My Fish Are Dying!

[kaitlinlawson111]

I'm new to fish keeping, and recently set up a 55 gallon tank, it ran for about a week with a 5 inch pleco, and 2 pink tux platys, then I added 8 pink jewel tetras, 4 platys, 4 mollies, 4 red tail loaches, 2 bumble bee cats, 2 albino bristlenose, 2 guppies (male and female)and 2 american flagfish. After doing some research, I think I added too many fish without letting my tank cycle properly. I've already lost my pregnant female guppy, and one of my pink tux platys.=[ I checked the ammonia level, and it was at 6.0 so I changed 50% of the water, waited about an hour and tested again, and it hadn't dropped any, so what do I do now??? I really don't want to lose any more fish! =[[

 

[watertown28]

At this point you need to keep changing your water. 50% wont cut it with the levels that high. I would do a little more than 50% and keep doing so until the ammonia drops much lower. Water changes can shock your fish, but at this point those high levels of ammonia is much worse for them. Be prepared to possibly lose more fish too.

Then your going to have to keep up on massive water changes too for a while. Keep testing daily, maybe 2 times a day.

BTW what kind of test items are you using? Drops or strips? I have been told that the drops are much better than the strips.

Also, make sure you treat your water for chlorine too before you add it to the tank. Plus, try to get the new water temp as close as you can to what it is in the tank. If you have a heater make sure you unplug it first and let is cool for 15 minutes before you start taking out water. When the new water is in , let it sit for another 15 until you plug it back in. Unless your going to pull more water out again shortly after you put the new water in.

 

[RobberyinCSharp]

I'm afraid you've added FAR too many fish too soon. The average cycle takes a month, and should be done fishless. I would go to the beginner's resource center and read about proper tank cycling.

In the mean time, change the water 1 or 2 times daily. Make sure you prime your water. And see if you can return some of your fish for now, or see if a friend can take them off your hands for a while until the tank cycles.

Never fun when you lose fish, but I'll admit I was just like you and didn't learn proper cycling which resulted in the loss of my fish. Always very sad I hope the rest of your fish are okay! Good luck!!

 

[kaitlinlawson111]

At this point you need to keep changing your water. 50% wont cut it with the levels that high. I would do a little more than 50% and keep doing so until the ammonia drops much lower. Water changes can shock your fish, but at this point those high levels of ammonia is much worse for them. Be prepared to possibly lose more fish too.

Then your going to have to keep up on massive water changes too for a while. Keep testing daily, maybe 2 times a day.

BTW what kind of test items are you using? Drops or strips? I have been told that the drops are much better than the strips.

Also, make sure you treat your water for chlorine too before you add it to the tank. Plus, try to get the new water temp as close as you can to what it is in the tank. If you have a heater make sure you unplug it first and let is cool for 15 minutes before you start taking out water. When the new water is in , let it sit for another 15 until you plug it back in. Unless your going to pull more water out again shortly after you put the new water in.

I'm using the strips, that's the only thing the only store open tonight carried, I'll do my best to get some of the drops tomorrow. I'm planning on doing another water change before I go to bed, but carrying 30 gallons of water back and forth kills my already bad back! lol I really hope the rest of my fishies make it. =/

 

[watertown28]

At this point you need to keep changing your water. 50% wont cut it with the levels that high. I would do a little more than 50% and keep doing so until the ammonia drops much lower. Water changes can shock your fish, but at this point those high levels of ammonia is much worse for them. Be prepared to possibly lose more fish too.

Then your going to have to keep up on massive water changes too for a while. Keep testing daily, maybe 2 times a day.

BTW what kind of test items are you using? Drops or strips? I have been told that the drops are much better than the strips.

Also, make sure you treat your water for chlorine too before you add it to the tank. Plus, try to get the new water temp as close as you can to what it is in the tank. If you have a heater make sure you unplug it first and let is cool for 15 minutes before you start taking out water. When the new water is in , let it sit for another 15 until you plug it back in. Unless your going to pull more water out again shortly after you put the new water in.

I'm using the strips, that's the only thing the only store open tonight carried, I'll do my best to get some of the drops tomorrow. I'm planning on doing another water change before I go to bed, but carrying 30 gallons of water back and forth kills my already bad back! lol I really hope the rest of my fishies make it. =/

Well for motivation, I would think about how the poor fish feel and if you would like to be in their shoes works for me every time!

You might be able to pull the fish past this issue and have them all make it. I know I did fish in cycle myself, with neons no less... and now my tank has not only the 2 neons I started with , but 3 emperor tetras too. So it can be done, but in your case, just way too many fish all at once.

 

[TrainRek77]

It may help to try and reach out to your fish store or someone that has an aquarium that could give you some used filter media or gravel. It could help your tank cycle faster and get the fish relief faster. That is a bunch of fish though...

 

[kaitlinlawson111]

I have a 10 gallon tank set up, should I move some of my fishies to the 10, just temporarily and try to get the ammonia levels down with less fish in the tank?

 

[TrainRek77]

Is the 10 gallon tank cycled?

 

[DB2593]

To be honest, if a fish store should hold more responsibilities to care for new fish keepers, they shouldn't sell that many of fish at once, but hey ho it's happened now. Exactly the same happened to me and since your tank is new then it may not be best to change 50% of the water at once?, it may be best to change 20% daily and use fresh start and maybe some anti nitrate which you can buy from local pet stores and maybe invest in some stress zyme for your fish too, but yeah the same happened to me and I lost quite a few fish too but it's nothing you can't recover from

 

[TrainRek77]

if you're going to try and lower the ammonia with a chemical look for one that neutralizes ammonia, not nitrate. You can do 10 fifty percent water changes in a day and it wont do any damage. Your fish are making so much ammonia that you probably can't get it out of there fast enough. Some ammonia chips (can't think of exactly what they're called) might be a good idea to add to your filter.You need some mature filter media or gravel from an established tank. That's going to make relief happen the fastest. Don't give up! Change that water as often as you can. Feed once ever other day a very little amount. Test your water everyday, when you see the nitrates starting to rise quickly you will be almost there. It's also a really good idea to start a notepad with the time and date of your tests and what you have done. You can then post a copy of that notebook and people can give much better advice.

 

[kaitlinlawson111]

Is the 10 gallon tank cycled?

No, I had turtles in it about a month ago, but I've cleaned it and changed the filter.

 

[fluttermoth]

In that case the filter won't be cycled, and so the fish would be no better off in there than they would be in the big tank, and you'd be doing water changes on two tanks, instead of one.

Have you thought about using a hose for your water changes? Lots of us with multiple or large tanks do, and it's a lifesaver if you have a bad back!

If you use a hose, makes sure you add enough dechlorinator for the whole volume of the tank before you start refilling. If you don't have a mixer tap, let the water trickle in slowly so as not to shock the fish, but (well, in my opinion anyway), taking longer is better than the bucket lugging. I usually take an hour or so to refill my 55g tanks from the cold tap.