New Tank/fish Help

[Warhawk]

Hello, my girlfriend and I just recently got a 10gal tank with 2 mollies, 2 guppies, 1 algae eater and 4 Neon Tetras. We have a water filter going as well.

One of the mollies (I think male) has been acting strangely, he's been floating around the bottom and hiding a lot. I then discovered one of the neon's dead. So I figured what the guy at the pet store said is wrong. I did some research and I did not do any fishless cycling. So I guess I have to do regular cycling.

I would like to know:

- Is there anything we can do to help the Mollie survive?

- Why did the neon die? Was it the ammonia levels...ect(don't have a water testing kit yet)

- I used a distilled and tap water with aqua plus water conditioner. Could it be the chemicals in the tap water? Would distilled water be best?

- I read a few articles of feeding our fish peas, tuna, cucumbers,zucchinis and egg yokes. Is it ok to feed this to our fish and how often (compared to fish food in flaks)?

- If I change my filter every 3-4 weeks like recommended, do I loose all the beneficial bacteria and would I have to perform the cycle all over again?

- Anything you recommend for new fish owners?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Christian

 

[KISSfn]

Welcome to the forum! I would bet everything the guy at the pet store said was wrong. To try and save your fish you're going to have to do as large a water change as possible (allowing your fish enough water to swim) ASAP. Make sure the water you put in is treated with Prime, Aqua plus doesn't treat ammonia, and same temp. Buy an API freshwater master test kit. Ammonia probably was the killer. I think tap water is better than distilled because it contains some elements the fish need. Feed sparingly with a high quality flake food as excess food will add ammonia to the water. Algae wafers for the algae eater. Do not change your filter until it is literally falling apart (swish in tank water in a bucket to clean) or you will lose all your beneficial bacteria. Follow the instructions at the link for Fish In Cycling next to my tank pic. Another thing you could do is buy an Active filter from http/www.angelsplus.com/FiltersSponge.htm that should speed up your cycle. Good luck!

 

[Warhawk]

Cool thanks very much for the information. What about feeding your fish vegetables and fruits? I have read a few things but don't want to do the wrong thing.

 

[KISSfn]

I tried feeding my Barbs some zucchini once because it's supposedly good for them but they wouldn't touch it. Peas are supposed to be good if your fish is constipated. Never heard of feeding tuna or eggs but it doesn't sound right to me. You can try some fruits and veggies but don't leave them in the tank long or they will rot and foul your water.

 

[Warhawk]

So I got some Nutrafin cycle and changed the water 2 consecutive days now since we realized something is wrong with the molly. Now one of the mollies is doing a "handstand" on the bottom of the tank in the corner. The other molly seems fine but has been doing vertical movements up and down as well. Should I be worried?

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

Have you got anything to test the water. I use API master testkit.

If you have test the water then do a 90% water change using tap water with some dechlorinator.

Then take the readings again. If they are still above .25 on ammonia and it nitrite. Do another water change enough o brung it down. If your readings are 5ppm. A 50% water change will only bring it down to 2.5ppm. Be prepared to do 2 90% water changes one after the other.

Make sure to try and match the water temperature to the tank water. A degree either way won't make much difference. But putting cold or hot water will shock the fish and kill them.

Let us know how they are behaving after as well.

Best of luck

 

[KISSfn]

So I got some Nutrafin cycle and changed the water 2 consecutive days now since we realized something is wrong with the molly. Now one of the mollies is doing a "handstand" on the bottom of the tank in the corner. The other molly seems fine but has been doing vertical movements up and down as well. Should I be worried?

Unfortunately Nutrafin cycle does not work. You should be worried. Unless you follow the directions for a fish in cycle you will probably continue to lose fish. A fish in cycle takes a long time and a lot of water changes. Not good news but true.

 

[Warhawk]

So I got some Nutrafin cycle and changed the water 2 consecutive days now since we realized something is wrong with the molly. Now one of the mollies is doing a "handstand" on the bottom of the tank in the corner. The other molly seems fine but has been doing vertical movements up and down as well. Should I be worried?

Unfortunately Nutrafin cycle does not work. You should be worried. Unless you follow the directions for a fish in cycle you will probably continue to lose fish. A fish in cycle takes a long time and a lot of water changes. Not good news but true.

For serious? A bottle was 7 bucks instead of getting a 40 dollar test kit. I thought that if I changed 25% of the water each day, add the Nutrafin Cycle as directed, the ammonia levels should decrease. She also said I could take a sample of my water and they could test it for free, I do realize these fish are going to take some time, effort and cash, just thought I could skip a few steps and save a few bucks.

