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I have just started up a 29 gallon tank, all I have is the power filter on the back, I am afraid that the water is not moving much and not much air being put back into the water. What do I do? My ten gallon always had the under gravel filter to move water and add air. thanks

What is the make and model of the filter? Also, what inhabits the tank. Let us know those 2 things and then we can help you.

In my tank I have 2 guppies, 4neons, 2black neons, I did have 2 swordtails but within the past two days they died?? Not sure why and 4 tiny plattys. the make/model is topfin30. I don't know much about tanks, I am trying to learn as I go but don't want to lose any of my fish. Thank you for your help

It's possible that you just got a bad stock of swordtails.

The filter should be appropriate for your tank. You said that you just started this tank. Did you cycle it?

Last edited by Corydoran at 03-Feb-2005 14:10

Well, I had only read a few books and watched a video about starting a tank. I washed everything, set it up and let it run for a week. I had added a couple of fake plants from the old tank and a couple of handfuls of gravel from the old one. Then I took a water sample to the pet store and then said it was ready so I bought 6 fish, they were doing great so a week later I bought the rest and now here I am. I guess I was wondering if I should buy an air stone or put in an undergravel filter. Or maybe the tank is just fine and ???? thank you though

you'll fins it incredably hard to install a UGF now the gravel is down..

keep an eye on your tank. tran a HOB filter. of your really worried get a bigger filter than you have now.

no such thing as too much filtration

Let's see if I've got this in the right order. You set up the tank and added some fake plants(from a tank or new?) and a handful of gravel from an established tank. Waited a week then added fish. Waited another week then added more fish.

If that's right then by the time you added any fish the bacteria in the gravel had starved to death. It needs a constant food supply to stay alive meaning ammonia needs to be generated daily. Your fish lasted 1 week while the ammonia slowly climbed and they died when you added more fish which made the already high ammonia climb even faster. If you add gravel from an established tank you need to add a small amount of hardy fish with it and wait a few weeks before adding anything else. One of the most useful things right now might be an ammonia test kit to actually see if what your adding is doing any good or if you need to do a water change to save the fish. The other options are get a bottle of NIC or biospira or else add a ton of live plants to suck up some of the ammonia. If the petstore tested the water that never had any fish in then they wouldn't get any ammonia or nitrite readings anyway.