Don't Laugh, I'm still learning (IMG HEAVY)
- Thread starter Cyberpaddy66
- Start date
Thank you
I personally didn't mind the snails but the GF got really squeemish about them so we got the loach, since then we've read more about them and yes we are getting a bigger tank so we'll get Luna (male or female unknown) a couple of friends then.
As HYLA WALDRON pointed out we've (the GF) been and gotten a positive ID on Zane (male or female unknown) and he'd deffinatly a Juvi Bristlenose and we think he's the best thing in the tank
Oh and were going to start mixing in some darker gravel as we take out some of the larger white stuff and when the big tank is set up we'll be using a darker grade of pee-gravel because of the isseus mentioned here acout fish colour
Thank's for the comments and help guys and gals, I hoping to get many years of pleasure out of my fish:bday:
Nice
How can anyone laugh about it for I at one time I had something just like it back in the mid to late 40`s, only I not had as much stone gravel as you have. And if those are real plants that you have there, I would run a air (stone) pump.
Buddy
Thank's buddy, yes they are live plants and the UGF uses an air stone to draw the water through the gravel and up through a 1" tube which also pushes the water around the tank very well so it's really doing 3 jobs at the same time:dance2:
its an awesome start!
Thank's, I'm very pleased with the results oh and Mgamer20o0 I'll be taking more and more as the days go on (and I get better at doing it LOL)
OK, time for a small update...
We went to the LFS (a different and larger one) and bought a few bits!
We got a Liquid Master Test Kit and ran them as soon as we got home, the results are listed below (and just for comparison we also tested our tap water shown in brackets)...
Ammonia 0.0 (0 in tap water)
Nitrite 0.5 (0.25 in tap water)
Nitrate 50 (0 in tap water)
PH 8.0 (8.0 in tap water)
As the Nitrate is obviously way high we decided to do a water change and as we were doing that we also took out 3/4 of the white stones and added a 3kg bag of smaller black stones (see the pictures below).
As well as changing the gravel and water we also upgraded the air pump to a Sera Air 275R which is a massive improvement and also we decided to add a carbon and wool filter as well (it's made a huge difference to the water clarity).
After the water change we did another test and got the following results...
Re-Tested Nitrite 0.25
Re-Tested Nitrate 25
So with this in mind I'll be doing daily water changes for the next week and testing before and after to make sure that they are working, we are hoping to get the tank in balance again before we have to go away for a week.
On a side note the colours of the fish have already brightened so they were probably trying to blend in with the gravel
The Darker Gravel
The new filter after only 10 minutes
The stones fell off the tunnel during the previous water change so this is only a temporary one for the Loach
The fish don't seem any the worse for the changeover
I'll post more results when I got them but for now I hope you all approve of our changes.
We went to the LFS (a different and larger one) and bought a few bits!
We got a Liquid Master Test Kit and ran them as soon as we got home, the results are listed below (and just for comparison we also tested our tap water shown in brackets)...
Ammonia 0.0 (0 in tap water)
Nitrite 0.5 (0.25 in tap water)
Nitrate 50 (0 in tap water)
PH 8.0 (8.0 in tap water)
As the Nitrate is obviously way high we decided to do a water change and as we were doing that we also took out 3/4 of the white stones and added a 3kg bag of smaller black stones (see the pictures below).
As well as changing the gravel and water we also upgraded the air pump to a Sera Air 275R which is a massive improvement and also we decided to add a carbon and wool filter as well (it's made a huge difference to the water clarity).
After the water change we did another test and got the following results...
Re-Tested Nitrite 0.25
Re-Tested Nitrate 25
So with this in mind I'll be doing daily water changes for the next week and testing before and after to make sure that they are working, we are hoping to get the tank in balance again before we have to go away for a week.
On a side note the colours of the fish have already brightened so they were probably trying to blend in with the gravel
The Darker Gravel
The new filter after only 10 minutes
The stones fell off the tunnel during the previous water change so this is only a temporary one for the Loach
The fish don't seem any the worse for the changeover
I'll post more results when I got them but for now I hope you all approve of our changes.
Right, a couple of days have passed and I'm ready for an update
Date 26/04/07 Not Fed Night Before!
Tested
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrite 0.25
Nitrate 50
PH 8.5
Fed the fish in the morning then did a 50% water change (using dechlorinated "AquaSafe" and denitrited "NitrateMinus" water as our tap water has nitrates in it and I thought it couldn't hurt to stick some in)
Didn't bother with a re-test
Teperature c26/79f
Date 27/04/07 Not Fed Night Before!
Tested
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrite 0.1
Nitrate 12.5
PH 8.5
Fed the fish in the morning and turned the heater down a notch as most of the fish in the tank need slightly colder water but I didn't bother with a water change or a re-test.
Teperature c25/77.5f
All seems to be going well and all the fish (no fatalities) look healthy and seem to be enjoying themselves.
On a side note I did get a 2nd Pakastani Loach (smaller than the 1st) as the original one was getting a little nippy towards all the other fish, guessed it might be feeling lonely. I know I'm over stocking this already over stocked tank but they are all going into the 43" tank when it's been fully cycled After an initial bit of bullying by the Original Loach they both seem to be getting on and foraging with gusto.
Also I re-tested the tap water and my 1st reading of 8.0 was wrong, think I was hedging my bets on the chart it looks like the local water is 8.5, is there any reason/way to try and adjust this?
Here's a pic of the New Loach (Lupin)
Here's a nice one of Lupin and the Bristlenose Pleco (Zane)
And here's one of the whole (overstocked LOL) tank
Hope you like the pics
Date 26/04/07 Not Fed Night Before!
Tested
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrite 0.25
Nitrate 50
PH 8.5
Fed the fish in the morning then did a 50% water change (using dechlorinated "AquaSafe" and denitrited "NitrateMinus" water as our tap water has nitrates in it and I thought it couldn't hurt to stick some in
)Didn't bother with a re-test
Teperature c26/79f
Date 27/04/07 Not Fed Night Before!
Tested
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrite 0.1
Nitrate 12.5
PH 8.5
Fed the fish in the morning and turned the heater down a notch as most of the fish in the tank need slightly colder water but I didn't bother with a water change or a re-test.
Teperature c25/77.5f
All seems to be going well and all the fish (no fatalities) look healthy and seem to be enjoying themselves.
On a side note I did get a 2nd Pakastani Loach (smaller than the 1st) as the original one was getting a little nippy towards all the other fish, guessed it might be feeling lonely. I know I'm over stocking this already over stocked tank but they are all going into the 43" tank when it's been fully cycled
After an initial bit of bullying by the Original Loach they both seem to be getting on and foraging with gusto.Also I re-tested the tap water and my 1st reading of 8.0 was wrong, think I was hedging my bets on the chart
it looks like the local water is 8.5, is there any reason/way to try and adjust this?Here's a pic of the New Loach (Lupin)
Here's a nice one of Lupin and the Bristlenose Pleco (Zane)
And here's one of the whole (overstocked LOL) tank
Hope you like the pics
