i bought a 60 gallon take with a 305 fluval filter, the idiot at the store told me i could put guppies in the tank within an hour. after rinsing and washing everthing throughly And getting the tank to a temp that wouldnt kill my fish I put them in its been a week, one guppy left of the 7 and 8 fries somehow survived being born since day one. My tank is a milky cloud slowly clearing ive used a product called cycle, how often do i change my filter carbon please explain to me about the 305 what should i be using whats bio and mechanical filtering I am confused I just hooked it up turned it on the water flow is on high. should i be doing a 15 percent water change every 2 times a week. and with my fluval do i need some type of airetion to provide oxygen sorry for all the questions just like to do my hobbies correctly exspecailly since In a week or so I will add more fish and could i get oscars in the size tank i have or no.
new tank
- Thread starter crowfish
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Your water is likely cloudy from a bacterial bloom (assuming you rinsed your substrate before adding it).
Your tank is cycling, as you are probably aware. You can do a search on the forum for cycling tanks to read about what it is. Basically, you need to build up colonies of bacteria that will convert ammonia to nitrites and bacteria to convert the nitrites into nitrates.
I have not heard a lot of good about "Cycle", although many have good luck with a product called "Bio-Spira" (just make sure it's refrigerated when you buy it). Other than that, read up on how tanks cycle.
To answer your main questions,
1) replace the carbon every month or so, although it isn't really necessary unless you are trying to remove meds from the tank or the water begins to smell swampy
2) biological filtration is basically the nitrifying bacteria I mentioned above, converting poisonous nitrogen products (ammonia, nitrites) into less poisonous nitrates
3) mechanical filtration is mechanically removing "crud" from the water with a sponge or some kind of filter floss... sort of like the air cleaner on a car
4) I'm no expert on oscars but you would probably be able to fit 1 oscar in a tank that size, but in general hold off on everything until you can get the tank cycled.
Your tank is cycling, as you are probably aware. You can do a search on the forum for cycling tanks to read about what it is. Basically, you need to build up colonies of bacteria that will convert ammonia to nitrites and bacteria to convert the nitrites into nitrates.
I have not heard a lot of good about "Cycle", although many have good luck with a product called "Bio-Spira" (just make sure it's refrigerated when you buy it). Other than that, read up on how tanks cycle.
To answer your main questions,
1) replace the carbon every month or so, although it isn't really necessary unless you are trying to remove meds from the tank or the water begins to smell swampy
2) biological filtration is basically the nitrifying bacteria I mentioned above, converting poisonous nitrogen products (ammonia, nitrites) into less poisonous nitrates
3) mechanical filtration is mechanically removing "crud" from the water with a sponge or some kind of filter floss... sort of like the air cleaner on a car
4) I'm no expert on oscars but you would probably be able to fit 1 oscar in a tank that size, but in general hold off on everything until you can get the tank cycled.
You can use a water conditioner called Prime to detox the ammonia and nitrate for a short time to save any fish you still have alive (and it decholinatess!). You should take them back to the pet shop, if you don't you need to do water changes daily until the ammonia is down and then every other day until the nitrites are down and don't listen to who ever sold those fish to you in the future.
You need to pick up some water testkits too if you don't have them already, particularly Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite. There's a sticky about the water cycle on the beginer forum. You're going to need to go through the whole cycle before you can THINK about putting an oscar in there, I also recommend looking up the specific needs of Oscars too which I totally can't tell you cause that's a big big fish and I keep tiny tiny tanks.
But you can't put any more fish in there until the cycle is done which can be any where between 2 and 8 weeks. Don't buy the fish, buy the test kits.
You need to pick up some water testkits too if you don't have them already, particularly Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite. There's a sticky about the water cycle on the beginer forum. You're going to need to go through the whole cycle before you can THINK about putting an oscar in there, I also recommend looking up the specific needs of Oscars too which I totally can't tell you cause that's a big big fish and I keep tiny tiny tanks.
But you can't put any more fish in there until the cycle is done which can be any where between 2 and 8 weeks. Don't buy the fish, buy the test kits.
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Wow, I don't understand most of your questions as you used no periods or question marks! Basically, it sounds like your fish died because the tank is not cycled.
Don't change your carbon filter until the tank is cycled. The good bacteria is building up and you need all you can get. After tank is cycled then you can start changing it monthly.
Until your tank is cycled you will need to be doing daily (around 50%) water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrites down. After your tank is cycled you can go to water changes weekly or every other week.
Oscars get to be about a foot long and will eat anything small enough to get in their mouth. Keep that in mind as you consider stocking options.
Hope this helps some.
Don't change your carbon filter until the tank is cycled. The good bacteria is building up and you need all you can get. After tank is cycled then you can start changing it monthly.
Until your tank is cycled you will need to be doing daily (around 50%) water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrites down. After your tank is cycled you can go to water changes weekly or every other week.
Oscars get to be about a foot long and will eat anything small enough to get in their mouth. Keep that in mind as you consider stocking options.
Hope this helps some.
