# Planted Tanks > Beginners' Corner >  New Tank Cycling with Fishes :D

## Junneh

Hello guys, I'm a new member in this forum as well as picking up the hobby of rearing fishes & possibly shrimps soon. I hope the community will be helpful to impart some invaluable knowledge so I can ensure I'm on the right route to keeping my tank safe & fishes happy.

I'm finally done with my trial "1ft by 1ft" tank setup. Took me a while to fully understand what the Nitrogen Cycle was about. Got myself some live plants and threw in a couple of fishes in to help speed up cycling of the tank.
Current fish population consists of 5 neon tetras, & 4 other unidentified fishes. The tank's been cycling for a week or two, & I believe the water parameters aren't stable yet *(I've yet to buy the test kits since its so expensive)*. I do a 10-20% water change daily to prevent any spikes in harmful levels in the water.,
Its been 3 days I last added the fishes in, sadly 1 of the unidentified fishes died. The rest remain happy & healthy, *SO FAR*.  :Very Happy:  Woke up today to see 1 of my live plant totally shredded apart. Not sure which bugger is responsible for it though.  :Confused:  I added another betta to the fish community, & it seems to have adapted to the environment. I probably refrain from increasing the fishes in fear of overpopulation.

I realize that are many types of test kits available in the market. However, I'm unsure of which I should actually invest in due to the wide variety & prices. I've heard of API Master Test kit (Liquid I think) that checks the PH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate levels in the tank. I'll be heading out later to see what is actually available in the LFS. Also, is it advisable for me to purchase *Beneficial Bacteria Bottles*?Many hobbyists told me that most commercial bacterial bottles are useless as the bacteria in the bottle is already dead, due to lack of ammonia.

Well, I'll try to upload a picture of my tank setup later. Please do advise me on the next steps.
Thanks all!

Regards,
Junneh

----------


## Bieffe

Bro a picture pls. The bacteria to me is useful. For starting. It speeds it up. Or u tank from other ppl their used tank water.

----------


## rakurime

You could get those Ocean Free 8000 Super Battle Bacteria ($10-11 for 120ml) which will preserved live bacteria in liquid form and the bacteria will be activated when it comes in contact with water after releasing into aquarium, hence it will convert the toxic ammonia to nitrite, nitrite to nitrate, nitrate to nitrogen gas which is what we want to achieve, speeding up the nitrogen cycling process, to add in livestock~

I've used on my 2 newly setup tanks, the results are amazing which took me just 7 days to get the results of 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite and 0ppm nitrate, and i've just done the testing again today, its still all 0ppm.

But please get the test kits as soon as possible, its a tool that every hobbyist needs, assumption of estimation doesn't work all the time especially when you have livestock in the tank.
(Even if you achieve all 0ppm results, do not be too happy yet as it might have spike, can always do a partial water change to lower the chance of sudden spiking and do a few tests over the next few days and take this chance to do a final "adjustment" to your plants/scaping  :Grin:  that's for me)

----------


## Junneh

Gotcha, so I do need the test kit! However, do I buy the 3 in 1 kind? Test strips or liquid form? Also, I'll look around in the LFS later to see what bacteria agent I can get my hands on!  :COOL!:

----------


## Bieffe

All seems good. Forget the strips I have them. But after a while the accuracy is not enough. If fish keeping gonna be long term get the master test kit. Bite the bullet don't be like me buy individual and strips at the end still cannot have all accurate reading....so master test at $50 will be it.

----------


## Junneh

$50? That's a pretty steep price.. Well, I'll see how it goes. I need to allocate some budget to purchase more live plants, co2, and possibly a few shrimps to clean up my tank ^^
I'll make an effort to update this thread regularly & seek advices. Thanks all!

----------


## rakurime

It's quite worth in the long run, i bought 3 of the individual test kits separately before i knew there's actually a master test kit.

----------


## Junneh

*Latest update:
*
I couldn't find any master test kits, thus having to buy them individually. Costed me quite a bomb. Well, added 2 more live plants to the tank & a couple more tetras. Sadly, 1 of them failed to acclimate to the new water parameters & is dying soon. Hopefully the rest pull through & thrive in the new environment  :Crying: . Since its late, I'll probably test the water parameters in the morning. Fingers crossed & good luck to my fishes!

Regards,
Junneh

----------


## KevenBrendanLee

> *Latest update:
> *
> I couldn't find any master test kits, thus having to buy them individually. Costed me quite a bomb. Well, added 2 more live plants to the tank & a couple more tetras. Sadly, 1 of them failed to acclimate to the new water parameters & is dying soon. Hopefully the rest pull through & thrive in the new environment . Since its late, I'll probably test the water parameters in the morning. Fingers crossed & good luck to my fishes!
> 
> Regards,
> Junneh


Stop adding fish till parameters are fully cycled..

----------


## IrvineChen

If you want to play safe and ensure the safety of your fishes, just dump in alot of frogbit and hornwort into your tank.. they are very efficient in absorbing Ammonia and Nitrate...

----------


## Junneh

*Update : 06/04/15
*
Great news! I woke up this morning & my fishes are doing well, the plants too! The tetra I thought to be dying made a miraculous recovery & is doing well. Perhaps the dose of bacteria is actually working. Haha. I am tempted to add a couple of "sucker fishes" to clean up uneaten food or "algae" in the tank. Any opinions?

About Frogbit & Hornwort, do they require high lighting & CO2? Most plants I have now doesn't require much of the two. Also, I'm afraid of overpopulating my tank with too many live plants, leading to new problems.

I've yet to test my water parameters & will do so later when I home. 
I will upload a pic later & feel free to guide me along the way.

Thank you all, have a nice day!

----------


## IrvineChen

Frogbit do not require CO2 and any lighting will do.. most importantly is to aid remove ammonia in the tank..

----------


## Bieffe

> Frogbit do not require CO2 and any lighting will do.. most importantly is to aid remove ammonia in the tank..


Being floating plants they do block out lights for the plants below so don't put too much.

----------


## Bieffe

> *Update : 06/04/15
> *
> Great news! I woke up this morning & my fishes are doing well, the plants too! The tetra I thought to be dying made a miraculous recovery & is doing well. Perhaps the dose of bacteria is actually working. Haha. I am tempted to add a couple of "sucker fishes" to clean up uneaten food or "algae" in the tank. Any opinions?
> 
> About Frogbit & Hornwort, do they require high lighting & CO2? Most plants I have now doesn't require much of the two. Also, I'm afraid of overpopulating my tank with too many live plants, leading to new problems.
> 
> I've yet to test my water parameters & will do so later when I home. 
> I will upload a pic later & feel free to guide me along the way.
> 
> Thank you all, have a nice day!


I've also just learnt that sucker fish is loosely used by LFS. They are pleco. What you should get is otto. Smaller and less distructive. With the add in bacteria I reckon the parameters are changing for the better.

----------


## Bieffe

What bacteria did you get?

----------


## rakurime

Actually 1 feet by 1 feet is not very big, try not to add too many livestock as they need space to swim and roam around.

----------


## Junneh

I'm currently using *Super Battle Bacteria 8000*. I'll visit the LFS again perhaps during the weekend when I am free. Found a pretty good stall at Bedok, recommended by my friends. The plants are fairly cheap, likewise for the fishes though limited variety.

Whats the difference between a pleco & otto? I thought sucker fish does no harm besides sucking up loose garbage? Haha. Any otto species to introduce then?

