My Fish Are Dying.

[carly27]

Hi about a month and a half ago me and my boyfriend started a fish tank. We bought a 30 gallon tank and after a week of having in running we added 3 live plants and three zebra danios. I was told after a week of having it running with nothing in it, it would be fine. Two weeks later we had our water tested again and bought a red tail shark and an angel fish. We were always getting our water tested and petsmart, and they use the strips. We now know that those aren't always accurate. Our angel fish and red tail shark started acting weird so we went and got our water tested again and we were told they were just stressed and to buy aquarium salt.

A while later one of the danios was acting weird. It was swimming with its back fin and spine twisted. We had our water tested once again and were told the fish are just stressed and to add more aquarium salt. The red tail shark ended up dying and assumed since we were told everything was fine, that it was just a weak fish. We cleaned our tank out a week later and had our water tested and decided to add more fish since all of our fish were acting pretty normal. We bought 5 neons and a big castle decoration because we heared angel fish love hiding.

I wrote in another forum and they told us to do water changes everyday and buy a different water conditioner. We bought the api stress coat water conditioner and have been doing a 40% water change every day. The ammonia is almost at 0 and our tank temperature is at 25 celsius/77 fahrenheit. Today one of our danios was dead, one is bloated (not sure if with eggs or a disease) and has been for 2 days, and my angel fish is still not back to normal. I never knew about the nitrogren cycle and I do not want to go back to a petstore and get more wrong info!

Please help!



Edit : Also we have only cleaned our whole fish tank once, and just done water changes the past 4 days.

 

[phoenixgsd]

your doing a fish in cycle read here http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/224306-fish-in-cycling/ yes you have to change water sometimes everyday with dechlorinated temperature matched water to keep your fish alive untill your filter has enough bacteria to cope with the ammonia, nitrite levels, you say ammonia is almost 0ppm are you using a liquid based test kit? what are your nitrite levels? both should be 0ppm if in doubt a massive water change usually solves and prevents alot of problems, please read the link it should explain things more clearly

 

[carly27]

I only bought the ammonia liquid based test because I was told if the ammonia changed then everything else would. I guess I'll buy the api master test kit and hope my fish don't die. Do you think I should be buying bacteria to add to my tank? also I have heard that aquarium salt is bad for plants and tetras, is that true? Also I have api stress coat water conditioner, and I was told to also buy kordon amquel plus ammonia detoxifier. Is it safe to use both at the same time?

 

[Akasha72]

Hi Carly,

It sounds like the other forum has given you some more accurate advice than the pet store.

It looks like you've got yourself into what we call a fish-in cycle. It's not an easy situation to be in but if you are prepared to put in some hard work over the next few weeks there's a good chance you can save your fish.

Okay, firstly you need to get hold of a testing kit. I notice your using API Stresscoat so look for their Freshwater Master Kit. It has drip tests for PH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. If you have your own kit you are able to test water immediately that you spot something not looking right.

Secondly you'll need to be doing some really big water changes every day - sometimes twice a day - to keep ammonia and nitrite diluted until the filter starts doing it for you - it could take 6-8 weeks for this to happen.

Thirdly, don't add anymore fish until the filter starts to cycle and even then add them in ones and twos every other week so the filter has chance to add to it's bacteria.

Have a read in the beginners section on the forum - there's a better description on fish-in cycling there.

You could also try adding API Stresszyme or King British Safe Water or some new stuff on the market called Evolution Aqua Pure. All contain good bacteria (or claim to) this won't cycle the filter immediately and it won't stop you having to do those water changes either but it will give the filter a little helping hand.

Also, be careful with the aquarium salt. Some types of fish can't live with it as not all fish like brackish water - again there's links on here explaining that. At the top right of the screen is a search engine. If you type in brackish water there will be information there on the types of fish that can't tollerate salt.

I hope that helps you a little.

Good luck and best wishes
Akasha

 

[phoenixgsd]

may i ask if you cleaned the filter when you cleaned the whole tank? the filter needs to grow bacteria so try not to touch it, especially with tap water, if a filter gets clogged it can be cleaned in old tank water

 

[carly27]

Ya I am going to take my aquarium salt back. Thank you for all the information I will buy something that has bacteria in it.

We bought this tank used from someone off craigslist and he told us not to clean the filter so we haven't yet. I am not planning on replacing any parts of the filter until our fish are better

Also one of our danios is bloated as I said. We think we have a female and a male so could it have eggs? it's been like this for about 2 days. Any suggestions?

 

[phoenixgsd]

it is possible she is, have you any pictures, a bloated looking fish could also be dropsy, are there any scales sticking out

 

[carly27]

There are no scales sticking out but she did not look this way when I we got her. She is nipping at the other danio and we believe it is a male because it is smaller/more slender.