[First Timer, please help!]

Thanks guys! I’ll try it. 

[First Timer, please help!]

I’ve read that Seachem Stability and Seachem Prime do not affect the PH. Do you have any history of using them?

[First Timer, please help!]

I’m fixing to test my tap water now. 

[First Timer, please help!]

On 8/1/2021 at 8:35 PM, Fish Folk said:

Ok. Welcome aboard! Here’s what’s going on:

Your tank is not cycled yet. Best way I have to explain this that aquarium fish live inside their own toilet. What happens is that one colony of bacteria  needs to grow which _eats_ ammonia, converting it to nitrite. Then another colony of bacteria _eats_ nitrite, converting that to nitrate. Then, in a well-planted tank, your plants consume nitrate. When those steps aren’t developed, fish will suffer… and often do not survive.

In your situation, you need some established sponge filters to put into your 75 gal. If I were you, I’d call every local fish store, and ask to buy an established sponge from inside any of their tanks. What I’d do is offer to buy a new sponge for the store to replace in the place of the established sponge. That sponge from the store will be loaded with beneficial bacteria. Alternatively, ask a friend or fellow local fishkeeper. If I was standing in a store, and overheard your situation, I’d offer to bring two established sponges to the store, and trade you for two new ones you buy from the store.

Also, FRITZ has a large bottle of Beneficial bacteria they sell for freshwater setups. I’d dump that in along with sponges. 

Is there anything I can do now to lower the ph or is there anything I can add? How high is too high when it comes to PH? I’m assuming a water change wouldn’t help? Thank you for your input on the sponge filters. I will get on that as soon as I can tomorrow. 

[First Timer, please help!]

Hi, first time poster here. Up until now I have just been doing relentless research and watching the YouTube channel but now I don’t know what to do. I have a new tank. 75 gallon tank with 3 small goldfish and 1 plecto that was set up on Saturday and fish added on Sunday. I checked my tank Thursday and had an ammonia reading of 3.0 ppm, oh was 7.8-8.0, and nitrite and nitrates were both at a 0. Due to the high ammonia we did a 50% water change Thursday. Friday we checked levels again, everything was the same but ammonia was still just below 3.0 ppm. Did another 50-75% water change. I noticed that night my smallest goldfish was sitting at the bottom and was until Saturday morning. He is back to normal self. Friday we dosed prime and stability by seachem and have been light feeding once a day to try and keep ammonia levels down. Left tank alone all day Saturday to not stress fish. Today it’s Sunday and I just checked levels which I will upload now. PH is highest it’s ever been and ammonia is not zero but lower. What should I do now is my question. I don’t want to stress my fish but I don’t want to hurt them further. Fish show no signs of distress or burnings, spots, marks ect. Aside from the one sitting at bottom for the night they have not showed any changes aside from hunger due to limited feeding now. I have prime, I have stability, I have another tetra water conditioner. I don’t have anything else and couldn’t get anything else until Tuesday, payday. Please help me I appreciate any advice. I understand now my tank is not cycled and I’m dealing with new tank syndrome. I just need some help to get me through it. I don’t want my fish harmed. Thank you for your time. ♥️