----------


## Junneh

*Update :

*Here's a recent picture of my tank. I'll try to find some floating plants sometime soon, & perhaps buy CO2... hehe  :Very Happy:

----------


## Bieffe

Nice growth! Pleco I understand will grow quite big. They look the same but different. When they are big the will kick up ur substrate and knock down ur scape.

----------


## Junneh

Bad news.. I've got an ammonia spike.... Here's the readings

[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]Nitrite 0.5mg[/COLOR]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]Ammonium 5mg[/COLOR]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]PH 6.5[/COLOR]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]Nitrate 25mg

Can anyone please advise me what to do? The tank's in dire traits but my fishes seem fine for now.[/COLOR]

----------


## Bieffe

Do water change.

----------


## KevenBrendanLee

> Bad news.. I've got an ammonia spike.... Here's the readings
> 
> [COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]Nitrite 0.5mg[/COLOR]
> [COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]Ammonium 5mg[/COLOR]
> [COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]PH 6.5[/COLOR]
> [COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]Nitrate 25mg
> 
> Can anyone please advise me what to do? The tank's in dire traits but my fishes seem fine for now.[/COLOR]


Ammonia readings Are too high... bad
nitrate best to lower it by water changing. ..

And you shouldn't be adding any more fishes as they are suffering silently. .. risk wasting $$ and killing fishes if you buy more.

----------


## rakurime

If i were u, i would remove the fish immediately to a safe breeding box with fresh tap water topped with anti-chlorine and anti-stress coating or fill them with mature tank water.

fish-in cycling is really cruel, i've stopped doing that after my first few tanks, have to do it the slow way, fishless cycling then add in livestock.

----------


## Junneh

Thanks all for the input. I'll immediately do a water change when I get home, topped with anti-chlorine and beneficial bacteria to counter the ammonia & nitrate excess. I'll update u guys soon. Thanks again.

----------


## InUtero

Maybe you wanna share on what kind of filter you use and the media in it.

----------


## Junneh

I'm currently using a Power Filter-120 Shiruba Model. I've added sponge to filter out small particles in water & it's pretty efficient. I'm not too sure what u mean by media but I'm using the Super Battle Bacteria 8000 in my water.

----------


## Bieffe

> I'm currently using a Power Filter-120 Shiruba Model. I've added sponge to filter out small particles in water & it's pretty efficient. I'm not too sure what u mean by media but I'm using the Super Battle Bacteria 8000 in my water.


Media are the chunky stuff you place inside your filter. Like stones with many holes or rings etc.

----------


## Bieffe

These media give a place for the good bacteria to grow. Without it cannot grow.

----------


## Junneh

> These media give a place for the good bacteria to grow. Without it cannot grow.


Hello Bieffe, I've wool-like sponge in my filter. I'm not sure if bacteria is cable of growing in it though.

----------


## Urban Aquaria

The wool-like sponge is good for mechanical filtration, it traps suspended fine particles which helps to keep the water clearer. Some beneficial bacteria will grow on it, but because such filter wool will eventually clog up and need to be changed (can't wash all the trapped particles out, have to change a new piece), most of the beneficial bacterial is also lost in the process. 

Good quality bio-media do help to greatly increase the amount of surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow and live in... though with the Shiruba PF-120 hang-on filter, there isn't much space in the filter chamber, but i guess you could still put some pieces of bio-media into the available spaces inside it, might help abit.

Its usually better to have a combination of media layers in the filter, ie. coarse sponge to trap larger particles, filter wool to trap smaller particles and bio-media to house beneficial bacteria which process the nitrogenous waste.

Note that beneficial bacteria also live in the substrate and attached to surfaces like the tank walls, plants and equipment, just that with additional bio-media, the filter can support more beneficial bacteria which in turn can handle more bio-loads more effectively.

With the amount of livestock you plan to keep, it'll be good if you can consider upgrading to a larger hang-on filter with more filter media space... or even better, upgrade to a small canister filter, which will offer alot more filter media space and provide higher filtration efficiency.

----------


## Bieffe

UA has said us very well again. Want to keep fishes long term and lots of it. Best to over size your filter. HOF you must throw as much as you can. Till the flow not badly obstructed. Without these media sure you will experience spike. Even small compact canister is better than HOF. Unless you reduce life stock.

----------


## Junneh

> The wool-like sponge is good for mechanical filtration, it traps suspended fine particles which helps to keep the water clearer. Some beneficial bacteria will grow on it, but because such filter wool will eventually clog up and need to be changed (can't wash all the trapped particles out, have to change a new piece), most of the beneficial bacterial is also lost in the process. 
> 
> Good quality bio-media do help to greatly increase the amount of surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow and live in... though with the Shiruba PF-120 hang-on filter, there isn't much space in the filter chamber, but i guess you could still put some pieces of bio-media into the available spaces inside it, might help abit.
> 
> Its usually better to have a combination of media layers in the filter, ie. coarse sponge to trap larger particles, filter wool to trap smaller particles and bio-media to house beneficial bacteria which process the nitrogenous waste.
> 
> Note that beneficial bacteria also live in the substrate and attached to surfaces like the tank walls, plants and equipment, just that with additional bio-media, the filter can support more beneficial bacteria which in turn can handle more bio-loads more effectively.
> 
> With the amount of livestock you plan to keep, it'll be good if you can consider upgrading to a larger hang-on filter with more filter media space... or even better, upgrade to a small canister filter, which will offer alot more filter media space and provide higher filtration efficiency.



Again, thanks all for the input. I'm learning a lot from you veteran hobbyists. Ha ha! I'll see what I can do about the filter. Also, do u have any Bio-media to introduce? And perhaps a better filter that's of better value & size? I've spent over $200 on setting up this tank and whatsoever. Thus, my budget can be a little tight these days. Probably wait till my next NS allowance before I purchase more stuffs xD

----------


## Bieffe

> Again, thanks all for the input. I'm learning a lot from you veteran hobbyists. Ha ha! I'll see what I can do about the filter. Also, do u have any Bio-media to introduce? And perhaps a better filter that's of better value & size? I've spent over $200 on setting up this tank and whatsoever. Thus, my budget can be a little tight these days. Probably wait till my next NS allowance before I purchase more stuffs xD


Was once as tight as you. But not much better now lah. Anyway I suggest Mr Aqua S sized rings. Or Azoo latest range. Cheap and good.

----------


## Junneh

> Was once as tight as you. But not much better now lah. Anyway I suggest Mr Aqua S sized rings. Or Azoo latest range. Cheap and good.


Haha yeah. Trying to balance my budget so I don't overspend.So, I can buy those from LFS right? And is there any specific way to place those rings in the filter? My ultimate goal is to get a breeding tank for tetras and RCS, but that's gonna take a while...

----------


## Bieffe

Bro just throw in. I string them together for easy removal etc. Or u can use media bag but HOF small space....

----------


## rakurime

If you want budget or cheap bio-media, can buy Azoo brand or ANS mini bacteria house (junior), they come in small sizes < 1litre which costs $5-7 per box/pack that can last you quite long (given your HOF compartment for media) i think you will only need less than 1/4 portion of the media which you will be buying

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> And is there any specific way to place those rings in the filter?


Here is an example of how i place bio-media in my small hang-on filters (these are Dophin H80 models, which i use for temporary quarantine or holding tanks, should be similar in size to your Shiruba PF-120):



I simply cut some coarse sponges to shape and slot them into the gaps to create barriers, then fill the rest of the space with Seachem Matrix bio-media. You can use other brands of bio-media and they can also work too. Try to choose bio-media which are small in size though, as the space in these types of hang-on filters are very limited.

