# New aquarium, old fish...help!



## Aqualung

Hi guys, first post here hoping to get some advice.

Just got myself a new aquarium for my 1 goldfish I have had since 2005. Decided to treat him to a larger tank (45L) and the filter is for 60-100L (I'd read you have to overfilter for goldfish). 

Now I got some conflicting advice from the pet shop, and although it was a fish specialist place, she didn't seem to be giving me the answers I needed.

I bought Tetra SafeStart on her advice, and added it to my newly dechlorinated water. 
Then she said I was safe to add my fish right away  
I asked did it need a fishless-cycle, and she said no. Well I still haven't added my fish because I don't want to kill him. He's in unfiltered tank at the moment though...surely anything is better than that? :001_unsure:

Other places say leave it 3 days to let the SafeStart bacteria to colonise. Others say 7-10 days.

Now I'm reading I need a source of ammonia. And test kits. Beginning to wish I'd not started!

PLEASE tell me the simplest way to set this up. Can I use fish food? Or a bit of my existing unfiltered tank water? Feeling out of my depth and as funds are a bit tight now, can't spend money on testing kits.  HELP

Also it came with Coral sand which I have washed and set it up with, often he likes to swallow large pieces of gravel and get them stuck...hoping the smaller pieces will be better??


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## catpud

For now - move the fish with the old water to the new tank, the extra volume will help with the toxins and yes anything is better than unfiltered. 

With the old tank being even smaller than 45l it's best to move like this. 

If you can put the old substrate into the new tank then even better. 

Add a dechlorinator to the water - if possible can you get hold of some seachem Prime? It neutralizes ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. 

Also get hold of a liquid test kit and test daily until things settle. At the first sign of a spike of any of the above parameters a large water change to bring the levels down again will be needed.

Long term though, I really hate to break it to you (and believe me, this is not unusual, so many people make this same mistake, so don't feel bad, including I bet many on here, the information just isn't told to them by pet shops) but 45l is not enough water for a gold fish. Is it a single tailed common or a fancy? If common then really a pond is needed, if fancy then you are going to need another, even bigger tank. They grow very large indeed and are messy fish. There is a myth that they grow only to the size of the tank, which may be the case on the outside, but in reality the fish become stunted and their insides continue growing causing some major health issues for the fish. Goldfish can live 25 years with the right care and tank size. 

I know you have had this fish for 9 years so you must be very attached

Sorry I don't mean the above to sound criticising at all - to show you how big they can get, I found this picture of a goldfish next to a fish bowl (I know you are not keeping yours in one but it is still good for size comparison)


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## Phoenix24

Building on what catpud has said - i'm afraid you have had some very poor advice indeed, the only exception to that being the fish store person asked you about a fishless cycle - she was right - you DID need to do one.

Alas the tank you have selected is still way too small for even a single goldfish. As a general rule, allow a minimum of 120-150L for a single fancy (ie round-bodied, double-tailed) goldfish, and add a further 50L per extra fish. The filter for goldfish should be rated for double the aquarium size, so a filter suitable for a 200-300L tank for a single fish. The reason for this, as has already been said, is that goldfish are very messy fish and produce a lot of ammonia waste for their size, which a smaller filter would not be able to clear away safely.

You cannot keep a goldfish in a tank without a filter. Even bacteria grown on the substrate is not enough to keep the water clean. For now, dirty water from the old tank and using the old substrate (so long as you have not washed it) will provide a seeding colony of bacteria that will grow in the new filter. You must run the new filter for this to happen. You must not wash anything from the old tank, or you will kill the bacteria. The bacteria i'm talking about are the bacteria that break down ammonia that the fish produce as waste (the equivalent to human urine), and the by-product of this called nitrite. Ammonia and nitrite are highly toxic and even trace levels will seriously harm and even kill your fish. 

