Help my fish are dying

[Hattrick]

Hi i set up my tank, sand, plants, heater, filter, air pump. I left it up running for 15 days, i then bought 5 zebra danios. 9 days later only 1 is still alive seeing as his friends have died i dont see him living. When he dies, do i need to get 5 more fish to continue the cycle or can i leave it empty to finish on its own? i'd rather not hurt anymore fish

 

[a1wonder]

What are your tanks water readings?

Also try a search on doing a fish less cycle. Take a little bit longer. Cost alot less than replacing fish. AND best of all NO DEAD FISH!

Try giving us a little more infromation about where you are in the cycle and how big is this tank?

 

[spanishguy111]

Hi i set up my tank, sand, plants, heater, filter, air pump. I left it up running for 15 days, i then bought 5 zebra danios. 9 days later only 1 is still alive seeing as his friends have died i dont see him living. When he dies, do i need to get 5 more fish to continue the cycle or can i leave it empty to finish on its own? i'd rather not hurt anymore fish 

[snapback]911969[/snapback]​

What kind of sand did you use. If its silica based did you rinse it thoroughly?

Nothing kills Zebra Danios... I've heard of children putting them in a bowl of cheerios and them surviving. Or being stuck inside a filter for a week and surviving... I've known many people to set up a tank and (rather foolishly) immmeeeediately add danios. And none have died. I've never lost a Danio... and the only Danio I know of dying was a DOA in a bag *but it was a pearl not a zebra.

This is very fishy (no pun)... There's something wrong elsewhere. You didnt rinse your carbon or there's silicate in the water or youre feeding them the wrong food or youre getting perfume or soap in the water... somethings wrong...

oh and VERY IMPORTANT. A tank doesnt start to cycle until somethings making ammonia. There always has to be something in there making ammonia. Even once the tank is cycled. If you had a completely cycled tank with fish and everything in it for a year, then removed every speck of life, it would be uncycled within a week. Your tank SETTLED for fifteen days, and began to cycle on the day you added fish. Rinse everything really well. Your filter media, everything. Get all the water out, and refill the tank. Make sure its not to hot or cold. For zebra danios and probably everything else you'll get 78 isnt a bad bet.

and of course as the other guy said always state tank size temperature type of filter etcetera and your pH and so forth

 

[a1wonder]

Hi i set up my tank, sand, plants, heater, filter, air pump. I left it up running for 15 days, i then bought 5 zebra danios. 9 days later only 1 is still alive seeing as his friends have died i dont see him living. When he dies, do i need to get 5 more fish to continue the cycle or can i leave it empty to finish on its own? i'd rather not hurt anymore fish

[snapback]911969[/snapback]​

Nothing kills Zebra Danios... I've heard of children putting them in a bowl of cheerios and them surviving. Or being stuck inside a filter for a week and surviving... I've known many people to set up a tank and (rather foolishly) immmeeeediately add danios. And none have died. I've never lost a Danio... and the only Danio I know of dying was a DOA in a bag *but it was a pearl not a zebra.

This is very fishy (no pun)... There's something wrong elsewhere. You didnt rinse your carbon or there's silicate in the water or youre feeding them the wrong food or youre getting perfume or soap in the water... somethings wrong...

[snapback]912050[/snapback]​

I'm sorry but i'm going to have to disagree with you while Zebra Danios are indeed a hardly fish they can like all fish be killed by large amount of ammonia and nitrate in the tank.
Also overfeeding can cause an amonia spike as well. While I'm not saying it may have been other underlying factors I don't belive it is nessarry to start from scratch. Unless of course you did forget to rince your equipment or you have a strong beilf that your tank is contaimenated but a third variable.
The best thing you can do is test the water either or yourself or bring it to your pet shop to test (they will do it for free).
It also may have been that you did not recieve a good batch of danios (as that has happened many times to be with neons and barbs in my local area).
But it would make sense 9 days in that this is most likely an amonia spike (you can help your remaining fish out by doing daily water changes of 10%) as this is where is usually occurs in the cycle.

 

[modernhamlet]

Guys, let's try to help Hattrick here...