Just for reference, that filter space contains approx. 200ml of bio-media (around the volume of a small plastic cup). Note that this is much less than small canister filters which can usually fit around 1-2 liters of bio-media.

Previously i also added thin layers of white filter wool in-between the media too, but they tend to clog up quickly and restrict flow, so i gradually omitted it from these filters. Nowadays my hang-on filters are setup mainly for the purposes of biological filtration.  :Smile:

----------


## Junneh

Hello all & thanks for the prompt replies. I'm learning the ropes of this hobby slowly, but steadily. Ha ha! Now, I understand that in order for my tank & its inhabitants to prosper, bio media is a necessity. I'll look around the LFS sometime soon when I have the time. I will scout for a better & bigger filter too if my budget allows me. I noted another problem in my tank though. Some of my neon tetras tend to hover around the bottom of the tank and waits for food pellets to drop. Often, most of the food pellets are snatched up by the other fishes that are more proactive during feeding time. Should I be concerned about this issue? Also, I do notice that some minuscule leftovers tend to drop into gaps between the soil & the fishes aren't able to get them. Should I do anything about it, such as introducing shrimps into the tank?

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> Some of my neon tetras tend to hover around the bottom of the tank and waits for food pellets to drop. Often, most of the food pellets are snatched up by the other fishes that are more proactive during feeding time. Should I be concerned about this issue?


For certain combinations of fishes, there is always a chance one species will tend to get outcompeted for food by another bolder species, if that's the case, then try feeding larger sinking wafers which hold their shape and sink to the substrate level where your less proactive fishes are, that'll give them a chance to get some food.





> Also, I do notice that some minuscule leftovers tend to drop into gaps between the soil & the fishes aren't able to get them. Should I do anything about it, such as introducing shrimps into the tank?


While shrimps can help eat up excess food particles, those that disappear into the soil substrate will still be inaccessible to the shrimps, so you'll have to assume that those food particles will decompose and add to the waste bio-load in the tank. If you have rooted plants in those areas, they will use the nutrients processed from the excess food and waste so it could still be considered a sort of natural fertilizer too.

Chances are with lots of excess food trapped in the substrate, you will start to see an increase in the population of detritus worms, copepods, ostracods etc, all of which help feed on the accumulated detritus in the tank. Those critters are harmless, but can get abit unsightly if their population starts to bloom.

To minimize excess food dropping into the substrate, try feeding the fishes in very small amounts at a time, make sure they eat the pellets without allowing any to drop past them, before feeding some more.

For bottom feeders, you can use a glass or acrylic feeding dish (can get from most LFS nowadays, or DIY using simple glass tealight holders), then put the sinking wafers in them, that can help to at least contain most of the food particles in the dish so that you can clear away uneaten food more easily.  :Very Happy:

----------


## Junneh

Thanks for the advice again, Urban!  :Very Happy:  I'll be getting some sinking pellets later but have to find a glass dish somewhere in my storeroom if I actually do have one. Haha. About shrimps, do u have any recommendations for a clean up crew? I've been researching a bit about shrimps but some are either too fragile (sensitive to water parameters) or too expensive for me D: Most LFS sell shrimps but some doesn't seem to be in good condition, whereas other LFS advice me not to put shrimps together with tetras as they might end up as live bait D:

----------


## Urban Aquaria

Yeah, there is always a chance the fishes will eat or harass the shrimps... its definitely disheartening to see expensive shrimps disappearing one by one.

If you are keen on introducing shrimps as clean-up crew on a budget, then go for the low grade cherry shrimps or malayan shrimps that are sold in bulk bags, those shrimps do the same jobs and retail at around $10 for 50pcs (actual prices may differ depending on supply and demand), here was a discussion thread on them for reference:

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...lk-bags-at-LFS

With a larger population of cheap shrimps, they will be more effective and even if some get eaten, at least its not so "wallet-pain".  :Grin: 

Alternatively, you could also consider getting yamato shrimps instead (usually costs $1-$2 each), they are excellent algae eaters and scavengers, and they grow to much larger size than tetras, so are less likely to be attacked or eaten by small fishes.

Only thing with yamato shrimps is their larger size (up to 5-6cm) can look abit out of scale in smaller tanks, so it depends on your preference.

----------


## Junneh

Hello again, thanks for the advice. I'm contemplating whether I should try feeder/glass shrimps in the tank since they are readily available and cheap too. Yishun & clementi LFS are too far for me, each journey probably takes around 1hr + 
Wish I could have a bigger tank so I could organize my aquascape better... I will be getting some bio media later, hopefully it's cheap.. Perhaps I'll be lucky if someone comes by and sells me bulk cherries in my area. Haha

----------


## Junneh

*Update: 9 April 2015
*
I'm in my panic mode again. Tested water parameters this morning and I was horrified by the results. I've been doing daily water changes of 20% topped with anti-chlorine with aged water. Furthermore, I've been dosing the tank daily with Beneficial Bacteria from *Super Battle Bacteria 8000*. I don't get what's causing the spike in ammonia level despite dosing BB and planting more fast growing plants. I always ensure not to overfeed the fishes & try to remove leftover food. 

Please assist me in this issue. I'm currently at my wits end T-T

*PH: 6.5
Ammonia: 5mg/l
Nitrite: 0.5mg/l
Nitrate: 10mg/l


*

----------


## rakurime

What's your tank water volume? and how much did you dose?
What's the total quantity of livestock in the tank now?

----------


## Junneh

> What's your tank water volume? and how much did you dose?
> What's the total quantity of livestock in the tank now?


I don't know the volume of the tank but it's a bit more than 1inch x 1inch
Currently with 15 fishes, size of 1inch or smaller. Mostly neon tetras, and I believe the bio load is pretty low. I've got 4 mature Aqua plants in the tank, dosing plant fertilizers once a week. Because of the increase in ammonia, I've been dosing close to 10ml of BB daily. I've yet to get my bio media yet.

----------


## Bieffe

Bro no bio media spike will happen. Too much fishes without media. Should be 1ft not 1 inch? Otherwise is super super cramped like sardine can.

----------


## Junneh

> Bro no bio media spike will happen. Too much fishes without media. Should be 1ft not 1 inch? Otherwise is super super cramped like sardine can.


Sorry, it's 1ft haha. Well, is there anything I can do now? I'll do a WC 20% later when I'm done with my shift. Not sure if my mate bought the bio media for me. Would it be wise to add a coral chip into the tank? I was told that the tank's condition isn't too critical, mainly thanks to my low PH. My fishes are still active, swarming for food pellets etc. I do hope their health isn't affected in the long run due to my inexperience, makes me feel remorseful.

----------


## Bieffe

Keep it simple.
Don't add too many stuff. Also are you sure you need to dose bacteria daily? 
Without media you are pouring it almost all away.
Fishes will be this way if you see them tired....chances are you are too late. Where you stay? Get media ASAP.

----------


## Junneh

> Keep it simple.
> Don't add too many stuff. Also are you sure you need to dose bacteria daily? 
> Without media you are pouring it almost all away.
> Fishes will be this way if you see them tired....chances are you are too late. Where you stay? Get media ASAP.



Roger, first priority would be the bio media. I'll do what I can to save my fishes. I live in The East, Pasir Ris. Not many LFS in this area. Farmway doesn't seem to sell the stuffs I need.

----------


## golfball

Pasir ris farmway 3 got OTF aquarium, farmway 2 got aqua empire you can try.