I have to go to work now, but i'm sure someone else will give you a more detailed explanation of the fish less cycle, but basically this involves you using bottled ammonia in the tank to grow the good bacteria in the filter, and when all this bacteria is grown it is safe to add the fish. Putting the fish in before the bacteria are grown means that toxic ammonia and nitrite levels will rise before the bacteria can catch up, and the fish will be poisoned in the mean time.

You really need to get that filter on asap, you need Seachem Prime to assist in detoxifying the ammonia and nitrites, the api freshwater master test kit to monitor levels of ammonia and nitrite, and you must make sure that no matter what, you do not let any tap water near the tank, the filter, the old substrate/decor, or you will kill any bacteria you may have left to seed the filter. You must always treat new water for the tank with Prime before adding it. Safe start isn't up to the job, i'm afraid, for reasons I can explain later.

Hopefully Naomi or Fishyfins will read this and jump in with step by step advice


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## Aqualung

Wow thanks both for the advice and long posts. I'm afraid some of it baffled me though but I will try and read it many times. I am pleased my filter is big enough though, 100L for a 45L. I'm disappointed that is still small, but at least he'll have more space now.

Unfortunately the lady told me to pop the fish straight in, I asked about a fish-less cycle and she said if I had the Tetra Safe start it would colonise straight away.

So, I haven't added my fish yet, but, bearing in mind he is in an unfiltered tank at the moment...which is the lesser of 2 evils? To be fair he is 9, I wanted to do the best for him in his golden years.

How much will my adding old water to new tank make the ammonia spike rather than the good bacteria? Am I best with a few algaey ornaments and no water?
The filter got switched on yesterday, when the Tapsafe and the bacteria went in. I've done nothing more (yet). 

I have just been to pets at home, they were sold out of the API test kit (phew those are expensive  ) and he didn't have a clue what I meant by ammonia bottles. I did take a sample of the old water my fish is in and he said it was 'really good'. Not so sure about that.

I really hoped by going to a special aquarium shop originally (and not [email protected]) I would avoid these pit-falls.

Anything I can do today without the kit to help the new tank?


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## NaomiM

I'd take the coral sand out and replace it with the gravel from your old tank. Two reasons for this: 1) the gravel will contain some good bacteria, as has been said; and 2) coral sand will raise the pH of your water, which means you'd have to acclimatise him to the new tank very slowly or risk shocking him. As has been said, DON'T wash the gravel before moving it, as you'll lose all the good bacteria.

Seachem Prime is a really worthwhile buy, as it detoxifies ammonia and nitrite as well as being a good dechlorinator. A dechlorinator is essential, as the chlorine in tap water will quickly kill all the good bacteria, as well as not being great for the fish in the long term. Prime seems expensive initially, but it's super-concentrated and only tiny amounts are needed, so it's a good investment.

In terms of test kits, the API master kit is cheaper online - normally around £20 on Amazon or ebay.

A fishless cycle is the ideal way to set up a new tank, but in your case, I'd be tempted to get him into the new tank sooner rather than later, as catpud said. (You'll need to acclimatise him over half an hour or so - do ask if you need info on how to do this.)

You're then doing a fish-in cycle, which will take time and commitment. You'll need to test the water daily, and do a water change every time the ammonia or nitrite levels read over 0.25. In practice, this probably means every day. Be sure to dechlorinate the water before you add it. If you're using Prime as your dechlorinator, add enough for the whole volume of water in the tank, as it will help alleviate the effects of the cycle. If your nitrite levels are high, you can actually add up to 5x the recommended dose of Prime, which will detoxify the nitrite.

I hope this helps! As has been said, you'll need a much bigger tank when you are able to get hold of one (try second-hand on ebay or gumtree - there's often bargains to be had) but the new tank and filter will still be a great improvement on his previous setup. (Not a dig at you - I know you're doing what you can for him despite initial bad advice from pet shops etc, and many of us have been in a similar position, myself included!)

