Trying To Figure Out The Cause Of The Death Of 2 Fish That I Purchased

[theking]

This was my earlier topic:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/406289-swordtail-male-passed-away/

in short, I had 2x blue gouramis male and female, 3x swordtail fish 2 females 1 male, and 5 neon tetras. Today I wake up to find the male swordtail laying on the gravel barely moving, when I dropped in food everyone else but him ate, later on I sit down to watch the fish and I notice the 2 females trying to push the male but he is unresponsive then he just flies up and goes upside down = dead. Later on today I notice one tetra swimming by itself then later I see him barely swimming kind of swimming on its side, so I went out and bought test strips came back home to find him dead.

Here are my test results using the strips: GH 30 KH 40 PH somewhere between 6.5 and 7, NO2- .5 and NO3- 40. They didnt have ammonia test kits so I bought an ammonia neutralizer.
What do these readings mean? am I in good or bad standing? What can I further do except changing 20% water now on a daily basis?

Note that the rest of the fish seem fine and happy, swimming over the aquarium not hiding and playing with each other as well as eating.

My aquarium is a 29gallon aquarium.

 

[fluttermoth]

We can't really say for sure without a reading for ammonia, but the fact you have nitrite, which is very toxic to fish, is a sign that your tank isn't properly cycled.

Don't bother with the ammonia remover; just change nearly all the water every day (leave just enough for the fish to swim upright before refilling the tank, making sure the new water is warmed and dechlorinated, of course!) until you can get a test kit.

You don't really need to do anything else, just test and water change until you have had zero results for both ammonia and nitrite, without needing to change any water, for a whole week. Then your tank will be cycled.

You will always find some fish are more sensitive to raised ammonia/nitrite than others, which explains why some fish have died but the others seem ok. It will be damaging the remaining fish though, even if it's not showing yet.

 

[phoenixgsd]

ditto to what fluttermoth said , although the test strips are inaccurate so the nitrite reading could even be higher, very toxic indeed, the API master test kit can be got most anywhere, ebay ect, its the most common one used and one of the cheapest too, it has everything you need to see you through your cycle

 

[theking]

I will get that kit come this weekend and will continue changing water on a daily basis until the readings come down.. thanks for the help