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> Sorry, it's 1ft haha. Well, is there anything I can do now? I'll do a WC 20% later when I'm done with my shift. Not sure if my mate bought the bio media for me. Would it be wise to add a coral chip into the tank? I was told that the tank's condition isn't too critical, mainly thanks to my low PH. My fishes are still active, swarming for food pellets etc. I do hope their health isn't affected in the long run due to my inexperience, makes me feel remorseful.


Well, 1 small fish on its own is low-bioload, but 15 of those type of fishes in a 1ft tank that is still cycling with small filter without much bio-media is definitely an unbalanced situation.

While those bottled bacteria products can help (to some extent), they are only temporary solutions... without an established and stable population of naturally occuring beneficial bacteria, all the poop and pee from the fishes will constantly push up the ammonia levels and overload the system. Also remember that the soil substrate will also release ammonia due to the organic matter too.

Do note that while 20% water changes are good, in your current situation, its too little to make a difference. A 20% water change only removes 20% of ammonia... so if ammonia is 5ppm, it only becomes 4ppm after water change, which is still at high levels. The next day the ammonia levels climbs back up even higher, so the small water changes end up not having as much effect.

With high ammonia levels and livestock, you should do much larger water changes, try doing 50%-60% water changes (or even more if your livestock can tolerate the changes) to reduce the ammonia levels faster and keep it at a more managable level for the beneficial bacteria to handle.

Although your lower pH is helping to keep a higher percentage of ammonia in its less toxic form, there is still a percentage that is toxic. Higher ammonia levels will still result in toxic ammonia being present which affect the fishes short-term and long-term health. So reducing it is a priority.

Do not add coral chips into your tank, they will increase pH and that will start converting ammonia into its more toxic form, which will be dangerous for the livestock.

----------


## rakurime

15 fish in a tank that is less than 1 feet is way too much, do a 50% WC to see the decrease in ammonia, remove the livestock if possible just keep it as low as possible while those fishes that being removed can be kept in a pail with airstone and airpump to sustain for the time being as your tank is in its cycling stage, very critical.

And for your super battle bacteria, i think you have added way too much for such a small tank and its not meant for daily dose, as it requires time for your mechanical/biological filtration to make it work and speed up the nitrogen cycle, hence its not a magic solution to get an "immediate-cycled-tank" in days, do take note bio-media and time is the factor here .

for a starter, dose it only when you do a weekly WC and dose it just a few drops depending on how much water volume your tank is holding.

----------


## Junneh

Hello again, I've given some of my fishes away in bid to lower the bio load. Done some major water changes & all fishes are doing fine for now. I've been to some LFS but they don't sell any bio media. Thus, can anyone recommend any LFS that does, preferably in the EAST?

----------


## Urban Aquaria

Thats odd... most LFS will usually stock various types of bio-media for sale. Did you check with the shop bosses about those items?

Anyways, i'm not too familiar with the east side LFS, but you could check at places like Seaview, not really "east" but they have a wide selection of equipment and media to choose from.

----------


## Ralph

The last place i strongly remember seeing it is C328 and polyartz but thats west.aquatic avenue too.

else east side, Green chapter should have. Or you hop over to the road, freshnmarine. But Gc is bigger shop, better chance.





> Hello again, I've given some of my fishes away in bid to lower the bio load. Done some major water changes & all fishes are doing fine for now. I've been to some LFS but they don't sell any bio media. Thus, can anyone recommend any LFS that does, preferably in the EAST?

----------


## Suzerolt

If you are in the 'far east'. 
The various shops (freshwater or marine) at Pasir Ris Farmway 2 also have bio media for sure.

----------


## Junneh

Once again, thanks all for the input. Heading to the farmway to check up on available bio filter media. Hopefully they do have the ones I actually need. Also, is it recommended to buy stress zymes or whatever it's called? I heard that it actually helps with the BB growth in the long run.

Been having problems with my Betta in the community tank. It attacks any living organism that it sees. Is this supposed to be it's normal behavior? I've isolated the betta & kinda sad that it shredded my shrimps... Worst mistake ever

----------


## KevenBrendanLee

> Once again, thanks all for the input. Heading to the farmway to check up on available bio filter media. Hopefully they do have the ones I actually need. Also, is it recommended to buy stress zymes or whatever it's called? I heard that it actually helps with the BB growth in the long run.
> 
> Been having problems with my Betta in the community tank. It attacks any living organism that it sees. Is this supposed to be it's normal behavior? I've isolated the betta & kinda sad that it shredded my shrimps... Worst mistake ever


Bettas are normally kept alone for its aggressiveness.... yeah

----------


## skytan

betta will usually disturb those with flowing long fins and slow swimmers.
My previous betta is usually the one that got bullied by my cardinals , harlequin .

As for shrimps my yamatos didn't have any issues, not too sure for smaller shrimps.

----------


## rohitsingh_81

Dont invest on expensive items. Just keep the tank running for 2 weeks with fishes feeding and tank will get cycled. I never had any problems in my tanks on cycling.

----------


## Bieffe

> Once again, thanks all for the input. Heading to the farmway to check up on available bio filter media. Hopefully they do have the ones I actually need. Also, is it recommended to buy stress zymes or whatever it's called? I heard that it actually helps with the BB growth in the long run.
> 
> Been having problems with my Betta in the community tank. It attacks any living organism that it sees. Is this supposed to be it's normal behavior? I've isolated the betta & kinda sad that it shredded my shrimps... Worst mistake ever


Betta is usually not for community tank. Not all aggressive but most are and they vary you must monitor.
In this case confirm cannot. Betta having expensive sashimi shrimps for snacks at $2 a pop.
Good luck. For cycling I advice to use just 1 type and limit the numbers. Don't have too many different types. Especially those with long flowing tails.

----------


## Junneh

> Betta is usually not for community tank. Not all aggressive but most are and they vary you must monitor.
> In this case confirm cannot. Betta having expensive sashimi shrimps for snacks at $2 a pop.
> Good luck. For cycling I advice to use just 1 type and limit the numbers. Don't have too many different types. Especially those with long flowing tails.


Well, thanks for the heads up. I've just gotten the Seachem Matrix Bio-media. Poured some BB solution in & shall wait for the magic to work. Been monitoring the condition of the fishes, so far so good. The shrimps are mostly dead....well sorry to the poor souls. It will be a while before I actually introduce RCS to the tank. I doubt I'll be able to upgrade my tank either, parents seem to be against it.

In the meantime, I shall scout for a bigger filter & an opportunity to reorganize the landscape.
Once again, thanks all who contributed to this thread

----------


## Junneh

*Update: 16/04/15

*Hello guys, it's been a while since I last posted in this thread. I believe my tank's cycling is on its way, with the purchase of proper bio media and regular WC of 40% daily. Currently, I'm using the Seachem Matrix Bio Media & Super Battle Bacteria 8000. I've justed tested the PH & Ammonium level in my tank using the "Sera Test Kit". I'm not too sure if the levels are healthy as of now, but its an improvement for the ammonium level which was 5mg/l last week. Is there anything I can do to quicken the cycling of my tank or to improve its overall condition? My fishes seem healthy, hiding amongst the plants during night & hunting for food at daybreak. 

*Ammonium: 2mg/l
PH: 7
Nitrite: 0.5
Nitrate: 10 mg/l

*Well, here's a problem I noticed today though. The water seems a bit cloudy? Very minuscule particles can be seen floating in the water, & I'm not sure if its from the food that I've been feeding the fishes or something on another level. I've limited myself to feeding the community twice per day, ensuring no leftovers are present in the tank. I added 3 "Ghost Shrimps" to the tank, hoping to clear up any food leftovers but the water isn't clearing. I've attached an image of my tank, not too sure if u guys can see the particles in it though. So...can someone advice me on this issue? Thanks!