As a final note - in the right conditions, goldfish can live for well over 20 years, so hopefully you can enjoy his company for a good long time yet


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## Aqualung

NaomiM said:


> I'd take the coral sand out and replace it with the gravel from your old tank. Two reasons for this: 1) the gravel will contain some good bacteria, as has been said; and 2) coral sand will raise the pH of your water, which means you'd have to acclimatise him to the new tank very slowly or risk shocking him.


Thanks for your advice. I'm annoyed they sold me the coral sand without explaining the pH thing. How do I go about removing the sand. Surely it will have raised the pH of the water already??? How would I use the old gravel (unwashed) if I didn't dismantle the other tank and didn't move the fish straight away? Sorry, I'm bombarding with questions I'm just very unsure about it all now.
I don't have Prime it's just a standard dechlorinator.
Also the test kit on Amazon might take until next week to arrive...what if I put the fish in now but don't have a kit?

Thanks


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## NaomiM

What I'd do is:
1) Empty the new tank and take out the sand. Give it a wipe around to remove as many stray sand grains as you can.
2) Remove most of the water from the old tank, leaving just enough for the fish to swim in. You can set the removed water aside to use in the new tank.
3) Catch the fish and put him in a fish bag filled about 1/3 full with water from the old tank. Tie the top, trapping as much air in the bag as you can. (If you ask in an aquatic shop, they should give you a bag for free.)
4) Put the gravel and remaining water from the old tank into the new tank. (If you need to add some new gravel too to cover the bottom, do this first, having first washed the new gravel in dechlorinated water.)
5) Add the remaining water from the old tank that you set aside, and then fill up with fresh dechlorinated water.
6) Add some Filter Start, or whatever bottled bacteria you have, to the filter.
7) Float the bag containing the fish in the new tank for 10 minutes to let the fish adjust to the temperature.
8) After 10 minutes, open the bag and add some water from the tank.
9) Repeat step 8 every 5-10 minutes until the bag is full. Then release the fish into the tank.

While you're waiting for your test kit, I'd do a 50% water change every day to be on the safe side. And it really is worth getting hold of some Prime if you can - it's fantastic stuff, and has got my fish through several mini ammonia spikes without any ill effects at all


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## Aqualung

Hi, thank you so much for the step by step instructions, really helpful. 

I'm going to do everything on that list, just one last question....

What do I do with the filter during all that? Can it be out of the water/turned off?

Thanks for taking the time to help


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## NaomiM

Turn it off/take it out while switching the substrate, then start it up again once you've filled the tank up


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## Aqualung

That's brill thanks. I have a back injury and mightn't be able to tackle it all in one go. ie Remove the water, then the substrate, then the old tank etc, it might be in a few sittings. How long can it be off for? Could I sit it in a bucket of water I'm discarding (the water it's used to) either plugged in or not, to avoid this, or is it not that important..


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## Phoenix24

Whilst the filter is still brand new its not too much of a worry that its off - but once you have got it in the tank with the old water/old substrate + bottled bacteria, you will not be able to turn the filter off again - it must run 24/7 (the only time from then on it ever gets turned off is during maintenance of the tank, and that's for as short a period as possible or else the bacteria begin to die off).

Normally coral sand would not be a terrible problem as goldfish actually prefer a water pH in the range of pH8, but in your circumstances you need the old substrate for the bacteria, and any sudden or large changes in pH value may stress your fish further. You need to get your test kit to test your tap water pH and your aquarium pH - this will help you if there are any problems during the cycle, as large swing in pH can occur and this can stall the cycle. It's also handy to know what your local water is like. 

The API test kit may seem expensive but believe me it is well worth the money, and it does last - once you get through the cycling stage you will only need to test the water on occasion to monitor levels in case there's a problem. I have had my test kit for about 2 years now and it has still not run out. Similarly the Prime lasts forever - I got one of the big bottles and it took over 2 years to use up! 

