Big beginners problems

[yellie]

Hi I have never had a fish tank before and now my fish are dying! I am not sure what I am doing wrong, and the guy at the pet shop claims that I am not doing anything wrong however I just bought the fish two days ago and this morning I found the first casualty. I have a 45 Litre fresh water tank, I began by washing the stones for the bottom and added water (adding water conditioner called esklrin.) and let it filtrate itself and heat to 26 Degrees, which is what was recommended because I am going to buy a Beta later. I let the tank stand and cycle like that for about 8 weeks. Then I went to the shop and bought three nice plants, five small Cichlids and two small fish to clean the tank. I am not sure what their official names are. All of them were supposed to be really easy to keep and help me prepare the water for the Beta, and they are also supposed to go very well with a Beta. I then went home and put in the plants, and then I let the fish get used to the water temperature through their plastic bags before letting them into the tank. Two days later already I found one Cichlid dead and the rest of them have been nagging the cleaning fish. I have been feeding them too much I fear. I have tried to feed them a little, two times a day, but they did not eat it all. How much should I feed them? Like a tea spoon over a whole day? Should I change the water? How much should I change at a time and how often? How do I clean the stones for old food? Can I help my fish or are they doomed and if so why? How do I best prepare the tank for the Beta, how long should I wait before I get him? And finally why did my fish die?
Thank you.

 

[Ben]

what kinds of cichlids are they?

the lfs workers can be decieving and lie alot. about a big pinch 2 times a day is what i feed most of my fish but it depends what fish you have.

it couldve been the other fish that killed it

that would help

 

[clutterydrawer]

um, hello?
the tank is not cycled and is holding five cichlids and two unidentified catfish! hmm, i wonder why they're dying.

Heya yellie do you have test kits for ammonia and nitrIte?

 

[CathyG]

um, hello?
the tank is not cycled and is holding five cichlids and two unidentified catfish! hmm, i wonder why they're dying.

Heya yellie do you have test kits for ammonia and nitrIte?

The tank was stood for eight weeks...if Ammonia was added during this period, then this should have been enough time to cycle.

Yellie, what are your water parameters? (Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, PH)

Depending on the fish you have bought, you are potentially overstocking anyway. That considered, do a search on new tank syndrome, you might find the addition of too many fish at once has caused a mini cycle.

Good luck!

 

[Da_Oz]

Depending on the fish you have bought, you are potentially overstocking anyway. That considered, do a search on new tank syndrome, you might find the addition of too many fish at once has caused a mini cycle.

I am swinging this way too. All tanks need new fish added slow. Even more with small, and newer tanks.

 

[Red]

Yeah - I noticed that you mentioned the chlorine remover but nothing about ammonia, stress zyme or cycle. i'm not familiar with the product you mentioned does it contain ammonia to get the cycle going?

(If didn't know to establish a nitrate cycle before adding your fish do a search and read everything you can find on cycling, especially the pinned (bold) topics at the top of the newbie section.)

You will definately need to purchase a test kit which measures the amount of ammonia, nitrATE and nitrITE in your water (and also PH too usually)

If your fish seem to be gasping at the surface you need to do a water change immediately.

If you are feeding more than your fish will eat at one "sitting" (ie. a couple of minutes) then you are feeding too much and the leftovers will decompose and give you high ammonia (you might want to check this with a more experienced person here as I am a relative newbie myself).

The best advice is KEEP SEARCHING AND READING AND LEARNING.

 

[clutterydrawer]

The tank was stood for eight weeks...if Ammonia was added during this period, then this should have been enough time to cycle.

I know, but he said "i let it heat up and filtrate and it stood like this for 8 weeks"

he also said that his current fish are "preparing the water" for the betta, so i presumed this is referring to the actual cyle process. i could be wrong tho.

I think someone's lfs has been giving bad info...


do you know what kind of cichlids they are yellie? whatever they are, five of them in a 10g is overstock. they probabyl won't get on with the betta...

 

[CathyG]

The tank was stood for eight weeks...if Ammonia was added during this period, then this should have been enough time to cycle.

I know, but he said "i let it heat up and filtrate and it stood like this for 8 weeks"

he also said that his current fish are "preparing the water" for the betta, so i presumed this is referring to the actual cyle process. i could be wrong tho.

I think someone's lfs has been giving bad info...


do you know what kind of cichlids they are yellie? whatever they are, five of them in a 10g is overstock. they probabyl won't get on with the betta...

Point taken

Clutterydrawer has raised a good question, Yellie.

What do you intend to do with your cichlids once you get your Betta?

