Problems With New Tank, Ill Fish!

[upsy daisy]

Helen, I am sorry to hear about your fish.. I have been following your story, because I myself started going through a fish-in cycle (after an attempt to cycle the tank without fish went nowhere).
You can probably find out about the clove oil method by doing some search on this forum or Google, but here is a link I have: How To Euthanize Fish Humanely

 

[JoshuaA]

I've heard mixed opinions of the clove oil being a "humane" method. It's sad to have to put one down and I can't really recommend one however if you do believe it is dead I would recommend ensuring it is.

I for one when I was in the same situation as once we thought they were dead, no notice vital signs we put them in ice cold water full of ice chips and froze them. It was used as evidence when we threw them at the fish worker in the LFS as a complaint about their advice. We got a refund on them but sadly that wasn't going to reverse the heartbreak.

I would definitely give you some filter media however I'm not entirely in the position to do so, one tank isn't matured yet as it's only finished a cycle a month ago and my other one currently cycling at the moment. If you are still having problems in the nearish future I will try my best to donate some. If you ask around though you might find someone willing to donate some.

 

[helen1207]

Thanks for the replies Upsy Daisy and JoshuaA! The neon is still holding in there but not sure for how long.Im begining to think i should give all this up as a bad job. I keep testing the water and get the same results, Ammonia 0.25ppm, Nitrite 0ppm and Nitrate 0ppm. I do a 50% water change which brings everything down to 0ppm then the next day its exactly the same!
I cant treat the fish because of the water changes every day and there not getting any better! At the moment there all at the back of the tank under the heater breathing very very fast, they look like they have white spot as well now and their fins are looking ragged!!!
I wouldnt mind doing the testing and water changes if the fish were healthy but they arnt and even if the tank does by some miracle cycle the fish still have this bacterial/fungal thing on them which has affected their mouths therefore they are going to continue to struggle to eat!!!
Its a nightmare!!!

 

[helen1207]

Well just an update on the tank/fish. Unfortunately all the neons are gone now, very upsetting. The tank is now dismantled and being disinfected. Thanks to everyone who gave me advice it was greatly appreciated!

 

[upsy daisy]

I'm sorry to hear that.. Please don't give up! Do you think you will be up to trying the fishless cycle sometime in the future?

 

[helen1207]

Hi, im not sure yet, the tank has been thououghly cleaned and the gravel, bog wood and plants have been thrown away as im not sure what killed them...there was an oily slick on top of the water for a while so ive been told there may have been something put into the water either on my hands or from the air (i dont use air freshners).
Ive spoken to my brother who has a fair amount of experience and also found a new shop which is a 30 min drive away but whos tanks are spectacular. The guy in the shop has given me lots of advice and he obviously knows his stuff!
Hes told me of these balls calles Evolution Aqua Aquarium balls and Accelerator. Apparently you use them for a week and it gives your filter a head start...not sure if anyone else has heard of them but they may be worth a try?

 

[OldMan47]

The first thing I would look at for an oily slick, when faced with a new fish keeper, is the fish food itself. Many, perhaps all, new fish keepers overfeed their fish. The oils in the fish food that is not eaten can easily form a surface film of oils on the water. Please take this as an observation and not a criticism, Helen. It takes time and experience to start to correctly judge how much to feed your fish.

I am sure your new acquaintance at a LFS is sincere enough, but nothing short of a filter clone will really shorten a cycle these days. At one time, truly effective bacteria starters were sold as Bactinettes in the UK and as Nitrospira in the US. I know for a fact that Nitrospira is no longer available in the US and have not seen any UK members talking about bactinettes for a long time now. My guess is that both were products of the same manufacturer and were both discontinued because they required continuous refrigeration from manufacture to final use to be effective.

Have you tried looking through the filter media donors that are listed on this forum? The most certain way of getting a proper start for your filter is to get some mature media from an existing filter. I am sure that most of us who are willing to donate media really care about helping new fish keepers get off to a good start and would not hesitate to help anyone who asks. It does require that the new fish keeper ask someone nearby though.

 

[LondonguyJ]

Hi, im not sure yet, the tank has been thououghly cleaned and the gravel, bog wood and plants have been thrown away as im not sure what killed them

Your ammonia reaching 4ppm is what killed them!

Thoroughly cleaning is one thing but unfortunately I think you are missing the point.

*You need to complete a fishless cycle*

Your lfs will happily persuade you to purchase a whole host of filter boost/filter caress/ filter joy/ and whatever else but these things are useless. You need nothing else bar a good filter and a bottle of pure ammonia. If you decide on any other route to keeping fish then your only going to repeat the experience you just had.

I apologize in advance if the above sounds harsh but 98% (myself included) of people who join these aquatic forums do so once they realize something is horribly wrong. I bought 12 goldfish and lost my first on week 2 and another 6 within two months so I understand your predicament but you need to complete a fishless cycle before you consider getting new stock.