cycling

Question
QUESTION: hi Lynda,

I a week ago I bought a 55 gallons tank. I'm a new in this hobby and didn't know about the nitrogen cycle, so I bought 9 Serpae tetras and my husband brought 2 days ago 3 clown loaches. I test my water and do 10% water changes every day. Today I started noticing that the tetras have a white spot on the mouth and their fins look like they are desintegrating. My Ph is 7.0, the nitrates are 0 ppm, the ammonia is 0.25ppm, GH 10, KH 4. For what I've read that ammonia isn't enough to kill my fish and it just went up to 0.25 about 2 days ago. I really don't know what to do I feel like a criminal. I don't know if giving them medication can kill my beneficial bacteria. What should I do?



thank you very much

Alexandra

ANSWER: Hi Alexandra,
Cycling a tank is very important before putting any fish into your tank.  Have you checked your nitrite level?  When a tank is cycling, ammonia, breaks down into nitrites, and nitrites should be zero, or safe before putting any fish into your tank.  I'm quite sure that your nitrites must be high as one week isn't enough time for a tank to have the right water chemistry.  When adding fish to a tank, you must be sure that nitrites are zero.  You must also add fish very slowly.  Adding 9 fish to your tank was too many fish at once.  You begin by adding 2 fish, once your water chemistry is right, then you wait one week, check your water, add 2 other fish, wait one week, check your water again, and so on. Your water should always be zero ammonia, zero nitrites, and nitrates should be low.
When adding fish to a tank, always go slowly, as adding too many fish at once, will change your water chemistry even if your tank as cycled, killing off all of your fish.  Many people make this mistake.  Don't feel bad.  Vendors don't bother asking, or give good information, and they should, when they see someone buying 9 fish.  They should know the consequences and inform the buyer.  Most are there for the money, and don't care, so don't feel bad.  We all make mistakes when first keeping fish, and this is a common one.
For now, there is little you can do.  You cannot medicate, and you will lose most of your fish.  
To help the cycling of your tank, buy a used sponge that fits into your filter.  A used sponge is full of good bacteria, and will help cycle your tank.  A sponge is good for a very long time, until it is old, ragged, and falling apart.  Never rinse a sponge under hot or tap water.  When cleaning your filter, rinse the sponge in water that you have removed from your tank so that you don't kill the good bacteria that is in it.  When you buy the used sponge, just squeeze the access water in it, and put it in your filter.  You can also ask your pet store manager for a handful of gravel from one of their established tanks.  This would also help.  A tank that is cycling takes a while to adjust.  Sometimes it takes one month.  
I'm sorry this has happened.  If you can, maybe your pet store would keep your loaches for you, until you get your water chemistry right.  Your tetras unfortunately, may not make it.
If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to write me.
Lynda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Lynda

Thank you very much for your quick response. I'll go today and ask the pet store if they can take the loaches, but since they have been in contact with the sick tetras I don't know if they might be infected too. Another question I have is that yesterday, I made my usual daily water change (10%) and today the wood and some plants have a white fuzzy thing covering them. They are also dots of this thing in the walls and the gravel. Is it a fungus? and if my tank is cycling what can I do with it?  

THANK YOU IN ADVANCED
best regards
Alexandra

ANSWER: Hi Alexandra,
It is fungus.  Do not worry about it.  Clean your wood, and tank walls, and the leaves on your plant.  Siphon the gravel, and remove 25% of your water.  It may come back since your tank has not cycled.  Continue cleaning the fungus as you see it.  Some fish eat this stuff, but then you almost have to starve them for them to do so.  Keep removing it, and hopefully as your tank cycles it will disappear.  Add 11 teaspoons of diluted aquarium salt to your water.  This should help.
Since your fish are sick because of the nitrites, the loaches who are not yet affected will not get sick if put back in a cycled tank.  You must act quickly, before they too get sick.  The less fish you have in your tank, the better.
Lynda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Lynda,
one last question :), do you think it would be appropriate to add more plants to my tank? I've read it helps with the cycle. And I live in Oakville, Ontario,do you know any good pet store with good reputation and cheap prices I can go to? sorry for the avalanche of questions but I've been searching all this questions like crazy and thanks God I've found this website.

Thank you once again
best regards
Alexandra

Answer
Hi Alexandra,
I am not a plant expert, and know very little about plants.   We have a plant expert the team.  Plants need care, and seeing as I do lots of breeding, I use silk plants, as I must change my water often for the fry.  I'm sorry, I cannot help you with this.  I live in Quebec, and all the pet stores here, that I have seen, have gorgeous plants.  I tend to believe that a tank would have to be well established before adding plants, but then again, I'm no expert on plants.  
I'm sure a plant expert will tell you exactly what to do, what kind of plants to buy according to your PH, and fish you will keep.  Some fish eat plants, so you must make sure you have no intention of buying fish that do.  Plants, need different water, some thrive in alkaline water, others in acidic, and some in neutral.  Some need different temperature, etc.  Tell him what fish you intend to keep, your PH, and water temperature, and I am sure he will guide you.  A tank with real plants is gorgeous!  I just don't have a green thumb!
Lynda