New Tank Ugent Help!

[dazza2123]

Help!!

I hate ppl that just want a sale and not bovad about the animals PLEASE HELP!!!

I bough a new tank of 35l

I got advised to leave it for 3 days b4 i bought any fish!!

I went back to the place and got fish yesterday.

They sold me:

An apple snail
5xNeons
4xPlatinum Tetras
2xMollies
3x Cherry Platys
3xTiger Barbs
3xGupies

I have been reading these forumns after comeing into work as i dont have the internet at home!!

From reading these i dont feel the bacteria will be good enough in my tank am i right??

Is there anything i can do dont want them to die??

I have 3 plants, A 50l underwater filter stingray 10 & a 50w heater.

I have used api ammo lock twice since yesterday to reduce the ammonia!

I have conditiond the water.

I have also used some stress zyme to help the fish feel comfy.

Is there anything i could of missed urgent as i dnt want the fish to DIE!!!!

Thanks

Dazza

 

[MACKAZ]

Hi Dazza

I canna believe the place recommended you have so many fish at once after having the tank set up for only three days. I have a 20l and was advised that 6 neons would be suffice for about a month to see how things go.

Unless you have used media from another aquarium there is no way you will have enough bacteria in there. A month at least before it builds up i am led to believe.

Sounds like this shop was in it for the quick sale as you say.

I hope the guys will be ok....

 

[pauly]

1) Use a cycle starting product like Nutrafin Cycle, or Bactinettes if you can get it;
2) Buy a liquid test kit to test Ammonia, Ph, Nitrate and Nitrite levels
3) Test water twice daily, and carry out water changes when Ammonia is above 0.25. (be prepared to do water changes at least once a day).

You should probably think about returning at least some of the fish to the store, or you could return all of them and begin a fishless cycle.

Paul.

 

[dazza2123]

Ok thanks for the help

I hope thie fish live!!

I will take them back to the shop.

Thanks for the advice.

How many do you think i should take back??

I will used the neutrafin cycle but how much???

Also just do like a 10% water change

Thanks

 

[pauly]

You need to decide what to do first. A fishless cycle or with-fish cycle.

Fishless Cycle
Return all your fish, then do a fishless cycle (see sticky thread). Once you're cycled you can fully stock your tank straight away. Although be prepared for a tank without fish for up about 8 weeks.

With-fish Cycle
This is what I'd do, but I'm probably in the minority on here. I'd cycle the tank with just the neons, so take all the others back.

If you use a cycle product, follow the instructions on the bottle. Get a BIG bottle.

The water change would depend on the level of ammonia, but at 0.25 I would change at least 25%.


What ever option you go with, try to get some mature media from somebody you know (or the LFS). This is basically some mature filter sponge from an established tank that you transfer to your filter. This will vastly increase the time it takes for your tank to cycle.

Paul.

 

[waterdrop]

If he keeps all the fish (new tank would have been completely un-cycled in only 3 days) I'd think it might take much larger water changes than 25% to avoid gill damage.

 

[mr oscar]

hi dazza sorry to hear about your problem, if you can, take the fish back, if you feel you cannot, and you would like something done about it, let me know who from and where you bought the fish, i will look up their details for you and send them an e-mail asking them why they sold you so many fish and what experience they have, at worst we could make them blush with embarressment, if you dont want to then i suggest daily water changes at about 25% first then 3 - 4 ltrs every day which is about 10%to try and keep the fish alive, ideally though try and take them back, good luck dazza

 

[jdyer]

One thing that I'd add is that, if you do decide to do fish-in cycling, don't use the neons for it - they are fragile fish, and better off in an established tank.

 

[dazza2123]

Hey

I come home from a 24hour shift at work to find about 10 fish dying.

I added some ammo lock! And they all come back to life in 20 minutes.

I need help

Im going to fone the shop i got them from as they told me it would be fine to get the fish all at once after wed- monday cycle

What should i do?? IF i can take the fish back also??

 

[dazza2123]

When i do a water change!!

Should i just change some water.

With some with the dechlorinator in!!

Thanks for the advice.

Should i up the temp of the water with some water from my kettle??

Will i be able to get a acceptable dechlorinator from API at pets at home??

Thanks

 

[waterdrop]

Dazza,

You can do water changes as often as necessary, leaving about an hour minimum between them for the fish to get used to it. For your situation, water changes are your top priority.

Yes, if you don't have a mixing tap to adjust the tap water temp then you may have to add heated water some other way. It is good enough to use your skin to estimate when the water to be added matches temp with the tank water - it will usually be within the few degrees that is reasonable.

Yes, you need to dechlorinate/dechloraminate the water. The API Stress Coat is a good product for this, or Seachem Prime is probably the best. This choice is not so critical though and any dechlor/dechloram product will work. Products that are purpose-specific for dechlor/dechloram are better. You calculate your dose based on the bottle instructions. Add half what you need directly into the tank as you start to refill during the water change and then the other half of your amount as you finish up.

Your next to top priority, say once you've been home and done a water change, is to get over to your store and get a liquid-based test kit if you don't already have one. The API Freshwater Master Test Kit is a good choice and used by many here but any test that is based on little bottles of liquid reagents is what you want. If you can see expiration dates on it or be assured it is new that is good too. You need to come home and test your tap water twice, writing down the results in your log notebook - that will give you needed practice at following the instructions - and yes, you need to follow them.

The most important tests for you are Ammonia, Nitrite and pH at this point. Others will be important but not directly for your emergency. Fish gills can be damaged by amounts less than these tests can measure, so when your test detects any amount of ammonia or nitrite then you need to keep performing water changes. Don't stress, these water changes will eventually settle down and only tiny amounts of ammonia and nitrite will be there and the fish will let you know by happier behaviour. The pH check is only to see whether it is extreme - for example, if your tank is acid, 6.0 or below then it might be difficult for the correct bacteria to grow in your filter during this "fish-in" cycle you are doing.

Report your test results here. There are experts here much better than me who will comment on them. All the while, of course, you have the option to try friendly persuasion on your shop people to take the fish back and hold them for you or some other such arrangement. This would be the best development, allowing you to perform a fishless cycle and prepare your environment correctly.

Good Luck and I'll try to check your thread after I get to my work computer! ~~waterdrop~~

 

[dazza2123]

Where will i get a test kit from

and how much

Thanks

 

[littlest]

you can get a test kit from your lfs (local fish shop) or order online. I don't know where you live, in the UK the API Master Test Kit costs around £20 and can be bought at aquatics online - as well as other places.

(you need to scroll down on that page to find the Master Test Kit - works out cheaper than buying the tests seperately).

 

[waterdrop]

dazza, littlest is one of those experienced experts I was talking about!

brings up a helpful thing: if you view your own profile, there is link to edit your profile and you can enter your location, which is really helpful for others. They can give you better info and you aren't really revealing too much about yourself. In the US, city,state,country is useful. In the UK you can do all those really colorful location indicators that we in the US rarely understand, thinking we are back reading the Hobbit books or such

I agree, the master kit works out to less money and then sometimes you can just buy the ammonia one by itself later if you go low on those - they probably run out the fastest for beginners. This purchase may feel strange right now but later you will look back and hopefully think it was the best and most important to your fishkeeping skills.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[pauly]

Whenever you do a water change, you need to put dechlorinator in the new water (according to directions on the bottle).

The temperature of your new water should roughly match the temperature of the water in the tank. I just use hot and cold water from my taps and use my hand to judge whether its about right.

Yes you can get APT dechlorinator from Pets at Home, but any brand will do. They should also sell the liquid test kits for about £20.

Paul.