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3 week old 29G aquarium- cycling /overstocking query

4K views 25 replies 9 participants last post by  Byron 
#1 ·
Hi everyone.. This is my first post and I am new to this hobby.

We setup a 29G aquarium 3 1/2 weeks back with 3 platies in it. I've been checking the water for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. The ammonia always stayed at .25ppm, no nitrites(no spikes in ammonia or nitrites) and now,nitrates at 10ppm .

I've done 2 PWC (30%) in the first 2 weeks. Then 2 days back, my DH and DD got tired of waiting for the cycle to finish (they don't think it is a big deal !!!! ) and decided to get 6 corycats. So now I have 3 platies and 6 corycats in the tank which is not fully cycled yet, I think.

The ammonia still reads at .25 ppm and I am doing PWC (20%) everyday for the last 2 days.Will the water show nitrates even if the tank is not fully cycled yet?

I am not sure if 20 % PWC would be enough for the fishes to be healthy and get through the cycling period. Also, could adding so many fishes have slowed down the cycling ?

I know it is a long query, but I just want to be sure that the fishes are safe and not under any stress.

Thanks.
Minnamom
 
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#2 ·
Do you have plants in there and are you using a gravel vac to siphon? Are you actually vacuuming the gravel?
 
#3 ·
We don't have any live plants in there yet, just some silk and plastic ones. I do have a Gravel siphon which I use for water changes and y'day while doing a PWC , I vacuumed part of the gravel (which I later realized wasn't such a bright idea while cycling! ).
 
#5 ·
Hello and welcome to TFK :-D

What test kit are you using to test your water parameters? Yes it is possible to have nitrates showing while going through the cycling process. As suggested by layden definitly check you tap water for ammonia nitrites and nitrates to make sure that these are not coming from your tap water.

I would also go ahead and do larger water changes 30-50% would be fine. Also do you know what the ph of your water is? If you have ammonia or nitrates in your tap water you can use a water conditioner like prime which will convert the ammonia to ammonium for about 48 hours and has been proven to lower nitrites and nitrates. If your ph is below 7 than your ammonia will turn into ammonium which is harmless to fish.

@ layden I am going to venture a guess the dh and dd is dear husband and dear daughter ;-)
 
#6 ·
I did an ammonia test on the tap water as you suggested. It showed up as 0ppm. The aquarium water still shows .25ppm. I did a PWC (30%) today and will continue to do so as it cycles. Will I ever see an ammonia/ nitrite spike or will the tank finish cycling w/o one ? Also,how long do you think it will take for the tank to finish cycling with these many fishes ? I am using the aqueon water conditioner(came with the aquarium) with each PWC.

ladayen, DH/ DD -> Dear husband, Dear daughter :)

Thanks everyone for help. I am learning so much as I am going through this site.
Minnamom
 
#7 ·
There really is no set time for cycling a tank. There are so many variables, many of which we have absolutely no control over. If it's not done by about 8 weeks though.. you're probably doing something wrong.

Theres not necessarily going to be any spikes. With fish in now and regular water changes there really shouldn't be any. Just a gradual decline/increase.

You may want to look into a water conditioner called Prime made by Seachem. It detoxifies ammonia so it would be great for a situation like this.
 
#8 ·
With that many fish your cycling will definitely be delayed, but it's still do-able. It might take a few months so just be patient. Keep up with the partial water changes, if you should stop that would really set you back and be harmful to the fish. I use Prime, as already pointed out that would be a big help. The larger chains carry it, not all LFS's do. Also, if you haven't already done so, do some research on cories to be sure you are feeding them properly. They might not get enough nutrition from fish flakes alone. Good luck!
 
#9 ·
Do you have a local fish shop near you if so or if you know some one with a tank you could ask for some used media from their filters. If you can get some you can swish it around in your tank water then add it to your filter this will speed up the cycling. Otherwise just keep up with what the other posters said:)
 
#10 ·
You Aqueon water conditioner is fine, it detoxifies ammonia along with chlorine and chloramine, so this is helping things. Conditioners detoxify ammonia by changing it into the harmless ammonium. Nitrifying bacteria use ammonia/ammonium the same, so no impact on the cycling there. Live plants, when you get some, will also grab the ammonia/ammonium as their preferred source of nitrogen, which is why it is always useful to have live plants in a new tank. Even some floating stem plants will help.

