New aquariums-new keeper.

OK sorry about this but here I go again.

As some of you know I have already been through the cycling process with a 240 liter tank so at this stage I think I now whats involved.

My problem is with a small fry tank which is about 16" x 8" by 10" high with a Fluval 1 filter, heater,pea gravel and marbles at the bottom.Set up on day one with mature tank water and waited for maturity.
Tank matured and regular readings were all as they should be so I added 6 Guppies. All still well. Babies were born. Adults removed. All well for a week or so and moved the babies to another tank within the main tank.
Now no matter what I do the readings are up and down like a hooker's knickers. I know you can have a case of sudden overstocking but 25 fry in a mature tank like this ? What am I missing.

I am rinsing the sponge(in tank water of course) and I agitate the substrate every so often to get the muck up out of it.
I could be cleaning too much but am consious of the uneaten food lying around. Are these sponge filters a good idea ?

Please help....I obviously didn't learn enough the first time.

Processor.

When you say your readings are up & down, which readings are you referring to.
It seems that you have enough knowledge to cycle & as you say it should work. But if readings fluctuate to extremes(more than 0.2 then you have a deficeincy somewhere.
At a geuss I would say that there is a diffrence cycling a small tank and a large tank. In the large tank syndrome continuos feeding is what keeps the readings maintained, together with water changes for removing excess nitrate. In this small tank is it the feeding that is disturbing the balance, are you using high protein food for the nippers?.
I would assume that if the tank was cycling no problem when you had the mummies in it then the only diffrence would be food consumption.
For example
6 fish 0.1 gram food each 0.6 gram per day
25 nippers intake 0.01 each intake therefore 0.25 gram
The diffrence is that if you continue to feed the 0.6 gram then the filter must agitate & re-gurgitate the food in smaller particles, this in turn may encourage the fish to eat the smaller particles & leave the 0.25gm to do the re-gurging cycle again, which inevitable will produce algae as thats the only way excess food can be disintigrated without the fish re-cycling it.
Fine particles are very hard for us to see, but fish are very small and they can see it, eat it & also eat algae which in turn produces more nutrients.
If this is the problem & I suspect that it is then, Firstly cut feeding dramatically, but dont stop. secondly use a complete filter pad from your mature filter to reduce ammonia & nitrate levels, and a graeter exposure to light to encourage the growth of the algae, which will eat the excess food.
You will know when the algae disapears that the un-used nutrients are then gone & you can resume feeding at the correct level.

i would also reccomend some type of disinfectant to ensure that the fry are not overwhelmed by the algae eating process which can lead to fungus growth through the poor water quality as you put it before.
Let me know the story
Regards

Thanks for the reply Mal.

Readings I spoke of were Nitrate 10 but Nitrite through the roof and not a peep out of ammonia. Zero zero zero. I was expecting to suffer fatalities due to Nitrite poisoning but thankfully not.
Having read your reply I would agree about the feeding. My main concern was of the fry not having enough food. I am probably giving them 5 or maybe 10 times what they need.

Discipline it is then. Strict rations... wartime style.

Will let you know the outcome as the week goes on .

Thanks again Mal.
Processor.

Add some salt for the nitrite. Sodium chloride coats their gills stopping them absorbing nitrite and getting blood poisoning. I can`t remember the ratio but I thing it was 1t/spoon to every 40 litres but I could be wrong.
Somebody might have the proper formular.

I'll try that now before head-down.

Thanks Anthony.

Processor.
Ps. Remembered earlier today that when I bought the tank the guy in the shop told me that because it was a small tank it would cycle in about 3 days.
I hate the expression but 'oh my God' .

Volume for salt as a disinfectant is 1% salt by volume 1 gram per litre
though with fry I wouldnt go that far. 0.005 would be sufficient 1/2 gram per litre
regards

Volume for salt as a disinfectant is 1% salt by volume 1 gram per litre
though with fry I wouldnt go that far. 0.005 would be sufficient 1/2 gram per litre
regards

It`s not being used as a disinfectant but as a guard against nitrite blood poisoning.
I will look for my discus diary that I used to keep. It has notes about treatment in it.

There is a complicated formular but the general gist is....

3 x teaspoons per 40 litres.

I used one level spoon dissolved in hot water and put it in after a 70% water change.
Seems OK tonight but will be keeping a close eye.

Thanks for the help lads.
Processor.

OK thanks for your help and advice lads.
Everything seems to be alright now NO2 zero and NO3 just starting to register so I must be on my way with this one.
Was obviously feeding the fry way way too much and the addition of salt may have saved them some discomfort.

Many thanks again,

Processor.

It takes a good man to find his mistakes & a better man to implement the soloution.
Regards

It takes a good man to find his mistakes & a better man to implement the soloution.
Regards

And a complete gobshite to mess it up again !

Massive NO2 and NO3 spike yesterday.... and I mean massive.
Did an 80 water change with water from the main tank(couldn't wait for water to heat up (am I the only one whose work sometimes suffers from fish keeping? ) and will probably change again today with fresh treated water.

The only change to the tank was an addition of 3 small 1.5" sucking loach I got from a garden center. Only got them to get them out of the situation they were in. Let's just say garden center's should stick to plants.

Would these 3 little lads have made this much difference so quickly or am I missing something. They were added at about 11am Friday with good'ish water - NO2 zero never had an NO2 problem with this tank and NO3 only trace on it's way to zero.I tested the water again at about 2pm yesterday(Saturday) when I discovered the rise.

I keep thinking the Fluval 1 sponge filter is not doing the job but this sounds like a workman blaming his tools. I know I'll get it perfect with an additional filter but in a small tank this size it seems a bit daft.

Processor.

your problem is that you done too much of a water change. & destroyed the cycle. Take a filter from your mature tank & put it in the other. Dont do any water change & use the salt as above wait three days before testing & doing water change ONLY IF NECCESSARY and then ONLY % at a time MAX
regards