----------


## Urban Aquaria

Its best to stop adding anymore livestock until the tank is fully cycled, 2ppm ammonia is still high and at pH >7.0, most of it is in toxic form.

Even though the fishes look okay, the toxic levels could be gradually damaging the fishes health, just that they don't show it yet. 

You can do more frequent water changes to reduce the ammonia to lower levels so thats its less harmful to the fishes and easier for the beneficial bacteria to process.

Try not to rely on finding shortcuts to quicken the cycle... the tank will cycle on its own eventually so its just a matter of time, just have to be patient. You want to have a strong beneficial bacteria population, not just a quick cycle and end up with a weak unstable bacteria population.

As for the cloudiness, it could either be a bacteria bloom (common in new tanks that are still cycling, especially when bottled bacteria solutions are being dosed), or just uneaten food/debris particles floating around. Water changes can help for both cases, along with rinsing your filter sponges and bio-media to dislodge the dirt and debris.

Try to feed less... twice a day in very tiny amounts is okay, but its better to feed once a day or even once in 2 days, that will reduce the chances of uneaten/undigested food polluting the water.

----------


## Junneh

*Update: 20 April 2015
*
Thanks for the advice UA. Been really busy these days, thus limiting my time to post in the forum. I'm keeping up with the daily dose of BB; limited feeding time; & daily WC of 30-40%.

*New Problem in Tank:
*
Okay guys, I've noticed something unusual in my tank & it's kind of worrying to me. A couple of days ago, I spotted a red streak/slash on my "Danio Zebra's tail". I thought it could be a hostility from the other fishes but the chances are pretty slim. My Danio Zebra's at one & a half inch long, probably the biggest in the tank. The rest of my fishes are pretty shy/friendly, consisting of neon + cardinal + rummy nose tetras & one blue ram. 

However, today I discovered that my blue ram has the same wounds as the Danio Zebra, but only bigger. The wounds of my Danio Zebra seems to have worsened & the wound starts vertically where the tail is attached. As for the blue ram, its wound is located at the left area of its body, just behind its gills/fins. I'm at a dilemma as of what action should be taken. Please advise me what to do! All comments are welcomed! Thanks!

----------


## Urban Aquaria

Those fishes may be shy when you are around, but they could be fighting or nipping each other when you are not looking.

The wounds you described look like fight injuries, they will tend to get worse and infected if water quality is not kept pristine (especially in a tank that is still cycling), so make sure to to do extra water changes if ammonia and nitrite are still high.

It would also be a good idea to dose some medication to help the injured fishes heal faster, can try Seachem StressGuard:

http://www.seachem.com/Products/prod...ressGuard.html

----------


## Junneh

> Those fishes may be shy when you are around, but they could be fighting or nipping each other when you are not looking.
> 
> The wounds you described look like fight injuries, they will tend to get worse and infected if water quality is not kept pristine (especially in a tank that is still cycling), so make sure to to do extra water changes if ammonia and nitrite are still high.
> 
> It would also be a good idea to dose some medication to help the injured fishes heal faster, can try Seachem StressGuard:
> 
> http://www.seachem.com/Products/prod...ressGuard.html


Thanks again UA. I would like to clarify what it means by reducing ammonia toxicity as stated in its description. Will it be harmful in the long run?

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> Thanks again UA. I would like to clarify what it means by reducing ammonia toxicity as stated in its description. Will it be harmful in the long run?


Its basically helps to convert ammonia into less toxic form, which reduces the harmful effects to fishes (similar to how Seachem Prime also detoxifies ammonia too).

I've used it to support healing for some of my injured fishes (ie. torn fins or tails, scratches) and so far no issues encountered, those fishes made a full recovery after a period of time.

----------


## Junneh

*Update: 21 April 2015

*Just tested the water parameters earlier. Looking better than before but still not fully cycled.

Ammonium: 0.5mgl
PH: 7
Nitrite: 0.5mgl
Nitrate: 10mgl

Thanks UA, I'll try looking around in the LFS when I'm free. Sadly my blue ram died this morning due to its injuries. My Danio Zebra is in a critical condition, half of it's tail has been ripped apart. I've quarantined the wounded in another tank, equipped with an air pump. Will try to get the medication ASAP.

Is there anything I should take note of in a community tank? My 3 ghost shrimps are still going crazy in the tank especially during water change & are aggressive to its own species. I'll be buying more fast growing plants in due time, since those lil buggers keep shredding my plants despite being hardy as it is.

----------


## Urban Aquaria

Now that you mentioned keeping ghost shrimps in the same tank, high chance the fish injuries could be caused by them. 

Ghost shrimp have sharp pincers and use them to catch live food. Fishes sleeping or resting near the substrate or plants where the ghost shrimps can reach them will be easy prey.

You danio and ram probably managed to escape but sustained injuries in the process.

For a tank with small fishes, i'll be best to remove the ghost shrimps and replace with cherry shrimps instead, they have no pincers and are peaceful towards the other tank inhabitants.

----------


## KevenBrendanLee

Why is there still more life stock in your tank even if your water perimeter is not complete? 
I don't get it

----------


## Junneh

> Now that you mentioned keeping ghost shrimps in the same tank, high chance the fish injuries could be caused by them. 
> 
> Ghost shrimp have sharp pincers and use them to catch live food. Fishes sleeping or resting near the substrate or plants where the ghost shrimps can reach them will be easy prey.
> 
> You danio and ram probably managed to escape but sustained injuries in the process.
> 
> For a tank with small fishes, i'll be best to remove the ghost shrimps and replace with cherry shrimps instead, they have no pincers and are peaceful towards the other tank inhabitants.


Thanks for the tips UA. I've bought the medication for the wounded & quarantined it. Added a live plant to provide some cover for the fish as well as a new air pump to go with it. Haven't had any casualties so far in the community tank. I probably try to relocate the Ghost Shrimps when I find the opportunity. I noticed that my Amazon Sword seems to be rotting a little, but I've been dosing liquid plant fertilizers once a week. My tank's equipped with a 13W/7200k Aqualux fitting which I run at least 3-4 hours daily. Are there any remedies for the dying plant?





> Why is there still more life stock in your tank even if your water perimeter is not complete? 
> I don't get it


A juvenile's mistake, that's all. Now have 2 tanks to share the bio-load.

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> I noticed that my Amazon Sword seems to be rotting a little, but I've been dosing liquid plant fertilizers once a week. My tank's equipped with a 13W/7200k Aqualux fitting which I run at least 3-4 hours daily. Are there any remedies for the dying plant?


Best you can do is to dose fertilizers that contain a good mix of nutrients (or add fertilizer tabs/sticks into the soil under the rooted plants) and try extending the light photoperiod to around 6-8 hours. Plants need light to photosynthesize and grow, they can't recover as quickly and grow as much with short light periods.

Also trim away any melting or rotting leaves, those leaves will not repair themselves and will just drain valuable resources from the plant itself. Removing the dying leaves will help to encourage the plant to grow newer healthier leaves.

----------


## Junneh

> Best you can do is to dose fertilizers that contain a good mix of nutrients (or add fertilizer tabs/sticks into the soil under the rooted plants) and try extending the light photoperiod to around 6-8 hours. Plants need light to photosynthesize and grow, they can't recover as quickly and grow as much with short light periods.
> 
> Also trim away any melting or rotting leaves, those leaves will not repair themselves and will just drain valuable resources from the plant itself. Removing the dying leaves will help to encourage the plant to grow newer healthier leaves.


