How do you all keep your water so CLEAN!?

Davefish24

Try selling some baby mollies

Termato

Should I take the fish out before cleaning the tank?

Both of my snails are curled up in their shells. I have to keep them until I can give them away. (unless they die )

Pictures coming soon, I took before cleaning pictures and I am going to clean the tank and then post all the pictures!

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I took both snails out for cleaning because they were at the bottom.

Inga

You know... Nobody stated the obvious OTHER solution to your problem which I will do now. You could buy another tank and divide the fish and plants up to spread the wealth. Sorry but I am a helpless enabler so I tend to lean toward the need for more fish tanks. ha ha

Termato

I just took some readings with the API Master Test Kit you suggested and these were the results:

Ammonia: 8.0ppm
PH: 7.5
Nitrate: 20-25ppm
Nitrite: .50ppm

This is after I did the water change. Should I just do another water change right now?!


While I was cleaning I found about....5 baby algae eaters from the dead mother.

* As much as I would love to get another tank it will have to wait at least a few months.

Termato

haha I would but I don't even know if the babies I have now are mollies. Further more I need to get babies first then everyone I know will have fishies!!

mrbprint

if your Ammonia is 8ppm I am surprised anything is still alive. By all means do water changes till the Ammonia drops to<2ppm and preferably to <1. What are you using for a filter? I have a 10g with 15 1 inch Ruby Peacock fry. Overstocking is not as much of a problem as under-filtration and over feeding.

Termato

I have a Whisper 10i In-Tank Power Aquarium Filters from Tetra. I have been overfeeding. About 3 times a day.

What about the Nitrate and Nitrite levels.

Everything is still swimming happily....somehow....

I waited about an hour and a half and I am going to do another water change and change the filter.

Adamson

That ammonia is extremely high.

While your tank is cycling (which it is), especially with fish in the tank, you need to be doing water changes every other day, especially with a smaller tank like that.

But yes, as mrb just said, what kind of filter do you have? Please tell me you have a filter..

To combat the ammonia, clean the tank more, make sure you have the filter going, if you have the supplies and motivation you could make an additional filter like the one in this video..

Adamson

Read this article top to bottom. You have no idea how much it will help you.
A Beginner's Guide to the Freshwater Aquarium Cycle

Yes, feed at the most once a day, I normally feed them every other day.. Also, remove any food that hasn't been eaten after a few minutes, as it will turn to waste and build up the ammonia levels.

I am no chemist, but basically it is a process. The Ammonia will turn to Nitrate (another harmful chemical) which will eventually turn to Nitrite, which is not good, but not as bad as Nitrate or Ammonia. Read the article I posted and you will get a good, detailed answer about this.


Edit: I just saw your aquarium and the descirption of it on your profile, you say that the temperature is "72 degrees in the morning
79 degrees right before bed"
Not okay, you need to have a more stable temperature then that.. you have a heater right..?

Tazman

Ammonia - NITRITE - Nitrate.


Ammonia and Nitrite are dangerous / lethal to fish in quantity except zero
Aim to keep Nitrates below 20ppn.

8ppm USUALLY would lead to dead fish quick...water changes and lots of them!
You have a high temperature swing there that will be causing stress to the fish.