How do you start and maintain a fresh water fish tank? (55 gal.)?

Question

All my starter feeder fish died. Diagnosis: Ich

Answer 1

There's a lot to cover in this question. I'm assuming you've cleaned the tank out and are planning to start over.

If you've broken the tank down to either clean everything and do a 100% water change, the tank's dried out, or you've used medication you'll probably need to start over from scratch. I'd say fill the tank, get the equipment running, and start a "fishless" cycling of your tank (more on this in website provided below). Use a water test kit to monitor your progress through the cycle.

Make sure your filter and heater are adequate for your tank size - your heater should be at least 5 watts per gallon (you can use two heaters of the same size on opposite ends at 2.5 watts per gallon) and your filter should be rated (in gallons per hour - GPH) for 5 to 10 times the volume of your tank.

While you'r waiting for the cycle to finish, test your pH and hardness. In choosing your next fish, make sure the ones you plan to get either match your water chemistry or the chemistry can be easily changed to match theirs and remain stable (such as adding crushed coral to the substrate an adding salt to keep cichlids). Also, make sure the fish will be compatible and won't overstock your tank with their sizes as adults.

Once your tank has cycled and your ammonia and nitrites are 0, you can add a few fish - 2 to 3 two inch fish at most. Wait a week and see how they do. If they're okay after a week, add 3-4 more 2" or 1-2 larger (depending on what you like to keep). Keep adding in this manner till you get what you want. DO NOT add a lot of fish at once - you still need to build the beneficial bacteria in your tank to break down the fish waste. In the meantime, do 20% water changes (more if ammonia or nitrite get too high).

Acclimate all new fish to your tank properly. Float their bags in your tank for 15 minutes. Then open your bag and pour out 1/4 of the water into a bucket (never your tank). Replace the water poured out with water from your tank and wait a few minutes. Replace 1/4 of the water and wait 3 more times, then gently net the fish and release it in your tank.

You may have been unlucky with the fish you got last time - they may have been infected at the store. Now you know what to look for in diagnosing ich. If it happens in your tank again, raise the temperature and use salt or an ich medication at the first sign - you fish should be okay if treated early. Keep up the water changes, monitor for ammonia nitrites, and nitrates, and provide lots of places for yur fish to hide. The more you do to give good water quality and remove sources of strees, the healthier your fish will be!

Lots of good info on cycling, tank maintenence on this website: http://www.fishlore.com/Beginners.htm

Excellent info on ich & treatment: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ich.php

Answer 2

maximum vital ingredient - keep the clear out and gravel moist. handle it jsut besides because of the fact the fish. then you wont have cycle issues once you place the tank up returned. Get a bout 3 enormous buckets or cooler packing containers, with lids. 3/4 fill 2 of them with tank water and positioned the fish on one. positioned the clear out media and embellishes in the different. Drain the tank, then positioned the gravel in the 0.33 one with some water to maintain it moist. Now load everyting up and flow. on the hot homestead set up the tank and top off it with conditioned water. upload some heat water to get the temp maximum stunning rapidly and permit it settle for an hour or so. Then positioned the fish returned in. when you consider which you appeared after the clear out and gravel you will nonetheless have ninety% of your cycle micro organism, and ninety% water replace isn't a controversy. Ian Edit: The water isn't significant, the cycle micro organism are, yet they dont stay in the water, they stay in the clear out. New water won't disappointed the cycle.

Answer 3

that is nornmal for the first 30 days just be patient and use gold fish to cycle the tank after the 30 days do a 25% water change and remove gold fish and then you can get the ones yuo want remember the rule 1 inche of fisher per 1 gallon of water and for gold fish it to gallons of water

Answer 4

read a fish book
'

Answer 5

well you buy fish, buy a filter and aeration filter, buy rocks and VOILA! instant fish tank! XD