The reason we all recommend Prime is because it is very cost effective (you use tiny amounts for standard water dechlorination), and it works different from pretty much all other conditioners on the market. Tap water conditioners remove chlorine and another chemical called chloramine, which water companies now also add to water to kill bacteria. Most of the products you buy remove both chlorine and chloramine, but when they remove the chloramine they actually break it down and produce ammonia. This isn't a problem if your filter is mature, but in a new aquarium, or in an aquarium with water problems, this extra ammonia can tip the tank into a mini cycle and add to ammonia burden, causing yet more problems. Prime does not do this, it has a completely different way of removing the chloramine (and chlorine), so does not cause these problems. The other benefit of Prime is that it is able to detoxify ammonia itself should ammonia levels rise, and it says on the bottle you can use a double dose for this. Ammonia is broken down into nitrite, so if a tank is cycling (or experiencing problems such as a mini cycle) then nitrite levels will also rise - often much more than you expect. Nitrite is even more toxic than ammonia, and it takes longer for the bacteria that break it down to grow. Prime is also able to detoxify nitrite, and it recommends using a 5 x dose to do this. None of the other water conditioners that pets stores sell to the general market do this (in fact I am not aware of any other tap water conditioner with so many benefits that is such good value for money). I have no idea why pet stores still push the inferior products - I suspect sponsorship from certain brands (such as tetra and interpet) and a lack of knowledge (or lack of care) are behind it.

Naomi gave you a good step by step guide there for you to follow to get you on your way. I advise keeping the substrate wet in old water for as long as possible - if it dries out the good bacteria will start to die. Once you have the tank set up, do not delay in getting your fish in there. Those good bacteria need a source of ammonia for them to live and grow, and if you run the tank with no ammonia source (in your case your fish) then the bacteria will die. 

The fishless cycle uses bottled household ammonia to grow all the bacteria in a tank and filter before adding any fish, which saves the fish having to go through the stress of rising ammonia and nitrite levels whilst the bacteria grow. Because you have no choice but to do a fish-in cycle, you will have to closely monitor ammonia and nitrite levels, and monitor your fish (being an old fish that has lived in unfiltered? conditions hopefully he will be tough and get through this - new goldfish today are simply not as tough as goldfish of yesteryear and suffer very easily). Symptoms of ammonia and nitrite poisoning include gasping, rapid gill movements, darting around the tank, hanging near the surface, white patches on the body, blackened fins and gills, general loss of condition, and eventually death. Ammonia basically burns the fish, and nitrite blocks oxygen uptake (like carbon monoxide does to us), so the fish suffocate. First signs are the rapid fluttering of gills - so keep a close eye out for that. Any sign of problems, perform an immediate water change of 50%. 

Water changes are going to feature highly during your cycle, as this is the only way to keep the levels of toxins down low enough to stop the fish being poisoned. You will need to add a gravel siphon to your shopping list if you don't already have one. Gravel siphons suck out water and poo without you having to lift the tank (which is dangerous for you and the tank!), and you activate them simply by submerging and rapidly 'pumping' the siphon end until the water pressure forces it up the tube, over the tank rim, and down to the bucket. It takes a little practice but its really the best way (the tank must be higher than the bucket for the siphon to work!). Then you dig around the gravel to suck up poo, and water comes out with it. Once your tank is fully cycled you will only have to change the water weekly (about 25% of the tank), and every couple of weeks the filter gets turned off, opened up, and the filter pads squeezed out in the bucket of dirty water. Don't do this whilst the tank is cycling! Whilst fish-in cycling you will have to perform daily water tests, and any sign of high levels like Naomi said will warrant a partial water change (the amount depending on how high the toxic levels are), which if its not going well may be daily. If your substrate bacteria plus bottled bacteria kick start your cycle, then hopefully you won't have to do so much water changing and hopefully it won't take too long. Dipping your new filter in the dirty water will start your bacterial colony off in the filter, and speed this up a little.

