New aquarium problems

I'm setting up a new 75 gallon and nothing seems to work correctly. I set it up 8 days in advance and let it cycle(I added some of the chemicals, I didn't know if they work but figured it couldn't hurt for $4) and added some shiners and a madtom, the madtom lasted 24 hours and the shiners died in an hour. I did a total water change and put some bluegill and a chub in it, I lost one chub and a bluegill but the other 4 bluegill are fine. My second problem is algae, I prior to the water change it was a problem and I figured replacing the water would fix it, but the next day it was still green(I also added 50ml of H2O2 after the water change). Could this have something to do with my gravel that came from a creek? As you can see I'm sure, I'm a very shabby aquarist, please excuse my ignorance.

Please buy test kits that measure the concentration in parts per million (ppm) or miligrams/Liter (mg/L) of:
1. ammonia
2. nitrite
3. nitrate

IF: ammonia is greater than 0 ppm:
...THEN: The tank is not fully cycled. The nitrosomonas bacteria population is not large enough to convert the ammonia into nitrite as fast as it is generated.

IF: ammonia is 0 ppm and nitrite is greater than 0 ppm:
...THEN: The tank is not fully cycled. The nitrospira bacteria population is not large enough to convert the nitrite into nitrate fast enough.

IF: ammonia is 0 ppm and nitrite is 0 ppm:
...THEN: The tank is fully cycled. The nitrate level will steadily rise. When it's above 30 ppm, do a 10 to 25 percent water change every day until it's below 30 ppm.

Supplemental reading:
http://www.fishkeepi...ing-article.htm An article about the nitrogen cycle.
http://www.theaquari...m_Over_Nitrates An article about how live aquatic plants reduce ammonium concentration.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSnJjTEjWyU Drip acclimation: how to add fish to their new tank. (copy and paste URL)

Edited by EricaWieser, 01 July 2011 - 09:29 PM.

I'm setting up a new 75 gallon and nothing seems to work correctly. I set it up 8 days in advance and let it cycle(I added some of the chemicals, I didn't know if they work but figured it couldn't hurt for $4) and added some shiners and a madtom, the madtom lasted 24 hours and the shiners died in an hour. I did a total water change and put some bluegill and a chub in it, I lost one chub and a bluegill but the other 4 bluegill are fine. My second problem is algae, I prior to the water change it was a problem and I figured replacing the water would fix it, but the next day it was still green(I also added 50ml of H2O2 after the water change). Could this have something to do with my gravel that came from a creek? As you can see I'm sure, I'm a very shabby aquarist, please excuse my ignorance.

Sorry to hear about your madtoms (I love those little things) I agree with Erica its always best to check your water parameters before doing anything else.

I don't trust the "bacteria in a bottle"; I have no real evidence, but a gut feeling and a small knowledge of how bacteria behave leads me to think they are just so much snake oil. A better way to do a quick cycle is to use filter media from an established tank. Otherwise, a "fishless cycle" takes more than eight days, and the test kit suggested by Erica is definitely the best way to make sure your tank is healthy before adding fish. Many pet stores will also test your water for free.

Your fish deaths don't sound like filter failure to me, though. A few small fish in a big tank shouldn't be able to foul the water that quickly. Something toxic may be in your water. Did you dechlorinate the water by aging or with a chemical dechlorinator? Aging removes chlorine but not chloramine; chemical dechlorinators neutralize both. Your water could also have high levels of ammonia before it went into the tank; use your test kit or take a sample to the pet store. Other, more exotic contaminants are also possible, but you should rule out the more obvious and easily-detected problems before worrying about that.

Too little oxygen could be an issue; do you have good water circulation? A bubbler or powerhead will help keep the water well-oxygenated.

The last major culprit to examine is shock, either at the time of collection or when transferring fish to the tank. Collecting fish when it's hot out is more stressful for them than collecting them when it's cooler. Be sure to keep the water in your collection container as cool and well-aerated as possible. Then acclimate the fish to the tank water slowly, adding a little tank water at a time to the collection container. This prevents a sudden change in temperature, acidity, ion levels, or other water parameters that could harm the fish.

Green water organisms require a fair amount of nitrogen (in the form of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate) and phosphorus to flourish. Frequent water changes should reduce the amounts of those nutrients in the water, unless the water you are adding already has high levels. Again, a test kit will come in handy. Reducing the light level in the tank is also helpful; blacking out the tank with opaque plastic for a few days often kills algae. Finally, a flocculant chemical can cause the organisms to clump together into bits large enough to be strained out by your filter. If none of this works, drain the tank, move it to a well-ventilated area, and apply bleach to all substrate and interior surfaces. Let everything dry completely before re-filling. You will have to start your cycle over from scratch unless you keep the filter going on another container.

I hope that helps!

The easiest way to deal with green water is a UV sterilizer, it should clear everything up in a day or two, but it'll cost at least $20. How did you cycle the tank?

Update:

Yesterday it looked green and awful, but for some reason unknown to me it has cleared up tremendously and looks great. Also, the four bluegill in there seem to be doing well.

I don't trust the "bacteria in a bottle"; I have no real evidence, but a gut feeling and a small knowledge of how bacteria behave leads me to think they are just so much snake oil. A better way to do a quick cycle is to use filter media from an established tank. Otherwise, a "fishless cycle" takes more than eight days, and the test kit suggested by Erica is definitely the best way to make sure your tank is healthy before adding fish. Many pet stores will also test your water for free.

Your fish deaths don't sound like filter failure to me, though. A few small fish in a big tank shouldn't be able to foul the water that quickly. Something toxic may be in your water. Did you dechlorinate the water by aging or with a chemical dechlorinator? Aging removes chlorine but not chloramine; chemical dechlorinators neutralize both. Your water could also have high levels of ammonia before it went into the tank; use your test kit or take a sample to the pet store. Other, more exotic contaminants are also possible, but you should rule out the more obvious and easily-detected problems before worrying about that.

Too little oxygen could be an issue; do you have good water circulation? A bubbler or powerhead will help keep the water well-oxygenated.

The last major culprit to examine is shock, either at the time of collection or when transferring fish to the tank. Collecting fish when it's hot out is more stressful for them than collecting them when it's cooler. Be sure to keep the water in your collection container as cool and well-aerated as possible. Then acclimate the fish to the tank water slowly, adding a little tank water at a time to the collection container. This prevents a sudden change in temperature, acidity, ion levels, or other water parameters that could harm the fish.

Green water organisms require a fair amount of nitrogen (in the form of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate) and phosphorus to flourish. Frequent water changes should reduce the amounts of those nutrients in the water, unless the water you are adding already has high levels. Again, a test kit will come in handy. Reducing the light level in the tank is also helpful; blacking out the tank with opaque plastic for a few days often kills algae. Finally, a flocculant chemical can cause the organisms to clump together into bits large enough to be strained out by your filter. If none of this works, drain the tank, move it to a well-ventilated area, and apply bleach to all substrate and interior surfaces. Let everything dry completely before re-filling. You will have to start your cycle over from scratch unless you keep the filter going on another container.

I hope that helps!

I am running a 1200GPH powerhead, a large aerator and a power filter rated for 50 gallons.

That sounds like an outrageously large powerhead. Why so much?

That sounds like an outrageously large powerhead. Why so much?

Yes, you're right, the model number is 1200, I wan't thinking. It's max output is 295 GPH.