Hattrick, in order to help you we need you to answer as many of the following questions as you can, ok?

1. What is the size of the tank (dimensions and/or volume)?
2. Do you have a test kit for ammonia and nitrite?
3. Tell us more about the contents of the tank...
the sand (what kind?)
the plants (which plants? what is their condition now?)
the filter (what brand/model?)
the heater (what temperature?)
4. Did you use dechlorinator in the new tank water?
5. What condition were the fish in the pet shop where you purchased the danios?
6. How much did you feed them per day?

That should be enough to get started. Let us know so we can help.

 

[Hattrick]

Guys, let's try to help Hattrick here...

Hattrick, in order to help you we need you to answer as many of the following questions as you can, ok?

1. What is the size of the tank (dimensions and/or volume)?
2. Do you have a test kit for ammonia and nitrite?
3. Tell us more about the contents of the tank...
the sand (what kind?)
the plants (which plants? what is their condition now?)
the filter (what brand/model?)
the heater (what temperature?)
4. Did you use dechlorinator in the new tank water?
5. What condition were the fish in the pet shop where you purchased the danios?
6. How much did you feed them per day?

That should be enough to get started. Let us know so we can help.

[snapback]912331[/snapback]​

Its 20 gallons in size.

I do but i ve missed place the nitrite 1, i just this minute did a ammonia test and theres very little ammonia in the water. Hardly noticeable, the safe colour is yellow and its 85% yellow with a hint of green..the bad colour. Tomorrow i am at a fish store, i ll buy a new test kit.

I bought aquarium sand, i dont know the names of the plants sorry but they are in as good condition as when i bought them. Dont know the filter name either sorry, it came with a starter pack and someone i know has been using the same model filter for over a year now so i'm sure its fine.

Ah the temperature, i think this might of been what killed them. I havent had the heater on much, i turn it on a little a day but without it on its been at 25/77. Its been quite hot or my room is hot. It was a cold day a few days back and the temperature had fallen to 22/72. I turned the heater on, it was only on 3 hrs or so but when i came back the tank was very hot.. well past 30/86(high as thermometer goes) i quickly as possible added cold water to bring the temperature down. The fish were swimming like normal but since they have died so maybe it caused them damage I'm not sure it was that though because i'm certain 1 fish died before this happened... but it probably was that and my fault

As i said i'm going to the fish store tomorrow, i will get them to test the water and if its okay i'm going to get some new fish... i dont want to waste the other fishes lifes by starting the tank again.

Oh i forgot, all but 1 of the zebra danios were very small, some as small as 2cm wide. Maybe them being so young was a problem.

If the water is okay tomorrow, i'm thinking of getting 4 or 5 platies, i have heard they are tough fish?

 

[Hattrick]

I've been using products to keep the water as good as i can, aquasafe for new tap water and ammolock to kill ammonia.. i dunno if i should be using that as i need ammonia to start the spike dont i.

If i get new fish tomorrow i'm going to give the tank a very good clean first. Its not dirty but it cant hurt can it.

 

[modernhamlet]

Ah the temperature, i think this might of been what killed them. I havent had the heater on much, i turn it on a little a day but without it on its been at 25/77. Its been quite hot or my room is hot. It was a cold day a few days back and the temperature had fallen to 22/72. I turned the heater on, it was only on 3 hrs or so but when i came back the tank was very hot.. well past 30/86(high as thermometer goes) i quickly as possible added cold water to bring the temperature down. The fish were swimming like normal but since they have died so maybe it caused them damage I'm not sure it was that though because i'm certain 1 fish died before this happened... but it probably was that and my fault

I don't know if this was a contributing factor or not, but it's definitely a problem. You are not supposed to turn your aquarium heater on and off. Aquarium heaters have a thermostat, so they turn on and off automatically. You put the heater in the tank, plug it in and set it using the knob. If there are no degrees indictators on it, that's still ok, just dial it up or down until it just turns on at the current temp. Now you know what temperature the heater is set to. Turn it up or down depending on what temp you actually want the tank to be at. Then leave it be. Double check to make sure it's keeping the tank stable at the temp you want. If not, make small adjustments.

