i just got a 10 gallon tank and had gotten a couple platys and tetras and a placo and within a week they had all died. i checked the ph and it was at least 7.8, my ph test kit only goes up to 7.8. i have a filter that is meant for 10 gallon tanks. now i have 4 catfish and an algae eater and they seem happy but the ph is still high and id like to be able to get a fish that isnt a bottom feeder but i dont want to kill any more fish. ive tried using a few ph reducers but the ph just goes back up after a few minutes. im not sure if theres anything else i should try or be looking at.
i need help with my new 10 gallon tank
- Thread starter Charmander4
- Start date
First off, welcome to the forum!
Don't use anything to adjust your pH. Sudden changes in pH are deadly to fish and as you have discovered, the pH will only return to what is 'normal' for you water. The pH level is not critical to the fish you mentioned. Far more important are the levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Do you have readings for those?
Don't use anything to adjust your pH. Sudden changes in pH are deadly to fish and as you have discovered, the pH will only return to what is 'normal' for you water. The pH level is not critical to the fish you mentioned. Far more important are the levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Do you have readings for those?
Yes indeed, i found out the hard way myself so your not the only one. I only have 1 Glofish, and 1 Dwarf Guarami left. I had a Neon blue Dwarf Guarami that had Hole in the Head from the pet store, they replaced it with a hardier fish, a fancy guppy that also died. Yesterday one of my 2 Glofish that i had died from Ich, now my other one has it. I've been keeping the temp in the 80's just so the Ich can go away. I didn't cycle my tank like i should have. Have you cycled your tank?
okay, so i got a master test kit and the ph actually reads 7.0 on it... and everything else reads in the safe range though it does say my water is pretty hard. the only thing that this test kit says is wrong is the ammonia. so a friends dad who has had fish for a long time got me a tablet to put in my tank to get rid of the ammonia but it doesnt seem to be helping. unless my test strips are defective? should i try getting a different bottle of them?
You are going to need to read up on cycling your aquarium to understand what is happening. I don't know of any tablet that gets rid of the ammonia. Your tank isn't cycled until you go thru the ammonia, nitrite process and finally get some nitrates. If you already have fish in the tank you will be doing alot of partial water changes until that occurs. Ammonia and nitrites are deadly to your fish. Water changes are the key. Good Luck and keep working at it!
What catfish and algae eater do you have? You may have overstocked your 10 gallon aquarium, depending on the species. If you don't know what they are, post a picture here of them.
Test strips are not known for being accurate, and are easy to contaminate to give you false readings.
What is the reading you are getting for the ammonia? Saying its 'wrong' does not help us much to help you with proper advice. What 'tablet' did your friend's dad give you?
You can use a dechlorinator to bind the ammonia for a few days to give your biofilter (the 'good' bacteria) a chance to catch up, but the only real cure for high ammonia is frequent water changes.
Test strips are not known for being accurate, and are easy to contaminate to give you false readings.
What is the reading you are getting for the ammonia? Saying its 'wrong' does not help us much to help you with proper advice. What 'tablet' did your friend's dad give you?
You can use a dechlorinator to bind the ammonia for a few days to give your biofilter (the 'good' bacteria) a chance to catch up, but the only real cure for high ammonia is frequent water changes.
