Which Advice To Give?

[fish mad]

I was talking to a colleague at work and couldnt believe my ears when she told me she got a tank at the weekend and yesterday she put in her first fish. You can imagine my horror. I started to tell her about test kits and so on but shes taking no notice . Is there any other advice I can give her regarding water changes ect ? Ive told her about this site so hopefully she will log on before its too late for the fish.

 

[Bloo]

It's really tough - I know someone like that too - and she just absolutely will hear nothing about it

You've tried your best by the sounds of it - you don't want to come across like an arrogant "know-it-all", because when she needs help (and by the sounds of it she will), she might be too proud to ask.

 

[bogwood]

tell her about the pain and distress her lovely new fish will go through... before they die horribly...

 

[cujoho78]

Hi. I would try to get her to do a small water change evey day. That way at least if she doesn't know what's going on as far as water stats go then she'll be adding fresh water every day. I usually do small water changes in my quarantine tank every day when i get new fish just to make sure there's no buildup of ammonia if the transferred filter pad from the main tank doesn't do the trick. If her fish start to die, she may ask for more advice. I hope she has good luck.

 

[fish mad]

Hi. I would try to get her to do a small water change evey day. That way at least if she doesn't know what's going on as far as water stats go then she'll be adding fresh water every day. I usually do small water changes in my quarantine tank every day when i get new fish just to make sure there's no buildup of ammonia if the transferred filter pad from the main tank doesn't do the trick. If her fish start to die, she may ask for more advice. I hope she has good luck.

I took a sock with some of my mature grit in it to work today to help start her cycle(strange thing to carry around lol)and told her to sit in the bottom of her tank .She gave me a strange look but i told her i got it on good recomendation from this site.Thanks for all your help ill keep you posted.

 

[teaker1s]

like the chap I heard in the lfs he wanted coral and diddn't know any thing about his water hardness etc and kept on about the ph must be right as I've got tap water-he also had no halides or marine bulbs and was giving the chap in the store grief because the chap didn't want to sell him any coral until he had the right water and kit.

 

[FBF]

i would explain to the person that the musnt add any fish for at least two weeks and that bi-daily water changes of about 10% are needed unless she wants to poison the fish in its own waste. one fish in a tank wont suffer as badly as ten fish would