Tropical Fish Keeping banner

First Fish tank

3.3K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  arya  
#1 ·
Hello Everyone

My uncle gave me his 10 Gallon fish tank that he did not want, So I got a air pump, filter and a heater for it, with stones and a couple of fake plants.

I also purchased 2 fish, one of them is a Gold Mollies and the other one is a Platies Assorted. I started reading about them online and it seems there temperature needs to be diffrent. Right now I have the heater set at 79 F is that good or should I change it?

And on all the sites it says minimum Fish tank size should be 10 Gallon. I have 2 Fish in my 10 Gallon tank right now and I might add 1 or 2 more and a allgy eater. Would that stress the fish or is the size fine? They are less than a inch right now.
 
#2 ·
all those fish would be too much fish for a 10 gallon. the temp is probably ok for the two you have now. it doesn't matter what size your fish are currently, you need to plan for their potential full grown adult size. mollies need a little bit of aquarium salt in the water- don't forget. and also, they don't do well in over-crowded conditions.
 
#5 ·
arya said:
The Mollies fish is not doing good right now, he is at the bottom corner of the tank and barley moves. Is this because there is no salt in the water?
What are your water parameters? Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and pH. Salt is not necessary but can benefit the mollies more than most other fish. A liquid test kit by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals is best recommended. Avoid test strips as they are not reliable.

Cycle the tank first in case you haven't before adding any fish. You want zero ammonia and nitrites in the end with nitrates not exceeding 40 ppm. Mollies will almost always be the first to show signs of stress from poor water quality, etc.

Welcome to Fishforum.com, Arya.:wave:
 
#6 ·
the fish you mentioned adding will be fine in a 10 gallon tank but be careful what algea eater you add. Chinese algea eaters will become aggressive and a pleco will outgrow the tank. I suggest a couple otocinclus as they max out about 2 inches and remain docile. I know it was mentioned earlier but despite popular belief, mollies do not need salt in their water. In the wild they are sometimes found in brackish environments but they are found in freshwater environments too and due to extensive breeding they will do fine without salt. You really should read up on the Nitrogen Cycle since that is what your tank is most likely going through right now. Understanding the cycle will help you understand a lot of things that go on in fish tanks and it could be the reason your molly is not doing well.
 
#8 ·
ok I purchased something called "Cycle" and I put 3 capfulls in the tank, how long will this take to effect? I also did a Ph test that showed my Ph was good. How long will it take for the fish to start feeling ok again?
 
#9 ·
hi and welcome.
i can't remember exactly what cycle does
does it say that it removes Chlorine and Chloramine ?
because if it doesn't,then this is the other reason
that your fish is struggling,they will not do well
in untreated tap water,nor will washing your filter
in tap water.could you possibly say exactly what the PH is,
 
#10 ·
cycle is not designed to treat tapwater, it is merely a bacteria supplement to speed up your cycle. THe truth is your fish may not get better. I mean hopefully they will but there is no way of saying exactly how soon they will seem fine again. You need to be testing the water mainly for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates as those are the three main chemicals involved in the process. First ammonia will appear, then nitrite, and then nitrate. The whole process can take up to 6 weeks but probably sooner with the aid of Cycle. Since those 3 chemicals are harmful to fish, the nitrogen cycle is a very stressful time on a fish. Mollies are strong fish but not always the best choice to start a new tank. Test the water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and do small water changes if you see any of those rising to unsafe conditions. You may want to use aquarium salt during the cycle process to help the fish conserve energy and fight of potential illness but I would stop using the salt after the cycle is complete.
 
#11 ·
cycle is not designed to treat tapwater, it is merely a bacteria supplement to speed up your cycle. THe truth is your fish may not get better. I mean hopefully they will but there is no way of saying exactly how soon they will seem fine again. You need to be testing the water mainly for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates as those are the three main chemicals involved in the process. First ammonia will appear, then nitrite, and then nitrate. The whole process can take up to 6 weeks but probably sooner with the aid of Cycle. Since those 3 chemicals are harmful to fish, the nitrogen cycle is a very stressful time on a fish. Mollies are strong fish but not always the best choice to start a new tank. Test the water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and do small water changes if you see any of those rising to unsafe conditions. You may want to use aquarium salt during the cycle process to help the fish conserve energy and fight of potential illness but I would stop using the salt after the cycle is complete.
 
#12 ·
The ph is about 8

and on the box of Cycle is says: Reduces fish loss

More
Nitrifiers
Rapidly matures new aquariums

and when I was reading the paper it said something about adding bacteria. The fish started to move very little now that I added cycle but he is not normal yet. Does bacteria help the fish? Should I add something else?
 
#13 ·
I see I also purchased something else called 3 in 1 water conditioner it says it does the following:

Buffers ph to 7.0
Ammonia Neutralizer
Eliminates Chlorine and Chloamines

Should I add that also or will it hurt the fish more?