Topic: loss of firemouth

[Gerry]

what type of filter is on it?

You maybe able to transfer some from that to your newer setup

[dr. cichlidae]

It's a whisper 60 hang on the outside filter. how do i go about doing it. at this point i'm willing to do whatever it takes make sure the rest of my fish survive my screw up of not properly cycling their tank.

[Gerry]

I'm not sure of the set up of that filter so will try and give you ideas that you can do.

If it has media you can remove then take a small amount and swap it into your fluval.

If you can't remove the media then you could try cleaning the media in a small amount of old tank water and then pour that water into your fluval media, when cleaning media you lose a small amount of the bacteria growth and this way you should be adding the loss to your new filter, yes, it will be dirty but that's something you can sort in a month or so

[dr. cichlidae]

Ok i'll be doing a 50% water change in an hour or so and will introduce media from into the fluval at that time also will be taking water sample to get tested at lfs. i'm thinking everyone has hit on something as far as not being cycled correctly as water is cloudy as all get out.

[Gerry]

Cloud white I take it,,bacterial bloom

[dr. cichlidae]

So since i need to build up more bacteria is a bacteria bloom a good thing

[Gerry]

Go by water readings, the bloom is something that happens as bacteria colonise the water looking for somewhere to call home.

It will not be all the types you need so still seed the tank if you can

[dr. cichlidae]

K, just left lfs here are my readings ammonia .5, nitrates 80, nitrates off the charts of 10 or more and ph, alkalinity, and hardness all within normal range. also bought some melafix some dechlorinator, some pleco food an albino chocolate pleco and 6 neon tetras. see what you guyus do to me and why i hate going to the lfs?!!

[Dale]

K, just left lfs here are my readings ammonia .5, nitrates 80, nitrates off the charts of 10 or more and ph, alkalinity, and hardness all within normal range. also bought some melafix some dechlorinator, some pleco food an albino chocolate pleco and 6 neon tetras. see what you guyus do to me and why i hate going to the lfs?!!

I would say that Joe was right and your tank is cycling now. You really need to get that ammonia, and nitrite under control   
and down as low as you can with daily water changes, asap, before you start loosing more fish.
   You've put nitrates for both tests, I take it you mean the "nitrites" were off the chart? Nitrates at 80 ppm is very high also.

[Gerry]

Large water change  is needed to get these numbers down.

Last thing you should be doing just now is adding fish

[dr. cichlidae]

Yes i get nitrates and nitrites confused all the time. water change in process right now and the new fish are for the little woman's tank. i promised her some neons. and i thought an albino chocolate pleco would look really cool when he gets a little bigger.

[Gerry]

Gotya 

The fact you have nitrate means you have the types bacteria you need, so we just need to keep an eye on the water until things stabilize 

[dr. cichlidae]

Do i keep doing daily water changes? did a 50% last night and this morning water is near crystal clear.

[Dale]

I would say so but you really need a test kit so you can check it daily until it stabilizes. It's a piece of kit you really can't do with out.

[dr. cichlidae]

Well i do have the dumb strips but i am beginning to see changes in the colors. feel like i'm finally starting to make some possitive headway.