# New Aquarium... help!



## xoWhiteNoise (Nov 14, 2009)

Ok. So after i went through a terrible stage of relentless dying guppies about 4 years ago (which led to me giving up and getting rid of everything fish-related), I am trying again with a different species lol. I have a 5.5 gallon tank, and I know that most people would tell me that I should have a 10-gallon tank minimum. I had two mollys in a tank that didn't have a filter or heater, and they both died (duh) and i had one platy with them. Then i bought a new 5.5 gallon tank and put the platy in there along with 4 other platies. They all eventually died even though I did regular water changes and had ph stabilizers and chlorine neutralizers and all that jazz; the only thing I can think of is possibly overfeeding as to the cause of their death? Well anyway, after they died, I received a heater and filter for my birthday. After getting that set up, the last of my two fish died. All of the deaths seemed random, but ended in the fish seeming unable to swim properly and getting washed away by the filter in between spurts of frantic darting around the tank. Does anyone know what the cause of this might have been? 

After that, I went to the store and bought two more platys for a final attempt. I bought a pregnant rainbow platy and named her Kitten and a tuxedo platy named José. The seem to be thriving and healthier than any fish I had before. I feed them flakes twice a day, but I am wondering about mixing in lettuce or cucumber with their diet? How do I go about doing that? I know a lot of people would say that I have to blanch fruits and vegetables before feeding but is this neccesary? 

Also, when I put the flakes in, the fish have trouble knowing that there is food because of my filter current. I have a filter that is for 5-10 gallon tanks and the fish have no trouble swimming in the current but the only problem is that the food is hard for them to catch. Usually if Kitten goes after food and fails to get it the first few times she gives up on it. And being preggers, I try to give her the food advantage for the babies. But José usually get the food. Is there a solution to this?

I know that was long but I wanted to explain the situation fully. Thanks!
xoWhiteNoise


----------



## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

did you wait at least a month before adding fish in? This is called cycling because when you start up a tank, a lot of ammonia which is poisonous builds up, then in about a couple of weeks as your tank starts to accumulate beneficial bacteria, these bacteria convert ammonia into nitrites which is still deadly. Then in a few more weeks these nitrites get converted into nitrates (fertilizers for plants) less deadly but can kill your fish once it builds up. All the bizarre behaviour that your fish were displaying before they died is because of the water quality, most likely the ammonia was too high, it happened to me the first time 

But anyways your fish are living because you are now done that cycle. If the filter is a AquaClear you can actually adjust the flow to slow it down, but usually with my new fish, it takes a while before they understand that when i come over it means go to the surface for food


----------



## xoWhiteNoise (Nov 14, 2009)

No, I did not let it cycle, I read about that after they started dying >.< Thank you. But it is probably cycled now.

And the fish come to the side of the glass when I come over but not to the top lol. They will learn 

Still looking for an answer about the foods.

And I have a Tetra Whisper filter, TetraMin tropical crisps for food, and AmQuel+ and NovAqua+ from Kordon.


----------



## lefty (Nov 23, 2009)

xoWhiteNoise said:


> Also, when I put the flakes in, the fish have trouble knowing that there is food because of my filter current. I have a filter that is for 5-10 gallon tanks and the fish have no trouble swimming in the current but the only problem is that the food is hard for them to catch. Usually if Kitten goes after food and fails to get it the first few times she gives up on it. And being preggers, I try to give her the food advantage for the babies. But José usually get the food. Is there a solution to this?


i saw a feeding ring when i was at the local petsmart the other day...maybe this might help (?). it was less than $5 and basically is just a ring that floats on the surface of the water and is supposed to keep the flakes within it.


----------



## PPulcher (Nov 17, 2006)

You can always switch off the filter at feeding time. Just remember to turn it back on when you are done feeding!


----------



## xoWhiteNoise (Nov 14, 2009)

I recently purchased a feeding ring but both of my fish died before I got the chance to use it more than once, and when I did use it they seemed to be confused and didn't know I had put food in there. 

I am re-cycling my tank and I am going to try to put 4 neon tetras in there. Does this sound like a good option? I really want them to live and I have not had luck with guppies or platys so I am going to try tetras.

And one more thing, will turning off the filter for even a short period of time kill the good bacteria that has grown there?


----------



## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

no, turning off the filter for a short time will be fine. I do it when cleaning and sometimes when feeding so the food doesn't get sucked in. I like watching them, so when they finish I turn it back on. I have my filters connected to power bars for safety and ease of shutdown/startup.


