Tori_105
New Member
Here's the story...
Once upon a time, Tori purchased four small fish (one white and orange and slim, one all orange and tubby, one all orange and slim and check this, I know the name of this one... a black moor!) Knowing nothing about fish other than they live in water, I bought a plastic 10ltr tank to start me off, gravel and a little pump/carbon filter and a few ornaments etc. Within the first week, the white and orange fish took a turn for the worse and went to fishy heaven. However, the other three were great and continued to live hapily and healthily for over 6 months!
The problems started when I returned from a week away, I'd left my partner on fish feeding duties so they werent neglected. When I returned, the slim orange fish began to act very slow and disinterested in the food unlike the other two. When I looked at it properly I recognised 'white spots' on its fins and tail - after speaking to an experienced fish keeper, I was informed to buy 'King British, Original Formula WS3' white spot remover. I did this, and within a day or so, the fish with white spot was dead! Worried that there were 'germs' (or correctly named bad bacteria) I went and purchased a few algae eating snails, 10 longhorn and 7 red shelled - all very small, in the hope this may help solve some of the problem.
My partner, knowing how upset I was about this, managed to win a beautiful goldfish from the local fair! Over the moon about it, I carefully introduced the fish by just wacking it in the tank with the other two! (I now know this wasnt the best method and later did it all properly!)
Anyway, so the three fish lived happily for around a week - 10 days before my lovely partner treated us to a fantastic 25ltr tank with a light, pump/filter and some nice new plastic plants etc. I washed the whole thing thoroughly along with all the stuff i was putting in it (everything but the fish - no smart comments thank guys!) And left the new tank with its 60% new water dechlorinating for 12+hours before I topped it up with water from the old tank and put in the three fish. All was well in the life of tankhood, for a couple of hours, then we realised these little fish look a little lost in this huge tank, so went out and collected two more, one gold/white fish and one dark and sharky looking. I had been told previously that 'live food' was great for the fish and that they'll love it, so I went ahead and got them a bag of live food from the local aquarium shop.
The 5 fish lived happily ever after, until... some 3 days later when the original gold and tubby one (which i'd kept for over 6 months) decided to join its friend in fishy heaven. So as you can imagine, I was somewhat concerned why this had happened! Life in the tank continued until less than a week later, again after another feed of live food, another fish died! And it was again the same situation later today, like the other two, my goldfish (from the fair) became sluggish, was disinterested in food and hid beneath the plants to later be found dead!
So now, I'm down to two fish, my origninal Black Moor, and the dark sharky looking fish! Concerned there's something the matter with my tank and the water in it. I've moved the fish from the bog tank to the 10ltr tank i had before, put 30% freshwater in and 70% old water until tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I plan to visit the aquarium shop and see what it is I should do with a previously populated tank with old water in. I've recently read up on cycling - a little too late I agree, but no-one offers this information when they see someone buying fish or a fish tank! And its not out of ignorance because I've actually read the information once I discovered it!
From what I understand, Cycling without fish means I would start with fresh water all together - this would mean I'd have to completely clean out the 25ltr tank and cycle it for upto 6weeks. To Cycle with fish means I can to the process but there is a chance my two survining fish could die. Given that my fish are now in a 'less contaminated' tank, I'm now kind of in between cycles. So I'm possibly planning to do a cycle suitable 'with fish' but without fish because i dont wish them to be subjected to it and killed off!
If you have any suggestions... I would be most greatful to hear them. Thanks for reading this, I shall keep you posted on what I do next and what the outcome is.
Tori
Once upon a time, Tori purchased four small fish (one white and orange and slim, one all orange and tubby, one all orange and slim and check this, I know the name of this one... a black moor!) Knowing nothing about fish other than they live in water, I bought a plastic 10ltr tank to start me off, gravel and a little pump/carbon filter and a few ornaments etc. Within the first week, the white and orange fish took a turn for the worse and went to fishy heaven. However, the other three were great and continued to live hapily and healthily for over 6 months!
The problems started when I returned from a week away, I'd left my partner on fish feeding duties so they werent neglected. When I returned, the slim orange fish began to act very slow and disinterested in the food unlike the other two. When I looked at it properly I recognised 'white spots' on its fins and tail - after speaking to an experienced fish keeper, I was informed to buy 'King British, Original Formula WS3' white spot remover. I did this, and within a day or so, the fish with white spot was dead! Worried that there were 'germs' (or correctly named bad bacteria) I went and purchased a few algae eating snails, 10 longhorn and 7 red shelled - all very small, in the hope this may help solve some of the problem.
My partner, knowing how upset I was about this, managed to win a beautiful goldfish from the local fair! Over the moon about it, I carefully introduced the fish by just wacking it in the tank with the other two! (I now know this wasnt the best method and later did it all properly!)
Anyway, so the three fish lived happily for around a week - 10 days before my lovely partner treated us to a fantastic 25ltr tank with a light, pump/filter and some nice new plastic plants etc. I washed the whole thing thoroughly along with all the stuff i was putting in it (everything but the fish - no smart comments thank guys!) And left the new tank with its 60% new water dechlorinating for 12+hours before I topped it up with water from the old tank and put in the three fish. All was well in the life of tankhood, for a couple of hours, then we realised these little fish look a little lost in this huge tank, so went out and collected two more, one gold/white fish and one dark and sharky looking. I had been told previously that 'live food' was great for the fish and that they'll love it, so I went ahead and got them a bag of live food from the local aquarium shop.
The 5 fish lived happily ever after, until... some 3 days later when the original gold and tubby one (which i'd kept for over 6 months) decided to join its friend in fishy heaven. So as you can imagine, I was somewhat concerned why this had happened! Life in the tank continued until less than a week later, again after another feed of live food, another fish died! And it was again the same situation later today, like the other two, my goldfish (from the fair) became sluggish, was disinterested in food and hid beneath the plants to later be found dead!
So now, I'm down to two fish, my origninal Black Moor, and the dark sharky looking fish! Concerned there's something the matter with my tank and the water in it. I've moved the fish from the bog tank to the 10ltr tank i had before, put 30% freshwater in and 70% old water until tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I plan to visit the aquarium shop and see what it is I should do with a previously populated tank with old water in. I've recently read up on cycling - a little too late I agree, but no-one offers this information when they see someone buying fish or a fish tank! And its not out of ignorance because I've actually read the information once I discovered it!
From what I understand, Cycling without fish means I would start with fresh water all together - this would mean I'd have to completely clean out the 25ltr tank and cycle it for upto 6weeks. To Cycle with fish means I can to the process but there is a chance my two survining fish could die. Given that my fish are now in a 'less contaminated' tank, I'm now kind of in between cycles. So I'm possibly planning to do a cycle suitable 'with fish' but without fish because i dont wish them to be subjected to it and killed off!
If you have any suggestions... I would be most greatful to hear them. Thanks for reading this, I shall keep you posted on what I do next and what the outcome is.
Tori
