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i did everything wrong bougt a 28g aqaurium ,bougt fish 4 tiger barbs 2 african featherfin ,red tail shark and started to read about aqauriums after 7 days am i still going to get true that cycling without losing all my fish i test my water everyday and my levels are

temp 76
ph 7.6
ammonia 0.50
nitrite 0
nitrate 0

Your tank is still cycling so hang in there. once your ammonia levels start to drop you will see your nitrites rise and then they should both drop to 0 and your nitrates should rise. once you have no ammonia or nitrite readings your tank is cycled.
watch the ammonia levels as you are heavily stocked for a cycling period. if the ammonia creeps into the high range then i would do a water change to bring the level down.

i just googled your featherfin catfish and these grow to 8 inches. your tank is too small for these and you prob should either rehouse them in at least a 55g tank or take them back to the fish shop.

the red tail sharks may also get too big for your size tank someone here with more experience with these should post here but they can get up to 5 inch and are extremely territorial and aggressive, the barbs would mix in well with these fish though.

what equipment are you using

---

Truth doesn't always win friends but it influences them

If things can be done wrong you certainly have done it big time. BUT for some reason every thing is going good for you at the moment. It will be the long term that matters. Are all the fish small if so this might be in your favour? I would remove the RTBS and the Featherfin immmediatly and let the tank continue to cycle with the Barbs.
To help add extra airation (airstone) this will help a little. Do you have any live plants if not get some cheap floating plants or any leafy plant that will float.
One very BIG thing you have done is contact FP keep coming back when ever you require help or look at many of the posts as you can.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

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Keith

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all my fish are juveniles and i don't no why they did not tell me anything about the fish but the told me to wait three weeks for live plants i have a 28 gallon bowfront from topfin with a power filter for 30 gallon and a Neptune submersible heater
how do i bring my fish back to the store ???

this are mistakes i never going to make again

Hi,
You can plant, plants at any time before, during, or after
the cycling process. To make a difference in the cycling
process, you would have to have a really heavily planted
tank full. It would have to be a lush green, thriving
jungle, to make a difference. In a tank like that, that is
new, the plants can take up the nitrate so fast that you
don't see the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate peaks leaving
you wondering where you are in the cycle and is it ever
going to cycle. When, in fact, it has, and you just never
saw it.

I seriously doubt that you are going to plant the tank
that heavily.

As far as taking the fish back is concerned, you will
have to speak with someone at the LFS telling them that
your tank is too small for this particular fish and that
you want to return it, for credit, toward something more
suitable.

As far as the others are concerned, watch their behavior.
If they stop eating, start gasping at the surface, or are
laying around on the bottom, then the water is "bad" for
them and the cycling process is affecting them. At that
point either your ammonia or nitrite readings are too high
and you will have to do a 30-50% water change to protect
the fish. Be sure to use water conditioner on the
replacement water to remove the chlorine and chloramine
from it.

Once we start cycling with fish, we try not to do a water
change as that dilutes the organics in the water and will
lengthen the time it takes for a tank to cycle. However,
the health of the fish is more important.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

thanks for the advice
i brought my two featherfin catfish back to the store so for now i have left three tiger barbs and one red tail shark he is verry litle for the moment so i am trying to keep him and i'm really going to read as much as i can


thanks again and i keep you updated

Hi Kaboke,
the RTBS may or may not work. One thing is certain,
it will probably not tolerate the cycle well.
These fish dont have scales, so are very very susceptible
to dying because of water conditions.
Here is a great article on cycling for you,
it may help.
During cycling, I would recommend doing
small 20% water changes with no gravel vaccuum,
every 3 days to keep the ammonia .50 or lower.
Your cycle will take longer, but your fish will
remain healthier.
Dont be too hard on yourself - we all were beginners
at one time and most of us all made the exact
same mistakes.
http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin-cycling.html

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