I had my tank water perfect with the ph balance and nitrates and all that stuff and I go and buy 3 fish from Petco and it throws my nitrates so far off that they are reading off the charts! I am PISSED beyond repair!! I have spent so much time and energy in the past 3 weeks to get this water right only to have their friggen water make my tank nasty again!!! :burning:


DO NOT BUY THEIR FISH AND EXPECT YOURS TO LIVE AFTER YOU DUMP THEIRS IN YOUR TANK!



:banghead:


That is all, thanks for listening!

You poured pet store water into your tank?

I had my tank water perfect with the ph balance and nitrates and all that stuff and I go and buy 3 fish from Petco and it throws my nitrates so far off that they are reading off the charts! I am PISSED beyond repair!! I have spent so much time and energy in the past 3 weeks to get this water right only to have their friggen water make my tank nasty again!!! :burning:


DO NOT BUY THEIR FISH AND EXPECT YOURS TO LIVE AFTER YOU DUMP THEIRS IN YOUR TANK!



:banghead:


That is all, thanks for listening!

Thats why i never put the water from any other tank in mine.....

and usually when i do add fish i put in a little "quick cure" to kill any nastyness they might bring with them.

but nitrates are from the fish poo, aint they?

Well, I'm new at this and I did pour 95% of the water down the drain. That's what scares the crap out of me! What if I had dumped all of it in there??? I did a 70% water change just now and added every chemical known to fishdom in there including Nitraban and its still reading really high! :faint: This is unfriggenbelievable! Does anyone know of a quick fix??? HELP MY FISHIE'S!!! :bawl:








:lol:

Thats why i never put the water from any other tank in mine.....

and usually when i do add fish i put in a little "quick cure" to kill any nastyness they might bring with them.

but nitrates are from the fish poo, aint they?

Yes they are from poo and other rotting matter in the tank. :twitch:

And this thread is why Ill never have a fish tank again.

Unless your tank is 5 gallons dumping in a few ounces of water is not going to make nitrates in a reseanabley large tank go up. Nitrates are a response to an increased load into your tank. AKA the fish. The will settle down in a couple days by themselves.

Unless your tank is 5 gallons dumping in a few ounces of water is not going to make nitrates in a reseanabley large tank go up. Nitrates are a response to an increased load into your tank. AKA the fish. The will settle down in a couple days by themselves.

My tank is 5 gallons, so I guess that's why the nitrates are out of sight! By the time the nitrates decide to settle down my fish will be dead :ohwell:

You poured pet store water into your tank?

:yeahthat:

My tank is 5 gallons, so I guess that's why the nitrates are out of sight! By the time the nitrates decide to settle down my fish will be dead :ohwell:

the general rule of thumb is that you shouldn't have any more than 1 inch of fish for every gallon of water in your tank. I am guessing you are just way over stocked........

the general rule of thumb is that you shouldn't have any more than 1 inch of fish for every gallon of water in your tank. I am guessing you are just way over stocked........

No, not overstocked, as I said before, my water was perfect. I dumped theirs in and then dipsticked it and it came up over the top. It had to be their water. I know now not to put their water in. I had no idea and truthfully didn't even think about it causing a problem with my water because you expect a fish/pet store to have their tanks clean and balanced. I guess I was wrong. :shrug:

No, not overstocked, as I said before, my water was perfect. I dumped theirs in and then dipsticked it and it came up over the top. It had to be their water. I know now not to put their water in. I had no idea and truthfully didn't even think about it causing a problem with my water because you expect a fish/pet store to have their tanks clean and balanced. I guess I was wrong. :shrug:

and how many fish did you have in their beofre you put these 3 in?

and how many fish did you have in their beofre you put these 3 in?

one

oneWas it an Oscar?

one

You need to read up on how the natural bacterial action affects the balance in your tank. You quadrupled the waste load in a very short time.

Next time, don't add fish so quickly.

You need to read up on how the natural bacterial action affects the balance in your tank. You quadrupled the waste load in a very short time.

Next time, don't add fish so quickly.

Ok, I am a novice at this fish thing. I appreciate the advice. Everything seems to be balancing out now. So we are good. The catfish is doing his job and my Guppies are happy little swimmers. Water is perfectly clear and nitrates are stable again. We're good! :yay:

Ok, I am a novice at this fish thing. I appreciate the advice. Everything seems to be balancing out now. So we are good. The catfish is doing his job and my Guppies are happy little swimmers. Water is perfectly clear and nitrates are stable again. We're good! :yay:

:yay: Sounds like the bacteria adjusted to the increased load and now they're eating all the nasty stuff.

