New Tank, Neons Dieing....

[Dara]

Hey all,

Ive got a new tank from my lovely man he set it all up for me as a surprise. The fish shop sold him a whole raft of things to get the tank going that day so he could put fish in. We started out the tank with 10 neons and two platys. Next day the platty was dead, and have so far lost 6 of the neons!

I also brought some fish from a different store, (two more platys, shark, bristle nose and blind cave tetra) and they are all fine! This was two days after the original fish were brought. Up to day 6 with the tank running. Hubby said that when he brought the original fish the water looked fine in the shop but once home looked like urine in comparison to the colour of our tank water.. Help are we doing something wrong.. suggestions or had maybe the original shop sold us duds LOL

dont want any more deaths!

Megs

 

[iantaylor]

1. What size is your aquarium ?
2. How is it filtered ?
3. Neons are not the strongest of fish to start with
4. To many fish to soon you have to build up the bacteria on the filter slowly

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Your problem is that you put fish into your tank without cycling it first and that your fish shop gave you terrible advice in making you think you can do that. What you have is called a fish in cycle. In order to have a healthy tank your filter needs to grow good bacteria that can deal with the ammonia that your fish produce. A new tank has no bacteria so the ammonia builds up and kills your fish. The thing is... good bacteria needs ammonia in order to grow. Most people prefer to start a tank running without fish (a lot less heart break) and add ammonia daily to the tank for a period of about 6 weeks allowing the bacteria to grow, after that period (and using a master test kit to monitor your progress) you can safely add fish.

Now that you have fish already... you will need to make sure you have a test kit and test your water daily. You will NEED to do daily large water changes of probably about 80% to keep the ammonia levels at a safe level to keep your fish alive. You will need to continue doing this until you have grown enough good bacteria in your filter to sustain your tank at which point you will be able to go longer periods between water changes until you are doing 1 weekly change.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Fishless cycling.
http/www.fishkeeping.co.uk/articles_51/fishless-cycling-article.htm

Fish in cycling
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/224306-fish-in-cycling/

 

[CezzaXV]

Some good advice so far.

I'd be tempted to go back to the shop and complain about the terrible advice they gave you, though most fish shops seem to be ignorant of fishless cycling. I dont know whether they actually are ignorant of it or whether they just act it.

A liquid test kit is an absolute must for any fishkeeper. Test your water every day and do a massive water change (as much as you can remove while still keeping the fish underwater and upright) every time you detect ammonia or nitrite. Unfortunately this process is going to take several weeks before the ammonia and nitrite stop showing up.

 

[TekFish]

Think of cycling as putting in a plumbing system. If you moved into a house with no plumbing, defecated and urinated all over the place and then started effectively breathing in your waste, how long would it take you to die?

Sorry to be straight and upfront, but the next time you do ANYTHING at all with fish, research, research, research!
I wonder if I should get this fish? RESEARCH!
I wonder if I could get this plant? RESEARCH!

But for now, either take the fish back and do fishless cycle [more humane].
Or do fish-in [tank's not boring in the meantime].

Sorry again for being upfront, and remember, research, research, research!
P.s Don't worry about it, at least half of the members, including me, have done this before.

TekFish