55gal: questions about fish compatibility
- Thread starter Gabe988
- Start date
Won't hurt fish. New aquariums will go through bacteria blooms,(cloudy water) and they will as noted, go away on their own. Plenty of time to clean algae from the tank after it matures or cycles. The beneficial bacteria needed for all aquariums grows on everything in the tank, the walls,decorations,plants,gravel, and most importantly, the filter material. Is why you should leave filter alone ,unless it becomes clogged.(shoudn't). What will harm the fish is... adding chemicals to the water to try and clear the cloudiness,or to deal with what little algae may be forming. Best to let the tank mature or (cycle) without adding anything other than dechlorinator that deals with ammonia,chlorine,and chloramines. See product.. PRIME water conditioner.Your fish will thank you.
The brown stuff is most likely diatoms, a form of algae and will usually go away on it's own after a month or less. If it bugs youtoo much you can fold a clean papertowel into fourths and wipe down the glass. Other than that, I wouldn't stress over it.
As for the tiger barb, just maintain very low levels of ammonia through water changes when necessary and simply keep an eye on the fish. Without knowing exactly what the cause might be,it would in my view be foolish to medicate the tank. Some medications destroy the beneficial bacteria you are waiting on to develop and there is a very good possibility that the fish can,(will)recover without meds. Must also point out that sometimes,, fish are ill when purchased . Still,,, always best to try improving the fishes enviornment before considering medicating for problem unknown. None of the medications will help the fish if water parameters are poor. During this time,, your test kit is your best friend. keep an eye on the water and don't overfeed and problems will be few. If the fish in question begins to deteriorate,, and it were me, I would remove(euthanize) the fish and maintain the water best I could.
As for the tiger barb, just maintain very low levels of ammonia through water changes when necessary and simply keep an eye on the fish. Without knowing exactly what the cause might be,it would in my view be foolish to medicate the tank. Some medications destroy the beneficial bacteria you are waiting on to develop and there is a very good possibility that the fish can,(will)recover without meds. Must also point out that sometimes,, fish are ill when purchased . Still,,, always best to try improving the fishes enviornment before considering medicating for problem unknown. None of the medications will help the fish if water parameters are poor. During this time,, your test kit is your best friend. keep an eye on the water and don't overfeed and problems will be few. If the fish in question begins to deteriorate,, and it were me, I would remove(euthanize) the fish and maintain the water best I could.