The only time you should unplug your heater is during water changes.

I've been using products to keep the water as good as i can, aquasafe for new tap water and ammolock to kill ammonia.. i dunno if i should be using that as i need ammonia to start the spike dont i.

AmmoLock shouldn't prevent the cycle from happening, but don't become dependent on it, as your test kit readings may be thrown off by it. If you regularly test the water and make water changes as needed, you won't need it.

If i get new fish tomorrow i'm going to give the tank a very good clean first. Its not dirty but it cant hurt can it.

Definitely don't get new fish tomorrow. You need to test your nitrite. If it's sky high, putting a new fish in (even a danio) will probably just kill it. Please be patient. You are not certain enough about the stability and health of your tank to be adding fish.

What is the status of the last danio? Would you consider returning it to the store?

 

[Hattrick]

Ah the temperature, i think this might of been what killed them. I havent had the heater on much, i turn it on a little a day but without it on its been at 25/77. Its been quite hot or my room is hot. It was a cold day a few days back and the temperature had fallen to 22/72. I turned the heater on, it was only on 3 hrs or so but when i came back the tank was very hot.. well past 30/86(high as thermometer goes) i quickly as possible added cold water to bring the temperature down. The fish were swimming like normal but since they have died so maybe it caused them damage I'm not sure it was that though because i'm certain 1 fish died before this happened... but it probably was that and my fault

I don't know if this was a contributing factor or not, but it's definitely a problem. You are not supposed to turn your aquarium heater on and off. Aquarium heaters have a thermostat, so they turn on and off automatically. You put the heater in the tank, plug it in and set it using the knob. If there are no degrees indictators on it, that's still ok, just dial it up or down until it just turns on at the current temp. Now you know what temperature the heater is set to. Turn it up or down depending on what temp you actually want the tank to be at. Then leave it be. Double check to make sure it's keeping the tank stable at the temp you want. If not, make small adjustments.

The only time you should unplug your heater is during water changes.

I've been using products to keep the water as good as i can, aquasafe for new tap water and ammolock to kill ammonia.. i dunno if i should be using that as i need ammonia to start the spike dont i.

AmmoLock shouldn't prevent the cycle from happening, but don't become dependent on it, as your test kit readings may be thrown off by it. If you regularly test the water and make water changes as needed, you won't need it.

If i get new fish tomorrow i'm going to give the tank a very good clean first. Its not dirty but it cant hurt can it.

Definitely don't get new fish tomorrow. You need to test your nitrite. If it's sky high, putting a new fish in (even a danio) will probably just kill it. Please be patient. You are not certain enough about the stability and health of your tank to be adding fish.

What is the status of the last danio? Would you consider returning it to the store?

[snapback]913514[/snapback]​

he died I didnt have time to get to the fish store, so i didnt get any new fish. I just found my nitrite kit. The result was 0, light blue colour as if the tank hasnt experienced what nitrite is yet. There hasnt been any fish in the tank for 24 hrs now, the water is starting to go a little cloudy at the top. Bacteria bloom? I've left the air pump, filter, heater on.

 

[rdd1952]

he died I didnt have time to get to the fish store, so i didnt get any new fish. I just found my nitrite kit. The result was 0, light blue colour as if the tank hasnt experienced what nitrite is yet. There hasnt been any fish in the tank for 24 hrs now, the water is starting to go a little cloudy at the top. Bacteria bloom? I've left the air pump, filter, heater on.

[snapback]913714[/snapback]​

With the ammonia and nitrite being negligable, I have to agree with spanishguy (as much as I hate to say that) that there is probably something else wrong in the tank. I don't think the temperature would be it but I guess possibly could, especially if it was up and down between 72 and 77.

I wouldn't buy any more fish until you find out what caused these to die. I didn't see where you answered about the dechlorinator. If you didn't use any that could be the problem.

The cloudyness in the water could be a bacteria bloom in the tank. You need to finish cycling the tank without fish. Add either fish flakes or pure ammonia to finish it off. Also, knowing exactly what chemicals you are adding to the tank would be helpful in figuring out your problem.