help!!!! i need help!!!

aar4545 · 07-25-2006, 08:22 AM

my 10 gallon tank has got a filter blue gravel an a cupple of ornaments.
but this week i discovered that there is this wierd grayish stuff on the gravel looks kinda like bits of tissue but its not i think its mold but im not sure and it appered 3 hours after i cleaned my tank i want to no if this stoff on the gravel will hurt my fish an how to stop it from coming back

Jay · 07-26-2006, 05:45 AM

Hi arr...

Tell us what you did to "clean your tank", and any other tank parameters you can to help us focus on what happened.

It sounds like some bio yuck (<- Highly technical term

) accumulating in your filter got into the tank. If that is the case, just vacuum it out, it will not harm the fish.

Regards,
Jay

aar4545 · 07-26-2006, 04:53 PM

well i didnt do anything special to clean the tanki just removed all the water and swooshed the gravel with tap water and whiped the inside of the tank with paper towels an filled it back up with about 7 gallons of water and put 14 drops of prime ,chlorine ,chloramine ,ammonia remover an put the ornaments back an filter to.

ps.i have 3 black phantom tetras an 3guppies in this tank

Jay · 07-27-2006, 07:28 AM

Sounds like it was just a bio-film loose from the filter, I have seen it in hang on filters.

Just a word of caution. Swishing out the gravel with tap water kills a lot of beneficial bacteria. I would vacuum instead.

Jay

aar4545 · 07-27-2006, 01:34 PM

how much dose the water vac cost

aar4545 · 08-08-2006, 04:10 PM

anybody there

drfong · 08-09-2006, 12:14 AM

a small one for a 10 gal tank about 5 bucks give or take. Walmart has them.

Hepcat021 · 08-09-2006, 09:57 AM

I got a vaccum from Psmart for about 5 bucks. It works ok I guess, I wish the hose was a bit longer. They make all sorts of sizes and I might suggest you get the step up from the 5 dollar one. The price diffrence is only a few bucks, I wish I had. Also make sure you have a large bucket or some sort of container for the water you vaccum out. Remember that you need a bucket that has not been cleaned out with soap or used to clean things using chemicals.
Also from what I am finding out on this forum you have to many fish for a 10 gallon tank. Pet shops will tell you one inch per gallon and that is not true. I have also heard one inch per two gallons, which is also wrong. Apparently it is more like one inch per 5 gallons. So really I guess I am saying don't get anymore fish unless you get a bigger aquarium.
Also do not listen to anything people at pet stores say, they want to sell fish and eqipment and that is all. They will tell you how to keep your fish alive long enough to not be able to get your money back or expired fish replaced.

Bill

aar4545 · 08-09-2006, 02:49 PM

thanks hepcat also i think my guppies r breeding when they get older how much do you think they would be worth

Hepcat021 · 08-10-2006, 01:57 AM

Sorry to say I know nothing about breeding guppies. I am a super beginner that has been diligently reading and studying about how to care for tropical fish. I do have guppies though and enjoy them throughly. Though all I have are males not any females yet. I simply do not have the money to take on breeding at this point. I have read some things on breeding out of curiousity and know that when they are born it is best to seperate them from the adults. Often adults end up eating them. In store I have seen small hanging seperating containers or you could just get a smaller seperate tank. I also read that you could do nothing and allow nature to take its course and the fittest will survive so to speak.
Again I am a beginner and I suggest you wait for more experienced advice.

BILL