HELP!!! Dieing fish

[adammorrill]

hello, i had my tankcycling for about a week and then i added 5 cherry barbs and recently 2 of them died and they have only been in there for a couple days. do you think the tank isnt cycled yet or they were just bad fish??? thanks

 

[somethingsfishy]

How do you test your water parameters? It may not have been cycled.

 

[spoonman]

Your tank is cycling now. Without big and often water changes the rest will die also. You will have to start testing water parameters and doing water changes every day or two.

 

[glassbird]

Do you know about the nitrogen cycle in a new tank? Read the link in spoonmans signature titled "cycling with fish" and/or do some research on this site on the subject. Running a tank for a week is just circulating the water...it is NOT cycling. This is a very common misunderstanding.

Read that article, get a master test kit and some Prime water conditioner, and get ready for some water changes...lots and lots of water changes! Many people here can help you get thru a cycle with fish, but you need accurate test results so that you (and we) know what is happening in there.

 

[librarygirl]

Yes to what others have said; your tank isn't cycled. True cycling takes weeks. There are links in my signature (new tank with fish and what is cycling); read those and they'll help. Test your water every day and do water changes whenever ammonia or nitrite are above .25; same with nitrate over 20. Good luck. Sorry about your fish.

 

[somethingsfishy]

It may sound like were being hard on you but think of the fish. If possible just return the fish follow the steps to cycle your tank. It may take up to a month but think of all the fish you can add that won't die. Pretty fish get expensive. One of my clown loaches set me back $15 and I have five. It is a pain to do but will save you money and headaches. And if you have any other questions/concerns, just ask. We all started knowing nothing and were here to help.

 

[TheJT]

I just finished a fish in cycle. It takes a lot of work and dedication to complete. You will probably lose more fish regardless. Ammonia poisoning isn't always curable. But by following the fish in cycle guide to the letter you can minimize any losses. If you check out my profile you should be able to see my threads. I have one titled 10 gal fish-in cycle log. This will give you a general idea of what you can expect. Good luck!