Basically, this is how a cycle goes: 

New tank set up. Bacteria source (from bottle, or seeded from old filter/dirty water/substrate) added to filter. Filter switched on. Ammonia source added. Water tested for ammonia. 24 hours later water tested again for ammonia. Repeat test every 24 hours until ammonia level drops (ammonia levels will initially rise in a fish-in cycle, but remain at starting level with a fishless cycle). Once drop recorded also begin testing for nitrite. Nitrite levels will rapidly rise as ammonia levels drop. Nitrite levels continue to rise. In fishless cycle more ammonia is added to feed cycle. Ammonia and nitrite levels tested daily. Ammonia levels begin to drop to zero within 24 hours of being added. Nitrite levels continue to rise. Nitrite levels eventually show a sharp drop. After a few days of repeated ammonia dosing and ammonia/nitrite testing, both are showing zero 24 hours after dosing. This is the magical double zeros that mean the cycle is complete.

Incidentally, the nitrite is broken down into a much less harmfully chemical called nitrAte (your typical plant fertiliser!) and if nitrite levels do not seems to be dropping, testing for nitrAte will likely show they are in fact rising (to huge levels!), meaning the nitrites are being broken down, just very slowly.

At the end of a cycle we typically perform a large water change just to clean up the water a bit, and get rid of all the excess nitrAte (which causes excess algal growth, but is good if you want to grow aquatic plants).

Anyway, that was almost an essay but I hope you find it informative, and please please do keep asking questions and we will do the very best we can to help guide you through this.

But first things first, follow Naomi's instructions and buy yourself the Prime, API test kit (comes complete with pH test, Ammonia test, Nitrite test and Nitrate test), and a gravel siphon for the water changes.

Good luck!


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## Aqualung

Thank you very much for the detail of your post. Very helpful and although I hope I don't get a poorly fish I'll know what to look out for. 

I have turned off the filter (figured that the bacteria wouldn't have got very well established as they have had 2 days with no ammonia), and emptied the new tank. Next step to remove the coral sand - and return it! - buy some more gravel the same as my old stuff to add to it as there won't be enough to fill it. 

The API kit is on order, as is the Prime (and I thought the kit was expensive!!). 
I'm going to wait until the kit and the prime arrives, as I don't want to set up and put fishy in without having the appropriate steps to deal with it. I'll do partial water changes with the old tank every other day in the mean time.

I bought a gravel siphon so can use that when the time comes. 

I'll check back in a few days - thank you all for now


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## Phoenix24

Don't forget to use your current water conditioner in the new water when you do water changes or else the chlorine/chloramine in the tap water will kill your bacteria in the old tank! 

Let us know how the set up goes


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## Aqualung

Hi Phoenix24 & Naomi
Just a quick update to say the API kit arrived this afternoon, and the Prime came yesterday. So I can officially get started!
Coral sand is out and swapped for new gravel, next comes filling it up and transferring Fish & old gravel etc.
Anyway, got a bit excited and decided to test the original fish water. 
Results are that we have high pH (tap water is over 7.6, so I used the high pH one which came out at 7.6 too). Current aquarium water was reading 8-8.2 though, is this ok? 
Ammonia I was highly surprised at seeing as it is unfiltered, 0ppm-0.25ppm reading! I have been doing water changes though.
Nitrite was 0, Nitrate however was 40-80 (can't really tell a difference between those colours on the chart??).
Will be interesting to see how the new tank compares  
The only other question I have is what temp is too high for a goldfish, when I was dismantling it the other week I took out the water and it seemed warm. Combination of the light and filter?? I bought a thermometer so I can keep an eye on it, but seemed a lot warmer than I would have wanted it. The light does seem to kick out a lot of heat when it's been on a little while.
Thanks


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## Phoenix24

Your pH is fine - goldfish prefer pH's of around that anyway, and aquariums can fluctuate a little on their own and differ from the tap water.

