I have a ten gallon tank. Currently it houses 5 glo fish, 1 betta, 1 ADF, and several ghost and RCS. I have an over the back hanging filter, heater, and a bubbling treasure chest. A cave, a castle cave, dragon statue, and no fishing sign. I have 3 small amazon swords, some sort of fern, another plant with a kinda verigated leaf, moss ball, and a few floating plants. I do a 10-15% water change weekly. Weekly test with the liquid and test tubes. Here's the kicker i understand that this tank should be over poppulated and have all sorts of problems but for some reason everything is perfect. Ph 7.2, amonia nitrate and nitrite 0ppm, clear water, just a little algae but RCS seem to be taking care of that. Temp usually runs around 76-80 degrees F. I figured after the RCS i'd have to upgrade quick but all seems fine. I also change the disposable part of my filter monthly. I'm just confounded why this works or is it just a freak and all will come apart soon?????*celebrate
Here goes yell all you want!
- Thread starter kayliwolf76
- Start date
how long has the tank been set up, the concern I see is 0 nitrates, I have a 10G that houses 6 pygmy sunfish and it is heavily planted and I usually run about 5ppm nitrates, also if your using the API master kit there have been members here that didnt follow the instruction booklet on the nitrate test and just went off the instruction on the back of nitrate color card, they found that they were actually missing a step causing them to show 0 nitrates when in fact they had higher readings when tested properly.
The reason your set up is working in the short term is because of all of your plants. Plants help to keep water quality good for your fish. You shouldn't be changing out your filter pads every month, that is what harbors the good bacteria that helps your tank remain stable. Most filters will tell you to change out those pads as often as possible, but that's just because they want you to buy more filter pads. I haven't bought new filter pads in 2 years in some of my tanks. If they do become filled with gunk, you can swish them around in some of your old tank water while you're doing a water change to clean them off. But don't let the filter pad touch untreated tap water or dry out, that will kill the bacteria.
In the long term, please watch your fish carefully, you may run into trouble with your stocking levels as I'm sure you know. Why not upgrade?
In the long term, please watch your fish carefully, you may run into trouble with your stocking levels as I'm sure you know. Why not upgrade?
I second double-checking the nitrate test instructions. Because of your plants, you can overstock somewhat, just make sure you keep up with your nitrate readings. You really should have some nitrates, at least a little bit, in a planted tank. I only ran a planted tank for a short time, but I think that if your plants truly were sucking up all the nitrates, you'd not have algae. Hopefully someone who knows more about that will chime in.
Also, what you can do with your filter pads is remove the carbon after two or three weeks, when it's absorbed all it can. Then just do as advised above, swish it in used tank water to get the gunk out. The filter pad is a major home to the bacteria that keep your water conditions good, and you really don't want to dump the bacteria. Your tank can go into a mini-cycle with ammonia and nitrite spikes whenever you do this.
Your tank sounds nice. I'd like to see pics.
Also, what you can do with your filter pads is remove the carbon after two or three weeks, when it's absorbed all it can. Then just do as advised above, swish it in used tank water to get the gunk out. The filter pad is a major home to the bacteria that keep your water conditions good, and you really don't want to dump the bacteria. Your tank can go into a mini-cycle with ammonia and nitrite spikes whenever you do this.
Your tank sounds nice. I'd like to see pics.
maybe exagerated nitrates
amonia, nitrate, and nitrites: amonia at times has been up to .5ppm, nitrite
.25ppm, and nitrate 5ppm. So amonia and nitrite are usually 0ppm and nitrate is usually a little darker yellow than 0 but not as orange as the 5ppm. This usually happens if I've been slacking any but usually I keep up with it. I feed very small amounts 2x a day. On the days that i feed my ADF frozen(thawed first) bloodworms I give the fish a small pinch of freeze dried bloodworms. Shrimp and ADF love the bloodworms. In the next month or so I hope to get somewhere between a 29-75 gallon tank and start it to cycleing. I love my ten though and will probally keep George(betta) in it and maybe something else but try to move all others including shrimp to larger tank after it cycles.
amonia, nitrate, and nitrites: amonia at times has been up to .5ppm, nitrite
.25ppm, and nitrate 5ppm. So amonia and nitrite are usually 0ppm and nitrate is usually a little darker yellow than 0 but not as orange as the 5ppm. This usually happens if I've been slacking any but usually I keep up with it. I feed very small amounts 2x a day. On the days that i feed my ADF frozen(thawed first) bloodworms I give the fish a small pinch of freeze dried bloodworms. Shrimp and ADF love the bloodworms. In the next month or so I hope to get somewhere between a 29-75 gallon tank and start it to cycleing. I love my ten though and will probally keep George(betta) in it and maybe something else but try to move all others including shrimp to larger tank after it cycles.