It's not the type of fish...it's your cycle


----------



## breeze905 (Feb 1, 2009)

my 0.02

type of fish does play a role i beleive personally. guppys and platy's... sure they're pretty hardy fish but they also produce a lot of waste making the initial cycling of a tank a very poisonous one. Death of your fish... i would say 100% because tank was undergoing cycling stage. 

now that you are re-cycling the tank... might i make suggestions and i'm pretty sure it will work...

step one... Fill tank with water if the tank is clean. if tank is not clean cleaning is step one and this is step two. you can add your plants while the water level is low to make planting easier.

step two... if your water has chlorine in it... use appropriate amount of dechlorinator. remove carbon from filter and run the filter for a day or so.

step three... (you can reinsert the carbon piece of filter if ya want.) add 2-5 leopard/zebra danios from the store closest to you.

step four... the waiting game... this is possibly the worst part but you wait now for the tank to cycle... i'm sure you've read about it... amonia builds up... nitrite breaks that down and builds up... nitrates break that down and builds up... being released through water agitation and used by plants. feed sparingly... twice a day is nice to the fish and all but once a day is fine... even once every couple days just till the cycle is done is fine. cycle is done basically when nitrites are gone (0). now your tank should be fairly optimal when it comes to nitrogen cycle. if you like the danios... keep em... otherwise see if you can bring them back to the store and get a trade in value for the fish you want.

About the food... don't worry... they'll figure it out. just put the food in and they'll find it... food ring is unneccesary... i've never used one. it'd be good if you were going away for a while tho. 

Good luck!


----------



## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Using fish to cycle your tank at their expense is a waste of your money and, sometimes, their lives.

First off, your tank is too small for a beginner like yourself.

Second, we have no idea what kind of filtration you are using, nor any water parameters.

Actually, in general you need to read up a bit on fish care. Everyone is happy to point to certain reasons for your problems, but the fact is most beginners make the same mistakes. The difference is that most have a much larger aquarium, therefore allowing a larger degree of error. Not to say the advice here isn't valid, just that unless you have a good grasp of the basics, a 5.5 gallon tank is just not a good starter tank. 20g+ would be a good start.

If that isn't an option, start a post here with the title "help me get started" and I'm sure many will assist you in making your 5.5 gallon tank a success.

To get started, readup on Dekstr's thread here: http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3563


----------



## xoWhiteNoise (Nov 14, 2009)

Ok, I have been cycling my tank without fish for the past week. I have read on some websites that i can cycle my tank without fish by adding fish food to the tank for the ammonia input. Is this a waste of time or is it working?

Getting a tank bigger than 5.5 gallons is not an option, unfortunately. I have decided that after I go to the store tomorrow and get a testing kit for pH, etc., I am going to get a few guppies to put in my tank. Probably one male and two females. Of course, I am going to make sure the water conditions are right for guppies.

I have read that they like their water temperatures between 78-82 degrees. I have a heater and filter system that I mentioned above. I think part of the reason my fish were dying was because I have been using the ammonia remover which has messed up the growth of the good bacteria.

Is there anything else I need to know about guppies?

Thank you for all your help everyone  I know it's hard to start with a 5.5 gallon but my parents won't let me keep anything bigger. I also want to get a Leopard Gecko but my parents said no. My response to that was I have a job and money and I can buy it myself 

P.S. As stated above, I have a Tetra Whisper filter for 5-10 gallons, a heater (have to check the brand) TetraMin tropical crisps for food (will these be ok for guppies?), and AmQuel+ and NovAqua+ from Kordon. I have stopped using the AmQuel+ because of my cycling.


----------



## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

xoWhiteNoise said:


> Getting a tank bigger than 5.5 gallons is not an option, unfortunately. I have decided that after I go to the store tomorrow and get a testing kit for pH, etc., I am going to get a few guppies to put in my tank. Probably one male and two females. Of


Chck this site out for stocking options5-29gal stocking options.

Dwarf gourami is nice looking. Google it.... help click HERE.

Neon blue is nice.


----------



## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

White,

Also get some plants in the tank as well. Hike out into the revine and find some wood branches that are small. Take home and boil it 2-3 times. Not sure where you are but I'm still trying to get my java moss to have a growth explosion. I can give a little bit of what I have for you to help your tank there cycle pending where you are in the city.


----------



## xoWhiteNoise (Nov 14, 2009)

I am checking into the fish options now  
(edit) I would prefer to have more than one fish. I am going back and forth between keeping guppies and neon tetras >.< What do you guys think?

Hmm, well I have a creek by my house, would that work? 
I live in a suburb of Chicago, probably not too close to you :/
If I get a live plant in my tank, what do I need to do with it? Do I need to feed it? I have never had a live plant before, and I think I have enough oxygen in the tank if that is the problem that plants solve.


----------



## ksimdjembe (Nov 11, 2006)

chicago!? wow. the GTAA is far reaching! welcome!

I would suggest guppies in that tank, as the neon tetras are sometimes finiky and are not as tolerant of water quality changes.


----------



## xoWhiteNoise (Nov 14, 2009)

Lol thanks 

Ok, just got back from the store, and measured the tank.

pH - between 7.5 and 8 (thats good right?)
Alkalinity - somewhere between 120-180 (it says thats ideal on the chart)
Hardness - 150 (is this good?)
Nitrite/Nitrate - both 0

and I realized that the strip does not test for ammonia. Very dissapointed, I will go back to the store sometime today probably.

(EDIT) Went to the store, they tested my water and the ammonia was 0. I brought home three guppies, one male and two females. One female seems to have an arched back, is this a problem that will lead to her death?


