I was stupid, ok? help me!

[graceluvsplatys]

Please dont yell at me for this... I already yelled at myself enough.
I got cycle(the product) and put it in my water. The lfs ppl told me to wait 72 hours, while adding ammonia by putting in old gravel from a betta tank and fish food, and then check the water.
I did this, and brought my water back 3 days later to be tested.
It had a teeny bit of ammonia, and no nitrites.... they told me I could get a few hardy fish for my 20g, they would be fine, i was cycled.

Looking at the posts, im not really cycled am i!
What can I do to save my platys that i put in! I dont want them to die!

I already:
got an airstone
dumped the whole friggin bottle of cycle in
stopped feeding ( for now)
doing 10-20% water changes daily
raising the temp from 75-80%

as of now, all my platys are (seemingly) fine and very active.
but, the water does look a little cloudy!

HELP

I already saw the sticky at the top, any oht er advice?

[MandyL]

Since you didn't buy a test kit, all you can do is what you listed. Daily water changes are most important. I would feed once a day only what they will eat in 1 minute or so.

[graceluvsplatys]

I am going to go to petco every day to test my water i think...
im really worried. I luv my fish so much!

[graceluvsplatys]

btw.. does the water look any different during the cycle?

[Wild Turkey]

I am going to go to petco every day to test my water i think...
im really worried. I luv my fish so much!

With the money you'll be spending in gas, you should just go once and buy a master test kit. you NEED it.

And yes, the water will become cloudy at some point during the cycle then clear up again. You arent cycled until you r lvls are as such:
ZERO ammonia.
ZERO Nitrites
Some Nitrates

[Lady Hobbs]

Your water may be cloudy due to the "Cycle" product. It's good you'll be testing the water, tho. When the ammonia gets too high......like .75-1. I would be changing out some of that water. The smaller tanks get very toxic due to the small amount of water in them. You'll have to watch it very closely.

[graceluvsplatys]

gotcha.... this sounds weird, but my parents wont let me buy a master test kit. I know. they are already mad because I didnt get a 5 gallon, I got a 20g.
they are all like " just get the stupid fish and plop them in the 5g. they will be fine!

[Lady Hobbs]

Altho it's nice to listen to the parents, sometimes they don't know all there is to know about everything. LOL In this case, it's good you didn't listen.

Just make sure you do NO cleaning of the tank now, stir up the gravel, clean the filter pads......none of that. You can safety change the water but do not disturb anything in the tank or you'll mess up the new bacteria that is growing.

[Wild Turkey]

gotcha.... this sounds weird, but my parents wont let me buy a master test kit. I know. they are already mad because I didnt get a 5 gallon, I got a 20g.
they are all like " just get the stupid fish and plop them in the 5g. they will be fine!

Well, to be blunt, they wont be fine. Why dont you give us their email and we can send them letters, maybe they need to hear it from an adult.

If you mean they wont let you as in its their money, maybe you should consider finding a new way to fund your hobby, paper route? Plant a garden full of strawberries, or something else you can sell easily in this summer, this is the perfect time to plant.

Without a test kit you are probably gonna loose the same amount in dead fish, and like i said before the gas of driving up there everyday for 3 weeks is gonna be way more than 25 bucks..even if its pretty close.

[fastfly]

Well, to be blunt, they wont be fine. Why dont you give us their email and we can send them letters, maybe they need to hear it from an adult.

If you mean they wont let you as in its their money, maybe you should consider finding a new way to fund your hobby, paper route? Plant a garden full of strawberries, or something else you can sell easily in this summer, this is the perfect time to plant.

Without a test kit you are probably gonna loose the same amount in dead fish, and like i said before the gas of driving up there everyday for 3 weeks is gonna be way more than 25 bucks..even if its pretty close.

Bad idea to have Grace give out her parent's email, Good idea to have your parents, Grace, read some of these threads you made.