 

[yellie]

Hi everyone, thank you for the replies. I went back to the shop where I bought the fish and asked them what kind cichlids my fish were, but they were all of a sudden not so sure that they were cichlids. So I gave up on that fish shop and went to a bigger one which has a good reputation and they told me to bring the fish down to the shop so that they could take a look at them, I also bought, in the spirit of all you guys good advices, a nitrate kit to measure my aquarium water. Then I measured my water and the nitrate was too high so I changed half the water, now the new fish shop sold me a new kind of conditioner after I showed her the first one that I had been using, so the one I am now using is called Nutrafin. It says on the bottle that it removes chlorine and chloramines and reduces stress. Next day I brought my poor fish to the fish shop, and the woman in the fish shop pointed out that they have white spots and told me that they are very ill and that I had probably bought a sick pack and that I should let them die and start over. I would not because I like my fish, who she told me are in fact are Sun Platys! She then had me buy some medicine for the decease which she said was most likely caused by stress. The medicine is called Fauna mor, and has to be given to them over three times, on day one, on day two and on day seven. Further I bought some stuff to get the nitrate level down, something called FiltaxNitratX and then I changed another half of the water in my tank, put the Filtaxnitratx in the filter and boom my nitrate level has been very nice ever since. I also gave them the accurate medicine on the two following days, but oh misery, on the second day two more was dead!!! Now I have two left and I don't know what to do for them, I have begun to recent my aquarium which kills the poor fish and I am certainly not getting the Beta any time soon, at least not until I have had a few weeks with no casualties. I went back to the lady in the second and good fish shop but she said the fish may have just been too ill by the time they began treatment and that there is no more I can do now. So my question at this moment is just this, what should I do when the last two fish die, or if they do not, to improve my aquaria for fish? I am keeping a close eye on the Nitrate, but now that I am reading all the replies posted to my first question, I am not sure if I still should get something to measure ammonia? Should I change the water while the Nitrate level is ok in spite of the medicine in the water? If I have to start again how do I prevent the bacteria to spread to new fish? The woman in the second shop told me the medicine will kill the bacteria but by now I am a little suspicious of the fish shop people so I would love to get some advice. I am so in over my head.

Yellie

 

[Joviella]

You should get test kits for ammonia and nitrite too. I suggest that you read up on ICH as it sounds like this is what your fish may have.HTH.

 

[wetwetwet]

Not a nice introduction to fishkeeping - sorry yellie

You really need to know what's going on with the water especially when setting up a tank, so kits for ammo, nitrIte and nitrAte are essential. Ammonia is highly toxic and nitrIte to a lesser extent. Nitrate fish can adapt to but should not be excessive. All will stress fish in high enough quanties and while may not kill them can make them susceptable to other disease/problems.

Please read some of the pinned topics in the beginners section and research the fish you wish to keep...

Good luck and stick with it




www

 

[clutterydrawer]

Heya

I'm really sorry that you've had such a bad experience fishkeeping is great once you get to grips with it! I'd recommend you read this thread:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099

first of all. In addition it might be useful to buy/borrow a good book on fishkeeping, which will explain it all clearly and step-by-step.

However one good thing in all fo this is that the fish were not cichlids. If they were, you would be having even more difficulties.

If your remaining fish still have white spots, they have a disease called "ich". Sounds nasty doesn't it? It's caused by a parasite and if you want them to get better, you need to get them some medicine. Here is some more info on ich:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=7092

Feel free to ask any more quesitons you may have!

 

[yellie]

Hi guys, only one fish have survived this fish genocide, and he does not look too fresh either. The medicine circle is finished to morrow so maybe he will make it, maybe not, but I am measuring the water as you have told me too in the morning and then I will write again. If he dies I will defiantly try to do a fishless cycling of the water which must have ammonia in it now, so all I have to do is let it stand and filtrate for 6 weeks right? I will also read up more on how to start up aquaria and which fish can share space with a Beta and hopefully I will get it right in the future. I never thought it would be so difficult to keep fish!

 

[Angry_Platy]

The hardest bit of fishkeeping is the initial stages...tank setup, cycling and all....once you get past that it is very rewarding....

I am sorry that a lot of your fish died....have you read the articles in the links posted by other people? There is a lot of fish knowledge here and people will be able to help you. Most of us have been through what you have been through to varying degrees.

You have done a good thing by coming here asking questions....remember, the only dumb question is the one that doesn't get asked....or....there are no dumb questions only dumb answers!!!

Good luck.....and please keep us updated!!

 

[Link]

Lucky you changed your fish shop Yellie, anyone selling Platies as Cichlids must be a foot chewing inbred in my opinion

Like everyone said your best bet is to get yourself some test kits. Ammonia and Nitrite.
The ammonia will rise and then fall followed by Nirite and Nitrate.
Personally what I would do is change most of the water, add your de-chlorinator and then leave the tank fish less for about a week to settle down. Dont worry about cleaning it out or anything, it will be fine.
Then go to your fish shop and buy two platies, or four Danios or something very hardy. Add them to your tank as you did with the others.
Feed them very little, every other day will do until the tank sorts itself out.
Keep checking the ammonia and nitrite, if they start getting a bit high carry out a partial water change.
People might not agree with this method but I've been starting tanks like this for 20 years with no problems.
My first tank went the same as yours for the same reasons....lfs muppets giving wrong advice. You just learn from it, pick yourself up and start over. You've already learnt so much, just keeping going.

If you wanna know anything, just ask