Likelihood is there is good bacteria in the old tank on surfaces such as the substrate - which is why it is vital that you do not wash any of it to preserve it - it will help seed your new filter.

Good luck setting it up, let us know how it goes.


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## NaomiM

Re nitrate, have you checked your tap water? Mine reads between 40 and 80 out of the tap! For most fish (including goldfish) that's not a problem though - it's only fish that would live in fast-flowing streams in the wild (and therefore have a constant supply of pure fresh water) that find it a problem 

Re temp - what was it reading? Goldfish can cope OK in higher-than-ideal temps, but it speeds up their metabolism, meaning they will need to eat and poo more - which isn't great for your ammonia levels in a small tank! Keeping the temp down in hot weather is hard in a small tank, though. Unless you have live plants, try keeping the lights off altogether during the summer months. In really hot weather, you could also try putting some ice cubes in a sealed bag and floating it in or next to the filter.


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## Aqualung

Well it never rains but it bl--dy pours! The lovely newly washed gravel I installed the other day it seems has been growing mould! Opened the lid to assess and check we were ready for the big moving day tomorrow and it stinks! 
What's the best thing to do, going to throw out the new gravel because I don't want to transfer any mould spores....but what about the tank itself, is there some sort of fish safe disinfectant ? Dettol/Milton, the stuff for babies bottles? 
Grr I was hoping for a stress free day!!
Ps temp I'm not really sure about as I only bought the thermometer when I realised there might be an overheating issue. Will keep an eye on it if I ever get set up!!


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## Phoenix24

Have you mixed the new gravel with the old gravel or is it still separate? 

Not sure i've ever seen gravel grow mould before. Very odd. Are you sure it's mould?

So long as the new gravel is still separate from the old gravel - bleach it. Seriously. Bleach it - give it about 20 mins - then you will have to rinse the gravel really really well, then allow it to dry out completely. You need to rinse it until it no longer smells of chlorine, and the drying out will get the last residues off. Then put it back into the tank, fill with water again, use the Prime at a 5 x dose, and leave it for a couple of days just to be sure.

If you have mixed the old and new gravel you will have to use a filter-safe anti-fungal (choose a fish medication that deals with fungus) in the tank and just carry on as you were.

Have you got a picture of the gravel with the fungus on it?? There's a chance it could be something else. You should contact the shop where you got it, there could be a problem with their storage or the batch of gravel itself.


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## Aqualung

I think the mistake was I left it damp but not immersed in water, unable to dry out because the lid was on. The mould floated to the top when I begun filling it up, sort of gravel sized pieces of white/green colour.
Anyway I rinsed really well many times, took the gravel out, jetted the tank and gravel, then placed it back in. 
I didn't dare use bleach. I've started refilling and have put in ornaments and a little old gravel. Will the prime x5 do what I need it to, without the need for anti-fungals?  Fish is now in a bare tank with less water. I wouldn't like to leave him a few more days. 
Also, what do I do with all the poo coming out the gravel, transfer that as well?
Thanks  you've been a great help with all these hiccups.


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## Phoenix24

If you've rinsed really well, shouldn't be any need for bleaching or anti-fungals.

5 x dose of Prime was just in case the fungus was serious enough to need bleach. No bleach - no problem. Use the standard Prime dose to treat any tap water you are putting into the tank, or a double dose if ammonia levels spike.

The gravel siphon will take care of the poo when you do your first partial water change, but you do not need the poo from the old tank - leave as much poo behind as you can, lol.


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## Aqualung

Well we're in! 
I only need 1ml of Prime for my tank! Found it difficult to get such a small amount, so probably got 2 ml in there. 
Ammonia test showed 0.25 a couple of hours after I put him in! I'll test again in the morning. But he looks much happier able to swim 
What's my highest ammonia I can allow it to reach? 
Lights are off for now so not worried about temp.
Thanks guys


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## NaomiM

You can get a pack of 10 1ml dosing syringes for 99p on ebay - makes the Prime much easier to dose!

