Help--my new pleco is gone...

[djbids]

I just added a 2" pleco. My tank is pretty new but it reads 0ppm on nitrates, nitrite and ammonia. tank is 2 weeks old. added danios 5 days ago so i could start cycling. and then....i couldn't wait and bought a pleco today. he just died. my tank is fine, my temp is 80, i have a 36 gallon. i think its my punishment because i didnt wait the full cycling period...although i dont know if i really did anything wrong....i did let him acclimate for along time, added tank water etc...kept the lights off. swam for a minute then move twice, he then went to the top of the tank and just perched on the plants which was wierd. he was straight up and down almost balanced. anyhow....tell me if i killed this poor guy or maybe he was just sick. He was in my tank all of 4 hours. he literally fell out of the plant and sunk to the bottom.
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[TabMorte]

Your tank is definitly not cycled yet in 2 weeks and definitly not ready for a pleco.

Your test kit can not possibly be right. With fish in it only 5 days you should be starting to see ammonia raising and are at the begining of the very long haul that is cycling with fish.

You need to be testing your water and doing large water changes every single day for probably another 3 weeks until both your ammonia and nitrites have peaked and then vanished again and you're starting to show nitrates.

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

why did you add danios to cycle? fish in cycly FTL!

always go fishless dude. even if you have to resort to peeing in your tank.

 

[TabMorte]

Oh and pick up some Prime to condition your water since it will reduce the chance of your fish dying during the ammonia and nitrite peaks (if you keep them I have NO idea how hardy danios are).

Read the bottle very carefully for the instructions and make sure you dose appropriately to your tank size for your current water chemistry.

 

[djbids]

i did alot of research and my danios are fine. Alot of people cycle with danios. My test kit is a freshwater master test kit. keep in mind i have 8 danios in a 36 gallon tank. it should take a bit for ammonia levels to rise. i already used start right and this is the 2nd day i have been testing the water. no ammonia yet. i figure a few more days. danios are the hardiest fish and it is suggested to use danios when you want to cycle with fish. google it. thanks for your input tabmorte! And i'm not a dude.

 

[TabMorte]

If the start right was working though you would be seeing ammonia, nitrites or nitrates - some indication that you're cycle has begun. As you have none of the above your tank is not cycled yet or any where near it. That's unfortunitely why your pleco died. They're not hardy fish that can survive that kind of environment.

And just cause it comes up on google does not mean it's correct.

I've cycled with fish and now without fish. I'm speaking from experience not prejudice. You most definitly can not put a pleco in an uncycled tank it will just die like yours did.

I reiterate my advice in regards to the Prime. It is a dechlorinator but also destoxifies your ammonia and nitrites once they appear. You will greatly reduce the stress to your danios if you use it.

Added: And water changes. DAILY water changes of 25% to 50% as soon as you start to get any nitrites or ammonia showing in your tank.

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

i did alot of research and my danios are fine. Alot of people cycle with danios. My test kit is a freshwater master test kit. keep in mind i have 8 danios in a 36 gallon tank. it should take a bit for ammonia levels to rise....i figure a few more days. danios are the hardiest fish and it is suggested to use danios when you want to cycle with fish. google it. thanks for your input tabmorte! And i'm not a dude.

dudETTE... its seriously retarded. thatd be like putting you and 5 other people in a 6x6 room with no toilet. you pee wherever and wait for it to break down. dont worry... humans are pretty hardy.

 

[djbids]

tab-morte,
i forgot to mention, i thought of this last night. my tank has been up and running for 2 weeks. i only added danios 5 days ago...that might be why no build up of ammonia yet. anyhow thanks i will keep that in mind and i really felt bad yesterday because i had researched so much...obviously not enough on the pleco..no more fish until its fully cycled...i'm off to have a cocktail...rode the california coast today at 80 degrees.. awsome!

 

[pwrmacG4]

wow.. harsh

 

[d3sc3n7]

wow.. harsh

agreed! I use Start Right sometimes. All it is, is a water conditioner, to remove the chlorine/chloramine. Either way, fish in cycle's can easily be done, but with plenty of caution, and alot of work. I've got pleco's in 2 of my tanks, however, I didnt add them until the tank was established. They are not very hearty guys.

 

[djbids]

thanks. someone who's not rippen me a new one!! Thats why I like this forum because there are alot of people like me who has never had fish. I have had all kinds of other animals but never fish. And this has been alot of work this first three weeks researching everything i was putting in the tank, getting a million different answers and just like this forum. We all do things different and may get different results so please folks, gives us new hobbiest a break someone already helped me here last week with something I had not thought of after no luck on the internet etc....I will refer back often.