plee help a newbie

[Gooey]

the pet shop never said anything about a pre setup, he said
fill the tank with water put your fish in, sorted.

Now what could i do as the tank is starting to cloud up and
i hope the fish don't die.

My tank setup: tank 18" x 12" x 10", internal filter,
heater, a few ornaments.

Fish: 2 angel fish, 2 silver mollies, 2 guppies, red tail
shark and a silver shark

I have had this only since the 2nd of march, my first time
keeping fish, so please any help and advice would be
greatly appreciated

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Total bummer when that happens. Please email me and tell the name of the shop and where they are, I'll put them on my hate list. We try hard to tell people that fishkeeping is a good easy hobby, and most people can't ecen get past the starting blocks cos 'o people like them :grumpy:

Anyway save some fishies. You've got what a lot of newbies get, new tank syndrome. I'll need to make a good article about this cos it's something that always pops up. Nothing in your tanks ready for this invasion for fish and fish watse. Bacteria which builds up in your filter and makes all the bad stuff into good stuff is not ready yet, and to try and cope it's rapidly growing causing this white cloud.
Your right it's not good for the fish, it traps oxyqen and can sufficate your fish, also because the bacteria is not ready deadly toxins build up in the water. So....
Try and offload the fish, enve back to the store, demand they take them until the tank is ready. Or find a freind that has a tank and can take them. This will reduce all waste created by them, and also any waste from feeding them.
But as this is not always an option, we need to reduce waste. Cut down on feeding. If there is any food getting into the gravel try and syphon it back out. Do 20% water changes for two days then reduce it to 10% daily. Leave your filter. Remember to add all declorenators etc. to the tape water. Then cross all fingers and wait, it'll take about 2-4 weeks to fully cycle and the cloudyness won't go away for a while.

If you feel anything is going wrong give everyone a shout

 

[William]

Frequent water changes as Davy says and try and get someone to take a couple of fish for the time being cause otherwise they will die.

The fish you got perhaps also aren't the best, I thought angels needed tall tanks in order to fully grow. Guppies are not very hardy and I have to say don't hold out too much hope for them . Buy some test kits, Ammonia, NitrIte and NitrAte. Do a test then come back and tell us the result, we will then be able to tell you how bad things really are in your tank and suggest whether you need more water changes or whatever.

Good luck and keep us posted

William

 

[Rivulus]

<<My tank setup: tank 18" x 12" x 10", internal filter,
heater, a few ornaments.

Fish: 2 angel fish, 2 silver mollies, 2 guppies, red tail
shark and a silver shark>>

Whoever the store is, he sold you the wrong fish for your tank. Most of the fish you have need a larger tank. You have a 10 gal tank and the angels, red tail shark, and silver shark should all be in larger tanks. The mollies are marginal, but I don't consider them appropriate for beginners because they tend to have parasite problems and are very susceptible to temperature stress.

My recommendation:

1. Find a local aquarium club, or work with some people on the board.

2. Return the fish. Properly cycle the tank. You didn't say if you had a cover and light, but you should have a flourescent full hood on this tank. Get one.

3. Get some live plants. Live plants will help keep your tank stabil. Don't worry about the cloudy water. It's a bacterial bloom and will clear up on its own.

4. Research the kind of fish you want. Find a better store. Start with a couple of fish and add a few every two weeks until you have your tank complete.

5. Once you're successful, start deciding where your second tank will go. Trust me -- nobody keeps just one tank for long <grin>

Good luck

 

[Davy Reynolds]

And i though I'd keep the rest of the bad news for later :what:

Yes a bad start but as Rivulus says things will get better and bigger

 

[Gooey]

the future doesn't look too good then ?

the pet shop wont take them back, so is it just a fingers
crossed ?

which sort of fish should i have gotten, or get if the
others die ?

and since i have the wrong fish will they still survive in
my tank, (assuming they stick out thefirst month)

 

[Rose]

Read this article on properly cycling a fish tank.

As far as fish to get for a 10g tank Zebra Danios will do wonders for cycling a tank. Very hardy fish. (Lets put it this way, if there was a nuclear hollicoust Zebra Danios and Cockroaches would be the only things left to reinhabit the Earth. ) Some other good fish are Swordtails(click on the link to go to a article I wrote on them) and Platies. There are many color varieations of each of these fish. Rose

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Gooey, I notice your in England, most UK shops have to agree to not sell fish no the day they sell tanks. Things like this can get taken further, not that I'm wanting to cause havoc or anything.
They only problem with the fish you have is that they grow big. The sliver sharks can grow to over a foot. Look in the main site's fish index and you'll get all the info on the fish you have. Fish Index
I'd suggest small fish. I'm a member of IFOCAS so I'll look for help in your area.

 

[Gooey]

Thanks for all the help
I found a home for the fish, so whats the next step ?
should I keep some fish, or should I move them all ?

And can you suggest a lighting set up and plants(how many
and what types) suitable for my tank, I have a hood but no
lights.

Again thankyou for your help, its my first go at keeping
fish, and it was nearly a disaster.

 

[Davy Reynolds]

It's may be best to move all your fish. There should be enough waste etc. to cycle your tank with no fish in it.

Lighting. I'd recomemd a Arcadia (manufacturer) Oridginal tropical tube, 15"x1" 15w (around £5-7). You'll also need a starter or control unit, for the above wattage and tube width. This will come with clips for holding the light in the hood. (just over a tenner)

Plant are not my strong point and it all really depends on whats in the shops. But heres some easy plants. Java moss, Cyptocoryne wendtii, Anubias, Vallisneria spp, Aponogeton crispus, Hygrophila corymbosa and Riccia.

 

[William]

The fish you currently have, none of them are suitable for cycling the tank . I agree with davy to give them to someone for the time being. The cycle took me 2 weeks but up to 4 weeks is common. I recommmend Highly getting test kits for Ammonia and NitrIte. This way you can tell when your tank has cycled.

If I was you I would sell/give my angels and sharks away they really won't do well in a tank like that as it is too small . But they are your fish so you decide. Zebra danios are good but imho a bit boring. So instead of the sharks and angels maybe get a few white cloud minnows or some platies and perhaps a couple of peppered or bronze corys.

William

 

[William]

The fish you currently have, none of them are suitable for cycling the tank . I agree with davy to give them to someone for the time being. The cycle took me 2 weeks but up to 4 weeks is common. I recommmend Highly getting test kits for Ammonia and NitrIte. This way you can tell when your tank has cycled.

If I was you I would sell/give my angels and sharks away they really won't do well in a tank like that as it is too small . But they are your fish so you decide. Zebra danios are good but imho a bit boring. So instead of the sharks and angels maybe get a few white cloud minnows or some platies and perhaps a couple of peppered or bronze corys.

William

 

[William]

tset

 

[William]

test

 

[William]

Please continue this topic:

HERE


Sorry for inconvience the messsage board decided to lock up?

William