to zero to keep the fish alive as both substances are extremely toxic to the fish. Doing 50% daily would help though but you need to retest after doing a water change to ensure both substances are zero. Why not ask a friend or your store for their established filter media? This option can allow your tank to quickly cycle thus saving you and your fish the undue stress.


No, it doesn't. Depending on the options you tried, it usually takes a time interval of simply one day (if you ask for established filter media) to several weeks (for fishless cycling and fish cycling).

I've had my aquarium since May, is it normal to take this long? I even used a bacteria starter.

Also, I don't have any friends who also have aquariums. Well, I have one friend, but they have saltwater aquariums. And the only stores I know of in my area are retailers. They don't usually have anything in there tanks, other than maybe one plant. I doubt they'd let me take it.

 

[Lupin]

-So I should throw out the Ammo Lock?

Yes, I would do that. Water changes are better than the use of chemicals that will not effectively do their job.

-I looked around in hopes of finding a picture of a similar fish, and it turns out that it was actually a Cory. Sorry. I keep forgetting the names of the fish.

Ahhh....That makes this one less issue to go.:clap:

-At the time when the fish was dying, I couldn't go to the store. My mom often gets sick, so it would have been days before I could get him treatment. Also, he was barely breathing, and had himself caught sideways in the largest plant. If you could tell me what treatments to have on hand, next time I'm at the store, I'll pick everything up.

Maracyn and Maracyn 2 (for bacterial infections), Melafix (not needed for every injury case where water changes can quickly solve it), table salt (for ich cases) and, praziquantel and fenbendazole (for flukes and internal parasites).

-How often should I do a water change? I was think 25% to 50% a week?

I forgot to ask what your nitrate is. Could you please test this one? If your nitrate is detected with ammonia and nitrite at zero, your tank may have done cycling already. If not, then your test kit may be misleading as only a heavily planted setup or 100% water change can put nitrate to zero.

-I use a Freshwater Mater Test Kit, by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The lady at PetSmart used strips.

You're a step ahead of her.:grinyes:

-My testing kit doesn't have a date, but it has a trademark on the back of the box that says 1993. It can't be that old, can it? If it is, I'll go to the store ASAP and get a new one.

I'd look at the top cover of the box and look for the last four digits printed.

 

[Zbbal]

Yes, I would do that. Water changes are better than the use of chemicals that will not effectively do their job.


Ahhh....That makes this one less issue to go.:clap:


Maracyn and Maracyn 2 (for bacterial infections), Melafix (not needed for every injury case where water changes can quickly solve it), table salt (for ich cases) and, praziquantel and fenbendazole (for flukes and internal parasites).


I forgot to ask what your nitrate is. Could you please test this one? If your nitrate is detected with ammonia and nitrite at zero, your tank may have done cycling already. If not, then your test kit may be misleading as only a heavily planted setup or 100% water change can put nitrate to zero.


You're a step ahead of her.:grinyes:


I'd look at the top cover of the box and look for the last four digits printed.

-I'll pick all that up when I go to the store. And table salt? As in, table salt that humans put on food?

-Yeah, when I saw her dip the test strips in the water, I couldn't help but think, "How's that going to solve anything?"

-Well, obviously my test kit is so old that it doesn't have a Nitrates test. Now I'm sure I need a new test kit. But the only numbers I see on the box are "Product No. 34" and "2112-04-0893."

Once again, thank you so much for your help.

 

[oscartank]

Pet smart staff are all jerks, normally school leavers with an attitude and enjoying a power trip over inexperienced people needeing help. Basic psycology, people feeling threatened so in turn putting other people down to there level. They are given very little training and are genrally in the job for 6months so chances are u wont run into her again anyway.

I would find some established filter media as yr top priority, smaller local fish shops should be more help full, genrally run by experienced fish keeping nuts like ourselves. WELCOME TO THE AC