Sorry To Be A Pain But Please Help.

[ShaunCkemens]

Hello I am new to fishkeeping hobby i have read up and done my research regarding fish tanks but read many contrasting reviews.

I have bought a panorama 40l love tank from pets at home, It already comes with Heater and filter which both appear to be working. i had been at hospital most of day having tests and on way home decided to get some fish to put in tank. (done a test last night and i got told by a seperate fish shop everything was ok to get certain fish). 

I have bought 6 Penguin Tetras from pets at home but when i got home the water has gone a little (and i mean only a tiny bit) cloudy and the fish are sticking to the surfuce and appear to be breathing out of the water.

I have had fish when younger we had a 75 litre tank when was a teenager but i cant remember if this is normal behaviour. The lady in the shop was really helpful in choosing the tetras saying they were great first fish to put in the tank. 

I am worried that the fish are staying at top of tank for so long and only coming down for seconds at a time.

Please any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much
shaun

PS i had the fish in the bag at top of tank for about 40 minutes before putting them directly into the tank and i let the water out of the bag into the tank with the fish.

 

[fluttermoth]

Your problem is that your tank isn't 'cycled'. That means it doesn't have a colony of good bacteria living in the filter. The bacteria eat the ammonia produced by the fish and turn it into less toxic substances; first nitrite, which is also toxic, and then nitrate, which is only toxic at very high levels, and which we keep low with water changes, in a cycled tank.

Because your tank isn't cycled, those toxins will be building up in the water and making your fish sick. Nitrite, especially, affect the fish's ability to take oxygen from the water, which is why they're gasping at the surface.

Try and change at least 95% of the water right now; leave just enough water for the fish to swim upright (don't forget to switch your heater/filter off first!) before refiling with warmed, dechlorinated water.

You're going to need to get some test kits, so you can make sure no ammonia or nitrite is building up in the water; until then, change at least half the water every day, making sure the new water is warmed and dechlorinated.

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

First off, hello and welcome to the Tropical Fish Forums! 
Sounds like your tank is either uncycled, that or there is not enough oxygen in your water for the tetras. 
 
How long has the tank been set up?
Can you tell us what your water parameters are such as ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and/or General Hardness?
 
 
 

PS i had the fish in the bag at top of tank for about 40 minutes before putting them directly into the tank and i let the water out of the bag into the tank with the fish.

I do not recommend this method of acclimating new fish to a tank. You want to avoid having the fish shop water in your tank at all costs. I would say use the drip method, it's the most professional and least stressful for fish. You simply pour the fish and water into a pitcher or decently sized cup, get some airline tubing and create a siphon so that water from the aquarium will pour into the cup with the new fish. Tie a knot at the end so that the water drips slowly into the cup. You should start at 3-4 drops per second. When the water line doubles, use a turkey baster to take half the water out, repeat this for at least one hour. I usually let new fish acclimate for no more than two hours. 

 

[ShaunCkemens]

thank you for your quick replies i have been treating the water with API stress coat makes tap water safe and API stress zyme keeps aquarium clean. its been set up for 4 days and ive been treating water daily.
 
i am more than happy to do a 95% water change if neccisary. problem is its 9-40PM and i can only use tap water which will have high levels of bacteria also.
 
the fish are slowly coming more into the tank and swimming more freely but still go back to the top of the tank.
 
the filter is working but i have read online that the filter that comes with the tank is not the most reliable and is prone to issues, Do you think it could be the filter that is the problem?
 
 
I really am sorry for being a pain and i appreciate all advice im just trying to be thorough.
 
shaun

fish fanatic the method you say about introducing new fish to a tank, Do you mean in a similar way that they do on fish programmes like tanked and fish tank kings?
 
i will do that in future deffinetley i thought using fish shop water would maybe help bring in good bacteria

 

[BaylorPerez]

With the filter if it is giving you issues then get a internal filter or a external filter(Quietflows), also what brand of stress+zyme do you use? and from others telling me the same thing, you may want to try to get some potted/unpotted aquatic plants into the tank to help with oxygen in the tank or get a air pump but put it under where the filter is so the water going into the filter has Oxygen when it gets filtered into the water already in the tank, also, water evaporation happens when the light of the tank is on to long, the water is warm and when exposed to direct sunlight. its natural but it does help as it gets rid of some minerals during the evaporation process.
 
Id just do a water change(major 70-80%) to clear up some of the water that may be cloudy, as this may be a bacteria bloom(bad bacteria) also, as i did the same thing but i put my fish in with the wrong filter(20Gal when i needed a 40Gal one) so my water was always cloudy due to algea blooms but i have yet to have a Bacteria bloom as bad as yours sounds

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

What kind of filter is it? Is it a hang on the back? Internal? But I do kind of agree that filters that come with the kit aren't the most reliable. It all depends on what kind of filter it is and how it works.
 
 

thank you for your quick replies i have been treating the water with API stress coat makes tap water safe and API stress zyme keeps aquarium clean. its been set up for 4 days and ive been treating water daily.
 
i am more than happy to do a 95% water change if neccisary. problem is its 9-40PM and i can only use tap water which will have high levels of bacteria also.
 
the fish are slowly coming more into the tank and swimming more freely but still go back to the top of the tank.
 
the filter is working but i have read online that the filter that comes with the tank is not the most reliable and is prone to issues, Do you think it could be the filter that is the problem?
 
