water cloudiness

[Jamilw1989]

Definitely would go buy some puripads from gerwin. Should be all that you would need to run. Some water will come out the faucet kinda cloudy looking, sometimes just from air in pipes, but being on well water there might be some kind of elevated levels. Would definitely start using ro/di water.

i am on city water

[Chef Steve]

Ha ha that would be my fault. I seen post about u staying a good distance away and figured. I would b more worried about using city water than well. I had a problem with my water at my old place with city water. Mine smelled like chlorine really bad. Ro/di definitely would help understanding ur water parameters by limiting amount of minerals and other elements from water. Hope everything works out. Keep us informed.

[Jamilw1989]

Ha ha that would be my fault. I seen post about u staying a good distance away and figured. I would b more worried about using city water than well. I had a problem with my water at my old place with city water. Mine smelled like chlorine really bad. Ro/di definitely would help understanding ur water parameters by limiting amount of minerals and other elements from water. Hope everything works out. Keep us informed.

Our water does smell pretty bad but i treat it with Amomo Lock and PH Correct before i up it in the tank.

[Jamilw1989]

all but one fish is dead and the one thats still alive is covered from head to fin with ick. but he is swimming around and eatting he just looks awful.

[Gerwin]

You as well as many other folks gotta break out of the habit of thinking there is a pill to fix everything (ammo lock etc). The fix is PATIENCE! take your time do it right, don't be in a big hurry. In the shooting sports we got a saying "you cant miss fast enough", if you understand it then this new saying should make sense "you can't kill fast enough"think about it, if I try to go to fast when shooting targets I will get misses, sure I went really fast but at what cost? aquariums are no different....sure you can set them up and put fish in them really fast , but at what cost? just to kill fish quicker?

[Shadow1]

During the holiday one of my children wanted to see old pictures of them young 29 years ago. Found pictures of twin 55's on one stand one salt one fresh. Even that long ago the first rule of aquarium keeping was take your time. Just because God did it in 6 days does not mean we can. Seeing the old filter systems that were state of the art then compared to now is unreal. I never new anyone to be successful waiting till their water changed colors to do a water change. Listen to the folks on this site they are telling you straight. Petsmart sells good dog food cheap and gives away very little good advice

[Jamilw1989]

During the holiday one of my children wanted to see old pictures of them young 29 years ago. Found pictures of twin 55's on one stand one salt one fresh. Even that long ago the first rule of aquarium keeping was take your time. Just because God did it in 6 days does not mean we can. Seeing the old filter systems that were state of the art then compared to now is unreal. I never new anyone to be successful waiting till their water changed colors to do a water change. Listen to the folks on this site they are telling you straight. Petsmart sells good dog food cheap and gives away very little good advice

the amolock was not petsmarts suggestion it was from our pastor who used to breed angels for a living about 10 years ago he was the one who set the tank up because it was to big for us to do without help. the odd thing is that those platy's went in that last time we were in the shop and you told Gerwin that there was not enough good bacteria so we came home and put three of the platies in there and they were fine, until a few days ago they started to get sick. i think it may have been a temp problem because i checked the temp at one point ant it was ar 64 one of the heaters had shut off. we fixed the wiring and it crancked back up to 80.

[Gerwin]

Jamie don't take this as a bashing. It's not meant to be, it's my intention to help new owners who read your post who need to get good advice from the effort of reading it. At least that's how I view it. I am familiar with your situations the distance you live from me, the history we share etc. that being said you do have a history of adding to fast to new tanks, then to confuse things more after advice from me or friends you make massive changes or about face. I found many hobbyist who claim success to be sometimes either just very lucky or fail to tell the correct time line. I cannot hope folks get lucky with their fish. This is why I try and remind everyone all the time. Patience is key. It also does no one any favors to shop several places and get advice from several. Often it just confuses or ideology gets mixed up. I tell folks all the time pick a person. Stick with what they say till you are dissatisfied then go to somewhere else. Does not mean me either, it's who or what you believe.

