First fish tank urgent advice please

[ash222]

Hi all new to the forum, we've purchased a used fish tank, the seller guessed that its a 200 litre tank he has had it for 2 years

The tank is 100cm wide, 50cm high, 40cm depth

The fish are African chiclids?, approx 30 to 35 in the tank

I only collected the tank last night but the guy who we purchased from said there is no water heater and no water treatment to treat the tap water!

He advised he has always used untreated tap water mixed with hot and cold and never used a heater either!

I've topped up the tank last night with untreated tap water, I've not filled the tank back up the water is just below half but need to clean the tank out today as the water looks dirty

I'm not sure if I should buy a water heater and the treatment for the tap water as this may affect their environment if do something different, would this be the case?

I'm a complete novice and would appreciate any advice. I am based in the UK West Midlands Coventry

 

[ClownLurch]

Welcome.
Way beyond my area of expertise this but let’s keep this thread at the top of the pile where more knowledgeable members will see it until some sort of order is achieved.

First find out your water and ph details from your water providers website and post em on here.
Were the fish bought locally? Ie same tap water?
Id buy an API freshwater aquarium testing kit ASAP. £30 or so on EBay/amazon or from a Local Fish Shop (lfs).
Get a big “tap water conditioner” bottle as well.

You may need to introduce tap water conditioner slowly not suddenly but there’s way more knowledgeable posters on here will help you out with that.

Theyll also advise you with heater and filter and food.

That filter may need to be more submerged so can you post the manufacturer and model number. Did it come with the tank? Don’t wash it out or clean it yet. Also don’t clean any ornaments or rocks etc that came with the tank yer either as the bacteria on solid surfaces in a tank are beneficial bacteria. Put any plants, rocks, ornaments etc that came with tank into tank and hope the bacteria is still alive.

Good luck.

 

[communityfluvalroma]

Yes, the seller is correct. It is a 200 litre tank.

It looks as though you have Malawi Cichlids in there. They 100% do need heated water, the temperature should be between 24c - 27c. When adding the heater, just increase the temperature slowly over a few days to the desired temperature.

In terms of water treatment, again this is a must as the chlorine in our tap water will burn the fish. I'm surprised they are all still alive. I personally use Prime to treat my tap water.

As @ClownLurch said, check your water parameters with your local water supplier. Malawi Cichlids need hard water. As well as a water test kit, these are readily available online or at your LFS.

Looking at the filter, I'd suggest that it is not capable of handling the amount of stock you have in that tank. I would consider buying an external filter which is capable of filtering a tank of 400 litres or so.

 

[ash222]

Welcome.
Way beyond my area of expertise this but let’s keep this thread at the top of the pile where more knowledgeable members will see it until some sort of order is achieved.
First find out your water and ph details from your water providers website and post em on here.
Were the fish bought locally? Ie same tap water?
Id buy an API freshwater aquarium testing kit ASAP. £30 or so on EBay/amazon or from a Local Fish Shop (lfs).
Get a big “tap water conditioner” bottle as well.

You may need to introduce tap water conditioner slowly not suddenly but there’s way more knowledgeable posters on here will help you out with that.
Theyll also advise you with heater and filter and food.
Good luck.

Thank you for your swift response, majority of the original water was removed from the tank so i could bring the fish home 30 minute drive

when i got home i added about 20 to 30 litres of untreated tap water mixed cold and warm water together as per the advice from the guy we purchased it from

 

[itiwhetu]

Your tank is 200 liters ( less with gravel etc ). That's a lot of fish for that tank, but must have been working. The heater will depend on the constant temperature of your room you need to maintain 24 degrees C. Water conditioner I don't use, but everybody else does, so they will advise what you should do. You could be in for a rocky road to get it re established, but the good news is africans are pretty tough.

 

[ash222]

Yes, the seller is correct. It is a 200 litre tank.

It looks as though you have Malawi Cichlids in there. They 100% do need heated water, the temperature should be between 24c - 27c. When adding the heater, just increase the temperature slowly over a few days to the desired temperature.

In terms of water treatment, again this is a must as the chlorine in our tap water will burn the fish. I'm surprised they are all still alive. I personally use Prime to treat my tap water.

As @ClownLurch said, check your water parameters with your local water supplier. Malawi Cichlids need hard water. As well as a water test kit, these are readily available online or at your LFS.

Looking at the filter, I'd suggest that it is not capable of handling the amount of stock you have in that tank. I would consider buying an external filter which is capable of filtering a tank of 400 litres or so.

