Help With Neon Tetras Dying Please

[DrawsWithLight]

UPDATE: I've added the Seachem and tested the water with the API kit







I'm getting 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite and 20 (or 10, it's hard to tell?!) Nitrate. Am I correct in thinking the tank is cycled? I guess that the Nitrates would have been higher before the water change yesterday.

[LookoutTrout]

It certainly looks healthy but not necessarily cycled, I'd stop the daily water changes but still do daily testing.

[John Linklater]

How are the remaining neons doing now? I take it you’ve been using a de chlorinater when doing water changes.

[DrawsWithLight]

How are the remaining neons doing now? I take it you’ve been using a de chlorinater when doing water changes.

They seem ok. Yes I've been using dechlorinator, adding it to the bucket when filling.

[John Linklater]

Thank you for the feedback. I changed the water yesterday, the test kit and Seachem are arriving today so will see what happens over the coming weeks!

When you put the bacteria from Maidenhead in the tank, how long afterwards did you add the fish, and did you add an ammonia source before the fish (such as bottled ammonia or fish food) . Could be that they died because your tank was cycling and now it’s cycled but that’s a guess and it does seem really quick to be fully cycled. Like Lookouttrout advised just keep testing and keep up with water changes.

[DrawsWithLight]

Thank you for the feedback. I changed the water yesterday, the test kit and Seachem are arriving today so will see what happens over the coming weeks!

When you put the bacteria from Maidenhead in the tank, how long afterwards did you add the fish, and did you add an ammonia source before the fish (such as bottled ammonia or fish food) . Could be that they died because your tank was cycling and now it’s cycled but that’s a guess and it does seem really quick to be fully cycled. Like Lookouttrout advised just keep testing and keep up with water changes.

2 weeks but I didn't add any ammonia. For the first two weeks I added the Thera P and Special Blend (as per their instructions) then once the first fish were in started with Nite-Out (see below). I'm not really sure what the first two product do and if they contain beneficial bacteria to start the cycle but in hindsight I wish I had got the Seachem products, for me, it seems clearer what each product of theirs does. I followed what MA advised, thinking that if anything went wrong, which it has, they couldn't blame it on me! If had got the API kit instead of the test strips, which is now apparent they don't work, I might have realised things weren't right?! The instructions for the Nite-Out says keep adding until Ammonia and Nitrite levels are no longer measurable, the sticks weren't showing any A or N so I maybe stopped adding the product too early?



I've tested the water today and I'm getting the same results as yesterday. It's been 6 weeks today since I set the aquarium up so perhaps it is cycled now?

[John Linklater]

Thank you for the feedback. I changed the water yesterday, the test kit and Seachem are arriving today so will see what happens over the coming weeks!

When you put the bacteria from Maidenhead in the tank, how long afterwards did you add the fish, and did you add an ammonia source before the fish (such as bottled ammonia or fish food) . Could be that they died because your tank was cycling and now it’s cycled but that’s a guess and it does seem really quick to be fully cycled. Like Lookouttrout advised just keep testing and keep up with water changes.

2 weeks but I didn't add any ammonia. For the first two weeks I added the Thera P and Special Blend (as per their instructions) then once the first fish were in started with Nite-Out (see below). I'm not really sure what the first two product do and if they contain beneficial bacteria to start the cycle but in hindsight I wish I had got the Seachem products, for me, it seems clearer what each product of theirs does. I followed what MA advised, thinking that if anything went wrong, which it has, they couldn't blame it on me! If had got the API kit instead of the test strips, which is now apparent they don't work, I might have realised things weren't right?! The instructions for the Nite-Out says keep adding until Ammonia and Nitrite levels are no longer measurable, the sticks weren't showing any A or N so I maybe stopped adding the product too early?



I've tested the water today and I'm getting the same results as yesterday. It's been 6 weeks today since I set the aquarium up so perhaps it is cycled now?

Had a quick look and they all seem to be different bacteria products. The subtleties of what each one does are lost on me I’m afraid. If I’m struggling with the chemistry of it or water quality I just ask on here. Most folk have problems when they start their first aquarium or (like me) start one after a long absence from the hobby so the good news is you’ve learnt a bit and got some good kit in the API master test . Just keep an eye on it and at least you’ll know when things aren’t right. One other thing to look at is your ph, which is something I didn’t pay attention to until it crashed and killed a fish, it should remain fairly similar if you’re doing big enough water changes. This site is a great resource if you run into problems.