Ok, I am a novice at this fish thing. I appreciate the advice. Everything seems to be balancing out now. So we are good. The catfish is doing his job and my Guppies are happy little swimmers. Water is perfectly clear and nitrates are stable again. We're good! :yay:Catfish do not eat turds.

I had my tank water perfect with the ph balance and nitrates and all that stuff and I go and buy 3 fish from Petco and it throws my nitrates so far off that they are reading off the charts! I am PISSED beyond repair!! I have spent so much time and energy in the past 3 weeks to get this water right only to have their friggen water make my tank nasty again!!! :burning:


DO NOT BUY THEIR FISH AND EXPECT YOURS TO LIVE AFTER YOU DUMP THEIRS IN YOUR TANK!



:banghead:


That is all, thanks for listening!


I have always had luck with Corner Critters fish, all my Petco Fish die. :dead:

I had my tank water perfect with the ph balance and nitrates and all that stuff and I go and buy 3 fish from Petco and it throws my nitrates so far off that they are reading off the charts! I am PISSED beyond repair!! I have spent so much time and energy in the past 3 weeks to get this water right only to have their friggen water make my tank nasty again!!! :burning:


DO NOT BUY THEIR FISH AND EXPECT YOURS TO LIVE AFTER YOU DUMP THEIRS IN YOUR TANK!



:banghead:


That is all, thanks for listening!


Did you follow the directions for acclimating your fish to the tank??

You pour water from your tank into the bag they came in.. a little at a time, over a good amount of time, while floating the bad in the tank..

When you are done acclimating you should dispose of ALL the water in the bag, then release your fish into your tank.

If it's a new tank and you are putting fish into it for the first time, it's going to be chemically/ biologically out of whach for a few weeks until the tank ages, and the bacteria grows.

Usually with a new tank you buy "aging"g fish, to age the tank, and than after they die (due to the screwy levels the first few weeks) you tank has been aged, and you can buy the fish you want.

Guppies on the other hand.. will never die, and you just wasted a lot of money on unnecessary chemicals to get your tank perfect.

Did you follow the directions for acclimating your fish to the tank??

You pour water from your tank into the bag they came in.. a little at a time, over a good amount of time, while floating the bad in the tank..

When you are done acclimating you should dispose of ALL the water in the bag, then release your fish into your tank.

If it's a new tank and you are putting fish into it for the first time, it's going to be chemically/ biologically out of whach for a few weeks until the tank ages, and the bacteria grows.

Usually with a new tank you buy "aging"g fish, to age the tank, and than after they die (due to the screwy levels the first few weeks) you tank has been aged, and you can buy the fish you want.

Guppies on the other hand.. will never die, and you just wasted a lot of money on unnecessary chemicals to get your tank perfect.

Ok, noted, but all the guppies I had in there did die. Then I got more. I did not know about acclimating that way. I did let the bags sit in the tank for 30 mins. cause that's how we did it when I was a kid. I know NOTHING about fish :lol: but I am learning. That is why I got guppies to start with. I wanted something cheap and hardy! :yay:

Ok, noted, but all the guppies I had in there did die. Then I got more. I did not know about acclimating that way. I did let the bags sit in the tank for 30 mins. cause that's how we did it when I was a kid. I know NOTHING about fish :lol: but I am learning. That is why I got guppies to start with. I wanted something cheap and hardy! :yay:Catfish do not eat turds.

Catfish do not eat turds.

I know, you said. :shrug:

Fish, Coral, and Invertebrate Acclimation Procedure: Adding New Fish to a Tank (http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=19&ref=3319&subref=AI)

Good site for general info, but this deals directly with acclimating fish.

I've purchased fish through them mail order and though shipping was expensive, it was worth it.

Ok, noted, but all the guppies I had in there did die. Then I got more. I did not know about acclimating that way. I did let the bags sit in the tank for 30 mins. cause that's how we did it when I was a kid. I know NOTHING about fish :lol: but I am learning. That is why I got guppies to start with. I wanted something cheap and hardy! :yay:

You killed all your guppies... I'm surprised.

Didn't think you could kill them. (Granted I've never had guppies)

You killed all your guppies... I'm surprised.

