[njh31588]

I just got a new 20g about a week and a half ago. A couple days after I set it up i bought 5 tetras, 2 black mollys and 2 african dwarf frogs. Over about a weeks time 4 of the tetras died and 2 of the frogs died, one of my friends told me it was because i didnt waite for my tank to get established. I was just wondering when it would be safe to get more fish. Thanks

 

[JenThePlantGeek]

Take your water to the fish store and have them check for nitrItes and ammonia. When your nitrites and ammonia are both 0, then you should do a water change of about (20%), and you can add more fish after that. Generally cycling a fish-only tank takes roughly a month. It'll happen little by little - be patient with it!

 

[James From Cali]

You bought the fish to soon. You needed to cycle the tank. Watch the parameters very closely. Do you got a test kit? Waht the parameters?

 

[Cheesehead Cory]

Sounds like an ammonia spike, next comes the nitrite spike.

I did the same thing - bought a tank with no knowlege of the nitrogen cycle. If you want to keep the rest of your stock alive, you will have to do water changes (20-30%) almost every other day for about a month. It took that long for my tank to grow the necessary bacteria colonies to turn Ammonia into Nitrite, and NitrIte into NitrAte.

Get yourself test kits for Nitrite and Ammonia, and test daily. When either level is high (read kit instructions), do a water change.

You might want to get a nitrate kit too. Once your tank is balanced (ammonia=0 and nitrite=0), you will only have to measure Nitrate and do water changes accordingly.

 

[knuggs]

They have a product called Cycle that will help establish your tank quicker. It uses beneficial bacteria to get your nitrates and ammonia to its proper levels. I've use it all the time and it keeps your fish healthy.

 

[jebarj90]

Im very sorry that some of your fish died. You will get the hang of it. Ive got some plants you can have as well!!

 

[Cheesehead Cory]

I hope Cycle works better than the Stress-zyme I bought that was supposed to hurry things along, still took a month. Who knows, maybe it would have taken longer without.

Another thing you should do while your tank is cycling is feed very sparingly. Less food = less fish waste = less ammonia = less frequent/drastic water changes required.

Not to offend by stating the obvious, but make sure you are adding some kind of dechlorinator with each of these water changes too.