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HalfTailedOwner

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Hi, just need to put some information before I start.
10 gallon tank
72 F water
Has a filter, and an air stone
water is conditioned

I originally had a male doubled tailed betta in the tank--and everything was going smoothly. He is still alive after a month after I got him. However, my dad had come home from work and decided to buy several fish all at once, even though I tried hard to convince him that it was not beneficial to the tank because the amount of ammonia would build up. He didn't listen and ended up buying 1 koi, 5 tetras, a guppy, and a female betta. I cannot believe that he would do this and I tested the water with the API ammonia test, and found that the water is at 8.0 ppm!!! I did a drastic water change with 60% of the water and it's gone down to 4.0. I really want to tell him that we should return the fish but nothing's coming out of it. I'm not sure what to do, as I cannot buy a larger tank. I will try to return them in the future, but is there anything i can do right now to keep all of them alive?
 
First, do another waterchange and bring the ammonia all the way down. Don't vacuum the gravel though because you will lose the beneficial bacteria you already have. Monitor the water very closely and make sure the ammonia never goes above 0.25ppm.
Goldfish are coldwater fish and should not be kept with tropical fish. They will also grow way too big for your tank and will need a pond to live in, so return it as soon as possible. (Also, the temp you had for the betta was slightly too low, but that's beside the point)
Now, what kind of tetras did he buy? If they are agressive tetras they will nip your bettas long fins.
Guppies should not be kept with a betta because the betta might mistake it for another betta. Watch the guppy very closely. He will also be stressed because guppies should be kept in groups.
Is there any way you could separate the female betta from the male? They should never be kept together, even in a divided tank, but if you could at least separate them then you will have less trouble with them.
If you could get a divider then maybe you could put the guppy and the female betta on one side and all the other fish on the other. For the time being this might make things better. Eventually though, you will have to return all the fish your dad got. (Except for maybe the tetras depending on what type they are.)
If you think it would help, you could show your dad this post and maybe he will understand that the fish he got should Not be living together and should be returned.
Good luck!
 
First, do another waterchange and bring the ammonia all the way down. Don't vacuum the gravel though because you will lose the beneficial bacteria you already have. Monitor the water very closely and make sure the ammonia never goes above 0.25ppm.
How exactly should I do a water change without the gravel vacuum? Also, I'm not sure what type of tetra they are, but regardless they are very aggressive. I've noticed my betta's fins have been nipped at. Should I consider buying one of those "quick-start" products from API to increase the amount of bacteria in there?
 
How long has the tank been set up?
What kind of tetras?

Probably all these fish should be brought back, Your tank is not cycled if ammonia is that high.

Koi are way way way way too big for a 10 gallon tank and need a different temperature then the rest of the fish in the tank.
 
Why return the fish - it's not their fault their fished were damaged by their family - plus that would make a huge amount of additional stress on the fish.

I would recommend daily water changes of 50% until the ammonia gets back down to zero. It may take forever or may clear up in a week. If it isn't going down then try water changes twice a day if you and your job/school whatever gives you or your dad the time to do it. There are also solutions on the market that reduce ammonia in the tank. That'll always start a big debate here - LOL - I've done it both ways with the non-solution method never working for me (after waiting 2 months) but adding a ammonia reducer always helping get it started fairly quickly. It still took 4-6 weeks to cycle the fish. Best thing to do is NOT BE IN SUCH A HURRY to add new fish. Make sure their new home is comfortable and not stressful.

Also did you cycle the tank to begin with or did you use your betta fish to cycle the tank. Most people don't cycle tanks with fish any more - it's very stressful on the fish - but some fish are hardy species and can take it - although they'd probably rather be swimming in pre-cycled water. You use plain ammonia NO FISH to add the ammonia to the aquarium and that will kick off the cycle.
 
At the very least, the koi absolutely must be rehomed. I'll wait for more info, but even many tetras would require a larger tank size.
 
Exactly, I was not aiming for so many fish--only one. I'm still really upset he bought so many and was in a rush...
 
At the very least, the koi absolutely must be rehomed. I'll wait for more info, but even many tetras would require a larger tank size.

I've managed to convince him to return the tetras and the female betta, but he isn't letting go of the guppy and koi.
 
Tell Daddy if he wants to buy lots more fish he needs to buy you a nice large tank. And you would need to cycle it first preferably without fish which can take a month or more. The koi is way too big for the tank. They can grow up to two feet long. They usually put them in very large outdoor ponds with hundreds of gallons of water. Two betta in a tank is asking for trouble. A single guppy doesnt work either and is a big no no with a betta. And the tetras are too active around a betta and need a bigger tank.

Before buying any fish , you need to research their needs and requirements, like size of tank, hardness of water, and compatability with other types of fish in the tank. Many fish also should be kept with several of its own kind. Reasearch and then research some more.

Your Daddy needs a time out.
 
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Tell Daddy if he wants to buy lots more fish he needs to buy you a nice large tank.
I fully agree with this comment.
And if he doesn't want to buy you another aquarium, tell him to get his own tank. :)

If the fish is a Koi carp, then it needs to be rehomed asap. Koi carp can reach 5 feet in length, however most only get to 2-3 feet, depending on pond size and age of the fish.

If it is a koi carp and your dad wants to keep it, tell him to set up a huge fish pond for it.

If you post pictures of the fish, we can identify them for you and confirm if the fish is a koi carp or something else.
 
Here are some photos:
 

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Anither one, this time with the guppy
 

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The results are still the same, but I've done sveral drastic water changes, at 4 ppm
 
How exactly should I do a water change without the gravel vacuum? Also, I'm not sure what type of tetra they are, but regardless they are very aggressive. I've noticed my betta's fins have been nipped at. Should I consider buying one of those "quick-start" products from API to increase the amount of bacteria in there?
Just rest the gravel cleaner in the tank and start the water flow. I rest it on a big leaf so the fish don't swim up the gravel cleaner.
 

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