Fast

[Fast]

I am new to the aquarium community . I have a 10 gallon tank with gravel outside filter, plastic plants. I got the tank going did quick start on the bottle it said you can put fish in right away , I have air stone in the tank clear water ph at 7.2 the water is hard so the next day I went out and got some hardy fish Zebra something all died, went to the fish store with a water sample they told me ammonia was high to use quick start for the next 4 days then every things should be fine, well 4 days goes by I did what they said again I buy some hardy fish put them in and bang all but one dies I got an api ammonia test shows ammonia at 1.0 , I do not have the ability to get a sponge filter from a seeded tank nor gravel from same so my question is what do I do now cape crusaders?  

[Guppysnail]

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Sorry I missed the plastic plants. Getting live plants helps immensely and the rock wool in the pots has tons of good bacteria that will get you established. Plants benefit fish and increase water quality as well. 

[Fast]

Thanks but I’m with plastic plants for now does ammonia eventually leave?

[HH Morant]

I suggest you read the articles regarding cycling and ammonia at aquariumscience.org. Sometimes it is helpful to think of the process as cycling your filter rather than cycling the aquarium. The filter is where 90%-plus of your beneficial bacteria will reside.

Bacteria-in-a-bottle products don't work. I know they say you can add fish right away, but that is not true. If it were true, nobody would ever bother with any other method of cycling. They would just pour the bacteria in the tank and go.

It is sad, but in this hobby, you cannot believe everything you read on a label.

[JettsPapa]

On 2/9/2022 at 6:29 AM, Fast said:

. . . so my question is what do I do now cape crusaders?  

 You need to get your tank cycled.  You can do a fishless cycle, or a fish-in cycle.  Both will require fairly frequent testing, so I'd suggest getting a way to test your water at home instead of needing to take it to the store for testing.  Many people like the API liquid tests, but get something to test at least ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates.

While many people will disagree, I prefer fish-in.

1. First, do a water change (removing some of the existing water and replace it with fresh water) to get the ammonia down below 0.50 ppm.  Several water changes may be needed.
2. Go to the store and buy a few small hardy fish and add them to your tank.  Only after doing step 1 above, or you'll just have more dead fish.
3. Test your water daily.  Do water changes as needed to keep the ammonia and nitrites low.  Toxicity depends on your pH, but a pretty good rule of thumb is to attempt to keep the combined ammonia and nitrites below 0.50 ppm, and definitely below 1.0 ppm.
4. As your beneficial bacteria colony increases you should start to see less ammonia and more nitrites, and eventually some nitrates.  Again, keep the ammonia and nitrites low, but nitrates are much less toxic, so not as big an issue.  Mostly if you see nitrates you'll know your cycling is proceeding nicely.
5. Eventually you will see zero ammonia and nitrites, with some nitrates.  At this point your can stop the daily testing, and test less frequently (maybe once per week).  There are differing opinions on how much nitrates are too much, but I'd suggest not letting it get over 40 ppm.
6. Now you can add more fish, but just a few at a time.  Test water again daily after each time you add fish and change water as needed again (see #2 above).

[Fast]

Thanks I will try what you said

[Torrey]

On 2/9/2022 at 5:29 AM, Fast said:

I am new to the aquarium community . I have a 10 gallon tank with gravel outside filter, plastic plants. I got the tank going did quick start on the bottle it said you can put fish in right away , I have air stone in the tank clear water ph at 7.2 the water is hard so the next day I went out and got some hardy fish Zebra something all died, went to the fish store with a water sample they told me ammonia was high to use quick start for the next 4 days then every things should be fine, well 4 days goes by I did what they said again I buy some hardy fish put them in and bang all but one dies I got an api ammonia test shows ammonia at 1.0 , I do not have the ability to get a sponge filter from a seeded tank nor gravel from same so my question is what do I do now cape crusaders?  

May I ask why you are against live plants?

The reason nearly everyone in here will recommend live plants, is because the plants will literally consume the ammonia, the nitrites, and the nitrates, so the plants will protect the fish from dying, or getting ammonia burns on their gills.

The other option, if you are unable to get aquarium plants, is to get pothos and allow the pothos to suck up the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates while your aquarium is starting to grow the beneficial bacteria to control ammonia in the tank.

1. Leftover food and fish waste (urine and bowel movements) are ammonia

2. Specific nitrifying bacteria take weeks to grow a large enough bacterial colony to 'nitrify' the ammonia = to 'eat' the ammonia and the leftover waste from the bacteria eating the ammonia is nitrites.

3. De-nitrifying bacteria colonies only eat nitrites. They are slower to grow, and faster to die, in the aquarium. It will take a few more weeks for the tank to grow enough de-nitrifying bacteria to break down the nitrites into nitrates.

4. Once the tank is developing nitrates, the only ways to remove nitrates is through live plants and/or water changes.

5. The pH determines how toxic ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are for the fish. Below a naturally occurring pH of 6.0, the nitrogen cycle is not as deadly. Above 6.5 pH ammonia rapidly becomes lethal.

If you are going to have fish in the aquarium as it cycles, and you don't want live plants, then be prepared to test the water a couple of times a day for ammonia and nitrites and do water changes accordingly. 

Or, don't have  any fish in your tank and feed your tank ammonia every day to keep the ammonia levels at 1.0 ppm, until the 1 ppm ammonia is turned into 0 ppm ammonia and 1 ppm nitrites in 24 hours or less. Then keep adding ~the same level of ammonia and watch for the ammonia and nitrites to go back down to zero, and nitrates start climbing. 

At this point it is safe to get some hardy fish (ie: 3-6 small zebra danios), and see how everyone does for a month, and see if your ammonia and nitrites stay at 0 ppm. When nitrates get to 40 ppm, do a 25% water change. 

When FishTubers show tanks they just set up and immediately put fish in, watch and see if they are moving a filter over from another tank. Are they adding plants? Do they have a sponsor, so they need to tow the company line?

Apply a little critical analysis to what you read, watch, and hear.

Is your lived reality with 2 sets of fish deaths matching the writing on the bottle? Or is it closer to what we have explained in here?

I have over 4 decades of fish keeping, and my ego does not require that you believe anything that I just typed out.

I just ask, for the fish' sake, to evaluate the information you have been given, and compare it to your experience so far.