Dealing... how did you do it?

[jojo22]

Let it sit nothing good comes in the fish keeping hobby

 

[H3D]

If you are testing positive for nitrates then the Bio-Spira is working...It will take about a week or so before the nitrites read 0. Keep feeding the ammonia. When nitrates are over 20 and nitrites are at 0 then you are good to go. P.S. I would not do any water changes untill you get those results.

 

[Marinemom]

Yesterday I visited that fish store I’d never heard of before, to get the Bio-Spira. I took a few minutes and looked at their tanks and their stock, and I have to say I was super impressed. There were no dead fish in sight, hardly any fish waste on the bottom of the tanks. I couldn’t find any specimen that didn’t look gloriously colorful and active. I even looked at the neons, and they looked very brightly colored, slightly plump. I asked him how his Neons did, and he said he hadn’t had issues with losing them, that he was very picky about the breeders he got them from. I am seriously reconsidering ordering my fish online, and buying from him instead. (Because I can save money on the shipping, the water conditions/pH maybe be more similar and result in easier acclimation, and mainly because he has a great fish store with great customer service and I feel I should support them.)

The only problem is that they don’t have snails (he says they’re not allowed to bring them into my state anymore.) He’s not sure if he has any, and it doesn’t appear that he has any Otos. He doesn't have shrimp at the moment, but might get some. So I guess I’m curious about how Cories work. How many minimum, how much do they add with the fishload? Or do these even eat algae?

What other algae eating options are out there...

Cories do not eat algae. They do however eat any leftover food that the other fish do not eat making them a great cleanup crew. They are very social little creatures so I would recommend no less then three of the smaller cories taking into consideration the size of your tank. They do add to the fish load because they are another living creature in your aquarium. I would recomend a trio of either panda or pygmy cories for your size tank.

For algae you can either clean it yourself with an algae scraper or pad or consider a trio of otos. Again they are social little guys and need to be in groups of no less then three. Or you could consider live plants for the tank which if done correctly will out compete the algae for nutrients and there will be very little if any algae to speak of.

Marinemom

 

[NeonJulie]

If you are testing positive for nitrates then the Bio-Spira is working...It will take about a week or so before the nitrites read 0. Keep feeding the ammonia. When nitrates are over 20 and nitrites are at 0 then you are good to go. P.S. I would not do any water changes untill you get those results.

Ok well... I've been testing 5ppm NitrAtes since I started using the test, on 11/14. They went from 5 to 10 on 11/17. Then 11/18 it went down to 2ppm. Then it 11-20 it went back to 5ppm. And that's been the story ever since... no change or progress.......

 

[NeonJulie]

Cories do not eat algae...

For algae you can either clean it yourself with an algae scraper or pad or consider a trio of otos. Again they are social little guys and need to be in groups of no less then three. Or you could consider live plants for the tank which if done correctly will out compete the algae for nutrients and there will be very little if any algae to speak of.

Marinemom

Thanks! That was helpful.

 

[H3D]

What does your aquarium water smell like? What is the temperature of the aquarium? How much, of what percentage, ammonia are you adding daily? Have you tried a different test?

 

[NeonJulie]

The temp is 80-82 depending on the heat setting in the house.

The aquarium smells kind of fresh, and like fresh dirt.

I put enough ammonia to barely put my Ammonia Alert into a light purple, it's about 1/4 tsp. And it's gone in about 2-3 hours. It's 10% Ammonium Hydroxide Solution from ACE.

The only test kit I have right now is API liquid test - it's been very accurate for me on everything (including the sky high nitrIte measurements.)

 

[H3D]

Everything sounds good. It shouldn't be long now. You might want to get a LFS to test your water for free to make sure your nitrate test is OK. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.

 

[NeonJulie]

Thank you! On one hand, it does appear that the tank is clearing up gradually. But would you recommend a water change or anything?

 

[H3D]

Thank you! On one hand, it does appear that the tank is clearing up gradually. But would you recommend a water change or anything?

No...is the water cloudy(white)?