My Parents New Tank

[scvrs]

My parents have just recently bought an interpet fishbox 48 litre tank from ebay as their old tank was leaking a little. It came with a fluval u2 internal filter and a few other bits.

Unfortunately my parents ignored all my advice and didn't use the old media properly and I am pretty sure that it didn't seed the new filter very well at all! The day after the tank was set up and 2 neons, 3 guppies and a pygmy cory were put in, everything expect 1 guppy and the cory were dead! I think was due to a lack of cleaning and rinsing of the various ornaments they put in there!!

Anyway, they waited about 4 days for the tank to settle and then despite my advice put 18, yes EIGHTEEN!!, fish into the tank! Thats 6 guppies, 6 platies and 6 neons in a 48 litre tank with brand new filter media! I tested the water and surprise surprise all levels were too high! Ammonia is at 4ppm despite a near 50% water change and nitrate and nitrite is also up a little. What can I do? and they won't give their fish to me despite the problems!

 

[fluttermoth]

Could you donate some of your filter media? That would help things along. Apart from that, keep up the water changes; not much else you can do really

 

[Tizer]

Print out some advice from this forum and explain to them that they need to do daily water changes of at least 50% or more if they want their fish to live.

 

[scvrs]

Could you donate some of your filter media? That would help things along. Apart from that, keep up the water changes; not much else you can do really

Already done that now. The U2 filter has an box for media and i put some of my mature K1 media in it for them! Doesn't seem to have helped much though! My mum seems reluctant to do that many water changes and she doesn't like getting her hands wet! I think this is heading for disaster to be honest! I can see me maintaining 2 tanks now.

 

[Tizer]

Could you donate some of your filter media? That would help things along. Apart from that, keep up the water changes; not much else you can do really

Already done that now. The U2 filter has an box for media and i put some of my mature K1 media in it for them! Doesn't seem to have helped much though! My mum seems reluctant to do that many water changes and she doesn't like getting her hands wet! I think this is heading for disaster to be honest! I can see me maintaining 2 tanks now.

So they are allowing you to do the water changes then. Thats nice of them, cant see a problem any more, best you get on the case

 

[scvrs]

Could you donate some of your filter media? That would help things along. Apart from that, keep up the water changes; not much else you can do really

Already done that now. The U2 filter has an box for media and i put some of my mature K1 media in it for them! Doesn't seem to have helped much though! My mum seems reluctant to do that many water changes and she doesn't like getting her hands wet! I think this is heading for disaster to be honest! I can see me maintaining 2 tanks now.

So they are allowing you to do the water changes then. Thats nice of them, cant see a problem any more, best you get on the case

Hmmmmmmm! Not sure I wanted to maintain their tank aswell to be honest! I don't think there is much choice though! I asked my mum to stop feeding them for a few days and she said "that's cruel"!!!!! Some people can't be helped!

 

[scvrs]

Just another thought? Is it worth me adding some ammo-lock chips or zeolite/zeocarb? How fast do things work, if at all??