Hi everyone,
I'm new here, first post. I wish I had found this site BEFORE starting on this aquarium. Regardless, I have a 10 gallon. I cycled it without fish, but it took almost 2 months. It didn't really cycle until I added a heater. So I'm at 78 degrees, AquaClear filter, live plants. 0/0 ammonia, nitrites and about 5 nitrates. PH is 7.6. Finally, I was able to add fish. And the drama starts
I had my heart set on dwarf frogs. So I got 2 dwarfs and 3 ghost shrimp to start. They were in a week and doing well, so I wanted to add some swimmers. Also, my tank was being taken over by brown algae, and I read an oto might be tricky but would certainly help the algae. I added an oto, and he's doing well so far but it's only been a few days. He has plenty to eat for now.
The first store I went to recommended harlequin rasboras. I thought that would work, so I brought 6 home. Of those 6, only 2 are remaining after 3 days. The two that are left seem fine. They swim normally and eat and don't look stressed.
So now, I have 2 lonely rasboras, 2 frogs, 3 ghost shrimp, 1 oto. I really want to add more rasboras, but I'm scared after the others dying so quickly. I don't think it was my water. I think it was my acclimation process. I didn't change out their water gradually. I just let the temperature equalize and then scooped them in. I read later to change out the water very slowly, especially with a difference in pH. Could acclimation be the problem? Is it possible the pH in my tank is too high for rasboras? I'm using an API master test kit. I tested it with the high pH chemicals, and it didn't really register, so I know I'm not off the scale on pH.
Any thoughts would be helpful. Also, I have a friend that has one lonely white skirt tetra that they can't keep. Would it be a mistake to bring the white skirt in with the rasboras? I know they are both schooling fish, but would they make it work in a community tank?
Thanks everyone! Looking forward to learning from all of you!
I'm new here, first post. I wish I had found this site BEFORE starting on this aquarium. Regardless, I have a 10 gallon. I cycled it without fish, but it took almost 2 months. It didn't really cycle until I added a heater. So I'm at 78 degrees, AquaClear filter, live plants. 0/0 ammonia, nitrites and about 5 nitrates. PH is 7.6. Finally, I was able to add fish. And the drama starts
I had my heart set on dwarf frogs. So I got 2 dwarfs and 3 ghost shrimp to start. They were in a week and doing well, so I wanted to add some swimmers. Also, my tank was being taken over by brown algae, and I read an oto might be tricky but would certainly help the algae. I added an oto, and he's doing well so far but it's only been a few days. He has plenty to eat for now.
The first store I went to recommended harlequin rasboras. I thought that would work, so I brought 6 home. Of those 6, only 2 are remaining after 3 days. The two that are left seem fine. They swim normally and eat and don't look stressed.
So now, I have 2 lonely rasboras, 2 frogs, 3 ghost shrimp, 1 oto. I really want to add more rasboras, but I'm scared after the others dying so quickly. I don't think it was my water. I think it was my acclimation process. I didn't change out their water gradually. I just let the temperature equalize and then scooped them in. I read later to change out the water very slowly, especially with a difference in pH. Could acclimation be the problem? Is it possible the pH in my tank is too high for rasboras? I'm using an API master test kit. I tested it with the high pH chemicals, and it didn't really register, so I know I'm not off the scale on pH.
Any thoughts would be helpful. Also, I have a friend that has one lonely white skirt tetra that they can't keep. Would it be a mistake to bring the white skirt in with the rasboras? I know they are both schooling fish, but would they make it work in a community tank?
Thanks everyone! Looking forward to learning from all of you!
