[UniQuaria] I don’t understand what’s going wrong here…
Wow! That’s a lot going on in a short period of time. I have not read that book so am not really familiar with the recommendations in it. I do know however that are 2 things that are the hardest to learn when it comes to fishkeeping: patience & more patience. The quick fix stuff whether it’s pH adjusters, water clarifiers, algae be gone, etc. tends to usually cause more rebound problems than it can solve. Tanks take time to get established. Fish stores have to sell to stay in business and often throw products at a problem which does not require addressing as it is usually something that will resolve on its own in time. The same is also true for filter media, just about the time the filter is becoming well colonized with beneficial bacteria, we are advised to change the cartridge. I purchase filters where I can use a sponge or a bag of ceramic media in the filter. Then when it is time for filter maintenance, I rinse out the media in used tank water (from a water change) and put it back in the filter, beneficial bacteria intact. Rinsing it in tap water will kill off the beneficial bacteria.
For now, the best thing to do will be to monitor the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates and do water changes as necessary. Tap water treated with water conditioner will be fine for most fish. I would not add any thing else to the tank, no more fish, no products to fix things, just let the tank stabilize. Feed lightly. Keep up with the water changes. Let the cycling process finish, just be patient & wait it out. Once your tank gets established, it will get easier. Once you have 0 ammonia & 0 nitrites and some nitrates, then add a fish or two at a time with at least a week between additions until the tank is fully stocked.
Julie Haddy
Category: Philippines Internet Koi Society