Ah, thanks again UA. Had one hell of a time trying to trim dead leaves without stirring the substrate. Sadly, my wounded Danio Zebra has passed on overnight. A ghost shrimp was shredded to bits by my tetras. So far, no further casualties or visibly stressed fish in the community tank. I'll commence a WC 20% & parameters test when I'm home later.

Any tips on draining & topping up water from the tank? Moving buckets of water on a daily basis is killing my back. Haha

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> A ghost shrimp was shredded to bits by my tetras. So far, no further casualties or visibly stressed fish in the community tank. I'll commence a WC 20% & parameters test when I'm home later.


Yeah, when mixing micro-predators together in a tank, they will inevitably have a go at each other whenever any opportunity rises.




> Any tips on draining & topping up water from the tank? Moving buckets of water on a daily basis is killing my back. Haha


Move the tank closer to a bathroom, or get a long roll of hose and trail it from the bathroom to your tank to siphon water and do water changes... otherwise, just have to keep hauling buckets.  :Very Happy:

----------


## Junneh

*Update: 26/04/15*

Noticed something weird with my tetras now D: One of my neon tetra's mouth turned white, pure solid white. I'm not too sure if that's a battle wound or infection though. My rummy nose tetra has a case of nipping issue at its top fin too. Problem is, I have absolutely no idea who's the culprit inflicting these wounds on my fishes. I have already lost a blue ram and danio zebra to the culprit & I don't wish to lose another fish in my tank. Also, my ghost shrimps having turned cloudy and parts of their body are developing a brownish color.

Oh right, my tank's heavily planted with low light & CO2 requirement plants. Not too sure of the names but they were recommended to me by the LFS. The fishes are usually hiding amongst the density of the plants when I come near so its impossible to keep count of my fishes.

Currently recovering from a bacteria infection on my finger, probably due to an open wound in contact with the tank's water. It probably isn't one of the best experiences in this hobby. Haha. I do realize that my tank's not fully cycled yet, but has significantly improved over time. I've moved some of the fishes over to another tank to share the bio-load. Any idea how to bring those 2 values down to 0? I'm still working on my daily WC of 20-30% & a dose of BB & its taking a toll on my already tired body. Lol.

*Current Species in community tank consists of:
*
Neon tetra - unknown
Cardinal tera - unknown
Rummy nose tetra - 04
Danio zebra - 01
Harlequin rasbora - 02
Ghost shrimp - 02


*Current* *Water Parameters:

*PH: 7
Nitrite: 0.5
Nitrate: 10
Ammonium: 0.5

Test kit used: Sera

----------


## Urban Aquaria

Only way to reduce those parameters down to zero is to do more water changes, but ultimately the beneficial bacteria population needs time to eventually grow large enough to process them efficiently.

At this moment, while your water changes do help to a certain extent, the ammonia and nitrite are still being constantly generated, so the 20-30% water changes may not seems like they're making a significant dent in the parameters (they easily accumulate back up within a short time). Just have to wait for the cycled to finish.

As for the various ailments appearing on the fishes, those seem like bacterial or fungus infections from injuries or dirty water conditions, best to separate those affected fishes to hospital tanks for treatment and to help them recover.

Shift those ghost shrimps out to another tank, high chance they are the ones snapping at the fishes during night time while they are sleeping and stressing them out.

----------


## Junneh

> Only way to reduce those parameters down to zero is to do more water changes, but ultimately the beneficial bacteria population needs time to eventually grow large enough to process them efficiently.
> 
> At this moment, while your water changes do help to a certain extent, the ammonia and nitrite are still being constantly generated, so the 20-30% water changes may not seems like they're making a significant dent in the parameters (they easily accumulate back up within a short time). Just have to wait for the cycled to finish.
> 
> As for the various ailments appearing on the fishes, those seem like bacterial or fungus infections from injuries or dirty water conditions, best to separate those affected fishes to hospital tanks for treatment and to help them recover.
> 
> Shift those ghost shrimps out to another tank, high chance they are the ones snapping at the fishes during night time while they are sleeping and stressing them out.


Ahh thanks again UA. I guess it's back to the waiting game again  :Sad:  I'll be away from home for at least 11 days, thus I'm kinda worried about the condition of the tank & fishes. Lol. I certainly don't wish to come home only to find death in the air. xD Hopefully all goes well & I'll be back on track to rearing shrimps again... and hell, crystal glass tank are ridiculously expensive.... any recommendations? Cheaper ones of course  :Smile:

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> Hopefully all goes well & I'll be back on track to rearing shrimps again... and hell, crystal glass tank are ridiculously expensive.... any recommendations? Cheaper ones of course


Tank prices depend alot on where you shop... crystal glass tank prices have generally dropped quite alot recently.

Nowadays, you can easily get 2ft (L60xD30xH36) crystal glass tanks for just S$60+ (smaller crystal glass tanks are even cheaper), check at places like Seaview or Rainbow Aquarium.

If you compare the much narrower difference in prices between normal glass and crystal glass tanks now, might as well just go for crystal glass.  :Very Happy:

----------


## Junneh

> Tank prices depend alot on where you shop... crystal glass tank prices have generally dropped quite alot recently.
> 
> Nowadays, you can easily get 2ft (L60xD30xH36) crystal glass tanks for just S$60+ (smaller crystal glass tanks are even cheaper), check at places like Seaview or Rainbow Aquarium.
> 
> If you compare the much narrower difference in prices between normal glass and crystal glass tanks now, might as well just go for crystal glass.



Seriously? 60$? Some dude tried selling me a 2ft crystal glass tank for 200+.. Damn, thanks for the heads up UA. I'll probably head down to the shops when I'm free, or loaded with cash. Haha.
Breeding fire red shrimps is gonna be so much fun xD But I've got to stabilize my 1ft first...& its taking ages......lol  :Sad:

----------


## aquaticstar

You may add Seachem prime. However, not to add too many type of solution/ chemical. Do some water changes before adding them.

Have not heard any update from you too. Hope the fishes are ok.

I often have problems with nitrate.

----------


## aza

May I recommend Biozym's nitrobacter bacteria capsule? Used this to manage a mini-cycle a while back. Took about 2-3 days to stabilize my tank. During this time I used lots of Prime and 50% water changes plus moved some fauna into a separate hospital tank to reduce bio-load.

----------


## Junneh

Greetings & thanks to those that contributed to this thread. I was overseas for the past 11 days & had no wifi connection.

Came back yesterday to see my fishes' color totally faded & they looked sick? Turned on the light and checked on them this morning & their colors are back, swimming around the fauna. I'll be working on a 50% WC later, treated with anti-chlorine. Some fauna seems to be dying too, leaves turning translucent etc

----------


## aquaticstar

Sorry to know that. Did anyone tent to your fishes when you are oversea? Even if you have automatic feeder. The water condition may turn worse if no water changes have been made by your family.

----------


## Dscheng

> Greetings & thanks to those that contributed to this thread. I was overseas for the past 11 days & had no wifi connection.
> 
> Came back yesterday to see my fishes' color totally faded & they looked sick? Turned on the light and checked on them this morning & their colors are back, swimming around the fauna. I'll be working on a 50% WC later, treated with anti-chlorine. Some fauna seems to be dying too, leaves turning translucent etc


Fish colour faded with light off is normal. Do you put timer for your light to turn on? How about food? They go without food for 11 days?

