Tank frustration!! Please help

[windgirl]

Ok I don't get it ... Since my 20G started leaking I got a 10G to do a double job. One) somewhere to put my fish (guppies, cories and a bushynose pl*co) until next week (when I have time to fix their 20G home). Secondly, to house guppy fry (or even cory fry if I make it to that level). I picked up a filter with the 10G. The guy told me that this other filter would work better for the fry others will kill them. I asked him about the adults and he said they will be ok. So, I got it (a ugly sponge fliter). I had planned to get a group of three corys to but in the 10G to keep the tank going, for something to eat up leftover food and keep the 10G looking not so empty with or without fry. Well, I'm having a problem.

The filter doesn't seem to be doing anything! The water isn't clear like in my other tanks. I used "Cycle" astablish the tank, I change the water in all tanks once a week, all my other tanks are clear ... whats with this 10G ... The Ammonia is also sky high. The fish are still ok and eating ... but I'm getting worried about them living in such conditions for this coming week!! What should I do. I'm broke (all spend because I just got the fish, the 20G, th 10G and all the stuff for both new tanks. Is there a way to make that 10G system work better.

I would really like to add 3 corys of some sort to tha 10G after I move the others back ... but how can I if the only filter that works for fry doesn't work at all!!!?? Or am I going wronge somewhere??

thanks, Beck.

[pleco_breeder]

Hello,

You can start by doing small daily partials until the ammonia spike is over. Just 2 gallons a day can make a serious difference in the tank. After doing the first water change, I know this sounds bad, but try cleaning one of the filters from an established tank to get the bacteria established. In short order, the ammonia should come down.

Larry Vires

[Barbie]

IME, Cycle does nothing for your cycling process but shorten it by a few days. The ammonia and nitrites peak just as hard and are just as toxic for your fish as if you just let it cycle naturally. The only product I've ever seen real results with is BioSpira, the refrigerated bacteria supplement marketed by Marineland. It's not cheap, but it definitely works.

There are some articles on cycling and the process that is occuring in your tank HERE. Those will give you a better understanding of what process your tank goes through in getting established, and show why Larry's suggestion of rinsing out a filter is a very sound one.

For now, don't feed your fish at all for a couple days, and then only what they clean up in 30 seconds or so, until the tank is stable. Their own waste from too much food is literally killing them with kindness right now. If your 20 gallon tank had a filter on it, for future reference, you could have kept the bacteria alive in it by hanging it on the 10 gallon also.

Hope this helps, please keep us informed if none of it is helping.

Barbie

[windgirl]

I would but can't quite get the expensive bacteria ... I didn't use the filter from the 20G because I got the sponge one, I didn't think about the bacteria in the 20G ... I'm not very experienced (as you can tell ... This is my first attempt at a freashwater tropical aquarium ... cold water fish are quite hardy, so I never cared to learn until now).

I did another water change today ... everything went down ... planning another water change tomorrow.
Ammonia 1.0 mg/L down from 3.0 mg/L
Nitrites 1.0 mg/L (didn't test last time)

As for other water info
The ph is 8.0 (was higher in the 20G)
KH (carbonate hardness) 214.8ppm (was 196ppm in the 20G)
General Hardness (Very hard water)

I asked Big Als for something to lower the Ph to 7.0 and they told me to leave the ph alone ... because its the same as in their tanks (which is where I got the fish from) ... any second opinions?? I didn't get the stuff because he also told me if I lower the PH its possible to cause the Ph levels to go unstable. I here a lot of PH talk here ... if we are all suppose to just use what comes naturally for the city water why is everyone worried about PH?

[windgirl]

Hello,
After doing the first water change, I know this sounds bad, but try cleaning one of the filters from an established tank to get the bacteria established. In short order, the ammonia should come down.
Larry Vires

The ammonia is down from the second water change alone ... but I wasn't sure what you meant about he filters ... did you mean wash the filter media from a astablished tank (that would be the goldfish one) in the clean water I put back into the 10G?

[windgirl]

There are some articles on cycling and the process that is occuring in your tank

Ok i got all that ... so the sponge filter isn't the problem ... the fact that it's a new tank is right?

Again thanks guys for the info ... I'm sure my fish will love you for it too. So, you all got some fishy friends in canada.

Beck.

[micahgee]

whenever ive set up new tanks, i use a few giant danios to produce waste (brachdanio aequipinnatus spelling?), these fish have spawn many MANY times so i basically use them as feeders or cyclers or you can use any hardy cheap fish...My experience has been after there is an initial bioload the water turns whitish/cloudy, the ammonia spikes for a few weeks, but doing partial water changes and heavily aerating the tank as to keep good oxygen levels; Ive heard that the bacteria that turn the water white really deplete the O2 level. My cyclers usually dont die, maybe stressed out but then again they are esentially free fish. It looks like shit and smells unpleasant for a few weeks but rest assured, colonies of bacteria will convert the amonnia to lesser and lesser toxic chemicals...and read up on the whole cycling thing...Also bigger is better in terms of tank sizes, the toxins are more diluted and ease of care...

Good luck,
Micah

[MackIntheBox]

one thing to try is see if the filter for the 20 gallon will fit on the ten gallon. The only problem with Fry and filters are that they coould get sucked into the filter, correct me if there is more to it than that. To remedy this you can imply put a piece of sponge on the intake of the filter, this will keep the fry from heing sucked in and adds an extra mechanical filter to the unit. See if the sponge on the sponge filter can be put on your 20 gallon filter, then put that filter in the ten gallon. You really wont have to worry about cycling the tank as the filter is already good to go.

[tiffnseve]

I also raise guppies. I do it to trade off for cool plecs. Thats how I got my two sailfins and a bushynose along with a bunch of gouramis. Your going to need a higher ratio of females to males, I'd say at least three females for every male. The reason being that guppy males are randy little buggers and will chase females to death anytime they smell they are close to being shall we say ripe. This is also when the females are close to giving birth or have already given birth so they are pretty stressed. More females will mean the males attention will be diverted between more sources. Try to put in lots of "cover" for the babies such as fake or real plants. Otherwise your younguns will all get eaten within hours of being born. I lost aproximately eighty fry in less than two hours one day because of a ravenous mom. On a lighter note. My small plecs love all the mess that the guppies give off.

[windgirl]

Yeah, I thought of using the 20Gs filter with the 10G ... not only is it too big but I would rather not punch out the hole since I intend on moving the fish back to the 20G ... all except the female guppies. Besides I pray I can make the sponge filter work in that 10G at least for the female guppies ... and later the fry and some corys (or pl*cos).

Do sponge filters ever work in tanks once astablished?

I've decided to spare my females the pain ... no one told me how many guppies of each at the store, so I'll have to get back to that little projects after I fix the 20G tank. I intend to get 1 more female and 1 more male (I really want a blue colored male guppy ... bad ... just can't find one yet). I'll definately use the blue male to do all the mating and the other males can stay in the 20G.