Ammonia at any level is toxic, and your high pH increases its toxicity, but the Prime will hopefully protect your fish from its effects. Try to keep it below 0.25 as much as possible - if it's rising any higher than 0.5 over a day or so, you may need to do multiple 50% water changes in one day to get the levels back down below 0.25.


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## Aqualung

Thank you! I'll keep an eye on it daily. 
For now here's a quick snap of him in the dark (he wasn't happy when I put the light on!).


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## Phoenix24

You only really need lighting if you are actively growing live plants in the tank, and for viewing. The fish are quite happy with very low light levels. Too much light will also grow algae. 

There probably will be a bit of ammonia spiking as the bacterial colonies sort themselves out plus the disturbance to the substrate means poo that was trapped is now flying around a bit - anything decomposing adds to ammonia. Keep feeding the fish to a minimum over the next week - perhaps only every other day - just to allow the bacteria to catch up (feeding your fish means more ammonia).

As Naomi said, keep testing the water daily and be prepared for doing those water changes. Don't forget to dose all new water with prime before adding it to the tank. Don't turn off the filter at all for at least 2-3 weeks, just push it further down in the tank if you are having to change large amounts of water.


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## Aqualung

Hi guys. Well we're nearly a week in now. Fish doesn't look too happy today but not sure why. He's hanging around in the bubble stream, or hanging near the top at sort of 45 deg angle. 

Have checked water daily and here are the results.
Day 1 - Am 0.25, Ni 0
Day 2 - Am 0.25, Ni 0, Na 20. pH 8. Did a water change.
Day 3 - Am 0.25, Ni 0, Na 10.
Day 4 - Am 0.25, Ni 0, Na 5-10. Did water change
Day 5 - Am 0.25, Ni 0, Na 5-10
Day 6 - Am 0.25, Ni 0. Did water change
Day 7 - Am 0.25, Ni 0, Na 5, pH 8.2

I have also tested my tapwater to try and compare an ammonia reading, and that read 0.25 as well 

So the only thing that is altering is my nitrates (and they're dropping ).

Have been adding prime to new water before changing, and the changes are about 20% (until I reach my filter that I've pushed down).


I know my high pH means that even 0.25 might be toxic...but maybe I'm reading it wrong if that's also what my tap water came out at.

Is it not cycling??


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## NaomiM

Are you dosing enough Prime for the whole volume of the tank? In an uncycled tank, I'd be doing this daily, even on days you don't do a water change, as the Prime's detoxifying qualities only work for 24 hours or so.

Is your fish showing any redness around the gills?

The tank will be cycling, but it does take a long time, especially for a fish-in cycle. The nitrite-munching bacteria tend to be hardier than the ammonia-munchers, so it may be that enough nitrite-munchers survived from the old tank in the gravel, which is why you're not seeing nitrite. Or it may just be that the cycle's not far enough along yet.

I wouldn't worry too much about the nitrate tests at this stage, but keep up with the ammonia and nitrite tests daily.


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## Aqualung

I've been dosing enough for the tank every water change , not every day. 
Ammonia is still 0.25 today , will do a water change and prime. Thanks for your info and reassurance.


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## Aqualung

Hi guys, had my first ammonia spike yesterday, it was between 0.25 and 0.5, the highest it's ever gone so far. Actually having now seen it look a little green tinged, my previous readings were probably 0, same colour as my tap water. Anyway that is irrelevant, I had a higher ammonia reading yesterday so I did a water change and did a 5x prime. That'll teach me to leave testing until 11pm!
Questions....how often can I add prime in this quantity? Is the ammonia likely to rise even higher? It's back to 0/0.25 today. When do I expect nitrites to start showing up? 
Thanks


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