----------


## aquaticstar

You may invest on soundtech timer for lighting if you have plants. I am not sure how long they can survive without food. Try invest on automatic food feeder. Try not to feed too many times on setting the automatic food feeder. Let say set feeding to once per day.

----------


## Junneh

My fishes are fed on a daily basis, once a day. Of course, someone was feeding the fishes for me. They haven't done any water change yet though. And I suspect there might have been another ammonia spike.

I have thought about upgrading my equipments but the water doesn't seem stable just yet.

----------


## Urban Aquaria

Not sure if it helps, but this is my method:

I usually only feed my fishes once every 2 days... so when i'm away on overseas trips, i'll just skip feeding them totally if its a short 3-4 day trip, they have no issues being without food for up to 4 days. When i return from the trip the fishes are still healthy and active.

If the trip is a longer period of time, like more than a week, then i will setup a food timer to feed every 3 days, that will ensure the waste bio-load doesn't accumulate as quickly, taking into consideration that there will be no weekly water changes to re-balance the tank during that period of time.

That being said, my method is based on established planted tank setups with moderate bio-load and the fishes are healthy from the start. If the tank is new or with high bio-load or the fishes are still acclimating, then definitely have to get someone to feed the fishes more often and monitor the setup while you are away.

----------


## Junneh

Well, I guess I should start WC 30-40% once every 2 days again. The fishes are healthy & active when there's light but when night falls, most are hiding amongst the flora looking pale white. They basically freeze up at their position looking ghastly. I know tetras lose their color at night to hide from predators but it's something's wrong in the tank. I have not tested the water parameters yet, but have done a 50% WC earlier today.

I'll update u guys again & thanks for the advice.

----------


## Junneh

*Update: 14/05/15

*Tested the water parameters today, seems to be looking good. Alas, I think my tank is fully cycled?  :Very Happy:  Took me 2mths+ to get the tank properly set up, though losing some fishes along the way. My fishes are doing fine now, the remaining 2 ghost shrimps seem to have adapted to the community tank. No visible wounds or aggressive behavior noticed. 

*Ammonium: 0
Nitrate: 20
Nitrite: 0
PH: 7*

The only problem I have now, are my plants. They seem to be dying off slowly, although I have a 13W light turned on at least 4hrs daily & dose Micsea liquid fertilizer once a week. D:

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> *Update: 14/05/15
> 
> *Tested the water parameters today, seems to be looking good. Alas, I think my tank is fully cycled?  Took me 2mths+ to get the tank properly set up, though losing some fishes along the way. My fishes are doing fine now, the remaining 2 ghost shrimps seem to have adapted to the community tank. No visible wounds or aggressive behavior noticed. 
> 
> *Ammonium: 0
> Nitrate: 20
> Nitrite: 0
> PH: 7*
> 
> The only problem I have now, are my plants. They seem to be dying off slowly, although I have a 13W light turned on at least 4hrs daily & dose Micsea liquid fertilizer once a week. D:


Based on the test measurements, it looks like your tank can be considered cycled.

Your plants dying off could be due to nutrient deficiencies (have to refer to online plant nutrient deficiency charts to check the symptoms and solutions), or it could also be due to the short photoperiod of 4 hours... plants need light to photosynthesis and grow, otherwise they may become stunted as new growth can't develop fast enough to replace old growth. Perhaps try increasing the light photoperiod to 6-8 hours.

----------


## Junneh

> Based on the test measurements, it looks like your tank can be considered cycled.
> 
> Your plants dying off could be due to nutrient deficiciencies (have to refer to online plant nutrient deficiency charts to check the symptoms and solutions), or it could also be due to the short photoperiod of 4 hours... plants need light to photosynthesis and grow, otherwise they may become stunted as new growth can't develop fast enough to replace old growth. Perhaps try increasing the light photoperiod to 6-8 hours.


I guess it's back to the textbooks? Well, I'll try increasing the photo period and increasing the dosage of fertilizers. Hopefully it works before I lose more of my fauna. Thanks again UA

----------


## Junneh

Hello guys, I've been trying to grow my moss recently. Somehow, it doesn't seem to be going well. The moss has some sort of white substance growing on it. Perhaps slime maybe? There's also a battle royale in my community tank. Not sure who's the culprit though

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> Hello guys, I've been trying to grow my moss recently. Somehow, it doesn't seem to be going well. The moss has some sort of white substance growing on it. Perhaps slime maybe? There's also a battle royale in my community tank. Not sure who's the culprit though


Those could be dirt, algae or maybe even mold/fungus, try to see if you can physically remove or vacuum them up with a siphon.

As for your fishes, the tank may be overcrowded so it increases the aggression between the various species... you may need to reduce their numbers.

Are the ghost shrimps still in that tank?

----------


## tetrakid

> I guess it's back to the textbooks? Well, I'll try increasing the photo period and increasing the dosage of fertilizers. Hopefully it works before I lose more of my fauna. Thanks again UA


Losing fish is very common. Even an experienced hobbyist can lose valuable fish. 

So if you just stick to inexpensive fish, you will not be wasting much money as you learn the ropes. I know so many friends who spend a fortune on great fish but usually end up by chucking their fish tank in the storeroom. But frankly speaking, you need to be an expert before you are ready to keep expensive fish.

----------


## Junneh

> Those could be dirt, algae or maybe even mold/fungus, try to see if you can physically remove or vacuum them up with a siphon.
> 
> As for your fishes, the tank may be overcrowded so it increases the aggression between the various species... you may need to reduce their numbers.
> 
> Are the ghost shrimps still in that tank?


The ghost shrimps are dead. The only species left in the tank are neon tetras & rummy nose. I don't think the tank's overcrowded because I have given most of the fishes away. I'm growing my moss in a separate container, dozed with liquid fertilizer once per week. I simply leave the container out on window ledge only to check on it once per week. I've washed the moss several times on different occasions to wash off the white substance but it keeps coming back. Google doesn't give me the answers I need though. 





> Losing fish is very common. Even an experienced hobbyist can lose valuable fish. 
> 
> So if you just stick to inexpensive fish, you will not be wasting much money as you learn the ropes. I know so many friends who spend a fortune on great fish but usually end up by chucking their fish tank in the storeroom. But frankly speaking, you need to be an expert before you are ready to keep expensive fish.


My ultimate aim is to breed cherry shrimps. I'm not gonna be giving up this hobby anytime soon, after investing so much time and money in this. Haha.

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> I'm growing my moss in a separate container, dozed with liquid fertilizer once per week. I simply leave the container out on window ledge only to check on it once per week. I've washed the moss several times on different occasions to wash off the white substance but it keeps coming back. Google doesn't give me the answers I need though.


A photo of the moss with the white substance in it would help alot in identifying the issue.

----------


## Junneh

> A photo of the moss with the white substance in it would help alot in identifying the issue.



I know there are many bugs in there. Hope u can see the white substance clinging on the moss

----------


## tetrakid

My ultimate aim is to breed cherry shrimps. I'm not gonna be giving up this hobby anytime soon, after investing so much time and money in this. Haha.[/QUOTE]

You are right. Those who manage to make it are those who have passion and motivation to learn all they can about it. 

With your commitment, I think you should have a good chance of succeeding.  :Smile:

----------


## Junneh

Well, is there anything I should take note of when keep shrimps? Bought my first 20 red cherries today. I've read about shrimps dying during molt due to XXXXX reasons. I asked the LFS about the remedies for it but they told me there actually isn't. So...can u guys help out? haha

----------


## tetrakid

I know nothing about shrimps. because I don't keep shrimps.

The only shrimps I've ever handled are the canned dried shrimps I used to feed my Luohan fish.