----------



## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

xoWhiteNoise said:


> I am checking into the fish options now
> (edit) I would prefer to have more than one fish. I am going back and forth between keeping guppies and neon tetras >.< What do you guys think?
> 
> Hmm, well I have a creek by my house, would that work?
> ...


Wow, Mr. Scot, I don't think the transporter is working.  IIRC anything other then pine branches is ok. The boil is to sterilize and help release some of the tannins and help waterlog the wood. Same deal with finding rocks. Boil as well. For that small a tank smaller plants would work out well.

Java moss is one that I've had no problems with. I've not had the dreaded black bear algae attack it (knock on wood *knock knock*) and suppostitly it grows wild and out of control but I've not noticed that. It may have a little faster growth rate when compared tot he other plants. A good site to check out is here (click light requirements). Java moss grows like a worm almost in that if you rip a strand off it'll keep growing albiet is slowly till it has a few more strands.

Plants feed off the nitrate (fish waste turns to -> ammonia -> nitrites -> your biological filter/good bacteria turns it into -> nitrates) and light in the tank. Java moss from what I've read grows fast and thus filters waste naturally faster then some of the other slower growing plants. If you spoke with a pet store (say Petsmart) nicely one of the employees may give you a small pinch of it for free. I'd stick to easy plants that are hardy like that java moss. I've got some crypto somethings and from what I've read they don't like being moved much and can suffer from 'crypt melt' in that causes it to rot away. I'm new to the aquarium plants as well so we're in the same boat. I own both 5.5/10gal tanks here. If you check Craigslist in your city you will find under 'fish tank' 10gal (standard size) going for $1/gal from time to time. It'll need a little cleaning but a GOOD DEAL if you get extras on top of that $1/gal pricing. The size is not that large from a 5.5gal by a few inchs all around.

When I got my first 10gal a few months ago it looked like a 5.5gal at first and lateri t settled into me when I side by side it to the 5.5gal that it is only a few inchs larger all around. You might try that side by side with your parents and 'slip' it into your place.  I think your folks may allow that slight upsizing as it is a very small upsize and not like a huge visiable difference like say 5.5gal to 20gal. LOL.

BTW you can find 2 tier fish tank stands for ~$30 CDN or probably ~$20 USD new or less used. The smallest of the 2 tiers are 10gal. Which is small enough to move around anywhere and also allow for future upgrade or double tanking. If you can't go horizontal then hehe... you can go vertical.  

I say on that neon tetra/guppy thing is to read/see all you can online then go store hopping for a while holding the urge to buy. What you see online sometimes when you're in the store looks different or better on the fish you have in mind and also you may see another fish you may like.

With guppies you may want to stick with all males as most poeple I've spoke with have experienced once before when you buy some female guppies some may already be pregnant and eventually you'll get a bit of over crowding in the tank as the guppy fry grow. Then again you can sell that to locals or trade to some fish stores for supplies or money.

Make sure you acclimate the neons slowly. I've spoken to a number or random people in fish stores and they have lost a lot due to the neon being bred like crazy and lost some of it's hardiness so take your time floating hte bag and adding tiny bits of water into the bag for an hour or two. Once acclimated they're pretty hardy as long as the temps don't swing much drastically from many poeple I've spoken too.


----------



## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

xoWhiteNoise said:


> Lol thanks
> 
> Ok, just got back from the store, and measured the tank.
> 
> ...


Aww.. I was going to suggest this as well. http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_puffer3.php but you got the fish already. I don't have a ammonia tester on my 5 in 1 test strip from API but I find if you register nitrites on the strip or test kit or choice then yah you got an ammonia spike but if you don't see anything in the nitrite you're most likely safe from it and save that money.


----------



## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

xoWhiteNoise said:


> One female seems to have an arched back, is this a problem that will lead to her death?


Like this?









She lived for quite a while in my tank without any issues. She's disappeared now.


----------



## xoWhiteNoise (Nov 14, 2009)

Hmm I will definitely check into the plants  I have seen a lot of plants in the LFS and petco. But everyone seems to think that moss is the way to go 

As for the female with the arched back, she seems really skinny and her gravid spot is there but her tummy doesn't seem big at all as if if was filled with fry. I am thinking that if she survives the first few days/week she wil probably be fine 

And the nitrite was definitely 0. From time to time I can go to the LFS to get my water checked, maybe switching from petco to petsmart to the LFS so they don't get suspicious xD

Ahh i really hope it works, and I am on the lookout for a 10 gallon tank in my area so I can upgrade 

Also, I am trying to get a pic. will the flash damage the fish? the non-flash pics never turn out >.<

Also also i was wondering, would a few ghost shrimp be good for the aquarium? would they overcrowd? how do you keep a shrimp? or is that unnecessary lol this is so complicated


----------



## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

Shrimp in general require stable water parameters. At the moment I would keep an eye on the ammonia levels in your tank just to make sure that your tank is fully cycled.


----------



## xoWhiteNoise (Nov 14, 2009)

Lol ok good idea I don't want to get ahead of myself. My one guppy, a pregnant female, is being really aggressive towards my male  both of them ignore the other female with the arched back, but the black female seems to always be picking on the male and I am concerned about her ripping his tail  Any suggestions?


----------

