pump? or bubbles?

S

starkeymom

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Aug 23, 2007
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Ok I am a very novice and am trying to get everything worked out as I dearly love my platys and guppies.
here goes. I have a 5 gal kit set up and after a couple of dead fish and learning about cycling. I am thinking my tank must be doing ok as no fish have gotten sick or died in over 3 days and we have 2 sets of little babies.
I am noticing my pump does make the water move but we have no bubbles anywhere. Should I get some type of item to do that or are we ok? I am going to petsmart tomorrow( I nknow not the first choice of everyone but we live in a very rural area and that is all we have available and I drive an hour just for that).I plan to buy a few other things like a algea eater,have my water tested and just wanted to know if yall thought I should get some type of product to do a better job than the filter and pump it came with.
 
Petsmart is the only place I'll by fish...but only because I rule the aquatics dept (literally, muahahaha).
In a 5G i would highly recommend NOT getting an algae eater, most of the ones we sell, if not all, get way too big for such a small tank and it sounds as if the babies will overstock it very quickly.
I'm a bit confused by the pump/bubbler. Is it an actual filter or is it a pump which rests outside the tank and then has an airstone in the tank? Either way you won't see bubbles on the surface, just bubbles in the water directly above the airstone or under the filter waterfall/stream. if its the pump i'd recommend getting a whisper filter, they make 5G ones which sit inside the tank and u can adjust the setting so it won't mess with the babies.
pick up a liquid test kit while you're at the store and use it to test your water. in a 5G water params (or measurements of the chemicals in the water) can go south very very quickly and the health of the fish depends on these params being in the right amount.
 
I had bought the aquafin top auquascene 5 aquarium kit. it has a whisper internal micro filter and when we first got it about 5 weeks ago as it ran there were small little bubbles in the tank. But now it just runs and circulates the water. it sucks good and flows it back out but the tank just does not seem like it is oxegenated good or something.
I am gonna have the water tested and get a kit and the babies are in a little nursery box not in the tank with the other fish. But there is algea growing on the sides of my tank and also I plan to get a bigger tank soon this was my first expierience having fish. Any and all help is appreciated.
 
starkeymom said:
I had bought the aquafin top auquascene 5 aquarium kit. it has a whisper internal micro filter and when we first got it about 5 weeks ago as it ran there were small little bubbles in the tank. But now it just runs and circulates the water. it sucks good and flows it back out but the tank just does not seem like it is oxegenated good or something.
I am gonna have the water tested and get a kit and the babies are in a little nursery box not in the tank with the other fish. But there is algea growing on the sides of my tank and also I plan to get a bigger tank soon this was my first expierience having fish. Any and all help is appreciated.
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Unless the fish are at the surface gasping for air, you shouldn't have any O2 problems. I don't have any bubble in my tanks, just surface agitation, which is enough. I second the "no" for the algae eater. IMO, algae scrapers are good enough. Plus they don't need food and therefore don't poop...;)
 
I was wrong a platy died a few minutes ago so now we have 2 guppies and 1 platy in the tank. and we have 15 platy babies
 
my husband says we are adding to much crap in chemicals for the water. aparently years ago he had guppies and they never put stuff in the water. he said they set the water overnight and then added fish and tadaa they all lived ect. I must be stupid where this is concerned I can not keep fish alive. I am adding the stuff the sold me at petrsmart. one is water conditioner and the other is a dechlorinator. I dont understand why all my fish die. i am doing the water changes every other day but we have algea like crazy and even my fake plants are turning black looking on the ends. All I wanted was a few fish to watch swim while I relax . I have a well I am sicka dn need the down time while I am in pain it helps to try to relax. i saw one at a dr office it he;ped me and so I wanted a little one for myself.
If I go ahead and buy the bigger tank tomorrow should I put my gravel in it or start fresh and if so will these sweet guppies die
 
Your best bet will to be to get a larger tank, anything that happens in a 5g will be maximized by alot. That is not alot of space either, you wont get alot of fish, or get to see them be very active. There is alot of interesting sizes and shapes of aquarims. A 15g or so would be very good, even a 20g.

Your going to want to add some substrate (ie, sand/gravel) make your you rinse it first. (tap water is fine) Your also going to want to add any fake plants, and or decorations to the tank before you add your fish. Rinse every thing in a 1/9 Bleech-water mixture, then rinse it well with water untill the smell of the bleech is gone.

Filling the tank with tap water is fine, let it set for 24 hours, and also use your water condition to help get any other chemicals added at the water plant. You will then need to cycle your tank. this is to get all the good bacteria in that you' need (this could be the reason your fish are not making it) If you tank is not cycled their waste will burn their gills and make them stressed.

Ammonia (Toxic) from fish waste is turned into Nitrites (toxic) then Nitrites are turned into Nitrates (toxic in large levels, over 40 ppm)

You will need to get all these bacteria established in your tank so when your fish produce waste it is processed correctly. this wont take that long, a few weeks max! In a 20g tank or so, you could do it in 2 weeks. You will need a test kit to test these levels.

To start the process of cycling you can add ammonia right into the tank( dont urinate in it :rofl: ). Make sure the ammonia has no perfumnes and is 100% ammonia. Make sure you look up how much to add. You will want around 4 ppm to start the cycle.

This sounds like alot but is VERY simple. PM me, or keep posting here. People on this forums are loaded with information and are all willing to help you. any questions, or any help you need, however simple just ask it here.
 
so the gravel that has been in my tank with fish for over a month is no good and my tank is still not cycled? I thi9nk I am gonna just have to give up. I have been at this for about 5 weeks and have done nothing it seems but kill fish,the one thing I wanted to love. This morning my fancy guppy male is missing. I can not find him anywhere. I am sure he must be in the most likley dead.
 
Dont give up, once you get everything worked out, you will really enjoy it. Yes it can a little hard work at first but will get easier.

I agree you need a bigger tank, just like I need a bigger tank
 
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