Sweet news!!!

A

abnscout82

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Feb 20, 2005
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So, I started my fish tank, got some plastic plants and a coral looking thing along with a little mansion for decoration. It is a 10 gallon tank with a very nice stand. Well, I didn't let it cycle for very long, like 24 hours and got 3 fish. Well sad to say but one passed very quickly, but the other two did great (two silvertyre (is that right?) mollies, and a black molly (the one that passed). So I went to the fish store and they replaced the black molly and it lived for a month or two. The whole time I had been fighting the ammonia levels. Well the levels went down, I did water changes along with using "Prime". Then I went away for the a few days and bought one of those weekend feeders. After I was back for a week or so I checked my levels and my ammonia was nearing the 8.0 range, that sucked. Well I nursed it back down, but it never really seemed to want to go below about 1.5. But the fish were doing OK, didn't see any real problems but kept trying to get it down. Well, then I went out of town and this time I verbally instructed my roommate how to feed them (big mistake) I feed them "BioBlend" and I usually give them 3-5 granuals each. Well my roommate thought this was too little, so up went my ammonia again... About a week later my black molly passed, so it was time to get the water right before I got any more fish. I worked it down a little and decided to get a couple of live plants in there, and to help clean the tank I bought a little Cory catfish. This really did the job, took the ammonia right out of the tank. But working on one of my fish was some cottony growths on the fins. So after using some "PimaFix" that was gone. So I waited a little and the growth was gone and the ammonia level was low (like zero). So it was time, today I went to the fish store and went on a shopping spree (kinda). I bought a rock for the plants to live in (they were still in their plastic planters) and bought some "plant medium" for them also, so now the plants should be happy. I also got 4 awesome fish that bring the tank alive. I got 2 rosy barbs (one red and one gtreenish/gold coloring) and I got 2 blue Dwarf gourami (which I was told are very dosile). So now I have all the fish I want for the tank, with all kind of wonderful colors. I am going to take some pictures of my tank, and will post the link here. Give me a few minutes to upload them, if ya would like to look.

Dan

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/abnsc...//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/abnscout82/my_photos
 
You may be in for more trouble. Its good that your amonia level was down to 0, but having had a fish with 'cottony growth', you should have waited awhile before adding more fish.

It would have been better to observe the tank 2 weeks or so as it was.

LATER: You would have been better to add 2 more cory to this tank, (cory need mates) and only one neon gourami as 2 will fight, and barbs are better in groups as well, preferably of the same species. I.E, all gold barb or all cherry barb.

Since the fish have been exposed to illness, if you return any, you will have to make it clear to the store. So, likely they will not accept the return. Only option, get another tank. Goodluck.
 
Welcome to the hobby bro! It sounds like you've already experienced a few headaches and guess what, there will be more, lol. But don't get discouraged, the more you learn, you'll notice your setups will evolve as well and start looking better and better. (you haven't caught MTC [Multi Tank Complex {most people use Syndrome}) yet, but you probably will soon).

Just a question about your setup though, are you using normal incandescent bulbs? If you are, sorry to say but your sword plants won't last long, not even with the special substrate. You can find 10w flourescent screw-ins which should be enough light for them.

Good luck,
Serg
 
I still don't think your tank is cycled properly. What are your other readings? nitrIte? nitrAte? pH?

Usually takes 4-6 weeks before it's cycled properly. What equipment do you have? Filter etc.? I would just hate to see more fish suffer.

Good luck.
 
update

Swimfins: That makes sense about waiting, for adding them, I will just have to watch very closely. I was told that the gouramis I have are a very dosile breed, unlike most gouramis. I hope they will be OK. I was also told that the corey catfish

SoCalSunstet: I am using a Flora-Glo flourescent bulb for the plants, and I am hoping it will be enough.

Oh yeah I took some more pics, hard to catch those little buggers.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/abnsc...out82/my_photos
 
Too... much sentences.... Not...enough.... space b/t any paragraphs... Too...Lazy... to read this long post...
 
your fish survived an ammonia spike hitting 8.0 ppm? maybe you're ammonia tester is giving false readings because that is pretty farfech'd. I recommend you order in some bio-spira or something to get that cycle complete.
 
Yeesh, sounds like you're going through the school of hard knocks. As SoCalSunset said, spirals are a great solution to incandescents in the standard 10g hood, I'd just add that 'daylight' bulbs are much better both for the plants and aesthetically than the 'warm white' bulbs sold to replace standard household incandescents. If the package lists a Kelvin rating, look for something 5000K - 7000K (Philips makes a nice 15W 'daylight' 6500K spiral compact fluorescent bulb).
You've got a real mix of fish in your 10g, it may or may not work long term. Mollies are a bit large for a 10g IMO, and prefer harder water than your other fish. Corys really do best in groups, and the two gouramis may quarrel - they're territorial and 10g really isn't much room for them to establish a territory. All of these fish, along with the two rosy barbs, leaves your tank pretty heavily stocked. Until your tank is fully cycled and 'mature', keep a close eye on the water parameters.
Good luck :)
 
keeping it going

PREZ: I have had the tank going for 2 months now. Ammonia is reading at about 0.10. pH is at about 7.75. Nitrite is reading is less than 0.3. And my kit does not test for Nitrate. Ia m running a Penguin Mini w/biowheel filter, 2 live water plants planted in a "plant rock" with a substrate medium, and a flora-glo FLOURESCENT light in the hood. For testing ammonia I use the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals ammonia test kit. I use TetraTest kit for the rest.

The Dougie: I know that a reading of 8ppm ammonia seemed way high but that is what the test read. And yes I know that it should have killed the fish. Maybe the morning calestenics I make them do helped...hehe

Blinky: The FLOURESCENT FloraGlo bulb has a rating of 2800, and I hope that will be enough for the plants. They do seem to be growing and straightening up to it. I hope the mollies will not outgrow the tank, they seem to play more in the mid/high levels of the tank, always have so hopefully they will have enough room. I did some research and it looks like I have a male and female gourami, only one has a strong blue sheen to it, so hopefully they will not fight. I did ask the people at the LFS and they said a cory by itself should do OK and yes I am kinda afraid of putting anymore fish into the tank so I will have to see how he does.

To all: I am fairly certain the tank is pretty cycled. The first spike I had of ammonia was when I used one of those weekend feeders, the other was when my roommate overfed them , so I do not think it is a cycling problem more of an overfeeding problem which is rectified. Everybody kept talking about incandescent lights, incandescent light are like the ones you screw into your everyday house lamp, it has a filament and puts out a lot of heat. Most of the lights I have seen for aquariums are flourescent, they are the long cylinders filled with gas and that is what I am using. Now I am not trying to be rude or smartmouthed, but I figured I would set it straight. I do appreciate all your input and am using it the best I can. Guess it now comes down to watching the tank and making sure all of the needed parameters are in line.

Dan
 
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