New Tank, Bad Advice.. What to do?

[alex_harris]

hey, i have a tank set up now for 2 weeks, 1 week ago after having the tank running for 1 week i went to my lfs with a water sample, they tested it and said it was spot on (after having a bulldog plec and a crab in there for a few days) so i bought a guppie on the lfs's advice ( i wanted a hardy fish which would swim around as the plec an crab jus hide) but now the water has gone cloudy (white cloud so i guess a bacteria is establishing? but the lfs said the cycle would be complete??) therefore i am guessing the ammonia has increased as my poor guppie is getting red gills.. behaviour seems fine but red gills. i have now discovered a guppie isnt very hardy as a fish to a new tank!
is there anything i can do to try and help out my guppie before he gets ill?
i will go to the lfs tomorrow morning and buy a testing kit to do it MYSELF, some de-chlorinator to do a water change etc.

may seem a silly question. but when water changing, i presume i jus add the dechlorinator to the new water before it goes in the tank, but how do u guys make sure the temp change isn't too great to hurt my fish? add some hot water and cold - then thermometer till its 24 degrees then add to the tank??

on looking at the tank now the cloudiness is almost gone but guppie still with red gills. i am feeding my plec cucumber, which i wash before dunking but could this also be causing cloudiness

sorry for the overload of questions.. just want to do things right an this forum has been a fountain of knowledge so far

thanks alex

 

[Plecosterone]

First of all get a test kit. You will never know what is happening with your water unless you do. Secondly, never take advice from the LFS unless you know they are knowledgable and trustworthy. It sounds like your tank is not cycled yet. Learn all you can about your fish and cycling your tank here http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598
If the water was "spot on" what were the parameters?
It sounds to me like your tank is not cycled yet.
Make water changes with water as close to tank temp as possible. Put conditioner in water and then in tank if doing it by buckets. If filling with a hose condition for entire tank volume.

 

[alex_harris]

well exactly.. where were the perameters.. i didnt ask. new 2 the game and thought a water test was a water test.. didnt know there was so many things to test for!
yes i will be doing it by buckets. so will use hot and cold water till i get it t 24 deg, then add the dechlorinator.. (i read prime is 1 of the best?) then add to the tank.. Water changes of 50% at least once a day (dependin on readouts)
i also read vaccuming the gravel should b avoided 'till the cycle is complete?

again is there anything i can do to save my guppie from a potential knightmare or is it just keep the water changes up and wait for amonia to decrease?

also i read that a liquid water test kit is much better?

thank you for the advice so far

 

[rajseth]

an aside - I bought API's "Tap Water Conditioner" - which is a pure dechlorinator - cheap and simple! (500 gallons / $1)
I am trying to stay as close to unmodified as possible so as to have long term minimum maintenance requirement.
Then I can choose when to tinker with the fishies!!

 

[jamie1972]

PLEASE read the thread on this forum about freshwater cycling. It will save you alot of typing. lol

1) Did you use dechlorinator before adding your initial fish?

2) You do NOT need to avoid gravel vac during cycling. You will not harm a thing....and your fish will thank you. (maybe not out loud, but they'll thank you)

3) Get a master test kit. One that checks for ph, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite.

4) Anytime the ammonia reads over .25 or the nitrite is high (sorry-can't remember # - old age), do a 50% water change to dilute the water.

5) What size is the tank - in gallons?


Whenever I do water changes, I gravel vac with the python until I've taken out 50%, then I add the dechlor drop directly to the aquarium for the entire tank volume. (not going to hurt to have a little extra) I then get the temp right at the faucet using my aquarium glass thermometer, and pump it into the tank using the python. EASY

Good luck

P.S.

The good bacteria that you are trying to establish (cycling) lives on EVERYTHING in the tank, but especially on the filter media and gravel. When you do water changes, just swish the filter around in the water you take out (chlorine kills the bacteria-don't use faucet water!), and put it back in the housing. Don't ever throw away filter cartridges until they start to fall apart. I know the box says to change every 2 to 4 wks, but it's their job to sell filter cartridges. lol
When you MUST throw one away and install a new one, let the new one either float in the aquarium for a week prior or install it behind the old one for a week. THEN throw away the old one.

 

[alex_harris]

great reply, thanks jamie.. yes i noticed my paperwork says cahnge the filter every 5-6 weeks but as u said that will surely start cycling over again!! a master test kit you say, will do thanks. i was a little dubious about dropping tap water straight into the tank even with dechlor. i thought maybe the chemical dechlor would take too much time to do its job before damaging the fish or th bacteria?
i didnt add dechlor before adding the fish as my lfs said the water will dechlorinate itself after 24 hours running in the tank? and i ran it for a week without fish?
any recomendations other that "API tap water conditioner" (thanks rajseth) its just that i am from the uk and have noticed most people are from north america here and wasnt sure if my lfs will have the same products so when i go tomorrow id like a list of possible items!!

yes i read the sticky about cycling which was very good, maybe wouldve chose fishless cycling if id have known, as full stocking can be done as soon as cycling is done, but i have now been told i can only add 1-2 fish's every month! bummer!
thanks again
peace out

 

[jamie1972]

Sounds like you're trying.....and THAT's the important thing. I'm not sure about letting the water sit to dechlor. I use whatever dechlorinator Wal Mart sells and it works instantly.

Good luck!

 

[brads]

i didnt add dechlor before adding the fish as my lfs said the water will dechlorinate itself after 24 hours running in the tank?

Correct. Water will naturally dechlor in 24 hrs. Many people fill a large bucket or plastic garbage can (new of course) with tap water and let it sit for 24+ hrs. so they don't have to use dechlor. Less chemicals is always a good idea but you can put dechlor in the water and use it immediatly or put it in the tank and python the water in... It all works. Oh, I'd double check anything the lfs's say before putting it into practice. You never know. Happy fishing! (pun intended)

 

[Sammie7]

Do you know if your water has chloramines? If you don't know then you should get a dechlorinator that says it breaks this down. Chloramines will not dissipate as chlorine does, you have to remove it. Do you have a place for your crab to get onto land? I'm sure most, if not all, crabs sold will need someplace to get onto land and they also need brackish water. What size tank do you have? You might also have the crab trying to eat your fish if he can catch them.