Hi Guys New To Owning Tropical Fish And Have Some Problems :(

[rossh101]

hi all

im newish to keeping fish has some when i was younger but i wasnt the one doing the maintenance of them, went to pets at home to buy a dog bed last week and got roped into buying a fish tank by my other half.

I bought a 55 litre tank and was told I need to wait 3 days till i can put fish in so set the tank up put in API stress coat, Stress zime waited the 3 days and then went back and bought 1 red tail shark, 2 bala sharks, 2 sword tails, 3 mollys, 2 dwarf frogs,  1 fighting fish, and 2 dwarf gourami.
was told the fish would all be fine living together and the tank would definitely be big enough for the life of all of these fish.
Got home put them in fed them and everything was fine but noticed the next day a few of them where gasping at the surface so did some googling then started finding loads of information, should have waited for my tank to cycle, overpopulated fish tanks and over feeding causes high ammonia levels. so started doing 25% water changes every day reduced feeding to once a day and went and bought an API Master Test kit and started taking readings every day 
that night my male sword fish managed to jump out a 2 cm hole in the lid of my tank so unfortunately he is not with us any more 
The fish had stopped gasping at the surface and seemed generally happy with no stress lines or anything, since the water changes had started came home from yesterday and my dwarf had died and the other one has 2 white dots on his forehead so I think he is showing signs of itch ? I will try attatch a photo of him tonight from my laptop as im on my phone just now. as the fish get bigger il move them into a bigger tank, they all seem fairly happy apart from the gourami, i don't really know where to go from here to prevent the rest of my fish dying or what  I  do to maximize the chances of the fish surviving till the tank has cycled




my tank readings from each day since 3 days after I bought the tank going into day 10 now

day 4
Ph 6.6
Ammonia 0.25ppm
nitrite 5ppm 
nitrate 0ppm

day 5
Ph 6.6
Amonnia 0.25ppm
Nitrite 5ppm
Nitrate 0ppm

day 6
Ph 6.6
Ammonia 0.25ppm
Nitrite 5ppm
Nitrate 0ppm

day 7
Ph 6.8
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.50ppm
Nitrate 0ppm

day 8
Ph 7.0 
Ammonia 1.0ppm
Nitrite 0.25ppm
Nitrate 0.50ppm

day 9
Ph 7.0
Ammonia 1.0ppm
Nitrite 0.25ppm
Nitrate 0ppm

day 10
Ph 7.0
Ammonia 1.0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm

the temp has been at 25-26c


Cheers for any advice guys cheers,
Ross

 

[paradiddle]

DEAR LORD!! TAKE THOSE FISH BACK NOW!!
Sorry for the brief caps shout but OMGOMGOMGOMG just ONE bala shark needs a tank 10x bigger than yours AT LEAST.
 
Never listen to fish shops advice, especially pets at home, the know nothing!
Also 3 days is no way near enough to giving the tank a cycle, more like 3 weeks, check out fishless cycling, you can find all you need on these forums.
Return all those fish, and start again, sounds harsh but trust me this is what you NEED to do RIGHT NOW.
i also wouldnt mix half those fish you were told were safe, example: the fighting fish "Siamese Fighter/ Betta Fish" do well with peaceful tank mates, or on their own. They also need slow flowing water and regular maintenance.
 
Your ammonia has been rocketing because there is just way way way too much in that tank, even if it was 10x bigger and cycled properly.
 
Im sorry you have been wrongly advised but other members will agree with me that those fish need to go back now, even if you dont get your money back, its in the best interest of the fish.
 
Your best would be to return those fish immediately but leave the water the way it is, this will start a fishless cycle due to the ammonia in the tank already
Your ammonia reading is currently enough to kill those fish in a matter of hours-days, kinda like hitting them with a hammer.
 
Let your tank cycle fully, then i suggest for a 55L tank picking a certain fish you like most that doesnt grow very big, such as the said fighter fish, keep him with maybe 6 neon tetras and your fully stocked in my opinion.
 
