Need Help!

[Dawngirl]

I got 6 new glowlight tetras and my sister got 7 neons. So we put them to gether in a 13 gallon aqarium and then today, this morning I found the water sort of murky and 1 fish was dead. Help! What do I do about the murky water??????

[Lady Hobbs]

You have a 13 gallon tank and added 13 fish at once. Fish must be added gradually to small tank or you overload the bacteria.

You have cycled this tank?

[Rue]

Yes to what Lady Hobbs said...

Now there's not much you can do, except large water changes...change out a good 75% today...and try for 10% or so every day until the water clears...

What you need is a full test kit...to see what exactly is happening with your ammonia, nitrite and nitrates...

[Lady Hobbs]

Also read about cycling in the How To threads.

[gm72]

Far too great a bioload all at once in a tank. Large water changes are indicated right away. I strongly recommend downloading and reading the free Ebook located in the menu to your left.

[NickFish]

Was the tank even cycled?
Read the ebook and some of the stickies.
Large water changes and hope the fish survive.

[mp3rp]

Yea i agree with everyone else here, you probably didn't cycle. I remember when I first got my tank I didn't cycle and the water also turned murky/foggy. I went to the pet store to ask what should I do and they said to keep the filter running at all times and change the water 75% like Rue said.

[BChen7106]

I did a "fishy" cycle when I started my 10 gallon (couldn't find pure ammonia). I got one platy and one guppy. A day later, the entire tank was whitish cloudy, but the fish seemed to be doing fine. I later learned that this was bacterial bloom where the bacteria start to take hold in the aquarium and propagate. 2 days later, the water cleared on its own.

But you definitely want to go slowly when you are doing a fishy cycle.

IMO, people on this forum are very caught up in the fishless cycle. I searched and searched and searched, but couldn't find any pure ammonia. So I've just been cycling with a few hardy fish and doing it very slowly. Haven't lost a fish yet (except a cory cat which was dead on arrival).

Don't hate me for not doing the fishless cycle.

[Pr0eve]

doing a fish cycle is ok if you let the water cycle for a week before you add any fish to the tank. when you do it this way you'll see the bacterial bloom in a day or two after the chlorine leaves the water. with the filters all running.

[digital3]

...IMO, people on this forum are very caught up in the fishless cycle. I searched and searched and searched, but couldn't find any pure ammonia. So I've just been cycling with a few hardy fish and doing it very slowly. Haven't lost a fish yet (except a cory cat which was dead on arrival).

Don't hate me for not doing the fishless cycle.

Hmmm... I don't think there's any hatred for anyone doing a fishy cycle. As long as you're responsible when doing it. A fishless cycle is recommended due to the benefits that it provides. Besides not risking the loss of fish and being more humane towards the fish, it gets the new aquarist into the "groove" of proper fish keeping.

Furthermore, a person is less likely to have a fish loss if there aren't any fish in there. Doing a fishy cycle requires the new aquarist to constantly be monitoring their water levels and constantly doing water changes to keep their parameters at a healthy level for the fish they are cycling with. Many beginners aren't up to that task yet and as a result the probability of losing fish or an unsuccessful cycle becomes higher.

The reason many of us are "caught up" in doing a fishless cycle is because ultimately it's the easiest option for a beginner which will ensure the survival of any future fish that they keep. Yes, finding pure ammonia is difficult. And if that results in you having to do a "fishy" cycle then that's the way you're going to have to go. Either way, everyone one here will be more than willing to guide the beginner if that is the route that they choose. Doing a Fishless cycle will just yield a higher success rate in my opinion.

[SkarloeysMom]

Hmmm... I don't think there's any hatred for anyone doing a fishy cycle. As long as you're responsible when doing it. A fishless cycle is recommended due to the benefits that it provides. Besides not risking the loss of fish and being more humane towards the fish, it gets the new aquarist into the "groove" of proper fish keeping.

Furthermore, a person is less likely to have a fish loss if there aren't any fish in there. Doing a fishy cycle requires the new aquarist to constantly be monitoring their water levels and constantly doing water changes to keep their parameters at a healthy level for the fish they are cycling with. Many beginners aren't up to that task yet and as a result the probability of losing fish or an unsuccessful cycle becomes higher.

The reason many of us are "caught up" in doing a fishless cycle is because ultimately it's the easiest option for a beginner which will ensure the survival of any future fish that they keep. Yes, finding pure ammonia is difficult. And if that results in you having to do a "fishy" cycle then that's the way you're going to have to go. Either way, everyone one here will be more than willing to guide the beginner if that is the route that they choose. Doing a Fishless cycle will just yield a higher success rate in my opinion.

Very well said Digital!

[gm72]

BChen, no one hates you, but as you become more experienced you will find that a fishless cycle is faster and obviously far less stressful for the fish involved.

Pure ammonia can be found in just about any part of the world, it is a matter of locating it.

[BChen7106]

Well, I didn't think that people actually hated me.

But I think you're right about a fishy cycle taking longer and being more work intensive. I just think that for a beginner who is excited about the hobby, it is a little impractical to have them wait 3-4 weeks staring at an empty tank.

At least 2-3 fish are more entertaining to watch. People just have to make sure they don't get overly excited and get more too quickly.

Don't get me wrong, I think the community on this forum is great and has provided me with tons of great advice. Keep up the good work!

[graceluvsplatys]

hear hear bchen!
I agree that fishless cycling is the best, but I couldnt find ammonia. at all. I checked EVERYWHERE!
i am gradually fish cycling ( adding 1 or 2 fish every week or so) and so far, all seem healthy. I am vigilant about water changing, and have an airstone and cycle(if it does anything)
yeah, i hope it works!

[fastfly]

From what I read, It may be best to start with a fishless cycle and work into a fish cycle to finish it off. This is doable and helps to generate some bacteria before your fish get in the tank.


EDIT: A lot of people say pure ammonia in this thread, but that can be a little unclear since the ammonia you want to use will come highly diluted and far from pure NH3.

[cocoa_pleco]

old thread.........

[pinsonpa]

Aaaarrrrrggg!!! This is the second time in one week that I've been dooped into reading through an old thread!

Thanks Cocoa for catching that...AGAIN!:hmm3grin2orange:

[pinsonpa]

By the way, Grace...you just said in another thread that your parents wouldn't let you buy ammonia to do a fishless cycle. So which is it? You couldn't find it anywhere or they wouldn't let you buy it?