scary bubble omen... im a noob, HELP!?

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Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


djsnowman06
 
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:29 pm

scary bubble omen... im a noob, HELP!?

by djsnowman06

ive got a 23 inch bubble wal in my 18 gal tank. the surface of the water is covered it wat looks like soap bubbles. i know what ur thinking, the is no soap in the water. im currently in a tank cycle ( 1-2 weeks ) also there is very small bubbles floating around in there too making it look cloudy. could this be from the bubble wall alone and if so would putting it on the timer with my light remedy this with no ill effects? what do u guys think?


natalie265
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Re: scary bubble omen... im a noob, HELP!?

by natalie265

No, i don't think this is the bubble wall. I've seen tanks with lots of air stones and perfectly clear, suds free water. It might have something to do with your tank cycling. Are you cycling with fish or without? What are your readings on ammonia, nitrate and nitrite?


djsnowman06
 
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:29 pm

Re: scary bubble omen... im a noob, HELP!?

by djsnowman06

i have fish, im cycling with bottled bacteria which i use every time i do water changes, as per the instructions. the fish are completely healthy it seems. i dont have a test kit yet but ive been keeping to a %20 change every 2nd or 3rd day just to keep ammonia and nitrite levels below toxic. the brand of antichlorine and bacteria i use is nutrafin - aqua plus and cycle, respectivly. could it be the products?


natalie265
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Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm

Re: scary bubble omen... im a noob, HELP!?

by natalie265

Chlorine removers don't cause that, but maybe it's the bacteria stuff. I've never used it, so i can't say.

That's great that you are doing frequent water changes, but i'd still recommend a test kit. It's pretty important, especially while your tank is cycling. You want to be aware of raising ammonia levels BEFORE it starts to affect your fish's health, not after.


djsnowman06
 
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:29 pm

Re: scary bubble omen... im a noob, HELP!?

by djsnowman06

the bubbles seem to have subsided ... i have had one casualty but that was due to an accident with the pump grill ...sadly . i did buy the cheap test kits for ammonia/ammonium and pH. the nh3 doesnt usually rise above 1ppm but the pH always reads between 7 and 7.6. is this bad?


natalie265
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Re: scary bubble omen... im a noob, HELP!?

by natalie265

1.0 is really high for ammonia. Deadly high. It is normal to have some ammonia at the beginning of your cycle, but you should do bigger water changes to keep it down below...i would say aim for .25, but maybe someone else can weigh in on that. When you finish cycling your ammonia reading should be zero.

What fish do you have in there currently? Don't be tempted to add any more fish (including replacing the one that died) until you finish the cycle.

By the way, as for the bottled bacteria, i'm pretty dubious as to its efficacy.


djsnowman06
 
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:29 pm

Re: scary bubble omen... im a noob, HELP!?

by djsnowman06

OH i didnt realize NH was that bad. the test card goes to 8ppm. i just did todays test and it was at .50 ppm. the pH is also dropping ... maybe its to do with my cycle? anywho the bubble seem to be comming from my chlorine remover and disappear within a week.


djsnowman06
 
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:29 pm

Re: scary bubble omen... im a noob, HELP!?

by djsnowman06

oh sorry i didnt see the question about the fish. we just bought an angel yesturday so thats a fail on not getting new fish. we also have a tiger barb and serpae tetra. i kno that u probably think the tiger is a nussiance, and youd be right , but only to the tetra who is also being a nussiance to him. everyone seems happy enough.as for the water change im thinking about a big %50 that'll drop it a good bit i would figure ... also gives me time to add more substrate. what do you think of this idea?


natalie265
Site Admin
 
Posts: 746
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm

Re: scary bubble omen... im a noob, HELP!?

by natalie265

Yes, i think a 50% water change is a good idea. Keep monitoring your water and continue performing water changes as needed to keep ammonia and nitrite levels in acceptable ranges. It will probably take another three weeks or so before you have a healthy colony of bacteria converting all the toxic stuff to nitrates. Hopefully you don't lose any more fish in the process. Meanwhile, don't add any more fish and don't mess with the filter.

One thing you can do to get around the three week wait is check with anyone you know who already has an established fish tank. Ask if they have any filter media they can give you. If someone is willing to donate a small amount of their filter media (up to 25% shouldn't have a big impact on their tank) it would help your cause greatly. Just make sure it doesn't dry out, or get too hot or cold during the transfer.


djsnowman06
 
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:29 pm

Re: scary bubble omen... im a noob, HELP!?

by djsnowman06

ok thanks for all the advice . really appreciate it all :)

scary bubble omen... im a noob, HELP!?

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