CYCLING FAIL... could use some support =(

[H2Ogal]

Mindsore, when dosing Prime, it's best to either use the correct* amount for the bucket in the bucket, or the correct amount for the tank in the tank. Also, when adding to the tank directly, add it slowly to the water in the HOB so it circulates immediately. These steps will help to keep your fish from accidentally swimming through a cloud of Prime, which might not exactly injure them but couldn't be good for them. Prime disperses quickly, but it still takes a second or two.

*Correct amount is 2 drops/per gallon, or whatever it says on the bottle for emergency use. (I can't remember, but I think it's 2x or 3x that amount. Using more is probably wasteful — and potentially hurtful since overdosing any dechlorinator can reduce oxygen in the water.)

 

[gaberdeen]

Mindsore, you're not the only one having some difficulties. I just started a 26 gallon tank myself last week and unfortunately didn't read anything first. I listened to the advice of someone in the local pet superstore which was bad advice. I added 8 fish right off the bat and only 2 platys survived so far. I feel horrible about killing the other ones by my ignorance but I've bought a few books now and found this forum. I also just got one of the API master test kits today and found my ammonia was high. Did a 50% h2o change and tested again. Just barely turned yellow. Gonna test for nitrites next and see where I'm at with that. Lots to learn but this forum is a Godsend! Good luck and keep me informed how yours is going.

 

[mindsore]

UPDATE: CYCLING FAIL... could use some support =/

Hi Everyone,

Gaberdeen, I'm sorry to hear your story. Good to see you're schooling yourself here, too.

Here's my update:

Lost second to last danio the next day (3/14). Kept testing water w strips and doing 20% PWCs daily, using Prime to treat the bucket per the instructions (thanks H2OGal!). Nitrite and Nitrate dropped, pH, KH and GH rose. Lone soldier seemed solid enough. 3 ghost shrimp are chillin.

I picked up another danio today and the API Master test kit. Acclimated the danio over about an hour's time and so far it's so good. They're definitely nippy, but I hopefully won't have just the two for much longer. Here are my test results:

pH 7.6
High Range pH 7.8
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm
GH 30ppm
KH 40ppm

I don't know if this means my tank is cycled or not given how many hiccups I've had so far. I didn't expect the pH to rise that much, but also the strips blow compared to the kit so I might not have been able to tell. What do you all think? Is the cycle (of carnage) over?

Anyway, I skipped today's PWC because of the new guy and was planning on continuing daily changes with daily full tests, then adding two more danios this Sunday with another two a week after that. Any words of caution for me?

Thank you again and again everyone! Here's a pic of my tank:


-D

 

[To3kn33]

good to hear/see it seems things are improving for you. I had so many problems with my goldfish but only ever lost one fish during this problem. But then these goldfish are hardy little buggers and I swear they will out live me and everyone on this earth haha. Just stock very slowly and dont think that just because the levels are right now that they would be if you added 7 fish etc.

Good luck

 

[mindsore]

Another Update: CYCLING FAIL... could use some support =(

Greetings Everyone,

It's been about 2 months since I started it and things are finally on the up and up in the cube...

Liquid master kit reads zeros across the board with a pH of 7.4

I'm still using the strips to monitor GH (30 ppm) and KH (15-ish? ppm)... sucks they don't include it in the master kit... just sayin.

I added 4 more danios in 2 separate groups, so I'm up to six nippy but seemingly happy zebras (2 males - standard color, 4 females - standard, yellow/white, and pink).

I also picked up a ton more plants (ludwigia, christmas moss, java moss, and dwarf baby tears that were free because they need some ressurecting) at TropAquarium in Santa Cruz, CA. They are seriously some of the kindest and most informed folks I've met so far... props!

Finally, I added a Feit 42w 6500k bulb with a brooder light and a really high class reflector 2 days ago, and since doing so am getting at least a mm or two of growth each day! This is so interesting and fun (says the nerd)!

In the meantime, the tank has started bubbling with o2 and the vibrant looking zebras are getting their freak on every morning! If fishkeeping feels this rewarding in a few months I'll probably set up a breeder tank. Up next I'd like to get 2 more zebras, 4 otos, and some amano shrimp (though I hear ghost shrimp eat them sometimes, so I might wait on those). I'm also really excited to rig up some co2 sometime soon.

Anyway, thanks again everybody for your help. Here's another pic:

 

[Gotcha38]

Your tank looks really nice. I like the rocks in the front right. Congrats on the healthy livestock.

 

[rufioman]

Just popped onto this thread but glad to hear you got your cycling problems out of the way. +1 and welcome!

 

[discuspaul]

Seems like you have moved, with some hiccups, through a cycle that is now complete.
I do have a little uneasy feeling, though, due to the info I've been reading through all the posts.
You mentioned adding (conditioned) water to a bucket and leaving it overnite before wcs.
It seems possible to me that your new fish since day one of their addition, could have suffered from temp., or pH shock, or both. I read where your temp in the tank had dropped by 4 degrees after a wc. Have you checked the temp of the water in your bucket vs. the water in your tank before a wc ? A temp difference of 10 degrees or more could be posing a problem for your fish - but it's easily fixed by adding some warmer water to the bucket before a wc to closely match the temp in your tank. More importantly, though, is that you should, if you haven't already, check the pH of your water right out of the tap, the pH of water in the bucket after it sits overnite, and the pH in your tank. There may be some wide variances here, that could be causing pH shock to the tank fish. A greater than .4 variance in the pH from bucket to tank could be a cause for concern.
Hope I'm off the mark here, but it's worth checking it out.

 

[petluvr]

Seems like you have moved, with some hiccups, through a cycle that is now complete.
I do have a little uneasy feeling, though, due to the info I've been reading through all the posts.
You mentioned adding (conditioned) water to a bucket and leaving it overnite before wcs.
It seems possible to me that your new fish since day one of their addition, could have suffered from temp., or pH shock, or both. I read where your temp in the tank had dropped by 4 degrees after a wc. Have you checked the temp of the water in your bucket vs. the water in your tank before a wc ? A temp difference of 10 degrees or more could be posing a problem for your fish - but it's easily fixed by adding some warmer water to the bucket before a wc to closely match the temp in your tank. More importantly, though, is that you should, if you haven't already, check the pH of your water right out of the tap, the pH of water in the bucket after it sits overnite, and the pH in your tank. There may be some wide variances here, that could be causing pH shock to the tank fish. A greater than .4 variance in the pH from bucket to tank could be a cause for concern.
Hope I'm off the mark here, but it's worth checking it out.

Pish posh, I do only cold water changes to my tanks and have no problems, even with the tanks that I keep in the 80's that drop to 74 or so after a change.

 

[discuspaul]

Not so. Don't know the size of your tanks, or what % size of wcs you are doing. A difference of 4 degrees F may have no affect at all, but a diff. of more than 10 F can indeed cause shock and stress to fish. But as I mentioned, more importantly, a significant pH change can, and does very often have fatal effects.