calla
07-31-2007, 09:29 PM
Hello all.... I'm new to the hobby of fish keeping and to this forum, and just wanted to say hi!
I've got a 20 gallon tank with a common pleco, 3 black skirt tetras and 2 white (1 just died) :(. I use a tetra whisper filter for 30-40 gallons, a mix of plastic, silk, and real plants, and gravel substrate. Temp is 78 degrees. Weekly I vacuum the gravel and do 25 percent water changes. Everyone in this tank has seemed very happy since the get go... so I was suprised to come home to the dead tetra..... and started looking up causes online.
I also have a 55 gallon with 3 orange swordtails, 1 male and 2 females, and 3 bala sharks. Also use the tetra whisper, 60 gallon filter, same combo of plants, and gravel.. Water temp is also 78 degrees and I clean both the tanks every sunday. This tank is fairly new and cycling... but the water changes seem to be keeping nitrites and ammonia under control as of now...
I love having aquariums and learning about all the kinds of fish... but of course, have had my share of questions and mistakes... one of those questions led me here. I just recently learned about the fishless cycling, and the whole process of cycling in general. After testing the 20 gallon tank I saw that it is starting to have high levels of nitrate, the end stage of cycling I guess..... which may be why the tetra died...
I'm going to look around and make sure I don't ask redundant questions that have already been asked.....but hope to talk to you all soon!
light
C
I've got a 20 gallon tank with a common pleco, 3 black skirt tetras and 2 white (1 just died) :(. I use a tetra whisper filter for 30-40 gallons, a mix of plastic, silk, and real plants, and gravel substrate. Temp is 78 degrees. Weekly I vacuum the gravel and do 25 percent water changes. Everyone in this tank has seemed very happy since the get go... so I was suprised to come home to the dead tetra..... and started looking up causes online.
I also have a 55 gallon with 3 orange swordtails, 1 male and 2 females, and 3 bala sharks. Also use the tetra whisper, 60 gallon filter, same combo of plants, and gravel.. Water temp is also 78 degrees and I clean both the tanks every sunday. This tank is fairly new and cycling... but the water changes seem to be keeping nitrites and ammonia under control as of now...
I love having aquariums and learning about all the kinds of fish... but of course, have had my share of questions and mistakes... one of those questions led me here. I just recently learned about the fishless cycling, and the whole process of cycling in general. After testing the 20 gallon tank I saw that it is starting to have high levels of nitrate, the end stage of cycling I guess..... which may be why the tetra died...
I'm going to look around and make sure I don't ask redundant questions that have already been asked.....but hope to talk to you all soon!
light
C