New Problems... :(

djm761

djm761

Large Fish
#21
Mar 21, 2011
190
0
0
#21
Now then I have a question when should I add prime to my barrels when I fill them or when I am ready to use them. after reading that article I'm not sure any more.

(That is one of the reasons that I love the Ammonia Alert Disk. I haven't tested for ammonia in months, but I do test to make sure the disk still functions (by holding it over an open bottle of ammonia and making sure the color change happens when the 'fumes' hit it). A quick glance at the disk and the thermometer and you know things are stable. Best $6 I ever spent.)

I've seen one of these but I think I will be investing in one soon.
 

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OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#22
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
36
#22
Seachem recommends adding Prime immediately prior to using the water if you want to use the ammonia-binding benefit. When I lived where they did NOT use chloramine, just chlorine, I'd declor the water and let it sit until I needed it (more using for the heavy metal removal). Since I now live where there is chloramine, I called Seachem and this is what I was advised.

With JUST chlorine and you don't have heavy metals in your area, you can just age water and chlorine will dissapate on its own over time and aggitation. That is why most water companies use chloramine as just 'sitting' will not remove the disinfection product they use.
 

FlameTetra333

FlameTetra333

Large Fish
#23
Jul 18, 2011
291
0
0
underwater
#23
OrangeCones said:
I respectfully disagree that salt is not helpful with nitrite poisoning.

If the chloride ion is raised to a point of 30x the level of the nitrite concentration, it prevents brown blood disease (methemoglobin). Methemoglobin prevents the blood from carrying oxygen, so no matter how much oxygen is dissolved in the water, the fish will sufficate.
Click to expand...
Huh? I was saying that salt wasn't helpful.
 

K

Kayleigh750

Medium Fish
#26
Dec 28, 2011
74
0
0
Canada
#26
update-
I looked at my mollies this morning to find that the one very lethargic and out of sorts, only swimming a minor bit. I left for my exam and when I came home She was laying in my rock cave ornament, I only saw her swim around the tank once in the last 7 hours and that was because the other molly chased her a bit... but she was swimming with her head up and tail down like it was weighted. and a couple minutes ago when my dog (being a very intelligent thing) bumped the tank stand with her head and the shifted to the other side of the cave. I think my fighter is giving up... poor girl :( I did a 40% water change in two parts... 20% when i got home and 20% after my dinner. I tested the water and it came up with pretty much the same readings as Monday... pH-7.8, Ammonia-1, nitrite-0.25, and the nitrates showed somewhere close to 5 but it was a little off. Shouldn't there have been some difference or progress in cycling since Monday other than the slight raise of nitrate? And I'm just finding this weird, but my other molly seems completely unaffected by anything, swimming around happy and as healthy as can be. Energetic little fish. such a trooper... So I'm really starting to wonder what is really going on in my tank right now...
 

djm761

djm761

Large Fish
#27
Mar 21, 2011
190
0
0
#27
did you test the water before the water change. do you have those readings, always good to compare.
 

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lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#29
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#29
Kayleigh750 said:
I did a 40% water change in two parts... 20% when i got home and 20% after my dinner. I tested the water and it came up with pretty much the same readings as Monday... pH-7.8, Ammonia-1, nitrite-0.25, and the nitrates showed somewhere close to 5 but it was a little off.
Click to expand...
I would recommend do one larger water change each time. If you have any ammonia/nitrites, a 50% change daily would be more beneficial . . . .
 

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OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#31
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
36
#31
Doing the math, two 20% changes = one 36% change :)

Start: 100% old water
1st 20% change: 80% old water, 20% new water
2nd 20% change: 64% old water, 36% new water

I never knew middle school math would come in handy later in life!
 

K

Kayleigh750

Medium Fish
#32
Dec 28, 2011
74
0
0
Canada
#32
hmm. ok. Well I don't think she has much longer. I will try a large change in the morning but right now I'm feeling like I'm going to pass out because I've been sick all day. I was going to go get salt today too. But after falling asleep on the floor I came to my room to discover her stuck on the filter intake, I was sure she was dead, but I unplugged it and she swam away... She's still breathing but not doing much... I dosed extra prime in the water just now to see if it might help, and I lowered the water level a bit to create a bit more aeration. I'll let you know what she's like in the morning... the other molly is still perfectly fine.
 

djm761

djm761

Large Fish
#33
Mar 21, 2011
190
0
0
#33
Kayleigh I think you've done a good job so far, I've never had good luck with mollies even under good conditions. I hope you can pull her thru.
 

K

Kayleigh750

Medium Fish
#34
Dec 28, 2011
74
0
0
Canada
#34
Thanks, but unfortunately I woke up to a molly suffering more than ever, she was laying on her side in the gravel but she was heavy breathing. I did a water change and after breakfast I came to check on her and found her to be gone... The other molly, again, still perfectly fine although she is swimming all over the tank as if to look for her friend :(

So now I'm left with this, one perfectly fine female molly and a tank that is, in my opinion, struggling to cycle. Does anybody have any Ideas how I can go from here? Get a new fish or two (which if i did I would get platy because they are hardy I have heard and I was going to get them next after my tank cycled), just leave the tank, add anything? any advice helps, I'll do what I can.
 

Lotus

Lotus

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
#35
Aug 26, 2003
15,115
13
38
Southern California
home.earthlink.net
#35
What size tank is it? If it's 25 gallons or less, you can probably complete the cycle with one fish. With a fish-in cycle, you need to add only a few fish at a time after it has cycled anyway. Based on your readings, you were getting enough ammonia/nitrites to indicate you were cycling, so you'll probably be fine completing the cycle with your remaining fish.
 

K

Kayleigh750

Medium Fish
#39
Dec 28, 2011
74
0
0
Canada
#39
ok. now we factor in the fact that my mom brought home 2 little female platy from the fish store across from her work... one hour away... there's no way I'm not putting them in my tank because they wouldn't be able to go back for 16+ hours and they are not sitting in the bag all night. My mom doesn't know a lot about the hobby, she only knew that I wanted platy because I pointed out the fish I wanted in my tank at the lfs when i first got my tank... sigh... I'm trying not to give her trouble for this, they look healthy and at least she got females and not males, out of luck i might add...

This won't be too much of a problem will it? is there anything I can do no to keep my tank on its current course? Will it cause my tank to completely cycle again, or mini cycle? I don't mid waiting for it if so, I'm just curious. Any new tips? :confused:
 

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