Sorry to be "to the point" but i cannot believe pets at home are still giving such shoddy advice to new keepers.
 
Out of interest, which pets at home was it?

 

[Lillefishy]

Hi, unfortunately like many others you've been given bad advice from an Lfs.
Your filter isn't cycled & isn't able to deal with the waste the fish are producing hence the high ammonia readings.
Some of the fish you've been sold are totally unsuitable for your tank, the Bala sharks need at least a 6 ft tank & the red tailed also needs a much bigger tank as do the swordtails
If you can, I'd return all the fish & do a fishless cycle, have a read of the thread on the beginners starting point
In the meantime you need to be doing daily large water changes to get that ammonia down

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

Wow, a fighter fish with those?
 
That is just ridiculously bad advice!
 
It's great that you joined this forum, it's very helpful when you start out. I've learnt a lot in the few months I've been here.

 

[daizeUK]

That is shockingly negligent of your Pets at Home store.  To be fair, I've heard them occasionally giving good advice and on my last visit I overheard one store member refusing to sell mollies to somebody because their tank wasn't big enough.  Good on them.  But this is the sort of thing that gives them a bad rep.
 
I agree that most if not all of these animals should be returned (and complain).  Even the mollies and swordtails will really grow too big for this tank.  The dwarf gouramis would be alright but they can often be prone to disease.  The fighting fish would be better off alone, although some people have success keeping them with other fish, it depends on the individual temperament of the fish.
 
Selling you these fish is just setting you up for heartache and I'm sorry you were introduced to fishkeeping in this way

 

[ADW1988]

Yh I've always been told that you shouldn't have Dwarf Gourami's a Betta as they from similar families?
 
Unfortunately they've given you some terrible advice. I'd try rehome them/take them back for all the reasons posted above, and start a fishless cycle. Patientce is key and no suffering. For the time being do a huge water change.
 
Here's the link http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/
I've almost finished fishless cycle and it's great and you get some good advice from more experienced keepers on this site.
 
Shame the shop are more interested in a sale than the welfare of fish. My pets at home is q knowledgeable (well 1 guy is) but the others are awful. Which one is it by any chance?
 
Hope you get sorted.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Oh man!

To be honest, I feel for you.

That is a real shocker from P@H, I've heard some bad advice but that is downright ridiculous advice.

Do try to return these fish back to P@H or rehome them ASAP. They are simply totally unsuitable for your 55 litre tank, no two ways about that!
And I would actually complain about the such bad advice given to you, in fact write a letter of complaint maybe. They (P@H) must learn that giving bad advice is bad business and gives them a bad name.
To be honest there are a few good LFS stores/staff that are extremely helpful or knowledgable.

Sorry you've been given such a bad start and hope this will not put you off fish keeping.
Fishkeeping is really is engaging and rewarding

 

[Garbolino]

Whst happened to your nitrite to go to zero so quick?

 

[Ch4rlie]

Whst happened to your nitrite to go to zero so quick?

 
TBH, these test results are actually confusing.
 
Ammonia for the last 3 days are at 1.0ppm
Nitrite gone down from 0.50ppm to 0 in 4 days
And yet no Nitrates
 

 
And doing 25% water changes every day is not making any differences to ammonia levels, may be better to increase water changes from 25% to between 50 to 75% to reduce ammonia levels, even though ammonia is not too high at the moment and fish can cope with a certain amount of ammonia for a short while.
 
I'm not very knowledgable about that side of things, am hoping TTA or some more experienced keeper can comment on what is happening regarding those results.
 
But really, what it boils down to is, that simple fact that little 55 litre tank is far too overstocked, filter and tank is not cycled and those fish are producing a lot of ammonia, basically needs to return or re-home all those fish and start doing a fishless cycle.

 

[toastie]

i was told the 3 day thing from them my first time and mine were dead 3 days later  
 
a test kit is the best thing i ever did , 25 quid very well spent and fun testing it , i fell like a dr