okay, I'm sure you've all heard this before

[sumer_kay]

*deep breath* here i go--
I was given a used 10 gallon tank a month and a half ago, and have made every mistake possible i'm sure. First, i tested it to see if it leaked with water in the tub, it didn't okay, so i'm all ready to go? right? wrong. whoever said fish are easy was a liar. I used water straight from the tap, no chemicals..in fact i don't own any. (i didn't even wash the tank out, just rinsed it) I put in the air bubbler thingy with a little blue rock at the bottom, and put in the charcol attachment to that. I put in a mini aquaclear filter with one sponge (is that all i need?) Then i added those pretty colored glass rocks, a betta i'd had forever, and ran all the way to my local wal mart. I bought a goldfish (just one) and a little sucker fish. They all got fin rot except the sucker, so i did a 50% water change and added a green tablet which cured them, but unfortunantly couldn't save my beloved betta from the great fishy bowl in the sky. After two weeks, and two 20% water changes the tank was still green, so i did a 100% water change, and scrubbed the tank They did fairly well for a few weeks, so i went and bought two platies, (and the walmart people didn't tell me were livebearers, or that they should have 2 femmes to 1 male) so I ended up with two males. Then my filter broke. Then I bought another goldfish. The big platy picked on the little one, and he stopped swimming around for fear of bullying (I think) He stopped eating yesterday, and died today =/ I know I have to go buy another filter, adn some gravel, but all the nitrate/amonia stuff really confuses me, do i need test strips or something? and how many kinds of chemicals do i really need to buy for 2 goldfish, 1 sucker, and one platy? Any help would be great..

 

[sandyd]

Sounds like you have had a real time of it with that tank. First off I would like to let you know, because the lfs (local fish store) probably did not, that goldfish are very messy fish and grow very quickly, while they do not need a heater, your other fish do, so they are completely different fish, and I am sure there are many who would say do not keep them together. I do not want to tell you that you cannot keep them all together, but down the line you may have to decide who you want more.

As for the cycling have you read the pinned thread on that?

Test kits you will need, i use the test strips which test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, hardness.

Good luck and hope i have been of some help.
Sandy

 

[sumer_kay]

My fish tank stays at around 72 degrees, and i was told that i needed 74 for the platies, but they seemed to do okay. Also, I was told I should add some aquariam salt, and they would all be happier, will this be okay for all of my fish? and if so, how much to add for a 10 gallon tank. okay well, i'm leaving for the weekend...everyone send your best thoughts to my fishies..i'm using those weekend shell feeder things *crosses fingers and thinks good thoughts*
xoxo-summer

 

[crimsontsavo]

Hmm- when you say Sucker Fish- I assume it's a Pleco?
He unfortunately will out grow your tank very soon. Read the pinned article on cycling a tank as soon as you can.
Putting fish in a newly set up tank usually kills them. The water needs to age (cycle) in order for the fish to be healthy. No less than a month without fish is what alot of people do. You can get gravel/sand/filter goo from an already existing tank to help the cycle along.
The goldfish should go,.
They ARE messy fish and grow quickly. I know this as I raise them.

NTS , New Tank Syndrome. Sounds like what you have.

Try not to beat yourself up about it. You are new to fishkeeping and have alot to learn! There are so many nice people here that will help you out through it all!

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Jaded_Pulse]

i'm still a newbie too so i can't really help u much but just wanted to say welcome & goodluck. i did everything completely wrong too but i've been soooooo lucky it's not funny though i think i am getting a bit of a problem now . anyways, i'm sorry to hear about ur loss, goodluck with the rest of them.

 

[wuvmybetta]

Hi Summer

There's so much to learn about fishkeeping. Everybody has pretty much answered your questions but I wanted to throw my two cents in. First of all....do you have a small family oriented fish store in your town? They're so much more helpful than Wal-Mart, search around and see if you can find a good lfs. The quality in fish is much better and the variety is usually wider.

Having two male platies was probably the best thing, they're livebearers and they reproduce like mad, the last thing you need to deal with in the beginning is fry (sorry about the one who died) Platies are tropical fish and when you say you need 74 for the platies, that means 74 is the absolute minimum, they really prefer warm water...around 78ish, they tolerate it all the way up into the 80's.

Goldies....are cold water fish, meaning they live in chilly conditions (such as ponds) and they get huge. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's difficult to mix tropicals and cold water fish and it's really not recommended. Think about which you'd prefer and go from there. If you decide on tropicals such as platies and guppies, you'll need to purchase a small heater for your tank.

Good luck & have a fun trip!! (and welcome to the forum!)

 

[reg2k2]

Why do u say the filter's broke?

 

[sumer_kay]

Why do u say the filter's broke?

well, mostly because it stopped working. The little battery thingy would get really hot but no water would flow. Anyways, I got a new filter (and it was at a new lfs that was MUCH more helpful) It's a new aquaclear mini, with somesort of a special bio-wheel that helps grow good bacteria, and kill amonia and nitrates, also the filter insert is filled with activated charcoal. GOOD NEWS, i left them over the weekend with my new filter, and they seem to be doing much better! woohoo! what i really want is a pretty tank with happy fish... but I'm afraid I'm attached to the ones I have..I mean, how do you get rid of a fish? a 10cent fish?, or even a 2 dollar fish? A newspaper add?? LMAO Well, thank you for all of your advice =)

 

[nightlife20]

did u use declorinator in ur water cause if i read it right u didnt.....


u must use a declorinator!

 

[sumer_kay]

did u use declorinator in ur water cause if i read it right u didnt.....


u must use a declorinator!

no dechlorinator...=/ is that bad...well, they seem to be good now.....? Also, should I add some aquarium salt to my tank? and if so, how much?
i xoxoxo my fishies... do you think a dog faced puffer could go in the mix if i add salt?? those are kewl!

 

[sandro]

I have a 10 gallon community tank, with 3 fish being platies ... when I first set up the tank I had a betta come down with some kind of fungus (he didn't make it). So, I added ~ 8 teaspoons of salt. They've all been happy since, no more sick fish. I've heard that goldfish don't handle salt well at all though ...

 

[wuvmybetta]

No puffer, they're definately not for that mix. I believe Dog Faced Puffers are SALTwater fish,not fresh. There ARE dwarf puffers that are freshwater and they're really cute, see if your lfs has some. They won't go with your mix though.


First off, they'll need a heater. But...if you have your water tested and ask the fish store if it's cycled, you could take all of your fish back and have the puffer (maybe 2 or 3). Of course you'll have to research the fish and make sure you can meet it's needs as far as tank size and feeding requirements.

 

[Adrinal]

did u use declorinator in ur water cause if i read it right u didnt.....


u must use a declorinator!

who ho slow down there.

You must find out what comes out of your tap if u are using that. Then you deal with what water you have properly.
If there is chlor in your water you must get it out of your water... the free and BEST method is letting it sit in a bucket for 2 days with something to aggitate the water (a small pump or large airstone). If you cant do this because of space THEN you can add a checmical dechlorinator.... never add crap to water if you can find a natural method IMO...

2) before you take my oppinion or any one elses here GET A BOOK.
get some base knowlage before debating what is right or wrong in the forums.

Fish are a rewarding hobie. They really arnt that difficult if you stay with the right fish for the amount of effort you are willing to put in....
THe main difference in fish vs other hobbies is when you mess up you usually take a life... (we are capturing animals not really ment to be pets in the first place for our pleasure).
So. plz get fish for noobs book, read it, keep posting, and dont buy more fish till you are certian you are ok with the ones you have now!
Take your time and you will be rewarded.


Welcome