nitrates and ammonium

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trueblue924

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i have just started my fish tank i set it up and everything seemed fine introduced some fish they have been in for three days i got an aftrican dwarf frog to go in there i put it in in the afternoon by the morning it was dead i spoke to the man at the pet shop he said to bring in some water from my tank i did he found high levels of nitrates and ammonium i have 1 clown loach 1 silver shark 2 tiger barbs 2 xray tetras 1 red tailed black shark and an albino shark how can i make it safe for them and how long do u think i have before they pass away new to this so really need some help

also is my filter working properly it is an electrical one and it is pumping bubbles into my tank all the time is this right

would be really gratefull for any help
 
How big is your tank? Is it already cycled? Some loaches are scale-less so they are very sensitive to bad water. :no: I would suggest you add some live plants as they take in some of the ammonia/nitrites. I would do a lot of water changes to keep the levels of ammonia down. Maybe a 30%-40% water change every day. I made the same mistake with my 10gal and added fish without cycling. I lost my loach, gourami, and 2 glass catfish. :-( I have some of the fish who suffered in my uncycled 10 gal now in a cycled 30 gal. and they seem to be doing fine. The are healthy and one even had babies and is pregnant again! :hyper: If you keep on top of the water changes your fish might make it. :nod: I hope they do okay.

Also: If you want to keep the loach happy/healthy I suggest you add a few more if your tank is big enough. IMO Clown loaches should be in a 75 gal. and should be kept in groups of atleast 3. If your tank is any smaller than 55 gal I suggest taking the loach and shark back as they will probably get too big for your tank. Also, they can become very unhealthy/unhappy in a small tank.
 
I think after the initial setup, its best to not add fish for several weeks. Especially something like a dwarf frog, which always seems to be one of the first to go. Defitately do frequent water changes. Wouldn't hurt to feed a bit less as well.
 
This might be a stupid question but did you declorinate the water ? when you set-up the tank, and when you do the changes ? also did you tell the guy at the pet store that your tank was cycling ? becuase you will get ammonia and nitrite boost in the begining that is why you should only put a couple of hardy fish in for the cycling. Listen to me I sound like I know what Im doing but I to have only been in this hobby since Dec 04. I overstocked in the begining also, but things are going much better.
 

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