[SPACKlick]

So for reference

• Microbe Lift - Special Blend is a water conditioner with claims of bacterial culture to break down plant waste into harmless nitrogen and sulphur products.
• Microbe Lift - Thera P is a "bacteria in a bottle" product that aims to promote the bacteria not directly involved in the nitrogen cycle to outcompete harmful bacteria in the water
• Microbe Lift - Nite-Out is a standard Bacterial starter culture of Nitrosomonas, Nitrobacter and Nitro Spira to kick start the nitrogen cycle.

The first two I suspect are little more than snake oil although Special Blend does have dechlorinator in it. The last is a little more than snake oil, it appears to contain detectable quantities of the bacteria listed, but there's absolutely no evidence that it works and I've personally never found a bacteria in a bottle that was actually reliable. The best bacterial starter is a clipping of sponge (Or whole sponge) from a healthy tank.

Other than that the best advice in this early stage of the tank is to keep monitoring the water. Over time slow down the water changes to see if Ammonia or Nitrite are going up without your intervention. If they're stable at 0 you're cycled. Here's hoping you're over the big speed bump and the tank gets easier from here.

[DrawsWithLight]

Thank you for the feedback. I changed the water yesterday, the test kit and Seachem are arriving today so will see what happens over the coming weeks!

When you put the bacteria from Maidenhead in the tank, how long afterwards did you add the fish, and did you add an ammonia source before the fish (such as bottled ammonia or fish food) . Could be that they died because your tank was cycling and now it’s cycled but that’s a guess and it does seem really quick to be fully cycled. Like Lookouttrout advised just keep testing and keep up with water changes.

2 weeks but I didn't add any ammonia. For the first two weeks I added the Thera P and Special Blend (as per their instructions) then once the first fish were in started with Nite-Out (see below). I'm not really sure what the first two product do and if they contain beneficial bacteria to start the cycle but in hindsight I wish I had got the Seachem products, for me, it seems clearer what each product of theirs does. I followed what MA advised, thinking that if anything went wrong, which it has, they couldn't blame it on me! If had got the API kit instead of the test strips, which is now apparent they don't work, I might have realised things weren't right?! The instructions for the Nite-Out says keep adding until Ammonia and Nitrite levels are no longer measurable, the sticks weren't showing any A or N so I maybe stopped adding the product too early?



I've tested the water today and I'm getting the same results as yesterday. It's been 6 weeks today since I set the aquarium up so perhaps it is cycled now?

Had a quick look and they all seem to be different bacteria products. The subtleties of what each one does are lost on me I’m afraid. If I’m struggling with the chemistry of it or water quality I just ask on here. Most folk have problems when they start their first aquarium or (like me) start one after a long absence from the hobby so the good news is you’ve learnt a bit and got some good kit in the API master test . Just keep an eye on it and at least you’ll know when things aren’t right. One other thing to look at is your ph, which is something I didn’t pay attention to until it crashed and killed a fish, it should remain fairly similar if you’re doing big enough water changes. This site is a great resource if you run into problems.

I always think you learn more from mistakes, it's a shame 6 fish suffered for it! PH is 7.6, I wouldn't have thought to keep an eye on that so thanks for the heads up.

[DrawsWithLight]

So for reference

• Microbe Lift - Special Blend is a water conditioner with claims of bacterial culture to break down plant waste into harmless nitrogen and sulphur products.
• Microbe Lift - Thera P is a "bacteria in a bottle" product that aims to promote the bacteria not directly involved in the nitrogen cycle to outcompete harmful bacteria in the water
• Microbe Lift - Nite-Out is a standard Bacterial starter culture of Nitrosomonas, Nitrobacter and Nitro Spira to kick start the nitrogen cycle.

The first two I suspect are little more than snake oil although Special Blend does have dechlorinator in it. The last is a little more than snake oil, it appears to contain detectable quantities of the bacteria listed, but there's absolutely no evidence that it works and I've personally never found a bacteria in a bottle that was actually reliable. The best bacterial starter is a clipping of sponge (Or whole sponge) from a healthy tank.

Other than that the best advice in this early stage of the tank is to keep monitoring the water. Over time slow down the water changes to see if Ammonia or Nitrite are going up without your intervention. If they're stable at 0 you're cycled. Here's hoping you're over the big speed bump and the tank gets easier from here.

Thank you for the comprehensive reply, it's very helpful. It's even more obvious to me now that the tank hadn't cycled given the first two products weren't doing much!

The next question I was going to ask is how often should I clean the filter (Fluval 307)? I'm conscious now that cleaning it could upset the bacteria balance (I'm aware you should clean the media with tank water)? I've got a Fluval Pro Vac gravel cleaner and that gets pretty grubby after a pass around the tank.