Oscar Q

[hillbilly]

If I was in a rush, I'd do a massive water change to get the ammonia as low as possible. I would dose the tank with about 4 capfuls of SeaChem "Prime". It helps to convert ammonia into a non toxic form. Do more water changes as needed. It will take a while to cycle this way, but with luck you won't do damage to your fish. The stress of moving the fish and dumping them into a uncycled tank is going to be pretty rough on them. It may help to add Bio-Spira as well, though I've never had good results using it. Maybe it hadn't been kept cold, I don't know. As for the bubbles, at this point it would be the least of my worries. Good luck!

 

[fresh2salt]

I'd hold off intill you get that ammonia under control.

 

[IRoman]

I'd hold off intill you get that ammonia under control.

Im definetly not going to put any fish in my tank right now. I think I am getting ready to start a nitrite spike. According to that graph written by Chris Cow, the creator of the fishless cycling, Im right where I should be--ready to start a nitrite spike followed by a nitrate spike

 

[Dr Joe]

Im definetly not going to put any fish in my tank right now. I think I am getting ready to start a nitrite spike. According to that graph written by Chris Cow, the creator of the fishless cycling, Im right where I should be--ready to start a nitrite spike followed by a nitrate spike

Are you trying to tell me on of us on this forum has patients! Wow . Your water test post past my aeration post so I didn't see it in time. Glad to see your keeping up with the cycling. From what you've said your absolutely right about the spikes, chart it and let's see.

Aeration; I was trying to push your tank cycling by putting air stones in the tank and/or in the sump of your W/D to help with gas exchange. Once your W/D is established I like to put a small airstone in the sump under the bio-mass (scrubbies/bio-balls) to give the aerobic bacteria a boost (not enough to dry things out or cause excess evaporation).

I thought you had to get the fish right away?

Keep us posted and good luck,

Dr Joe

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[IRoman]

Are you trying to tell me on of us on this forum has patients! Wow .
.

I would love to just be like "O they will be okay" but I want have my oscars happy and healthy for a long time

Aeration; I was trying to push your tank cycling by putting air stones in the tank and/or in the sump of your W/D to help with gas exchange. Once your W/D is established I like to put a small airstone in the sump under the bio-mass (scrubbies/bio-balls) to give the aerobic bacteria a boost (not enough to dry things out or cause excess evaporation).

I thought you had to get the fish right away?

Keep us posted and good luck,

Dr Joe

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My wifes co-worker said yesterday she wanted to get rid of the fish eithier yesterday or today but there is no way I can take them right now. I think between the stess of the move and the future spikes, they would probably die or permantly suffer from it, I dont want that to happen to them, so maybe I can ask her to keep them for a week or so longer, Ill keep everyone updated

 

[hillbilly]

That's good to hear. Hope she'll wait.

 

[Dr Joe]

Will she let you borrow her tank ? Then you just ahve to move the water and every thing... Hey! How far is she from you? Can you get some filter material and water from her to boost things along... Hhmmm.

Dr Joe

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[IRoman]

Will she let you borrow her tank ? Then you just ahve to move the water and every thing... Hey! How far is she from you? Can you get some filter material and water from her to boost things along... Hhmmm.

Dr Joe

.

Well she actually has never called us today. My wife thought she seemed kinda fishy (no pun intended ) My wife will see her at work tomorrow, so we will see

For now I went ahead and threw in a bottle of bacteria, and I tested the Nitrates again, still none but the color seemed darker than yesterday so hopefully they are starting to form. I will just keep checking everyday.

 

[js302]

Hey how big are the Oscars anyhow?

Its a good idea to take her filter/filter media/gravel from her tank whenever u get the fish because u cant be sure how much load the oscars will cause necausewe don't know how big they are.

Seeing as you have 0 nitrite 0 nitrate, you haven't cycled at all yet unfortunately.

Well done with the patience though!

 

[arras]

you don't want a pleco. they become quite large and create more waste than they remove. water changes will do a much better job than the pleco.

you really don't want 3 Os either. 125g seems like a lot of water but isn't, not for large fish. plus three is the disaster number. almost certainly two will gang up on the third, making its life miserable until finally just killing it.

if all this weren't enough you've got such high ammo you'll probably kill them yourself. Os are very sensitive to bad water. since your tank isn't cycled you'll need to do massive water changes daily. you might be able to squeak by if you do these changes and keep on top of your numbers. adding a seeding media and bio-spira, as others have suggested, will help. but you're still left w/the problem of 3 incompatible fish which, if they live, you'll have become quite attached to.

you might want to pass the free fish and go back to your original plan of fishless cycling.