Help my fish keep dying!!!

[cezza44]

Alright so i have had my 70L tank for about 3 months now. It's a all with on tank with added powerhead and heater (set to 25). I originally got it, set it up with a couple of plants and rocks, then left it a day to work its stuff out. The next day i added a couple of neons, a bristle nose and a snail. From then on I added some Gourami's, fighting fish, a ghost knife and loaches over a space of about 2 months.
Then rather rapidly I lost two gouramis and 2 clown loaches. I went to a store with a water sample and they said i need some salt to lift the hardness of the water. They told me to dump 7 heaped tea spoons into the tank. I did so when i got home, and when I awoke the next day I had about 5 less fish.
I then to a different store and they said to never add salt and that i just added to many fish and the biofilter wasnt able to cope yet. So I added the stuff they told me (an ammonia filter), and the tank seemed to settle. I have been slowly dropping the PH, as i was told it was too high.
After about 2 further weeks i bought a new bristle nose and snail. But after less than a week a female fighter is dead and so is my favourite snail (Albert).
Could somebody please help me

 

[Lynae]

You didn't cycle your tank, your tank is too small for the stock you've added, and your fish stores aren't educating you on anything! I have a headache, otherwise I'd get more into it, but other people will pipe up.

 

[dkpate]

Just your BGK itself needs 100+ gallons, because they grow to between 14-20 inches. You do need to cycle your tank first before you dump any fish in there, especially that many. I am sure you have high ammonia in there which is probably why you are losing all of your fish, due to the fact that it burns their gills. I did the same thing with my BGK, but thankfully I was able to get a 75G and some filter media and gravel from someone elses established tank to help speed up the cycle, and put him in there. I am going to post something for you to read about fishless cycling. I would see if you can maybe take your fish back until you get your tank cycled. Good luck!
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...ks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html

 

[mgamer20o0]

no need to add salt no need to mess with the ph.

 

[fort384]

+1 for mgamer20o0.

You can get your tank cycled with fish in it, but you need to get a test kit and test for ammonia. You have to do a partial water change whenever the ammonia goes over .25. It may be daily until the biofilter gets established in your tank.

What is your pH testing at? Using pH altering chemicals usually does not end well for a tank. Most fish (even sensitive ones) can adjust to a pH that is not optimal, so long as the pH is constant. If you are trying to get to an ideal pH, the pH swings you are causing by adding chemicals is much harder on the fish than just leaving it alone -- especially if you have soft water.