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> I know there are many bugs in there. Hope u can see the white substance clinging on the moss


Can't really see it so clearly, but based on the slight greenish tint, it looks like various fine filamentous algae growing all over the moss.

I guess you just have to keep rinsing it to get rid of the algae, maybe put the moss into a tank with shrimps so that they can help to eat and clear the algae.

Only problem with just rinsing and getting shrimp to help clear algae, is that traces and bits of the algae will still be present on the plants, hence they will always tend to return again if conditions are favourable for them. So its not a permanent solution.

In my case, what i usually do with moss that come with algae is to soak it in a container with double dosage of AlgExit for a few days (no livestock in the container). The algae will gradually die off due to the treatment, then i rinse the moss throughly to clean it properly, after that i add it into a quarantine tank with cherry shrimps to clear up the remnants of dead algae. 

So far, that method has worked well for my new plants and the algae never return to plague them again.

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> Well, is there anything I should take note of when keep shrimps? Bought my first 20 red cherries today. I've read about shrimps dying during molt due to XXXXX reasons. I asked the LFS about the remedies for it but they told me there actually isn't. So...can u guys help out? haha


For shrimps, they are much more sensitive to fluctuations in parameters and unstable tank conditions (compared to fishes), so you should only add them to well-established fully cycled tanks.

They take a longer time to adapt to new environments too, so you should do a slower drip acclimation on them before introduction into your tank. That will greatly improve their survival rates.

Molting is a very important factor for shrimps, they molt as they grow or when there is a significant change in their environment (ie. large water changes, introduction into a new tank etc)... but if they are not ready, or if the mineral content in the water is too high or too low, or if they are under too much stress, their molting process can fail and thats when they die. To minimize this issue, its best to ensure that your tank environment and parameters are as safe as possible for them, and give them enough time to adapt to it.

----------


## Junneh

> For shrimps, they are much more sensitive to fluctuations in parameters and unstable tank conditions (compared to fishes), so you should only add them to well-established fully cycled tanks.
> 
> They take a longer time to adapt to new environments too, so you should do a slower drip acclimation on them before introduction into your tank. That will greatly improve their survival rates.
> 
> Molting is a very important factor for shrimps, they molt as they grow or when there is a significant change in their environment (ie. large water changes, introduction into a new tank etc)... but if they are not ready, or if the mineral content in the water is too high or too low, or if they are under too much stress, their molting process can fail and thats when they die. To minimize this issue, its best to ensure that your tank environment and parameters are as safe as possible for them, and give them enough time to adapt to it.



So, how do I test for the mineral content in the water? And if it is lacking, is there anyway I can increase the mineral content? :/

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> So, how do I test for the mineral content in the water? And if it is lacking, is there anyway I can increase the mineral content? :/


There are 2 things that are commonly tested, GH and TDS. 

GH or general hardness is a measure of dissolved mineral content in the water, there are test kits for that (ie. API GH Test). Generally most people try to keep it around 4°-8°... can be slightly more or less is okay, as long as its not like 0° or something oddly high like 20°.

If GH is too low, you can add in mineral supplements designed for shrimp keeping or add mineral rocks for shrimps which slowly release beneficial minerals into the tank. If GH is too high, then have to do water changes with low GH water (ie. distilled, RO/DO water) to slowly bring it lower, and also check that there are no calcareous rocks or other items leaching excessive minerals into the tank.

TDS or total dissolved solids is a measure of everything in the water (incl. minerals, nutrients, chemicals etc), there are electronic TDS meters available from various LFS or online stores. TDS is more for how well the shrimps can adapt to your tank conditions. For example, if they lived their whole lives in a tank with a lower TDS and your tank has much higher TDS (or vice versa), then you'll need to take extra care to acclimate them more gradually to your tank conditions. 

Most people don't usually test those parameters though, sometimes the tank conditions are already okay and the shrimp can adapt well and thrive. It usually more for those who are keeping expensive (aka sensitive) shrimps... or for those who notice their shrimps keep dying and they become the LFS "best repeat customer" every week.  :Grin:

----------


## Junneh

> There are 2 things that are commonly tested, GH and TDS. 
> 
> GH or general hardness is a measure of dissolved mineral content in the water, there are test kits for that (ie. API GH Test). Generally most people try to keep it around 4°-8°... can be slightly more or less is okay, as long as its not like 0° or something oddly high like 20°.
> 
> If GH is too low, you can add in mineral supplements designed for shrimp keeping or add mineral rocks for shrimps which slowly release beneficial minerals into the tank. If GH is too high, then have to do water changes with low GH water (ie. distilled, RO/DO water) to slowly bring it lower, and also check that there are no calcareous rocks or other items leaching excessive minerals into the tank.
> 
> TDS or total dissolved solids is a measure of everything in the water (incl. minerals, nutrients, chemicals etc), there are electronic TDS meters available from various LFS or online stores. TDS is more for how well the shrimps can adapt to your tank conditions. For example, if they lived their whole lives in a tank with a lower TDS and your tank has much higher TDS (or vice versa), then you'll need to take extra care to acclimate them more gradually to your tank conditions. 
> 
> Most people don't usually test those parameters though, sometimes the tank conditions are already okay and the shrimp can adapt well and thrive. It usually more for those who are keeping expensive (aka sensitive) shrimps... or for those who notice their shrimps keep dying and they become the LFS "best repeat customer" every week.


Thanks for the advice UA. Ill probably get a TDS Test Kit soon.

----------


## Junneh

*Urgent!

*Okay, my first batch of red shrimps aren't fairing too well. lost about 4-5 of them within 2 days. I didn't use the drip method to acclimate them to the water though. I've a 2nd batch of red shrimps now, & adopting the drip method. Any idea why the red shrimps died? Is it because they are unable to adapt to the water parameters quickly? They aren't feeding on the 2 moss balls I lobbed in either. Bought some shrimp pellets to feed them, but no luck either. Most of them are hiding behind the fauna or clinging onto leaves. Found 1 berried red shrimp clinging onto a leave. I seriously hope it doesn't die and give me young shrimplets.

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> *Urgent!
> 
> *Okay, my first batch of red shrimps aren't fairing too well. lost about 4-5 of them within 2 days. I didn't use the drip method to acclimate them to the water though. I've a 2nd batch of red shrimps now, & adopting the drip method. Any idea why the red shrimps died? Is it because they are unable to adapt to the water parameters quickly? They aren't feeding on the 2 moss balls I lobbed in either. Bought some shrimp pellets to feed them, but no luck either. Most of them are hiding behind the fauna or clinging onto leaves. Found 1 berried red shrimp clinging onto a leave. I seriously hope it doesn't die and give me young shrimplets.


Yeah, shrimps generally need more time to adjust to new tank conditions so a gradual acclimation helps alot. Your tank environment may also still be unstable (make sure its fully cycled) and there could be certain parameters which affect them too (like what i mentioned earlier).

----------


## Junneh

> Yeah, shrimps generally need more time to adjust to new tank conditions so a gradual acclimation helps alot. Your tank environment may also still be unstable (make sure its fully cycled) and there could be certain parameters which affect them too (like what i mentioned earlier).


I'll be damned. Despite my efforts, there are still casualties in the 2nd batch. Gosh, how many more am I gonna lose over the next few days? My tank's fully cycled but I'm not too sure about the mineral content & hardness :/
Hopefully they start breeding soon to compensate for the losses. Darn shrimps! xD

----------


## joshthebest

Bacteria has been a great help and I swear by it. - source, personal experience lol. (:

----------