Why doesn't this product work?Nutrafin Cycle


We've been feeding my fish twice a day, and now I am beginning to think that we are over feeding them. After some research I think my molly is constipated and is disrupting the swim bladder, causing it to always have a nose down attitude "handstand" and she is trying to fight it and is rolling around the vertical plane. I tried giving them some peas but I don't think they ate any. Anything I can do to save her?

 

[fluttermoth]

You've got quite a lot of fish in a small tank, so the ammonia will be building up quite quickly; you may well be needing to do more than 25% daily. That's why we recommend getting some test kits; at the very least ones for ammonia and nitrite, which are the most toxic.

The Nutrafin Cycle doesn't work because the beneficial bacteria need oxygen from flowing water and a source of ammonia as food and they can't get that in a bottle.

To save your fish, you need to more, larger water changes. Switch the heater and filter off and take the water right down leaving the fish just enough to swim in; as long as you warm and dechlorinate the new water your fish won't suffer.

Feed the fish once a day while you cycle (being cold blooded fish need far less food than mammals do); each fish needs an amount only about the size of its eye.

 

[KISSfn]

[/quote]

For serious? A bottle was 7 bucks instead of getting a 40 dollar test kit. I thought that if I changed 25% of the water each day, add the Nutrafin Cycle as directed, the ammonia levels should decrease. She also said I could take a sample of my water and they could test it for free, I do realize these fish are going to take some time, effort and cash, just thought I could skip a few steps and save a few bucks.

Why doesn't this product work?Nutrafin Cycle


We've been feeding my fish twice a day, and now I am beginning to think that we are over feeding them. After some research I think my molly is constipated and is disrupting the swim bladder, causing it to always have a nose down attitude "handstand" and she is trying to fight it and is rolling around the vertical plane. I tried giving them some peas but I don't think they ate any. Anything I can do to save her?
[/quote]


Seriously. NO bottled bacteria works. Many people here, myself included, tested them and they're all a rip off. They are just money makers for the girl's employer who told you to buy it and the manufacturer who falsely markets it as exactly what a new fishkeeper wants to hear. Sure, they'll test your water for free, and then sell you another bottle of something that makes them money. You can't skip steps and fishkeeping is far from cheap. Nutrafin Cycle and all other bottled bacteria don't work because the bacteria we need in our filters need something to grow on (filter media) oxygen and ammonia (from the water flowing through them) none of which can occur inside a plastic bottle. To save your fish follow all advise given in this thread and in the Fish In Cycling link.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

You've got quite a lot of fish in a small tank, so the ammonia will be building up quite quickly; you may well be needing to do more than 25% daily. That's why we recommend getting some test kits; at the very least ones for ammonia and nitrite, which are the most toxic.

The Nutrafin Cycle doesn't work because the beneficial bacteria need oxygen from flowing water and a source of ammonia as food and they can't get that in a bottle.

To save your fish, you need to more, larger water changes. Switch the heater and filter off and take the water right down leaving the fish just enough to swim in; as long as you warm and dechlorinate the new water your fish won't suffer.

Feed the fish once a day while you cycle (being cold blooded fish need far less food than mammals do); each fish needs an amount only about the size of its eye.

See its nuggets like this that is why I log on each day right now! Really, that's all, huh?!






BTW, +1 on the Bottled bacteria. They don't work.

 

[fluttermoth]

each fish needs an amount only about the size of its eye.

See its nuggets like this that is why I log on each day right now! Really, that's all, huh?!

Well, it's true for your bog standard, small tropicals, like mollies and guppies. Obviously it doesn't work for things like oscars or the larger plecs and things of that nature

 

[eaglesaquarium]

each fish needs an amount only about the size of its eye.

See its nuggets like this that is why I log on each day right now! Really, that's all, huh?!

Well, it's true for your bog standard, small tropicals, like mollies and guppies. Obviously it doesn't work for things like oscars or the larger plecs and things of that nature

I'm going with the smaller varieties, so that's good to know.

 

[tjdbtessa5209]

Yes u can feed them egg yoke only boil peel and cut open I give it to my convicts and jjack dempsey for treats

 

[Warhawk]

The black molly I had didn't make it . I tried quarantining him and placing the inside of peas so maybe it would eat them and maybe get unconstipated to fix that swim bladder. However I have failed!

All the other fish are acting normal, one guppie however is hanging out at the top corner where my filter pump is?

I appreciate all the help fellas!