Please Need Help

[nigel123]

can someone help use please we have had our fish for just over 2 weeks know, we change the water every week (20%). we feed them about 3 times a day. we did notice that one of our moolies top fin was going down a bit , but he seemed happy enough. we have 2 moolies. funny thing was that one was getting fatter and the other one was'nt. this morning my wife found him and he had died. we need help as we love our little fish and we don't want any more too die. are we doing anything wrong.

 

[Boxermom]

Did you cycle the tank before you added the fish? Do you have a test kit? If not, you need to get one (liquid, not strips) that tests, at a minimum, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. If you don't have one, take a sample of water to your pet/fish store and ask them to test it. Tell them you need specific numbers, not "fine" or "good." Then come back and tell us what they are.

 

[nigel123]

ok we went to our local pet store where we had brought the fish "we love pets" and they they sold mardel's 5 in 1 test strips (which i must say i was not all for really) which they told us they use. they also told us not to buy anymore fish at present until we have tested the water. They also sold us a product by nutrafin called cycle. We did have the pump going a week before we put the fish into the tank and also added aqua-safe as well. the fish we know are:

2 neon tetras
1 guppy
1 balloon molly

here is the test results
nitrate 46
nitrite 0
total hardness 250
total alkalinity 180
ph 8.0 - 8.4

we have been taking 20% of the water out and replacing it, but this store said that we don'r really need to do that for at least a month. we been looking round the internet and many sites said to do it. we had the tank all ste up as my wife told we she wanted to it the right way and not to rush into it. anyway i hope you can help us. the other fish seem to be doing ok. looking forward to your reply, thanks.

 

[Boxermom]

Ok, Cycle doesn't work. All it does is waste your money. I recommend not using it anymore.

Next, test strips are notoriously inaccurate. You need a liquid test kit. I recommend Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit. Has all the basic kits you need.

You should be doing water changes weekly. I would definitely recommend not listening to your store anymore as they obviously don't have a clue (few actually do). Having the pump going doesn't do anything, not if its running for a week or a year. There's a sticky topic about cycling that should explain things.

Cut feedings back to twice a day. Feed no more than they can eat in 2-3 minutes. Continue doing water changes. Get a real test kit and let us know what the readings are then.

 

[xostrawberryox]

It may just be to do with too much nitrites/ too high PH etc, u need to keep testing! Something I would recommend is cutting down the 3 meals a day thing, once or twice is just great! A hungry (not starving) fish is a healthy fish

 

[PaPeRo]

Ok, Cycle doesn't work. All it does is waste your money. I recommend not using it anymore.

It has worked for me.

There are many people who do fishless cycling with CYCLE and the ammonia certainly drops faster than not using it. I guess it's all imaginary.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Oh not again! It's the third time this morning I have painstakingly read through a whole thread thinking I might to able to help with advice to somebody struggling with an urgent problem- only to come to the end and find it's an ancient thread you have resurrected and the problem is no doubt resolved long ago. If you want to testify to the benefits of Cycle, why not start a new thread to that effect? You could even do it as a poll. Or post in a relatively recent thread. But trying to get your head round somebody's tank details and then finding there was absolutely no need- well, it's getting too much for one morning Next time I shall remember to check the dates!
And if you have an earlier problem with Boxermom (as another thread of yours seems to suggest), why not pm her?