That's why i was really surprised that he's had the tank for 2 years and no heater and no water treatment

Re the filter there is another piece to it which he removed as the water levels are low the packaging on the filter states it is 1200 litres per hour

Will pop down to the aquarium as soon as they open this morning

I need to clean the sand the water that's in there already can i dispose all of it and then use fresh treated water to fill the tank?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Thank you for your swift response, majority of the original water was removed from the tank so i could bring the fish home 30 minute drive

when i got home i added about 20 to 30 litres of untreated tap water mixed cold and warm water together as per the advice from the guy we purchased it from

Today, get some water conditioner, and a decently sized heater, those are the most urgent things. As a previous poster said, gradually raise the temp by a few degrees over some time, rather than all at once. It's fine to use water conditioner, it won't harm the fish, it will prevent chlorine/chloramines from harming the fish. Then fill the tank to the top with water you've treated with the advised dose of water conditioner, and after temperature matching the new water to the current temp of the tank water. Filling the tank to the top will dilute a lot of the rubbish already in there.

Important: Don't overfeed right now. Better not to feed at all for a day or two while sorting this out, but if you must, only a tiny amount. Food in = waste coming out, and potential ammonia poisoning, which can be fatal. Don't clean the gravel or the filter yet either, that's crucial.

Then you're going to need a water testing kit. The liquid ones are more accurate and better value than the dip strips, and accuracy is important.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I need to clean the sand the water that's in there already can i dispose all of it and then use fresh treated water to fill the tank?

No no! Please do not do that! Eventually you will be able to do that, yes, but not yet. A great deal of th beneficial bacteria that process the fish waste will be living in that sand/gravel, and throwing it away now is likely to crash the cycle and kill all the fish. We need to re-establish the tank, good water conditions and the filter first.

 

[ash222]

Your tank is 200 liters ( less with gravel etc ). That's a lot of fish for that tank, but must have been working. The heater will depend on the constant temperature of your room you need to maintain 24 degrees C. Water conditioner I don't use, but everybody else does, so they will advise what you should do. You could be in for a rocky road to get it re established, but the good news is africans are pretty tough.

To get it re established what does this mean and involve?

My plan was to do the following
Remove fish out of tank put them in a large container
Clean the sand with existing water or tap water?
Clean the filter with existing or tap water?
Dispose the existing water or keep some of the existing water?
Fill tank with new treated conditioned tap water
Buy heater set temp to 25 degrees
Put fish back into tank

Or have i totally got this wrong

 

[itiwhetu]

Don't clean the gravel or filter. Slowly fill the tank over the next week or so, just a little water at a time, ensure they have a constant temperature 24 degrees C. Take a deep breath. Wait a week then do a water change. Feed only if they look like they are going to kill each other!!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

To get it re established what does this mean and involve?

My plan was to do the following
Remove fish out of tank put them in a large container
Clean the sand with existing water or tap water?
Clean the filter with existing or tap water?
Dispose the existing water or keep some of the existing water?
Fill tank with new treated conditioned tap water
Buy heater set temp to 25 degrees
Put fish back into tank

Or have i totally got this wrong

The plan is wrong, but the good thing is that you came here to ask for advice before doing any of it, which is great! Much easier to put things right before any of this happened

 

[ash222]

Thank you all for your quick responses, really appreciated

So i wont clean the gravel/sand or the filter

I'll buy the heater asap and water conditioner asap and top up the tank gradually to max

Then a week so later then commence to clean the gravel and do water changes 25%? how often would I need to do the water changes and filter clean?

What brand of dechlorinator/water conditioner would you recommend?

Is this suitable?

Pardon our interruption...

www.ebay.co.uk

When shall i feed the fish?

 

[ClownLurch]

Don’t clean anything for the time being. Dirty glass walls, dirty filter (inside and out), dirty sand, dirty rocks, dirty ornaments, dirty plants etc are what’s keeping your fish alive. Beneficial bacteria is what you need to get through this. It’s on ALL the solid surfaces, keep them ALL for the time being.
The sand can be vacuumed later.

Get a thermometer while you’re at the lfs. Add treated and temp controlled water to the water already in there. It’ll dilute the crap that’s already in there which will be as good as a water change at this stage.
Best of luck.

 

[ash222]

Perfect many thanks, need to put the ornaments back in but would do that after all this is sorted

Spoke to the aquarium they recommended adding a bacteria bomb? To boost the bacteria?

 

[ClownLurch]

Thank you all for your quick responses, really appreciated

So i wont clean the gravel/sand or the filter

I'll buy the heater asap and water conditioner asap and top up the tank gradually to max

Then a week so later then commence to clean the gravel and do water changes 25%? how often would I need to do the water changes and filter clean?

What brand of dechlorinator/water conditioner would you recommend?

Is this suitable?

Pardon our interruption...

www.ebay.co.uk

When shall i feed the fish?

I use aqua clear myself but seachem are a good brand. I’d buy the biggest you can get as you’ve a big tank and it’ll work out cheaper in the long run.

Water changes are generally recommended at 50% weekly minimum but that looks a very populated tank so will be requiring larger just to stay on the safe side.
Never “clean” the filter. The sponge etc should instead be rinsed out in used tank water to get rid of any gunk. The good bacteria is living in the sponge and on the surfaces of beads, balls or whatever else is in there so you do not want it rubbed or brushed or wiped off. Do it every month or six weeks or so but others will be more knowledgeable about that than me. ATM the messy filter is helping you.