# new to keeping fish made a mistake!!!!



## littlejohn92 (Aug 8, 2013)

So I got a fish tank and fish without doing my research first kind of a spur of the moment buy. Well I set the tank up and added all the fish I like the verry same day with out cycling or checking water or anything its been about a week and ive lost one fish so far a little platy  hoping my tank and fish will be fine I changed about 20% of the water yesterday and getting a test kit later today give me some advice please 
36 gal bow front with 3 live plants 4 sword tails 
6 neon tetras 
2 platys
3 black skirt tetra? I think 
2 golden goraumis


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Change more water!Use good dechlorinator and try to get replacement water same temp as tank.The % of water you change is the % the nutrients will be removed.The first nutrient you will have to deal with ammonia.It can get extremely high.Try not to let it go over 1ppm since you are now cycling "fish in".The % thing waorks with all nutrients so after ammonia will(should) be nitrite,don't let them go over 1ppm either.
So for now ,without test results I say change more water.
Get liquid API master kit as most here are familiar with them and say they work well.


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## littlejohn92 (Aug 8, 2013)

Thanks ill update when I find out what the test says. How long would you say it would take to cycle the tank with this many fish in a brand new tank


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Very diffacult to predict but I'll geuss you could be done in 3 weeks?You have a decent load in tank so keep an eye on what the test say.


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## littlejohn92 (Aug 8, 2013)

Okay my test results are 
Ammonia .25 ppm
Nitrite 2ppm
Nitrate 0ppm


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Looking pretty good!The nitirtes are good sign that ammonia is being converted.Don't let the nitrites go any higher,but you may be able to wait on change till tomorrow.50% tomorrow at least though to knock them back down to around 1ppm.
We really want to see nitrates as this will be the final conversion,but you're moving right along for new tank.


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## littlejohn92 (Aug 8, 2013)

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## littlejohn92 (Aug 8, 2013)

New test results 
Ph 7.4
Ammonia .50ppm
Nitrite .55ppm
Nitrate 10


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## littlejohn92 (Aug 8, 2013)

Lost one of my male swordtails to


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## littlejohn92 (Aug 8, 2013)

And the results were right after my water change like not even 5 min dnt know if that has any affect or not


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

How much water did you change?And test like an hour after just for balance?


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## littlejohn92 (Aug 8, 2013)

About 50% give or take


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Sorry to hear about your sword!The test seemed to indicate you are moving right along.You have a pretty large bio load to cycle with so some losses may occur,but you may cycle faster than most also.Keep up on test and waterchanges.Test before water change and like an hour after for comparison.


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