New Tank & Ammonia Problems

[Dan06]

Hey guys,

I tested the ammonia/nitrite/nitrates at 8pm and ammonia read 1.0ppm and nitrite/nitrates read 0, ph is still 7.0.

I did about a 60% water change and after about 35 minutes I tested the ammonia and it is now 0ppm. I will check again tomorrow morning before work.

My question is now, my tank never cycled? Correct?

With the next ammonia spike, say it reaches .50, should I do water changes to eliminate all the ammonia or should I let the bio-bag take care of it, although this might be stressfull on the fish? :look:

 

[Red K]

While I began to pour the new water in, I noticed a thick, gooey white substance floating around in various parts of the tank, what is this?

Not sure what this is, sorry.

My question is now, my tank never cycled? Correct?

With the next ammonia spike, say it reaches .50, should I do water changes to eliminate all the ammonia or should I let the bio-bag take care of it, although this might be stressfull on the fish?

No, I would say your tank has not cycled. I wouldn't let the ammonia get over 0.25 max, myself. (Edit: Although, to be honest, once I see any ammonia at all I usually do a partial water change almost every day for at least two weeks regardless of the test results.) There is a good article about the details of cycling stickied in the articles section: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64301

 

[Roan Art]

The white gooey stuff is from the Stress Coat. Stress Coat contains aloe vera and IMHO you really shouldn't put that stuff in your tank when you are cycling. It doesn't mix well with ammonia.

Use Prime or Amquel+, not Stress Coat.

Dan, would you please test your tap water and post all the parameters here please?

Don't add any additives to the water at all. Especially not pH altering stuff. Unless I missed it, we don't even know what your tap pH is. Unless it is in excess of 7.8 and your nitrites over .5, don't worry about it. Dose with 1 tsp salt per gallon instead of doing a fancy tap dance with your nitrite numbers. It's a lot easier to work with that number and this is just a short term dosing to remove toxicity. That's a very low salt dose and won't hurt anything.

Until your ammonia 0, nitrites 0, and nitrates ~10ppm, your tank is not cycled.

Roan

 

[Red K]

Odd, I've always used Stress Coat and I've never seen any gooey white stuff in my tanks. I've never had ammonia levels that high, either, though.

 

[Dan06]

I did not use the stress coat yet.

My tap PH is 7.0, my tank PH is 7.0

My tap Ammonia is 0ppm. My tank ammonia (as of this morning still) was 0ppm.

I think the white gooey stuff might have been from that 'cycle' garbage the local shop gave me to use. The water was clear last night, as of this morning it had a slight haze to it.

 

[Dan06]

Until your ammonia 0, nitrites 0, and nitrates ~10ppm, your tank is not cycled.

Roan

Thank you very much for that bit of information right there.

I believe I understand the cycling process, but I was not sure as to what my nitrates should read.

 

[carpguy]

Glad to hear things are under control. Its a hard way to start, it gets easier from here.

An eigth teaspoon for every ppm Nitrite isn't really much of a tap dance. If you want to avoid the math, 1 teaspoon is more than plenty. I wouldn't add 29 teaspoons of salt to my tank, especially when 1 will do just as much good.

Don't mess with the pH.

Don't have any ideas about the white goo.

 

[Red K]

My tank ammonia (as of this morning still) was 0ppm.

Sweet, sounds like you are pulling things back from the edge. Things should go more smoothly from here, good job.

 

[mduros]

Dan,
Welcome. This board has been invaluable for me, too. I first found it when I had a problem very similar to yours with my 55 gallon set up when it was new. I had cloudy water, fish dying left and right, water tests were normal with mine though. I tried the same additives you are and the fish just got sicker and sicker.

But it finally did subside. In all honesty, I would consider an undergravel filter system, especially with the 55 gallon set up. I think that underground filters are much more straight forward and take alot of the guess work out. The good bacteria live beneath the filter, lightly syphoning the upper layers of gravel with a vacuum hose doesn't disrupt the bacteria levels of the tank. But that is just my preference, take it or leave it.

I think what eventually helped my fish the most was daily water changes. The help I got from the local fish shop was so uneven, everyone told me different things, there were only two guys that I learned to trust and I couldn't always get them. So, listen to the people on this board, read up on fish and aquarium maintenance yourself, and water changes are a very good thing. Just make sure you know what your tap water parameters are, which you do, use the chloramine drops, and match the temperature of the new water to the water in the tank.

I still have about 70% of my original fish, so more than half of them made it through those early days. It's been about 8 months and I am very pleased about that. I have set up a second 30 gallon tank just this weekend. The original fish store I was dealing with closed down and I couldn't resist bringing home some new friends but my 55 gallon might be a little overcrowded because I have had a fish die and a couple got sick. I will be putting my newest additions into the 30 gallon and probably will get a couple of angelfish which I love but have not bought, because as a teenager my angels lived for years and outgrew the tank at over 10 inches and died before I could get bigger digs for them. It was very sad.

Anyhow, good luck,
Mary.

 

[Dan06]

Thanks Mary! I have not completed my 55 gallon setup, I will when the time comes. I will certainly look into the UGF setup for sure.

Once the remodel is done, I will have a 55 gallon freshwater and a 55 gallon Saltwater (when I have more experience, probably next summer).

I have to say thanks to everyone for helping me through all of this. They might be $3 or $4 fish but I see them as friends and I am trying my best to take care of them! From you guys, I have learned the proper way to stock a new tank and also other ways to start a tank!!!

I'm sure I will experience some more stuff in the next week or so because my tank hasn't cycled and I will be going through the cycling process shortly!!!!

Again, thanks to everyone! I appreciate all of the help!