 
I really am sorry for being a pain and i appreciate all advice im just trying to be thorough.
 
shaun

fish fanatic the method you say about introducing new fish to a tank, Do you mean in a similar way that they do on fish programmes like tanked and fish tank kings?
 
i will do that in future deffinetley i thought using fish shop water would maybe help bring in good bacteria

 

 
fish fanatic the method you say about introducing new fish to a tank, Do you mean in a similar way that they do on fish programmes like tanked and fish tank kings?
 
i will do that in future deffinetley i thought using fish shop water would maybe help bring in good bacteria

I'm RainboWBacoN420, lol. Fish Fanatic is my title for the moment at least. But you can just call me Rainbow. 
 
No, the bacteria in the fish shop water is not what you want. That water could possibly carry unwanted parasites, diseases, spores and a bunch of other stuff you don't want in your tank. It's best to keep it out. 
 
I've never seen Tanked or any fish shows for that matter. But the drip method is a popular method and it has a right to be. It acclimates the new fish to the new parameters gradually and safely. I would also do this with the lights off to keep the fish relaxed.

 

[BaylorPerez]

What kind of filter is it? Is it a hang on the back? Internal? But I do kind of agree that filters that come with the kit aren't the most reliable. It all depends on what kind of filter it is and how it works.
 
 

thank you for your quick replies i have been treating the water with API stress coat makes tap water safe and API stress zyme keeps aquarium clean. its been set up for 4 days and ive been treating water daily.
 
i am more than happy to do a 95% water change if neccisary. problem is its 9-40PM and i can only use tap water which will have high levels of bacteria also.
 
the fish are slowly coming more into the tank and swimming more freely but still go back to the top of the tank.
 
the filter is working but i have read online that the filter that comes with the tank is not the most reliable and is prone to issues, Do you think it could be the filter that is the problem?
 
 
I really am sorry for being a pain and i appreciate all advice im just trying to be thorough.
 
shaun

fish fanatic the method you say about introducing new fish to a tank, Do you mean in a similar way that they do on fish programmes like tanked and fish tank kings?
 
i will do that in future deffinetley i thought using fish shop water would maybe help bring in good bacteria

 

 
fish fanatic the method you say about introducing new fish to a tank, Do you mean in a similar way that they do on fish programmes like tanked and fish tank kings?
 
i will do that in future deffinetley i thought using fish shop water would maybe help bring in good bacteria

I'm RainboWBacoN420, lol. Fish Fanatic is my title for the moment at least. But you can just call me Rainbow. 
 
No, the bacteria in the fish shop water is not what you want. That water could possibly carry unwanted parasites, diseases, spores and a bunch of other stuff you don't want in your tank. It's best to keep it out. 
 
I've never seen Tanked or any fish shows for that matter. But the drip method is a popular method and it has a right to be. It acclimates the new fish to the new parameters gradually and safely. I would also do this with the lights off to keep the fish relaxed.

do the lights stress the fish out when being acclimated?

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

Yes, the lights can stress the fish out, it's better just to keep them off.

 

[BaylorPerez]

?

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

My mistake, I think I thought I was editing a comment and messed up with the qoutes? Sorry, I'm at work so I keep coming back to reply whenever I can and I think I just lost where I was. lol My bad. 

 

[ShaunCkemens]

thank you very much for more replies. my filter is a hang on the back open top filter.  i will post a link to the tank and set up, i am using it as instructions said. im sorry but i dont know brand of filter.
 
http/www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/tropical-fish-tanks/love-fish-panorama-tank-40-litre-%28in-store%29?pageSize=42#
 
sorry rainbow it seems i was more panicking about getting a response out than looking who is actually who haha.
 
i shall start a water change right away. is it ok to just use normal tap water as that is all ive got at the minute? is there too much chlorine in ect?

 

[fluttermoth]

i shall start a water change right away. is it ok to just use normal tap water as that is all ive got at the minute? is there too much chlorine in ect?

As long as your new water is warmed and dechlorinated, tap water will be fine.

I should also say that I wouldn't worry about the filter too much right now. I's 99.999% certain that your problems are because your tank isn't cycled; nothing to do with the filter. As long as the filter is working and moving the water around, it can't do anything more. It's the bacteria you need to grow, and make sure that you keep the levels of ammonia and nitrite as near to zero as possible (which is why you need test kits, as a matter of urgency).

 

[ShaunCkemens]

thank you again. i will start a water change right away. is there any certain methods to do it please to reduce stress on the fish?

 

[fluttermoth]

thank you again. i will start a water change right away. is there any certain methods to do it please to reduce stress on the fish?

Just make sure the new water is warmed and dechlorinated. The probable high levels of ammonia and nitrite the fish are experiencing are much more stressful than a water change.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Just to add to the discussion something that hasn't come up yet. The cloudiness of the tank is likely a bacterial bloom, which is quite normal in new setups. The bad news is that it is not the bacteria you want in the tank. The bacteria we want live on surfaces, but they may be using up a bit of extra oxygen, which would also contribute to the fish hanging at the top.



Regarding the water change, temp matched (within a degree or so) dechlorinated water is the way to go. Fresh water is always good for the fish... Though during a fish in cycle, which is where you are, there's a delicate balance. More ammonia and nitrite in the water will encourage the bacs you want but will also poison your fish.

Check out the beginners resource Link in my sign focusing on the nitrogen cycle and fish in cycle threads. And feel free to ask questions whenever you need.