Did I setup correctly? I want my fishes to live.

[clone]

Hi,

Please bear with me as I am still very much a newbie. I had recently purchased a 2ft (81L) Ocean Free Tank with a few guppies and a few plants.

The problem I had when I first started was the guppies keep dying. I suspected that my internal filter was too strong, coz I always see my guppies have to keep swimming to stay stationary. The water current is still very strong no matter where I direct the outflow to.

I am not sure what filter I have and what is the flow rate. (I should not have thrown the box away). But I read from a label on the filter say "Ocean free 4000". Anyone know what is the flowrate? Is it too strong for my tank?

Then I decided to remove the filter, although the water became very cloudy and dark (discolouring from the wood), but at least the guppies were well and alive. And when I put the filter back in, the guppies starts to die one by one again. Is the filter really at fault?

So after all my guppies died, I took out everything, changed all the water, started to read up on the internet and hoped to get a new start. Now I get a new set of plants in for about a week now, but I do not see bubbles coming out from the plants as said by some many forumers here. Any idea why? I had also just put in 5 tetras to cycle the water as recommended.

I made a DIY CO2 with a airstone. I read in the forum that people is getting a bubble at 1 bubble every 6 sec, but my DIY CO2 is giving countless bubbles every sec. Is this too much?

Also in order to reduce the flow rate of the filter, I purchase a rain bar and connect with it to the filter with a pvc tube. But when I tested the rain bar outside the tank, the water is shooting out almost 1 feet horizontally. Is this still too strong? Also should I place the rain bar above, just on, or below the water surface? For the time being, I replace it with a mini filter.

Lastly, my tank came with a single tube 15W light with stand. (2 pins at each end of the tube, so I guess it is a FL) On my 81L tank and based on the recommendation of 3W/G, I should be getting a 60W light. Is there a 60W light tube or anyway to replace the light while still using the orginal light hood? I just do not want to blow away too much $$.

Sorry for the long message. This is the problem of a logic mind who get information overloaded and end up with more questions. I hope someone can help me clear mt doubts. I want to make sure this time my aquarium last, and the fishes do not die so easiler when I add them in.

Thanks,
clone.

[joestoys]

looks like you are trying to achive many thing in a short time. Take your time.... dun stress your self.
diftwood must be wash and soak in a pail of water at least a few days.
sounds like the filter is too strong ... a plant tank dun need too strong filter cos the current will upset the plants.

did you condition cycle the water first before intro the fish??

i think you dun need DIY co2 at these point. of time.

Get the basic aquarium know-how first.... ther are many books available. or read up the FAQ here. i am sure the old bird here teach you a few tricks.

cheers , gd luck

[PeterGwee]

Clone, you tank is probably still cycling so as to speak....high ammonia or nitrite might be the reason why your fishes die (CO2 poisoning as well as pH crash might be another culprit as you have not mention adding baking soda to buffer your water?)...not the filter flowrate that killed your fishes but it does stress them even more as they cannot find a place to rest due to the strong current.

Do readup more as suggested...
Here are a few good sites to start.
The krib
CO2 injection

[ah tong]

Hi clone:

I understand perfectly what you are going through. I was also like that, so damn happy to see my tank set up complete, wannat start everything at one go!! Read here, there everywhere. Worst still ask a Luo han shop uncle on advice and give me all the wrong advice, no wonder his shop plants all die!
Any way just gotta take it easy, be a little bit patient on the fish part, that's where most of my guppies died too. Worst still, i used an overhead filter and created a hole in the substrates. Found this site very informative,
As for your light, i think its not enough on the long run.
Filter might be too strong too. Suggest wait for one more week before getting any fishes. If you do have any survivor fishes, take them out and put them in a small tank with overnite water with good water maintainance till your tank water condition stabilizes.
Don't give up !Keep trying.

[clone]

Thanks for all the info offered so far. Indeed setting up a planted aquarium needed alot of readings and research. I never knew there are so many considerations before I started reading up on this topic.

Now I am thinking of dumping of the whole filter and the rain bar. The mini filter I have now is giving some slight water circulation to the tank while maintaining the peace and calm in the tank. But I am not sure what would happen in the long run. The water still looks clear for now.

Just now I notice there is a tiny snail crawling all over the glass wall. I did not know how did it get in there. Should I catch it and throw it away or just leave it in the tank?

[:0]

[joestoys]

clone.... welcome to the real world of planted. it may look and sound easy to start planted, just sand, stone, driftwood, plant and fishes.... and vola a planted tank...
but it's more than that. same here learn the hard way. . . always fire fight.

do read up and check out more often as suggested by other memeber here too. I learn a lot everyday i visit here, always something new.

just let guppies and the plant in the tank alone first for the first 2 week... and see how..... [:]

happy planting