The tank may be "cycled." A 29g with 3 platys is not going to cause much of an issue, and from what you told us that seems to have been the case. Adding six corys should not cause a problem either. I still recommend live plants though;-) but otherwise I think you're OK. Just don't add too many fish without waiting several days between the additions of a few fish as you stock the tank.

And welcome to Tropical Fish Keeping forum. Nice to have you with us.:)

Byron.
 
#11 ·
santaclaws, I did think of getting substrat from an Lps store but wasn't sure of their water quality. byron,I would like to grow some live plants in there, but we didn't buy a tank with the necessary lighting. I was wondering if it would be possible to grow a plant that doesn't require the lighting, but will grow with some natural light. The tank is on the side of 2 windows (no direct sunlight).
 
#18 ·
santaclaws, I did think of getting substrat from an Lps store but wasn't sure of their water quality. byron,I would like to grow some live plants in there, but we didn't buy a tank with the necessary lighting. I was wondering if it would be possible to grow a plant that doesn't require the lighting, but will grow with some natural light. The tank is on the side of 2 windows (no direct sunlight).
It is possible to use natural light for a planted aquarium but I do not recommend it and I have done it. The plants will grow toward the light, and this can cause issues. Also, algae is far less controllable and this can be a major issue. Controlling the daylight in intensity is very difficult.

The existing light fixture on the tank will probably be adequate with the right tube/bulbs. What type do you have, fluorescent strip with a tube light, or incandescent (screw-in bulbs)? If the fluorescent strip, what is the length of the tube itself? And what size is the tank?

Byron.
 
#12 ·
@minnamom - i know exactly how you feel! Father Dearest and Mother Dearest insisted in getting the fish after 3 days of cycling!! And they didnt just get 3 or 6 fish, they bought 30!!! My parameters did spike (obviously) but now the tank is 5 weeks old, the parameters are holding steady at 0 except nitrate which is at 10ppm but hopefully if yours rise it will only be a slight bit.

So now I have one golden rule, no more than 3 new fish allowed (which they broke this weekend <sigh>), and thanks to the experienced people on this site i now quarantine my fish for a week and as soon as i find some parasite treatment i will treat them for that before adding them in.:)
 
#13 ·
i now quarantine my fish for a week and as soon as i find some parasite treatment i will treat them for that before adding them in.:)
This brings up a good question. When you quarentine new arrivals, is it wise to treat for parasites even though the fish may not show any signs of parasites??

I have a 14 gallon nano I was going to break down after my new 36 cycled, but now I'm considering keeping it set up for a QT tank.
 
#15 ·
During the weekend, we visited a friend who has a 10G aquarium with 6 goldfishes in it !! She has had them for about 2 years now and they are all around 5" long.. Since I'm new to this, I asked her about water changes and she said that she does it only once every 6 months !! 6 big goldfishes,10G tank and PWC in 6 months doesn't make sense but they all seem to be doing fine. So does that mean that once the tank is cycled, I need to do PWC only once a year ?

minnamom
 
#16 ·
Those fish in your friends tank may seem like they are doing "fine", but I am willing to bet that they have a bunch of health issues going on. Most which you would probably not be able to see. The nitrates in that tank have got to be sky high. Along with that if the fish are not already stunted, they will become so.

Water changes are one of the most important things that we can do for the health and well being of our fish that we keep. Weekly water changes of 30 to 50% is recommended.
 
#17 ·
Once every 6 months!? That's ridiculous! The "instruction" booklet that came with my tank said to do 50% water changes every month, for the size of my tank I find all the fish are happier with a weekly PWC of 30%. Is your friend testing her water parameters? I'm curious to know what her ammonia and Nitrite levels are.
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#20 ·
On the goldfish issue, chances are very high those fish will not live a normal lifespan. Goldfish can live decades. And as Barb mentioned, their actual state of physical health is probably a mess. It's like keeping a dog in a 3 by 3 foot cage and never cleaning it. The dog will live years...but in what state? With any animal brought into one's home, there comes the responsibility to properly provide and care for it; those who don't or won't, should not have the animal(s).

Byron.
 
#23 ·
Hi Byron, Sorry for the late reply..

The tank came with a 30" hood with one fluorescent bulb. The package doesn't give any specs on the bulb but does say that it has 'vivid natural spectrum to support plants'. In the booklet, it also mentions that if one wants to grow live plants, then the lighting is beyond the scope of this booklet !!!. So now I'm confused.

Also, what would be the best plants for a beginner, that is easy to grow and also hardy.

