Victim of the petshop salesperson!

[Gboy66]

Yeah I have the water conditioner they have at WalMart and have used it according to the directions.

As far as the selection. We picked the fish according to what she said we could have. I have 2 kids, a 12 year old (he has Down syndrome) and a 20 month old. The sharks and the barbs were for the oldest one, since he likes fast movers and the big orange looking ones for the baby for the color. The selection here is pretty limited. I guess I will have to go further and see what we can find.

Im sure we could find you some AWESOME fish for 55 gallon do dont worry!!! Just try to keep the fish alive untill you can find homes for the mentioned ones. We all really want to help, and your tank will be great before you know it!

 

[shalab]

So i did one water change and everyone is looking good so far. What sucks is that I really thought I was doing the right things the right way. I filled the tank 5 full days before I had any intent to buy fish. I made my list since I already knew what "kind" of fish we wanted, then went to the pet store instead of Walmart.

I know sound completely reckless when it comes to this aquarium venture, but I can assure you, I really thought I was doing it all the right way.

 

[Gboy66]

Thats alright worse things happen to others!! Keep that in mind. People put oscars in uncycled 20 gallons. Iv heard of it all, so in comparasin your prediciment isnt AS bad! You havent started out on the right foot entirely, but your gettin there. Your tank will just require more work during the first few weeks

 

[Bubble_B0y]

that is completely IRRESPONSIBLE for the pet store to sell you all these fish (especially to a beginner!)

UGH !!!
i can't right now...

 

[librarygirl]

So i did one water change and everyone is looking good so far. What sucks is that I really thought I was doing the right things the right way. I filled the tank 5 full days before I had any intent to buy fish. I made my list since I already knew what "kind" of fish we wanted, then went to the pet store instead of Walmart.

I know sound completely reckless when it comes to this aquarium venture, but I can assure you, I really thought I was doing it all the right way.

It isn't your fault at all. How are you supposed to know if they don't tell you? Sadly many pet/fish stores don't mention cycling or just recommend to use some "hardy" fish, or tell you to let your tank sit for a week and then it'll be fine (which is what happened to me as well when I first started). Luckily you found this site which has been a tremendous help to many. It'll be fine. Just keep up with the daily water changes (without a test kit, I'd say 50% twice a day given the goldfish). I know you mentioned time is an issue but the water changes are the only thing that's going to save these fish from ammonia poisoning and even two changes a day, without a test kit to see what's going on in the water, may not be enough given the stock you have.

With a tank that size you may consider getting an automatic water changer like a Python or Aqueon. Most fish/pet stores sell them and they are online as well. Just hook it up to your faucet and you can drain and refill the tank from the faucet through the tube. No more buckets and it's very fast. You'll just want to add dechlorinator to the tank before you refill and you'll want to add enough dechlor for the whole tank, not just the amount you are refilling.

A liquid test kit is a must though if you can get one sooner rather than later. Try to find homes for the goldies at least ASAP. Then you can decide whether to try to return/rehome the other fish (if possible) and do a fishless cycle or keep them and do a fish-in cycle.

 

[shalab]

anyone familiar with Glass Cages?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Um no, do you mean aquariums? Is it an aquarium tank brand?

 

[librarygirl]

I just did a quick search and it seems that it's a custom aquarium company. I've also found some bad reviews of them:

Glass Cages - Experiences - US Store Reviews - Aquatic Plant Central
Review: GlassCages Aquarium Builders - Captive Aquatics: An Aquarium and Ecology Blog

 

[shalab]

I'm not gonna do it. A friend was offering a 90g with a 10g separation tank that is still setup for $350. He thought that maybe since his was already going that it might just be easier to move his over, lol. He gave me some real hope :insert sarcasm: ha ha ha

 

[ashleynicole]

So i did one water change and everyone is looking good so far. What sucks is that I really thought I was doing the right things the right way. I filled the tank 5 full days before I had any intent to buy fish. I made my list since I already knew what "kind" of fish we wanted, then went to the pet store instead of Walmart.

I know sound completely reckless when it comes to this aquarium venture, but I can assure you, I really thought I was doing it all the right way.

Don't worry, I did the exact same thing when I got my first 55 gallon. Back then one of my first purchases also included a rainbow shark. That is your black one with the red find. One of my most favorite fish by far. It will need some caves. But they do get a little terretorial so any other shark species would probably not be compatable. Mine did well with tetras, corys, loaches, angels, and barbs.

Your doing great. You found a good site with a lot of great info. You ordered prime and a test kit. That is already a good start!

Daily water changes with prime should help your fish survive a cycle. If you haven't already. I would suggest you invest in a python or aqueon water changer. These attatch to the faucet and have a long hose and make water changes sooo easy. You just syphon the water out into your sink. Add water conditioner, like prime, to dose the whole tank. Then add your water. The temp doesn't have to be exact. I add water a tad bit warmer than my tank water.

A few questions.
What kind of filter do you have?
How many watts is your heater?
Did you remember to get a thermometer?


Edit. You can purchase seeded sponge filters from angelsplus.com. I was able to cycle completely in 4 days by ordering one their seeded sponges, I cut it up and put it in the media box of my aquaclear hang on back filter. Then when I started my betta tanks I took a couple of small pieces out of that and put it in the filters of my betta tanks for an instantly cycled tank.

 

[shalab]

So, 3 major water changes later, everyone (including the goldfish) is still looking well. My test kit didn't come today or the prime, but at this point I'm just treading water.

After the 2nd water change I did notice a significant change in the activity level of the fish. They LOVE the bubble curtains! Its like a waterslide for fish

 

[librarygirl]

Glad to hear the fish are doing better. Just keep up with the water changes and you should be fine. Hopefully that test kit will come too as that's going to be an important tool to see what exactly is going on in the tank regarding toxins.

 

[ashleynicole]

Please consider rehoming the goldies. They need about,20 gallons of water for the first plus an additional 10 gallon for each additional goldie. And common goldies really belong in a pond. Plus goldfish don't really have stomaches so they produce a ton of waist. So your ammonia and Nitrite levels are going to be out of control in an uncycled tank.