I personally dont think your overstocked given the size of the fish, while I recommend the 1in per gallon rule for newbies it is just a guideline, with plants and good filtration your tank should be ok, but once it's established even with going 2 weeks without a water change you shoudnt see ammonia or nitrites unless its coming from your water source or reading low levels when you change the floss insert. I personally dont change my filter media until I need to because of reduced flow etc, if your filter has a sponge type insert that is the bio media filter pad so the floss insert you should be able to change without any real issue but again as others have said you dont need to change them that often and that could result in a small spike but it should not last long.
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Moved in mid Nov. but had the tank several months before that. Moving it was a disaster though. Bottled my tank water except like 20%. Then my electric didn't get turned on due to a mix up with my home adress. Lost all my oto's and tetras. Only ADF and ghost shrimp survived. Set the tank back up added the tank water back in and started filtration and let the heater set in there for an hour then plugged it in. Watched it for a week nothing else died water parameters stabilized and got the glofish had 6 but one died(was really small compared to others). Became obsessed with RCS and had to have some got them 3 weeks ago. Haven't seen any dead bodies from them but figured i probally lost some b/c they were really small. George the bettas was in his own 2 gallon tank but b/c no electric and cold temp in house he was at the bottom not moving so i threw him in the ten and hoped he survived(developed fin and tail rot cured b/f adding glo fish). He is doing great and his tail has come pack beautifully. I love my tank and have become devoted and obsessed.
How did you do the water change? If your ammonia was 0 before and is now .25, you might want to monitor it closely for a few days just to see what's up. Did you test the water right before the change?
I think you're on the right track, you just need to be vigilant to make sure everything stabilizes.
I think you're on the right track, you just need to be vigilant to make sure everything stabilizes.
Good news
I'm getting my 29g this weekend. So excited!!! Should i take a piece of the black sponge thing and put it in my new filter to start the bacteria..Still pretty new to all this...I have fallen in love with my fish and know i overstocked some but the bigger home is homing....Also will i be able to eventually add a few more glowfish or will it be stocked with current fish. Thank you I will be checking on my ammonia today to see where it is. I use a gravel vaccume to clean my tank and water change...usually do about 20-25% weekly.
I'm getting my 29g this weekend. So excited!!! Should i take a piece of the black sponge thing and put it in my new filter to start the bacteria..Still pretty new to all this...I have fallen in love with my fish and know i overstocked some but the bigger home is homing....Also will i be able to eventually add a few more glowfish or will it be stocked with current fish.
Thank you I will be checking on my ammonia today to see where it is. I use a gravel vaccume to clean my tank and water change...usually do about 20-25% weekly.
If you change everything over when you get the new tank, be sure to transfer the old filter to the new tank -- run both the old one and the new one at the same time for a few weeks, if you get a setup that has a new filter with it. Transfer all ornaments and the gravel. You can remove the old decorations and so forth after your tank has been fully cycled for a couple of weeks. I wouldn't do it sooner. Don't transfer the sponge before you move the fish, though, you don't want to starve the bacteria on it.
I might even wait till this tank cycles before transferring everything, but maybe others would do it differently.
I might even wait till this tank cycles before transferring everything, but maybe others would do it differently.
Update
*PEACE!*5 glo fish, 1 bett, 1 ADF, 7 cherry females, and 3-4 males...thought all my ghost were gone but moved the large swords to the corners of my tank and found the ghost in the rucus...only about 5 left including huge 2 inch female...don't know where she has been hiding...so when you consider it's a ten you might call it overstocked but my tank seems to do well despite all this...I keep a close eye on everything weekly water test(api master kit) and weekly water changes between 10-25%...i ended up not getting the bigger tank this weekend but o well...found a 55 with everything including stand marked down to $135 used good price?...hopefully will have another week or two and go lower...*twirlysmi
*PEACE!*5 glo fish, 1 bett, 1 ADF, 7 cherry females, and 3-4 males...thought all my ghost were gone but moved the large swords to the corners of my tank and found the ghost in the rucus...only about 5 left including huge 2 inch female...don't know where she has been hiding...so when you consider it's a ten you might call it overstocked but my tank seems to do well despite all this...I keep a close eye on everything weekly water test(api master kit) and weekly water changes between 10-25%...i ended up not getting the bigger tank this weekend but o well...found a 55 with everything including stand marked down to $135 used good price?...hopefully will have another week or two and go lower...*twirlysmi
I got my 55 with stand, hood and lights for $100 from craigslist. I ended up adding some additional support to the stand (it was homemade and I'm a bit neurotic about some things). But I think $135 is a good deal. It depends on if it's the type that you want, if the stand is solid and if the tank holds water. You could try craigslist too.