FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Heres what happened. . .

I just bought a ten gallon tank oh say about two-three weeks ago, and put my betta, and three cories to cycle it, but I am kinda lost. . .I have lost a cory already and one doesn't look so good, right now the remaining two are in my one gallon quarentine tank till tommorow when I can buy a Nitrite testing kit (I have an ammonia one and the level is really low so that must not be the problem :%) ), and I am thinking it must be high nitrate levels. So tommorow I can update you guys on that, though I am scared it will be really high and I don't know what to do in order to lower the nitrate levels. . .HELP! Also Swimmi my betta has a mild case of pop-eye and I plan on buying his meds tommorow, though is it ok to treat him with the others or should I quarentine him while treatment?

Cories and bettas are not good cycling fish as they're sensitive and not so hardy, especially when encountering dangerously high levels of toxins.

Keep your fish in the fresh water, so they can get some oxygen back into their blood and let the gills heal.

Your fish most likely encountered either high levels of ammonia and/or nitrite, as you suspected.

How long was this tank set up with the fish in it? Your best bet would be to either cycle with hardier fish, or do a fishless cycle. You could also take gravel/filter media from an established tank to speed it up/

Someone certainly gave you the wrong info re cycling that tank.

Can you take the Cories and the Betta out and place them into a cycled tank. I had my Betta in a fry net for at least a month while I finished and set up my Betta tank.

Zebra Danios are a good cycling fish.

Certainly use the meds and add a soft airation if they are going into a smaller tank.

Please keep us posted about the progress you are doing.

Have a look in [link=My Profile]http://
www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/profile.asp?userid=6741" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link] for my tank info

[link=Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos]http://photobucket.com/albums/b209/keithgh/Betta%20desktop%20tank/" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link]

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Well the only "cycled tank" I have is the one gallon in which all three are in there, one cory is practically dying. . .how would I do a fishless cycle? My betta is pretty hardy though, he lived through ich, going into shock (water inbalances) and now popeye/high nitrate amounts. I know it can't be my ammonia levels, because I bought a testing kit for that, and have been testing it regularely. (sp?) Otherwise are there any "hardy" fish that I can put in with the betta and the cory (eventually) that will cycle the tank? I would prefer cherry barbs or platies or rasboras as those were the ones I was leaning towards in the future (but certainly not all three ) And it's a new tank. . .I pretty much got it set up with gravel and decorations and such and then put the betta in, hoping he would cycle the tank (and I did my research on it though it's um not working so well )

Ok now I am really confused. . .:%)

I just bought two cherry barbs to cycle the tank (the one cory died so now I am down to one )so it's just them and the one cory, but I tested my water for Nitrite, and it's at like zero! So I am really confused as to what is killing my fish! My betta can't have. . .(he's in solitary confinement as of late being treated for popeye) and now I am wondering if they starved to death. . .the two origional cories I mean, though I fed them regularely every day, I noticed the food wasn't disappearing, so perhaps they simply starved? And I hope not! I bought sinking pellets just for them, and now I am feeding my barbs flake food. . .odd

So you have 2 Cherry Barbs, 1 Betta & 1 Corydoras?. Am i correct?.
Do a fishless cycle in the 10 gal. tank & then add the fish when the tank is ready.



http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/s8xi5heh/my_photos
http://www.geocities.com/s8xi5heh/classic_blue.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buzaqq/
http://www.deathbydyeing.org/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

We have probably all done this at one point or another. The fish-less cycle is a really good idea. Wish I had known about it when I got my first tank. Along with ammonia and nitrite it is good to have a nitrate test kit. The cycle is done when the readings are:
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate on the rise, usually 10

The betta may have been sick before going in and the stress of cycling could have caused him problems. Cory's are not hardy enough to cycle a tank. They do great in a tank that is fully cycled. Add 'cycle' or 'biospira' or Seachem Stability to help with the ammonia. There is no safe level of ammonia. Salt will also help the fish get through the cycle. It helps with the symptoms of nitrite poisoning. Good luck.

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus

Test your water again, run the gambit, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.

Cherry barbs aren't the best at cycling a tank either, might be worth the life of the fish to bring them back and figure out what happened to the first batch before putting more in jeopardy.

If all the food from the first batch was sitting around, it was decaying and producing ammonia. Great for the cycle, bad for the fish

Post back with test results please.