Need Advice for a 7-Gal System

I promise it's not as hard as it sounds at first! I'm no good with the chemicals and water parameters and all that either, but with everyone's help I manage really well. :) I don't know how to remedy your water parameters since you've already got fish in there, but once you do the testing (I recommend the liquid test kits, too. I bought this one at Petsmart, but I can't find it there online), you'll be able to adjust the parameters just fine. It's rather fun playing with the chemicals, too. ;)

And once your tank is able to establish the necessary bacteria for it to be cycled, it will be stable enough that you won't have fish dying. Just be sure to buy healthy ones in the first place, and research and ask questions here before bringing home anymore. :) Some fish are naturally more fragile, but members here can point you towards the better beginner fish that will be hardy.

So don't despair! It really is pretty easy once you get the tank established (stable). Best wishes!!
 
Also pH is better at a constant... Every time it changes, the effect is exponential on the fish. So going from 7.0 to 7.4 isn't just changing .4 it is changing 100 times... did I do that math right?
Click to expand...

Actually, no. Going from 7.0 to 7.4 is about a 2.5x increase. Going from 7.0 to 9.0 would be a 100x increase.

Tigerstripes, what brand filter do you have? Since you're using Tetra Biobags, I'm assuming it's a Tetra Whisper, but I've made the assumption in another thread and was wrong. If it's a recent Whisper (it seems to me there are different generations of Whispers, and Tetra didn't bother to rename them, so it causes some confusion), water flows through the Biobag and then through a black foam they call the Biofoam. This foam is for colonizing bacteria, and this design allows you to replace a dirty filter cartridge (the Bio-bag) without discarding your good bacteria, and keeps the bio-foam clean so you don't risk destroying the bacteria by cleaning. If you have the Bio-foam, you don't need the foam or sponge that the others are recommending, and you can freely replace the Bio-bag when clogged, or at regular intervals. Just don't wash the Bio-Foam in untreated tap water!
 
I am the math anti-wiz. And apparently the reading anti-wiz too. It increases 10 for every whole number it jumps, I thought it was for every tenth it jumped. My bad.

Tiger stripes: My tank took 5 months to get under control...learning not to overfeed, appropriate cleaning methods etc. Having a small tank is pretty tough because there is not a lot of room for error, but once you get everything balanced and figured out, you'll enjoy it! Just have EXTREME patience and when you do things to the tank, do it gradually (as in adding fish or in cleaning only one part at a time ie. gravel cleaning one time, decorations the next cleaning, etc.)

I was nuts over getting evreything right in the beginning, but now I can just sit back and enjoy the fish.
 
If anything, I would suggest getting a larger tank if this is something you enjoy. You could set it up, cycle it properly and then sell that little death trap :) !! (J/K about the death trap part!!)

Also, your ph should not test 0, maybe you got your tests mixed up? If not, your test kit is not working properly... You might have the LFS test the ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate (the really important ones) for you. Get EXACT numbers and compare them to yours, or get liquid kits asap!
 
Well, Holly is not really joking much about the death trap. Although fish stores gladly market small tanks toward beginners, many experts suggest a first tank be at least a 29 gallons or thereabouts if not larger, and reserve smaller tanks for those with more experience. The larger volume dilutes errors and is thus more forgiving.

The main advantage I see of a small tank is that water changes are easy - drain 4 gallons from a 10 gallon tank into a single 5 gallon paint bucket, and you've done a 40% water change!
 
Yes, it's me again. Pretender, I use the Tetra Whisper Bio-bags, there is no foam, just a polyester bag of charcoal, held closed with a plastic clip on one end.

The male cherry barb is doing very poorly, it's tough to watch him, he swims in place and doesn't eat, he's very very thin, but so determined to live. I wish I could do something to help him -- any suggestions?

The other two fish -- the female cherry barb and the dawn tetra-- and the shrimp are fine, in fact, getting fat, I think.

But, what *do* you do for a sick fish? I did a 40% water change last weekend with a partial gravel vaccuum, I've been careful not to disturb the plants or wood. Every morning I get up expecting to find that little fish dead, but he is hanging on.
 
what do you "do"? You can put it in a q-tank so the other fish aren't infected. raise the temp to around 80-85 (I think), add salt to the water...just a little.

If you are into it, research what could be wrong with your fish and treat it with medications. That is what you can "do" for a sick fishey.
 
Greetings once again,
Here I am, some time later, with one neon tetra and a ghost shrimp. They are both doing well, so I'm considering adding a few more fish. I never did figure out why my fish were dying, it's possible the tank wasn't cycled, though I test the water regularly (and took water to the store to be tested) and the results were always within the norm.

Does anyone have any suggestions on other fish to add? Or should I simply go for a few more tetras and another shrimp?
 
I would get a few more tetras and maybe a dwarf gourami. Or a few more tetras and another ghost shrimp. The only problem with neons is that they are very delicate and can die even if you water quality is tip top. Because you've had so many problems before, I hesitate to suggest them, but they really should be in groups.
 
My first aquarium was a 29 gallon, and I had the same problem, all of my fish were dying...one by one..and it was heartbreaking! The LFS neglected to tell me about anything like cycling, ammonia, nitrites, etc. I learned it the hard way.

A few years went by and I didn't loose any fish. I had platies, so I thought I would upgrade to a 55 gallon, and was able to do it the right way.

Don't be discouraged, it is a great hobby to get into. Trial and error.
 
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