3 tetras in trouble...

[Anemone]

On 9/22 I rescued 3 tetra's that were being thrown out .(new fish setup for office,old fish had to go) I just happened to be walking by. I didn't have an aquarium of course. I ran out and got everything and tried to learn about fish fast. It takes a long time to before you can put fish in a new aquarium.These poor little fish are in a shoebox size plastic tub with some of their old water and stressed as you can imagine. I have a little air bubbler in there,but I don't know how long they can stay in there, or how I should be helping them now. Any info will be much appreciated.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Do you know what the tetras look like?

If you can get a ten gallon tank from Walmart or wherever for $30, you ccan get it fully et up.

That's the best course to take now if you are on a tight budget.

The aeration is good, as well. you need to get:
tank
filter
food
siphon
net
water test kita cave or two or fake plants

If you have any questions, just post a reply here and hopefully we'll be able to answer it for you.

to the forum. Don't be a stranger. Introduce yourself in the newbie section.

 

[Anemone]

One is goldish, one pearl color and one with dark tail & a couple stripes. I have a 10 gallon tank set up ,but it's only been going for 2 days.How long can they stay in their little container?? This is what worries me.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Move them now. The fish are better off in there wth water changes every few days.

So one is a coldwater goldfish (one word)?

The black one, does it ahve three vertical black stripes?

http/images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...3D%26ie%3DUTF-8

The other might be a gold or white skirt tetra:
http/images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...3D%26ie%3DUTF-8

Is the pearl one streamlined or is it flat (vertically)?

 

[Anemone]

the "goldish" one is a very pale gold, the pearl one kind of has sparkles, and the black one looks just like the picture you sent.They are all tetra's ,but very pale/transparent colors. Now if I do partial water changes every couple of days, can they hang out in their primitive surroundings, without a heater untill the new tank chemistry is just right?? (however long that may be)

 

[enchanted]

With water changes you are going to be automatically changing the chemical balance and structure of there little "shoebox".

Without gravel or filtration to hold the bacteria the system is not going to cycle and your levels would rise.

I'm a newb also, but after reading a lot and making the mistake with cycling I have learned a lot about cycling.

I agree with tempestuousfury in that you should just put them in the tank now.

Especially considering they are tropical fish that should be in 70-80 degree water and a non-temperatized tank is probably harder on them than the cycling would be.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

If your room temp doesn't flux too much, the tank should be fine for a few days without a heater. However, you should be able to get a good heater for under $10 later on.

 

[clutterydrawer]

if you want more info on the cycling process, tehre's a good thread in ther beginners' questions section called "avoiding and treating enw tank syndrome".