Didn't think you could kill them. (Granted I've never had guppies)

Yeah, apparently they don't do too well in acidic, nitrate filled water. :shrug: Who knew? :lmao:

Ok at three weeks after setting up you're tank it has barely cycled Witch means that that amonia is the first thing to spike in you're tank till bacteria is built up to consume the amonia, then you're nitrites will spike till a diferant bacteria builds up to consume it then you're nitrates will spike do to detrus and fish feces and the only way to get rid of it is to do water changes around 30% of tank volume. after that you're tank is cycled and ready for fish. You must ad fish slowly 1 mabye 2 at a time because the bacteria will need to grow due to the new bioload from the fish added so if you add to many at one time you're nitrates will spike because you have not let the bacteria grow enugh to handle the bioload to the tank and catfish produce a huge bioload. second add you're tankwater to the fish in the bag as described erlier to aclimate them then I pour the bag out over a net into the sink then just add the fish from there. you have more chance of parasites from the water than nitrate levels Most of my fish com from petco but they don't always have the best selection ;) but also know the smaller the tank the faster the water conditions can change on you.

Ok at three weeks after setting up you're tank it has barely cycled Witch means that that amonia is the first thing to spike in you're tank till bacteria is built up to consume the amonia, then you're nitrites will spike till a diferant bacteria builds up to consume it then you're nitrates will spike do to detrus and fish feces and the only way to get rid of it is to do water changes around 30% of tank volume. after that you're tank is cycled and ready for fish. You must ad fish slowly 1 mabye 2 at a time because the bacteria will need to grow due to the new bioload from the fish added so if you add to many at one time you're nitrates will spike because you have not let the bacteria grow enugh to handle the bioload to the tank and catfish produce a huge bioload. second add you're tankwater to the fish in the bag as described erlier to aclimate them then I pour the bag out over a net into the sink then just add the fish from there. you have more chance of parasites from the water than nitrate levels hope this helps ;)

Ok did all this and then momma guppy dropped another batch of babies! :faint: So today I did the 30% change and things are OK for the moment. I swear! Does ANYONE want any baby guppies?? I also have 4 VERY healthy black molly babies up for grabs! I have went from a 5 gallon tank to having a 5 gallon and a 10 gallon to support all these fish and then she drops another load on me the other day! I thought I got her away from the daddy before she got knocked up again. He musta been up her stuff as soon as she had the last ones! :faint:

with guppies you are always going to have this problem they breed worese than cockroaches or rabits or whatever else breed at that rate. also you will need to do a 30%-40% water change every 2 -3 weeks to keep the nitrate levels down from the detrus making them rise

with guppies you are always going to have this problem they breed worese than cockroaches or rabits or whatever else breed at that rate. also you will need to do a 30%-40% water change every 2 -3 weeks to keep the nitrate levels down from the detrus making them rise

:doh:


As if I didn't have enough to do around here! :lmao:

with guppies you are always going to have this problem they breed worese than cockroaches or rabits or whatever else breed at that rate. also you will need to do a 30%-40% water change every 2 -3 weeks to keep the nitrate levels down from the detrus making them rise

Punctuation is your friend.

I believe the word you are searching for is "detritus".

Ok at three weeks after setting up you're tank it has barely cycled Witch means that that amonia is the first thing to spike in you're tank till bacteria is built up to consume the amonia, then you're nitrites will spike till a diferant bacteria builds up to consume it then you're nitrates will spike do to detrus and fish feces and the only way to get rid of it is to do water changes around 30% of tank volume. after that you're tank is cycled and ready for fish. You must ad fish slowly 1 mabye 2 at a time because the bacteria will need to grow due to the new bioload from the fish added so if you add to many at one time you're nitrates will spike because you have not let the bacteria grow enugh to handle the bioload to the tank and catfish produce a huge bioload. second add you're tankwater to the fish in the bag as described erlier to aclimate them then I pour the bag out over a net into the sink then just add the fish from there. you have more chance of parasites from the water than nitrate levels Most of my fish com from petco but they don't always have the best selection ;) but also know the smaller the tank the faster the water conditions can change on you.


Please tell me you're a third grader who's mommy lets him have a fish tank in his room.

Oh wait, I just caught your username. You're one of those smart Marines aren't you?

Please tell me you're a third grader who's mommy lets him have a fish tank in his room.

Oh wait, I just caught your username. You're one of those smart Marines aren't you?

HA HA I was a Marine and as far as spelling/grammer (SEE SIG) I was not giving a spelling or grammer lessons I was just trying to help him out with his tank and explane why he was having trouble with his tank and was in a big hurry while typing it they do have a spell check button but I don't really care bout my spelling besides I don't need to spell to be a Marine just need to know how to kill so thanks for the totally off topic post.

mousebaby? wasn't she a hamster freak, too?

mousebaby? wasn't she a hamster freak, too?

:lol: She may have had hamsters, but her real passion was hedge hogs :whistle: