Desperate Help Needed

[Spanky855]

Hi There

Can anyone help, I have a new tank, just put 5 barbs in on advice form my Local Shop to help cycle the tank, 2 days ago I lost one, and now I have lost another!!!
Problem is when I say lost I mean lost, they are no where to be seen, checked filters, plants , rocks , bog wood and sand substrate.
Do these guys eat each other? Its the only thing I can think of??

Am i going mad !! I have never been so confused. Local Shop not open until tommorrow because of holidays so i cant ask them.

If anyone can offer advise to help keep my sanity I would appreciate it .

Kind regards

Lee

 

[discus dreamer]

have a look at the pinned notes on fishless cycling, it's much safer. In the mean time you should change some of the water everyday. Do an ammonia check and any other tests you have to see how urgent the need to keep up the water changes is. If you have no live bacteria in the filter to use up what your fish give out your fish will be poisoning the water.
DD

 

[england]

mmm difficult to say......whats the lid of the tank like?my sister had a tank with a fitted lid n 1 danio jumped out the smallest of holes at rear we found it down the back of the fish cabinet......what type of filter??
check everywhere you wouldnt think of looking......under bogwood....maybe they died n got eaten.
do you have glass around top inside of tank......look everywhere

 

[Spanky855]

Guys Thanks for your help.

I have found the problem.

I have the jewel realistic rock backing which is stuck inside my tank, on one of the edges where it overlaps so you can get a seamless there is a gap !!

The water leve is only about 5mm above the top of the backing but amazingly both the missing fish have made there way down there.
I have rescued one , which seems to be ok but im afraid I was too late for the other which means I have had a dead fish in my tank for two days, will this cause any problems??

Regards Lee

 

[Irf]

I have rescued one , which seems to be ok but im afraid I was too late for the other which means I have had a dead fish in my tank for two days, will this cause any problems??

Regards Lee

Don't worry about it - it's done now anyway. It's not good by any means, but as your tank is still relatively lightly populated and still cycling, it's not going to cause any major hassle. A more important factor is to heed the warnings from the other guys about water changes, etc., and making certain that you cycle with fish properly. Follow the sticky threads regarding cycling.... they are generally tried and trusted methods if followed precisely. Also if you are worried about any stray toxins from the dead fish, water changes will help with that too. Water changes - the aquarists miracle cure!!!!

Irf.

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

you first piece of real advise that will stay with you forever.


don't believe you lfs

barbs shouldn't have been recommended for a start as they arnt as hardy as some people like to think.

if you were going to do a cycle with fish it should have been danios, howeve see if you can get the lfs to take the barbs back and read through the pinned topics in the beginners section. everything you need is in there

 

[Irf]

barbs shouldn't have been recommended for a start as they arnt as hardy as some people like to think.

I strongly agree with smurfy on this one - my first cycle was with fish, and I used zebra danios...... they still got a bit poorly but they are hardy little devils and I've still got most of them today!

Irf.