[Wild Turkey]

Bad idea to have Grace give out her parent's email, Good idea to have your parents, Grace, read some of these threads you made.
Dont post it on here, for sure. And of course you have to have permission.

You can start by emailing them copies of these threads, or showing them physically? Or do they really just not care? Most people care about living things enough, they just dont realize whats involved with taking care of fish properly. The LFS isnt helpful on that account, either.

[graceluvsplatys]

Dont post it on here, for sure. And of course you have to have permission.

You can start by emailing them copies of these threads, or showing them physically? Or do they really just not care? Most people care about living things enough, they just dont realize whats involved with taking care of fish properly. The LFS isnt helpful on that account, either.
my parent would freak even if they knew I was on this forum!!
no they dont care. not at all about living things
They wont let me spend my money!! I dont get it either...
I guess in the meantime, save my fish
in the long run, work on the rents

[Wild Turkey]

my parent would freak even if they knew I was on this forum!!
no they dont care. not at all about living things
They wont let me spend my money!! I dont get it either...
I guess in the meantime, save my fish
in the long run, work on the rents

Sounds like a plan. I really feel frustrated for you in this situation but i guess theres not much you can do immediately. Very unreasonable if you ask me, but they are the parents not I, and you have to respect them.

[graceluvsplatys]

I know! and it makes me fell so bad, when ppl on this forum tell me im a horrible fish owner, cause my parents wont let me get ammonia or a test kit (apparently too toxic for the ammonia)
but im trying, but they kind of are in control... i cant drive for 1 lol

[Wild Turkey]

I know! and it makes me fell so bad, when ppl on this forum tell me im a horrible fish owner, cause my parents wont let me get ammonia or a test kit (apparently too toxic for the ammonia)
but im trying, but they kind of are in control... i cant drive for 1 lol

Hey now, you are not a horrible fish keeper. A horrible fish keeper doesnt care enough to come to a forum like this is the interest of their fish. You are already more responsible than most. Its obviously not ur fault and u r doing ur best.

[graceluvsplatys]

thanks, that means a lot.
promising news!

my aunt has an extra fish tank and supplies! maybe there will be some useful stuff in there!

[Wild Turkey]

thanks, that means a lot.
promising news!

my aunt has an extra fish tank and supplies! maybe there will be some useful stuff in there!

If you score test kits outta that you have gotta be the luckiest person i have ever met. Good luck!

[Nick_Pavlovski]

What colour cloudy? Like milky cloudy? Or muddy cloudy? Or black cloudy? Or green cloudy?

[Sasquatch]

First of all, you're not a bad fish keeper, you care, your just hamstrung by the situation.

Second, if you can test at your aunts place, that's fine. Maybe pay her to get the test kits and go to see you aunt to do the tests?

As for the rest, if the water is "white" cloudy, that's normal, it's the bacterial bloom from the cycle, perfectly normal. Also, platies are pretty tough fish. We cycle our 10g with platies when we first started and they were just fine. Keep up the small daily water changes and things should be ok.

Good luck and keep up the good work. :19:

[fastfly]

thanks, that means a lot.
promising news!

my aunt has an extra fish tank and supplies! maybe there will be some useful stuff in there!

Is your Aunt, your parent's age? Maybe you could talk to your Aunt and have her talk to your parents!

[graceluvsplatys]

well, my aunt knows no more than my parents... shes just a teacher, and had one in her class. but she said she had a tank and "all supplies"
the water is white cloudy, i put in an airstone and it seems to be getting clearer (probably not related)

[Wild Turkey]

well, my aunt knows no more than my parents... shes just a teacher, and had one in her class. but she said she had a tank and "all supplies"
the water is white cloudy, i put in an airstone and it seems to be getting clearer (probably not related)

Actually, airstones tend to help, if you dont have it on 24/7 already, i would do that. Honestly without test kits though your kinda playing the guessing game as to how far along you are in the cycle. Did it turn out she has anything in those supplies that could be useful?

[Nick_Pavlovski]

Thanks, Sasquatch!