Ive been trying to get this tank cycled properly. Ive had the tank for about 5 days. Ive used rocks and some water from a existing tank to aid in the process. ive purchased all kinds of test kits and cycling products that claim to aid the process. my levels of nitrites and ammonia are low im guessing by the list the test gives me. The puffer is a "hairy puffer' and it doesnt seem happy. please help
ammonia - 0.25 ppm
nitrite - 0.3 mg/L (not sure how to convert that into ppm)
New Puffer and partly cycled tank. HELP!
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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bigfatfish
- Fahaka Puffer
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GSPs "Flash" & "Lionel" - in a 55 UK Gallon Bow front Marine Tank with sump. - Location (country): United Kingdom
- Location: Devon, UK
Re: New Puffer and partly cycled tank. HELP!
Hello. Ammonia & nitrites need to be zero - both are toxic. You will, at the very least need to be doing big water changes to dilute the waste products in the tank.
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Lil' Swimz$
- Mbu Puffer
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Re: New Puffer and partly cycled tank. HELP!
Read this. library/water-filtration/emergencycycle/
Your going to need to do a large (75%+). Any ammonia or nitrites is toxic, they need to be 0. Nitrates should be lower than 20. How big is your tank?
Your going to need to do a large (75%+). Any ammonia or nitrites is toxic, they need to be 0. Nitrates should be lower than 20. How big is your tank?
Last edited by Lil' Swimz$ on Sun Sep 06, 2009 12:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
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Youngsir
- Puffer Fry
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Re: New Puffer and partly cycled tank. HELP!
its a 25g. my nitrite test kit gives me answers in mg/L and its telling me im at 0.3mg/L also i was told that hes a totaly freshwater puffer do i still need to add salt?
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Lil' Swimz$
- Mbu Puffer
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Re: New Puffer and partly cycled tank. HELP!
Ammonia and nitrite should always be 0. Please do a 50-75% water change ASAP. Please read the link I gave you before.
Do not add any salt. Here's an article on your puffer. ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Freshwater/T_Baileyi/
Do not add any salt. Here's an article on your puffer. ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Freshwater/T_Baileyi/
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
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bigfatfish
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 938
- Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: GSP "Puffy" RIP old friend 1999-2009
GSPs "Flash" & "Lionel" - in a 55 UK Gallon Bow front Marine Tank with sump. - Location (country): United Kingdom
- Location: Devon, UK
Re: New Puffer and partly cycled tank. HELP!
They are FW. Salt can be added as a treatment for some conditions, but this seems it is a poor water quality problem. It doesn't really matter what the measurement of nitrites is in - in a properly cycled tank it should be 0. So, get water changing! If you know someone who has a cycled FW tank that is healthy, try & use some media from their filter into yours.
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bigfatfish
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 938
- Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: GSP "Puffy" RIP old friend 1999-2009
GSPs "Flash" & "Lionel" - in a 55 UK Gallon Bow front Marine Tank with sump. - Location (country): United Kingdom
- Location: Devon, UK
Re: New Puffer and partly cycled tank. HELP!
Also, maybe this should be in the hospital section?
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Youngsir
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2009 12:08 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: One small Baileyi puffer
- Location: long island, ny
Re: New Puffer and partly cycled tank. HELP!
im changing water now. i checked ammonia lvls in both my other tanks and they read 0 how could i use these 2 tanks to aid in the cycling process. i have gold fish in one and fresh water parriots in the other
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Bluntokian
- Figure 8 Puffer
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- Location: NC, USA
Re: New Puffer and partly cycled tank. HELP!
Take out the filter media from one of the filters, And squeeze it over the filter media in your un-cycled tank.
Heres to you and heres to me, In hopes we never disagree, But if we do, Spit on you and heres to me.
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Youngsir
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2009 12:08 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: One small Baileyi puffer
- Location: long island, ny
Re: New Puffer and partly cycled tank. HELP!
i took the filter out of one and sqeezed it over the new tank. i just checked ammonia lvls again and its reading 0 ill keep checking the levels tho. the puffer is also seeming to do better also his beathing has slowed and hes on the bottom resting
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Youngsir
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2009 12:08 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: One small Baileyi puffer
- Location: long island, ny
Re: New Puffer and partly cycled tank. HELP!
thanks alot everyone imma start a new post in the hospital to let everyone know how this is going ill add pictures too. I love this website THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE!!!
ps. sorry about this misplaced post
ps. sorry about this misplaced post
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Lil' Swimz$
- Mbu Puffer
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- Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:26 pm
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- My Puffers: Lorteti - Peaches
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- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: New Puffer and partly cycled tank. HELP!
Its alright, your a newbie. Did you read the articles I gave you??
Yay! I'm so glad you love it here!! We've had a couple newbies come here and ask for advice and not take it and storm off. Hooray!!
Yay! I'm so glad you love it here!! We've had a couple newbies come here and ask for advice and not take it and storm off. Hooray!!
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
-
bigfatfish
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 938
- Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: GSP "Puffy" RIP old friend 1999-2009
GSPs "Flash" & "Lionel" - in a 55 UK Gallon Bow front Marine Tank with sump. - Location (country): United Kingdom
- Location: Devon, UK
Re: New Puffer and partly cycled tank. HELP!
Good news, although this won't mean your tank is fully cycled. Keep checking the levels & changing water until the readings for ammonia & Nitrite are always zero & the nitrate is no higher than 20. I hope he makes a full recovery. Look forward to seeing some pictures of him.
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Lil' Swimz$
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1686
- Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Lorteti - Peaches
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: New Puffer and partly cycled tank. HELP!
Bigfatfish, you may want to save that, he's starting a new post.
Ha ha, he he! DAncE whEn yoU're HAPpppy! He he he! DAnce, danCE, DANCe!
-
Youngsir
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2009 12:08 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: One small Baileyi puffer
- Location: long island, ny
Re: New Puffer and partly cycled tank. HELP!
yepp im here to stay! and i love fish this is my first puffer tho. he came from a really bad pet store i bought him from two 9 year old kids and a 14 year old. it was so bad. i just hope i can get this new tank going smoothly.
And yes ive read that artical before even joining. it leaves some specifics out but when i saw the puffers conditions not getting better i had to ask for real advice and i needed it quick. im so glad for this puffer fish community!!! im happy to be the newbie too! the more advice the better! Ill learn quick too i promise!
And yes ive read that artical before even joining. it leaves some specifics out but when i saw the puffers conditions not getting better i had to ask for real advice and i needed it quick. im so glad for this puffer fish community!!! im happy to be the newbie too! the more advice the better! Ill learn quick too i promise!