Water Changing Help

[robynnapier]

About 3 weeks ago I bought a 5 gallon tank. Let the cycle go and then a week later I bought fish and they died. Something was too high. I felt so guilty. Couple days later, I checked the water with strips then I bought 2 new fish. 2 fancy guppies. Tonight, my father got rid of some of the water in the tank and added some water from the faucet into the tank. Checked the temperature, around the same but just added the filter water in. Nothing special. I don't know how to exactly do the water changes and I am kinda scared the fish are gonna die now. I need to figure this stuff out before I keep killing fish. Can anyone help? Please? ~Robyn

 

[Cossie1111]

"cycling" the tank for a week without adding ammonia in not good enough, thats why your fish died, you are now mid fish in cycle.

This means you have to do water changes every day.
To do a water change, you remove a percentage of water out of the tank (in your case you should remove half the water), then, you put the same amount of water into a bucket, DECLORINATE it (using prime or similar) add water conditioner (aquamaster water conditioner) and gently add it back into your tank.

As I said, running your tank for a week did absolutely nothing, except for confirming your heater and filter work. You need to do water changes every day until your tank is cycled.

I suggest you read through the beginners resource center: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/

I also suggest you buy a API freshwater master test kit.

P.S, Im not the most experience aquarist here, however I made the same mistake as you did starting out, so I know this. If another more experieced person posts here, they will really just be expanding on what I have said.

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

+1. But what I would add is that I think you should be changing more water. Empty all the water apart from just enough for the fish to swim upright. Then replace with temp matched dechlorinated water. You should do this daily until you get a test kit, and then we can work out a little more what's going on with your tank.

 

[Akasha72]

+1 but wanted to add cut down on food. Only feed what they can consume in less than a minute. Any food settling in the substrate will increase ammonia levels in an un-cycled tank which will kill the fish or perminately maim them