Help!

[Bubblyxcici]

Si this is probably going to be a long post but here it goes. I just got into about three months ago.

I started off with two betas and finally this week decided I wanted more. I bought a 10 gallon tank and had a 20 gallon given to me a day later. I went to the aquarium store and purchased all my supplies and spent hours talking to someone about getting my tanks started. So I set them up, added good bacteria to my tank and then let my ten gallon run for 36 hours. After that I brought my water in got it tested and all my levels were good so I bought three bumble bee platys.

24 hours after my first tank had been set up I got my 20 gallon up and working and let it run for 36 hours then got fish yesterday but last night, the fish didn't take to it and were lathargic and staying at the top of the tank. This morning I went to the fish store and got my water tested and it was a little higher in ammonia so what they recommended was that I buy stability and follow the directions. I also mentioned that the fish had ich so they said I was able to add salt and it wouldn't harm my fish as long as I follow directions on the box ( I didn't want the medicine for ich because I have two pregnant platys so salt water is what they recommended). So when I got home I added the stability to both my 10 gallon and 20 gallon and then 15 minutes later I added the salt to both tanks. Within 5 minutes one of my fish in the 20 gallon died but the other ones seem ok and they aren't as lathargic and they aren't staying near the top anymore. Also after adding the salt in my ten gallon, the fish seem to be swimming around a lot faster than before and more erratic than usual. Is this normal? I really want to clear up the ich and get my tanks with lower ammonia so they can be comfortable. I'm so terrified my fish are going to die!

 

[Demeter32]

Salt isn't the best way to treat ich. If you have an adjustable heater you should raise the temp to 86-88 degrees and it will kill off the ich naturally without harming the fish. When water parameters (nitrite, nitrate, ammonia) are not where they need to by, simply adding other chemicals isn't going to fix the problem. You need to do water changes every week, but seeing as how your tanks aren't completely cycled you will want to be doing them every day or every other day (at least 25-50% each time)

The ammonia rose because the tank hadn't completed the Nitrogen Cycle. Just adding the starter colony of bacteria won't automatically cycle the tank. Looks like you're going to have to do an in-fish cycle so I would see about getting an API master test kit or at least the strips for nitrite, ammonia and nitrate. It's going to be a lot of water changes for you and the fish, but I think you can make it work.

 

[NickAu]

I wish petshops would stop giving bad advice like this.

 

[Bubblyxcici]

Yeah I was just taking the advice from the people in the store. I'm used to having my betas but getting an actually set up was new to me. If I would have known before getting my fish, I would have properly cycled my tank I was just going off what the employee said cause at he time he seemed really knowledgeable. They seem much better now but would turning the heat up in my tank affect my pregnant platy or the fry?

 

[NickAu]

They seem much better now but would turning the heat up in my tank affect my pregnant platy or the fry?

As opposed to chemicals? The fish will be fine just make sure you have a airstone in the tank, Most of the fry will end up as lunch for your other fish anyway unless they have places to hide, like lots of live plants, the live plants will also help with your ammonia issues.

Even the mother will eat her own fry, But fear not she will she will have lots of new fry in a few weeks.

The last thing you need for the moment is more fish adding to the bio load.