New Tank Questions

M

MSmith

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Nov 20, 2003
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Hi,

I just put fish in my tank yesterday. I'm using bio-spira to cycle, so I went ahead and put in 6 zebra danios and 6 glowlight tetras. I'm planning to add some julii cories later, but not until I'm sure the tank is stable.

My questions are:
1) At what level of ammonia should I start to worry and do something? I tested tonight and found that I had small amounts (above 0ppm, but not as dark as the 0.25ppm on the card). I know ideally there should not be any, but at what levels does it become harmful during cycling?

2) One of my glowlights is pale. Does that mean he's sick? They were all kind of pale when I got them, but my other 5 have started to brighten up and three of them are really prettty. This glowlight is a little smaller than most of the others and it also seems a little bit deformed. By that, I mean the line down his side is bent, not straight like the others. He seems to be swimming fine.

My tank specs are: 20 gallon; Penguin 125 filter, Visi-Therm thermometer
Water parameters are: pH 7.4, Temp 76F, Ammonia <0.25ppm, Nitrites 0 ppm, Nitrates 0 ppm or maybe a little above

Thanks,

Melissa
 
You already have mentioned that the ideal amount of ammonia in a cycled tank is 0 but at 0.25 a fish can become stressed and as you go higher up you will notice the fish hanging around the top of the tank, gulping for air as they litterally suffocate in their own toxic waste. After prolonged exposure to ammonia (or if around 1.0-1.5) the fish can actually die.
 
Any level of ammonia can cause stress to fish. That leads to death and that is probably why your glowlight is acting sickly. It sounds like you are cycling with all of those fish and that is definanly not the way to go. If the tank isnt cycled there will be a huge ammonia spike that will probably kill most of the fish. All the ones that dont die will have burnt gills and not their normal full lifespan. What you should do if you didnt cycle your tank is to see if your LFS will put them on hold or take them back for you. Then you can properly cycle your tank with no fish deaths at all. If your tank is just done cycling, you will still have a ammonia strike becasue you added so many fish at one time. A good amount to add is 1-2 fish a week and then test your water after they are in your tank for a few weeks.

HTH
 
Follow the directions on the BioSpira. I believe you can add more of the product? Do so when you see ammonia and nitrites, but doa water change to reduce those levels first. Any ammonia and nitrite can be toxic, so be very liberal in your interpretations. I agree that this may be why the fish are a little off--the other factor is time. It will take fish a little while to get used to their new environment, and this can be 20 minutes to 1-2 weeks, depending on the fish.
 
Thanks for the replies. I'm afraid I can't have a store hold the fish. The only local pet shop I can find doesn't even carry fish and has only limited aquarium supplies. I got mine from the Petsmart about a half-hour away. The store where I got the Bio-spira is even further. I'll just have to work to keep them alive and healthy here.

I'm out of Bio-Spira. I've ordered some off the internet and hope to have it in a couple of days. In the meantime, I'll do water changes. How much should I change? I'm still showing between 0 and 0.25ppm, but today it seems to be closer to the 0, so it may be dropping a little on its own. It definetely hasn't risen any.

None of my fish seem to be showing any signs of distress currently. (I do realize they could still be being harmed.) What should I be watching for? They are active--especially the Danios--and seem to be hanging around the middle of the tank. None of them seem to be gasping. Are there any other signs I should be looking for?

I really appreciate all the help.

Melissa
 
It sounds like your levels are as good as they can be while registering. The water changes will help until the BioSpira arrives.

Other signs to watch for include reddened gills, not eating, changes in behavior, and flashing/scraping.
 
The info you've is received is good but in case its put you in a panic I thought I put things in a little perspective.

First, I don't think Andy16 realized you were cycling with Bio Spira or didn't realize how you are instructed to use it. You are doing the right thing by adding all your fish and the Bio Spira at once.

Second, I only used Bio Spira in a tank that was partially cycled but I did notice that the ammonia and nitrites did not go away instantly. It took my tank two days to show zero of both. Each tank is different as is each batch of Bio Spira so I think the results can vary a little. the trace of ammonia is something to watch for and monitor but I wouldn't hold any candle light vigils.

Lastly, yes, even just .25 ammonia can stress fish and it is something to avoid. It may even be causing your one fish some real distress. However, during fishy cycling, the levels get a heck of a lot higher than that. My tank was showing levels over 1 for days before I finally broke down and got Bio Spira and I didn't lose one fish. A coworker was showing levels of 6 in a cyling tank and kept his fish alive! I'm not encouraging you to ignore the ammonia levels or to take them lightly but since you don't really have a point of reference I thought I would share.

BTW Petsmart doesn't always have the hardiest stock (depending on the store/staff). It may be that the one fish you are seeing struggle may have been weaker than the others from the start. Clean water helps so keep those water changes coming, especially if you are showing any ammonia or nitrites. Also, unless you have live plants, keep the lights off when you're not around. The light can stress the fish out in a new tank.
 
Update and another question

Thanks to everyone who's been helping me out. I still haven't completely gotten rid of the ammonia, but the water changes are keeping it below 0.25. Today it was just barely over 0. I still have 0 ppm nitrites and today I had nitrates of about 5ppm (maybe a little less). When I get my new Bio-spira (hopefully tomorrow) I'm going to put a little more in.

My new question. Although all of my fish are eating and swimming and seem healthy, one of the Danios' tail looks a little ragged. I noticed it yesterday and I'm not sure if it was that way when I got him or not. It's just the top part of his tail fin. I don't know if I should be concerned or not. Is fin rot from the move and the less than ideal water conditions a possibility? Or am I over-reacting? Should I do anything, or just wait and watch.

Thanks again,

Melissa
 
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