Uregently need help!

[SailfinGirl]

I have recently bought a new tank, my 26 gallon, see my sig. I left the filter running complete with real plants for a week before adding the three fish I have in there now. Before I added fish there were a few problem but they ironed them selves out. Everything was fine when I added the fish last monday.

So the fish have been in there for nearly a week. I feed them twice a day, and before the p.h was steady at 7.8.

I tested my water today, and the ammonia was bright green at 2.0! The ph has shot up to 8.0 and the nitrites are at 0.25 I think. So its all gone wrong over a couple of days. I did a water change, about 10% I would guess, this afternoon.

I then went out for a couple of hours and when I came back I straightaway did another water test and nothing has changed with the change! please help me! I don't want my fish to die!

 

[Phantom Thief]

Reduce feeding. try once every 2 days. do a large water change, maybe 40%. forget about cycling for a while, the priority is now saving the fish. try taking some gravel from the 4.4 gallon, and put it in. may help in the long run.

P.T.

 

[ger87410]

Check the water that you used to replace the old water with, it probably has ammonia in it.

 

[SailfinGirl]

I wasn't trying to cycle, I thought I had just by letting it run, until I came on here then realised I actually hadn't by then I'd already added the fish. Right, water change, shall I do it today or tomorrow, bearing in mind I already did a 10-20% change today? I'm not certain how much water I took out because Im not used to the size of the tank yet. The fish don't look ill at the moment except the pleco, he seems to be hiding more than usual. I have some stiuff to reduce ph, is it worth using that now or should I wait until ammonia and nitraites are sorted out?

 

[Phantom Thief]

Its usually best not to mess around with chemicals to reduce pH. Use a natural way like bogwood. change as much water as is necessary to get the ammonia levels down.

P.T.

 

[SailfinGirl]

Alrighty then, I d have lots of real plants in my tank and some bogwood. Should I add somehting like stress zyme / coat to the water for the sake of the fish?

 

[Phantom Thief]

I think it would help, but add it after the water changes (i'm sure you know that, but just in case you forget)

P.T.

 

[SailfinGirl]

So what say I do another 20% today and 20% tomorrow, that will be about 50% over 2 days? I'm worried that I cure this problem but kill my fish by adding too much new water at once!

 

[Phantom Thief]

As long as the new water's parameters, like temp and pH, are not too different, even a 50% change in one day is no problem. Just change as much as is necessary to remove the ammonia and nitrites. But dont do more than 60, might get stressful.

P.T.

 

[SailfinGirl]

Thanks Phantom Thief! I'll do what you suggest. Do you think I should try and move the fish out while I get this sorted?

 

[Phantom Thief]

Where would you move them to?

P.T.

 

[SailfinGirl]

Well, my sis has a 13 gallon but she's just said I'm not putting my fish in there. Even though thats where my 3 guppies are. Oh well., thanks for your help, I'll do what you suggest, and pray for my fish!

 

[Phantom Thief]

Finger crossed! Anyway, its best not to move the fish anyway.

P.T.

 

[TorPeteO]

The problem with your tank is that you didn't give good bacteria (which converts ammonia into nitrites and then nitrites into nitrates) the time or chemicals to grow a sustainable colony. They need the ammonia that comes with having fish in the tank in order to feed, so unless you try fishless cycling, you've got to subject your fish to the nitrate cycle while the tank's bacterial colony grows. I learned this the hard way, too, and lost a few fish because of it (hopefully you won't have to).

Having your plants and filter run for a week was a good idea, but the plant didn't offer the kind of chemicals that the bacteria needed to feed off of. So, as Phanton said, it is best to perform water changes to reduce the ammonia level, and cut down the amount of food you give the fish.

 

[SailfinGirl]

Ok, i'll do that. thanks!

I didn't know about cycling until it was too lae, i thought i was cycling. I found out the hard way I hope my fish don't die too! i love my fish!