I checked my water PH yesterday and it shows 7.8. Is that too high for the fishes? Should I be neutralizing it?

Thanks for all the help everyone. Really appreciate it :)

Minnamom
 
#24 ·
Hi Byron, Sorry for the late reply..

The tank came with a 30" hood with one fluorescent bulb. The package doesn't give any specs on the bulb but does say that it has 'vivid natural spectrum to support plants'. In the booklet, it also mentions that if one wants to grow live plants, then the lighting is beyond the scope of this booklet !!!. So now I'm confused.

Also, what would be the best plants for a beginner, that is easy to grow and also hardy.

I checked my water PH yesterday and it shows 7.8. Is that too high for the fishes? Should I be neutralizing it?

Thanks for all the help everyone. Really appreciate it :)

Minnamom
First the light. That sounds the same fixture as what I have over my 30-inch 29g, it holds a 24-inch T8 tube. I'd have to see the spectrum data for that tube in order to say yea or nay on its usefulness. I can suggest good tubes if asked. The light is all important; without good light you won't grow anything but algae, and a single tube in this case means you need "good" light.

Is pH 7.8 out of the tap as well as the tank? And what is your tap water hardness [find this out from the water supply folks, they probably have a website]. Hardness will tell us if the pH will fluctuate or not, and you can't change pH without adjusting the hardness (unless it is so low as to be soft) so we need this data. You can read more on how all this plays out in my article on hardness and pH:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/freshwater-articles/water-hardness-ph-freshwater-aquarium-73276/

Also, connected to this, what fish species are you interested in having? The hardness/pH may or may not need fiddling with depending.

Byron.
 
#25 ·
I tried looking underneath the bulb to see if something is written on it, but except for the serial number,didn't find anything.It would be great if you could suggest a couple of bulbs(that aren't too expensive :) that would fit into this fixture .

I will check with the water company to know the hardiness of the tap water. I did check the PH of the tap water and it is the same as my tank (7.8)

We currently have 3 platies and 6 corys in the tank. We wanted something that would be slightly bigger than the platies that would live in harmony with the above fishes.I keep reading different things on compatibility of fishes all over the internet!!. Would a couple of angel fishes do ok in this setup(daughter wants them badly )? If not, could you suggest some that would work with this?
 
#26 ·
I tried looking underneath the bulb to see if something is written on it, but except for the serial number,didn't find anything.It would be great if you could suggest a couple of bulbs(that aren't too expensive :) that would fit into this fixture .

I will check with the water company to know the hardiness of the tap water. I did check the PH of the tap water and it is the same as my tank (7.8)

We currently have 3 platies and 6 corys in the tank. We wanted something that would be slightly bigger than the platies that would live in harmony with the above fishes.I keep reading different things on compatibility of fishes all over the internet!!. Would a couple of angel fishes do ok in this setup(daughter wants them badly )? If not, could you suggest some that would work with this?
For this tank, the tube I use is a Life-Glo made by Hagen/NutraFin. It is the most expensive but it is excellent light, I use Life-Glo on all my single-tube tanks. A less expensive but near-identical is ZooMed's Ultra Sun; I can't buy these where I live, no store carries them, one that closed used to so I know they are good, and they were then a bit less in cost. If you can find it, they will work fine. Make sure you get T8. These people are making T5 tubes now, and they won't fit a T8 fixture. These tubes you get from fish stores; Petsmart I know carries the Life-Glo series, as do other stores and some carry the ZooMed line. There is also the Coralife 50/50 tube that I have not used, and I've no idea how cost compares.

Another option is a "daylight" tube from a hardware store. These will be very cheap, but I'm not sure if they come in all sizes; you want a 24-inch tube in T8. Phillips calls them Alto Daylight Deluxe with a kelvin of 6500K. Sylvania makes something similar, and I believe GE does. In these cases look for the kelvin rating, 6500K. Home Depot here carry Phillips, but only in some sizes.

To the angelfish, not in a 29g. This fish attains 6+ inches in length and has a fin span of more than 8 inches. It is best in a group of 5, 3 can sometimes work but a 29g will not house these for long. If you have firm plans for a 4-foot tank like a 55g within a few months, OK, but otherwise I would not. In a small space the angels can be nasty.

My suggestion for a 29g would be some smaller fish that shoal (group). This will provide more interest. Once we know the hardness numbers we can narrow down options.

Byron.
 
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