Just Got 3 Blue Gourami...

[quickdodge]

And forgot to get the food! What do they eat so I can get some tomorrow? Ugh! Thanks. Later, QD.

 

[CytheFish]

And forgot to get the food! What do they eat so I can get some tomorrow? Ugh! Thanks. Later, QD.

Chili cheese dogs, and beer nutz. No really, if you have other fish what you are feeding them should be fine for right now. Go back to the LFS and browse the shelves. Best of luck!

 

[quickdodge]

Well, these are my first in tank. I had some goldfish to help start the cycle and I have regular flake food. Later, QD.

 

[sylvia]

To be honest, not knowing what the fish you just bought eats signifies you realy haven't done any research.

Read the link in my signature about cycling without fish (fishless) and return all those fish to your LFS. I know this must seem rather abrupt to you, but you need to appreciate that simply adding fish to a tank like this isn't going to get you anywhere.

If you honestly want to keep fish, healthy and happy, you need to, first of all, get rid of those goldfish. NO fish should be used for cycling and goldfish are one of the worst choices because they are coldwater fish and produce a huge amount of waste.

The huge amount of waste means ammonia will biuld up much faster and you're likely to get deaths very early on. Being coldwater fish, you need to keep the temperature lower - which slows the cycling process.

If you don't already know this, the cycling process is basicaly when 'good bacteria' growing in your filter media and substrate convert ammonia (found in fish waste, rotting food etc) to nitrIte and then to nitrAte. Both ammonia and nitrite are deadly. Nitrate is less dangerous as long as it is kept at levels below 20-40ppm by doing regular water changes with de-chlorinated water.

Three-spot gouramies (blue being one of the many color morphs of this species) grow to 6" and, though extremely hardy, also become very aggressive and are not biult for a colwater environment like the goldfish are. They need quite a large tank and you need to immediately work out what sexes your gouramies are as males are likely to kill each other once mature, as well as being notorious bullies of other fish, including the females.

Also, I don't understand why you added the gouramies if your tank isn't yet cycled. Now you've added even more ammonia to the tank and, not only will this prolong the cycle, it's likely you'll have a lot more dead or damaged fish as a result.

Like I said before, the best option right now is to return all the fish you have in this tank and start a fishless cycle. Unlike a cycle with fish that takes 6 or so weeks, a fishless cycle usualy takes only about half that and it gives you a chance to actualyr esearch what you are getting so you know it'll work in your tank.

You didn't mention tank size - please do.

Also, check your water parameters and do a water change if you have any detectable ammonia or nitrite. Keep this is up, changing around 30% every other day, until the tank 's ammonia and ntirite levels have both begun to drop. Alternatively, return the fish and you need not do ANY water changes until the tank's fully cycled as you won't need to worry about keeping the fish alive.

edit: Just to make sure, the tank's not cycled yet right? If it is, still make sure you've returned those goldfish and work out what sexes your three-spots are. Also please mention the tank's size.

 

[quickdodge]

To be honest, not knowing what the fish you just bought eats signifies you realy haven't done any research.

No. I have been doing some research. When I went to my LFS, I wasn't looking for a particular fish. The lady had the Blues for $1.50/per and told me since they were my first fish, to take those and see how they do.

If you honestly want to keep fish, healthy and happy, you need to, first of all, get rid of those goldfish.

I don't have any goldfish. Actually, I had the goldfish for about 2 weeks, took them out last Sunday, did a complete water change because I found out that I had crushed coral in my rock bed(thus keeping my pH high) and then let the tank adjust and get to the right temperature for this past week.

Also, I don't understand why you added the gouramies if your tank isn't yet cycled.

It might be because I thought it had cycled through. I have been running it for a week and have been checking my levels daily and they have been at the good spot the whole time. My tank size is 55 gal. Later, QD.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

The reason you'd have gotten perfect water results every time is because there's no ammonia being released into the tank. Sadly so many places say to leave a tank empty a week before adding fish when in truth it's a pointless waste of a week. The filter cannot mature without ammonia. And the best way to do that is to add either a product like biomature which adds ammonia to your tank without risking the lives of any fish and will cycle your tank in about 3 weeks.
While gouramies are hardy by nature, making them go through the cycling process is really puching their luck and will leave them at the very least with shortened lifespans and more susceptable to illness and disease.
You're not the first person to be caught out like this and certainly won't be the last. I was caught this way too and lost two fish in my first tank without having any knowledge of the nitrogen cycle. It really is worth knowing completely and saving the lives of any fish. Read the pinned topic we have on this site about fishless cycling and before you know it you'll have a good cycled tank with happy healthy fish.
Hugs,
P.

 

[quickdodge]

Thank you. SO you think I should take them back and do the ammonia cycle? Later ,QD.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

If you can then yes I would recommend that. Some places will even make sure they keep your fish for you while your tank cycles. I know I get attached to my fish very quickly so you may be able to do that.
Hugs,
P.

 

[love cichlids]

Some people might get mad but when I have to cycle a tank, i use zebra danios. They are very hardy and I have cycled a few tanks like this with no deaths. Once I was cycling my 20 gallon and the danios bred so I had to take care of a hundred fry unexpectedly, I added 7 in my tank and that was not a good idea. The next time I cycled a tank I put only 3 danios in there, and there was no breeding. It is up to you, it is just hard to get a hold of ammonia here for me. That is why I did it this way. But now I have many tanks where I can use the filters to clone them.

 

[sylvia]

You can do a fishless cycle using fish food so not having ammonia isn't an excuse. Also, regardless of how well danios survive a cycle (I too, BTW, cycled my first tank with them - before I knew better), there's usualy some permanent damage and the process is stressful whether it causes problems or not. besides, in future, if you have existing tanks, be aware that you don't need to go through a cycle at all. Just by introducing some mature filter media into the new filter and adding some fish, you get an instant cycle. The mature filter media (or gravel) already contains the good bacteria resposible for the cycling process