Hi

[Debra51]

Hi Im Debra...very new here...i am an accidental fish owner, as my father recently passed away, and had 9 fish tanks...so i am trying to save his fish., althou i have become very fond of them and hope to keep them alive and healthy...

 

[The603]

Welcome to the forum, sorry to hear about your Dad. Plenty of knowledge here to help you take care of friends.

 

[Debra51]

Thanks so much....

 

[emeraldking]

Well, hi there & welcome to our forum...
Very sorry about your dad.
There are sufficient members overhere who can help you out with all of your questions.

 

[jaylach]

Debra!

 

[Aqua67]

Welcome Debra. I think your Dad would smile to see you enjoying his fish. What a way to break into the hobby…..with 9 tanks to start. It may seem overwhelming when it comes time to do the water changes though with so many tanks. I hope it doesn’t discourage you in your new hobby. If your Dad had been keeping fish for a long time, he may have fish with different requirements in each of his tanks. I would suggest you identify what you have in each tank and read up on those kinds of fish. If you can’t identify some, just take a picture and post it here for us to help you identify. Test all of the water parameters in each tank. I think I would start a little journal or notepad for each tank so you can keep track. That sort of thing would help me anyway. Also, there are many avenues for rehoming fish and hobbyists are often looking to trade plants for fish. You should be able to get things to a point where it won’t seem so overwhelming. Keep in mind, generally speaking, the larger the aquarium the easier it is to maintain water parameters. It is also nice to have a small tank ready to use as a quarantine tank or hospital tank. I would love to see pictures of your aquariums and the fish, knowing that tanks change appearances over time. It would be nice to see what you’re starting with. Have a good day and enjoy poking around on this chat board.

 

[Debra51]

Hi, and thanks for your reply, i actually dont have all nine tanks...8 are still at my dads place as i dont drive, me and my friend carried one home with all the fish that were still alive as they turned the electricity off before i could get there, so unfortunately i only have around 10 guppies now...as the rest have died...i am going to bring some of the water, and plant life from the other tanks as suggested to help cycle the one i have...which has a bio filter and a heater and lighting, i am a total novice..never even had a goldfish, but they have grown on me so much...especially the little water snail that keeps slding up the side of the glass..im eager to keep it alive. Thanks so much for all the advice youve given it is really helping me to get an idea of the task that lies ahead...i have also found some test strips at my dads..for nitrate..which im going to be doing...also can i ask is it wise or unwise to use a water filter for the tap water as you would if you were going to drink it for the fish?..and also im very worried about keep taking them out of the tank....i imagine this can be distressing to them...is there anything i can do to make the process more comfortable?...thanks in advance...

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Welcome! I'm so sorry for your loss. Good on you for trying to save the fish. What do you mean by "use a water filter for the tap water"? Do you mean a reverse osmosis filter? That shouldn't hurt anything, although guppies like some mineral hardness in their water, so regular tap water might be better. Be sure to treat it with conditioner to remove chlorine and metals.

Where are the fish currently living, if not in the tank?