My 1st tank

**mack** · 05-03-2009, 11:38 AM

Hello,

I would like some input on what exactly needs to be improved (and how), what am I doing wrong and should change in order to improve my tank.

Here's some facts:

6G Bowfront Tank

Fish: 1 Betta, 2 Zebra danios, 2 Plecos, 1 Snail. I know it's a tad overcrowded but I do make regular water changes (2 changes of at least 20%/ week). I have had the tank for about 1 month now, and while ammonia is slowly going down, nitrites are off the chart... Sadly, in my rush and because of my inexperience I overlooked even the most basic do's and don'ts of the hobby (cycling, stocking etc). The tank was at 1st severely overstocked; I also had a blue gourami and 5 neons in there, before I came to my senses and gave them away.

Due to overcrowding and extremely high concentrations of nitrite I had a fin rot outbreak in the aquarium, but I treated it and thankfully things seem to be ok now.

I started using some bacteria cultures in the hope that i can get those pesky nitrites down. I also bought a plant today, but sadly I have no substrate and don't know how much the plant can survive under the current conditions. I wish I could empty the tank and put in a substrate, but the fish have undergone quite a lot of stress lately and I really don't think that that option is viable right now. I also have a log with java moss on it, but the moss doesn't seem to be as healthy as I had hoped it would; it wasn't pristine when I bought it (had dead areas) but now it seems it has sprouted some new strands(?).

Lighting in the tank is pathetic ( a 10W incandescent) but it comes with the hood and it can't be changed. The tank is filtered and heated. That's about everything I can think of right now.

Any input would be greatly appreciated, and sorry for my English, I'm not a native speaker.

Here's a pic of the tank:

P.S: sorry for the huge post

**chipper** · 05-03-2009, 11:59 AM

Welcome to AC. I have always been told water change with declor water to get the numbers down.

**mack** · 05-03-2009, 12:10 PM

Thank you :).

I already do regular water changes (went from bottled water to treated tap water this week) but even after a 100%!!! water change the nitrites were at 5 again the next day. By all accounts and considering what I read on the internet, all my fish should have been dead by now. Thank god they're not, but 1 month with constant sky-high nitrites is terrible for my fish. I really hope the bacteria cultures will help. Greatly reduced amount of food fed as well (hope the snail helps a little with getting rid of excess food as well).

The plant is another concern. The way I have it now it's right under the filter and I'm afraid that due to the circulation the filter creates and the subsequent oxygen release in the water the plant is going to die from lack of CO2...

**chipper** · 05-03-2009, 12:14 PM

what are you testing your water with?

**chipper** · 05-03-2009, 12:17 PM

Have you tested your water comimg out of your tap?

**mack** · 05-03-2009, 12:21 PM

Sera NO2 test (reagent not strips) and both tap water and the bottled water i previously used showed no traces of nitrites.

**invadertoast** · 05-03-2009, 12:33 PM

Honestly, I would get rid of all inhabitants except for the betta and snail. Plecos are MESSY fish and grow large, a 6 gallon tank is far too small. Danios need a longer tank with room to swim, they are very active schooling fish.

It sounds like you're in the nitrite stage of your cycle. I would fix yoru stocking level, and do daily water changes (enough to keep levels at a somewhat safe place)

... of course you could always buy a larger tank and transfer your gravel/filter media over to it to keep the cycle going.

Good luck!

**mack** · 05-03-2009, 12:54 PM

Thanks for the input.

I would get rid of the danios but but my lfs doesn't take fish back (especially considering that this is not a matured tank). It took me a month to get rid of the gourami and the 5 neons. Not much I can do at the moment in regard to tank size as I live in a dorm cubicle.. erhm room and I really don't have the space for anything larger. For what it's worth they seem active and eat well and while in the beginning they only swam at the surface they now explore the whole tank, always on the lookout for something else to eat.

The plecos, which sadly I don't know exactly which type they are seem to be ok as well. The way I saw it and the incompetent employees of the lfs advised me was that plecos just lay on the bottom and they don't need much space. What I do know is that they're not the gianourmous common plecos; i have a little guy who is black with white spots and doesn't seem to have grwon at all since I bought him, and a yellowish/orange with light colored spots pleco, which indeed grew quite a bit.

I know you're right and the tank is overstocked, but as I said it's really difficult giving them away since they come from a cycling tank.

Hope they all pull through though and once the water parameters are ok I'll see what I can do about relocating them.

**Northernguy** · 05-03-2009, 01:18 PM

Invadertoast is right!
To many fish especially the pleco.
Find someone to take it before it dies or get yourself a 20gal.
Your tank is barely big enough for the beta!
Gravel or sand on the bottom of a tank is called substrate.

**Jaster** · 05-03-2009, 01:59 PM

Bad information from LFS has haunted us all at one point or another... and what they told you was simply to make a sale. When I started years ago I got the same system your did (just the 3 gallon version) and stuffed it with gold 5 goldfish. The tank failed completely over and over and I spent a ton of money trying to make it work. I tried chemicals, filters, lights, too many fish all at the suggestions of my LFS (Petco) and I finally gave up. I just got back into the hobby a few months ago and thanks to the people here I have a wonderful 80 gallon tank, 2 10 gallon tanks and my little 3 gallon even has a beta.

These folks are worth listening to.

The Zebra's are schooling fish. They like to be in groups of about 5-6 and need some area to swim around to be happy. The pleco (like others have said) will grow to be huge. If you really want to have a bottom feeder fish I would suggest the Bristle nose Pleco. They are a very small breed that will grow to about 4 inches. I have one with my beta and they get along great.

I also agree that it sounds like tourtank is going through the cycle. Keep up with those water changes and you should be seeing a change from nitrites to nitrates soon. Hang in there!

I hope you can find homes for the other fish.

Welcome to AC!