Dreadful Start To Fishkeeping - Please Help!

[sussexgirl]

I've been fishkeeping for a few months now and my enthusiasm has rubbed off on my mum and she's set up her own aquarium. I've given her numerous articles on fishless cycling but she's confused by the whole thing and how much amonia to add so she decided she's going to go the route (as I did - although I hadn't heard of fishless back then) of cycling with 2-3 hardy fish. So mum set up her tank, waited over a week and then decided that her first fish would be sunset platys.

We went to 2 LFS's on Friday. I put her off the first one (where she bought her whole tank set up from) because there were a few dead / ill looking fish in the tanks. We decided that the second LFS looked decent enough and purchased the platys. By the next morning we noticed that two of them had fungus on their heads and that the third had a spot which could have been ich. I told her to take them back. which she did this morning and was given a full refund. We're looking round for a decent LFS, within 30 miles of Exeter, Devon - any locals with recommendations?

Finally, how long should she wait before she introduces fish into the aquarium again? She's done a 75% water change today after she returned them and it's now sat empty with just a handful of live plants in it. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

PS: it's an Aqua One 620 tank which holds 90 litres. No readings as yet because it's empty and has had a drastic water change.

 

[Chri$]

Before you decide to do down the fish-cycle route again have a read of this http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861

 

[devongirl]

Before you decide to do down the fish-cycle route again have a read of this http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861

thanks, my daughter actually wrote the topic on my behalf but now I've registered as a user. I've read so much about fishless cycling and seen so much conflicting advice and I'm confused about how much amonia to add. Is there one definitive article that I should follow? I am willing to give it a go but it's a bit of a minefield.

However, if I still decide to go the route of cycling with fish, how long should I wait after taking the infected ones out before adding some new ones?

 

[Chri$]

If you do a 50% water change first then add some more fish you should be ok

 

[Fishy412]

yeah i would try some zebra danios. Ive had bad experiences with platies. theyre really not the great hardy fish you suppose they are. inbreeding has a lot to do with it. I cycled 2 tanks with teh same 2 zebra danios. they lived about 2 years. and no they didnt die of disease. The cause of death was a lima shovelnose, the only fish ive ever kept that could catch a zebra danio.