Is it time for a water change?

[nel621]

Hi, I'm new to this site and new to the hobby.I'v been doing lots of reading and searching and was wondering is my tank ready for a water change? It's been running for about 10 days.It's a 30 gal with 20lbs LR and 20lbs LS.AquaClear 70pf,aquaclear 50ph with filter,heater,com flo lights.Started cycle with some damsels[and there was one].Just had an ammonia spike.
NH3-.25
NO2-.20
NO3-0
PH 8.2
SG 1.021
I had five fish doing great until yesterday.Now I have one.One bully I had to remove,made ME stressed!So it looks like I jump the gun added fish to soon,now my tank is cycling. If I change the water now,10-20%, will I lose my "good" bacteria? I'm removing my DOA's as I find them.Should I leave them in?Sorry about the long post
Thanks,
Nel621
waiting for my fish books to arrive

 

[hot883]

Originally Posted by Nel621
Hi, I'm new to this site and new to the hobby.I'v been doing lots of reading and searching and was wondering is my tank ready for a water change? It's been running for about 10 days.It's a 30 gal with 20lbs LR and 20lbs LS.AquaClear 70pf,aquaclear 50ph with filter,heater,com flo lights.Started cycle with some damsels[and there was one].Just had an ammonia spike.
NH3-.25
NO2-.20
NO3-0
PH 8.2
SG 1.021
I had five fish doing great until yesterday.Now I have one.One bully I had to remove,made ME stressed!So it looks like I jump the gun added fish to soon,now my tank is cycling. If I change the water now,10-20%, will I lose my "good" bacteria? I'm removing my DOA's as I find them.Should I leave them in?Sorry about the long post
Thanks,
Nel621
waiting for my fish books to arrive
Welcome. Don't take this the wrong way; You should have not added any fish especially 5 are you crazy?

joke The tank has to cycle first. Thats why they are dying. Did your local fish store (LFS) tell you to do that? If so NEVER go back there. Thats one dumb m&%#)&%^ and only wants your money. Do not change water until cycle is done 4-6 WEEKS for cycle. Do a search on here on "cycle , cycling" and learn what you did wrong. Always ask questions on here BEFORE you buy or before you do anything until you understand whats going on. Like I said in the beginning, don't take this the wroing way OK. Starting a thread like this though will get some feathers or FINS riled up. So stand by. Ha! Good luck to ya and ask, read, ask read, ask and then read somemore.

 

[mikeyjer]

Originally Posted by hot883
Welcome. Don't take this the wrong way; You should have not added any fish especially 5 are you crazy?

joke The tank has to cycle first. Thats why they are dying. Did your local fish store (LFS) tell you to do that? If so NEVER go back there. Thats one dumb m&%#)&%^ and only wants your money. Do not change water until cycle is done 4-6 WEEKS for cycle. Do a search on here on "cycle , cycling" and learn what you did wrong. Always ask questions on here BEFORE you buy or before you do anything until you understand whats going on. Like I said in the beginning, don't take this the wroing way OK. Starting a thread like this though will get some feathers or FINS riled up. So stand by. Ha! Good luck to ya and ask, read, ask read, ask and then read somemore.
Right on!!!

 

[nel621]

thanks for taking the time to reply.I fisrt bought 2 yellow tail blue damsels and a piece if lr to get things started.Trapped in a pocket of the lve rock was another all blue small fish,don't know the name.Big joke in our house was we got something live from the lr! Then my neighbor who has a 170gal SW tank brought me a gift of two "honey head ?' damsels.I guess he thought My tank was ready since I was buying fish. That's my story and I'm sticking with it,The SWF that is!
Thanks,Nelson

 

[hot883]

We are here to help. Just ask questions and we will try to answer them. Some will say to cycle with fish but it is a very OLD outdated method that is very cruel to fish as it burns their gills. They will either die or have serious damage and or both. The best way to get the cycle going is to buy a large raw cocktail shrimp from the deli, peel it and toss it in the tank. It will start to rot and really kick the cycle off. Changing water during a cycle in my opinion (IMO) will just waste salt water, waste time and prolong the cycle. Some disagree, these are just my findings. HTH Good luck, Barry