[Jamilw1989]

Jami don't take this as a bashing. It's not meant to be, it's my intention to help new owners who read your post who need to get good advice from the effort of reading it. At least that's how I view it. I am familiar with your situations the distance you live from me, the history we share etc. that being said you do have a history of adding to fast to new tanks, then to confuse things more after advice from me or friends you make massive changes or about face. I found many hobbyist who claim success to be sometimes either just very lucky or fail to tell the correct time line. I cannot hope folks get lucky with their fish. This is why I try and remind everyone all the time. Patience is key. It also does no one any favors to shop several places and get advice from several. Often it just confuses or ideology gets mixed up. I tell folks all the time pick a person. Stick with what they say till you are dissatisfied then go to somewhere else. Does not mean me either, it's who or what you believe.

well i did what you suggested which was start at the bottom of the totum poll which for me is mickey mouse platies and they were fine for two weeks and then like i said there was a drastic temp change and then they all died.
before i put the fish in i tested the water with the only supplies i had and it tested at 0.25 and so i put them in there to start to grow the GOOD bacteria but it just blew up in my face. How can i grow the good bacteria with out the fish? or is it even possible? will the amonia go down without bacteria in there?

[Gerwin]

the bacteria are there, there is just not enough, the ammonia is a food source as well as the nitrite, so yes they will grow without them, especially with ammonia present. The error came when you decided to go on your own and not consult with me on the when to add more. The idea is to not add any new fish until ALL levels are perfect and you have physically seen a rise and fall in both ammonia and nitrite levels. .25 is not acceptable to add new fish. Extreme temp swings is not helping your cause either. Again with your case there is no one thing done wrong, but several changes in direction from the get go. The tank should be good to go by now and give your props for sticking with it.
Some times you just gotta wipe the chalk board clean, start with a clean slate, pretend you know nothing and have no preconceived ideas and start from ground zero. Lesson to your Dad, or your Preacher, PetSmart or me but not all of us and stick with the plan. I am always here to help if needed but you gotta only do as I say when I say

As Bud told me the other day after my speech to a new customer getting started..."maybe I should bow before you, Gerwin" he said with sarcasm but I think with some appreciation for telling folks the hard cold truth of things.

I think readers should get a good feel for the info in these posts, and typing...well lets just say I wold rather talk. More questions call me or come on by

[Jamilw1989]

the bacteria are there, there is just not enough, the ammonia is a food source as well as the nitrite, so yes they will grow without them, especially with ammonia present. The error came when you decided to go on your own and not consult with me on the when to add more. The idea is to not add any new fish until ALL levels are perfect and you have physically seen a rise and fall in both ammonia and nitrite levels. .25 is not acceptable to add new fish. Extreme temp swings is not helping your cause either. Again with your case there is no one thing done wrong, but several changes in direction from the get go. The tank should be good to go by now and give your props for sticking with it.
Some times you just gotta wipe the chalk board clean, start with a clean slate, pretend you know nothing and have no preconceived ideas and start from ground zero. Lesson to your Dad, or your Preacher, PetSmart or me but not all of us and stick with the plan. I am always here to help if needed but you gotta only do as I say when I say

As Bud told me the other day after my speech to a new customer getting started..."maybe I should bow before you, Gerwin" he said with sarcasm but I think with some appreciation for telling folks the hard cold truth of things.

I think readers should get a good feel for the info in these posts, and typing...well lets just say I wold rather talk. More questions call me or come on by

I could kick myself over and over. It really sucks because my other tanks are doing fine and the major difference besides the size the the other tanks all have UG filters plus another filter and I am beginning to think the two working hand in hand is what is making my other tanks work so well. and with the 20 gallon i only waited a fish in. Honestly i only clean my other tanks once every 8 weeks or when the water starts turning yellow which i have seen, and a smell thats indiscribable. I clean a little water out of my 10 gallon today and this is the first time in over two months. I turned and dumped the dirty water into my 55 hoping it will add bacteria.