Dying fish!!

[JadeandScott]

We bought our first tropical tank, a fluval edge tank 23 litre, about 4 weeks ago. We left it plugged in etc and set up for approximately 4 days until we added the fish (as advised)
The first fish we added were neon tetras.The tank went cloudy for a couple of days but we used quick start (as advised) it took about two days for it to clear. They were in there for about a week then we added two Mollys. We then waited over a week until we added a yellow guppy (which we were told was a male only to discover its actually female and could of quite possibly been pregnant)
Everything was fine for about a week. We just noticed the guppy was eating a bit more than usual. One of the Mollys had acted weird since we got it. It would just sit behind the heater and wasn't very active, like the other one was. I noticed it was swimming weirdly yesterday morning and by the evening it had died. We have no idea why. Then we noticed the guppys tummy started to swell. We researched and we found many things it could of been eg internal parasites, or pregnant.
We got home from work tonight and the guppy was dead we noticed it had a brownish outline around its body and was very dull in colour.

We also caught one of the neon tetras nibbling at it and are worried they are going to get whatever the others had! We have just been to the shop that we got them from and they have advised us to take a water sample in for them to test.

We could really use some advise on what to do next , if were doing something wrong and if possible prevent the others dying!

 

[LyndaB]

Welcome to the forum.

Did you add anything like Tetra Safe Start to the tank when you added your fish? If not, who advised you to wait 4 days, then add fish? This was pretty bad advice.

Please read this, it'll help save your fish. I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice

You'll need to pick up an API master kit for testing your water parameters. I would also suggest Prime as your dechlorinator.

In the meantime, remove 50% of the tank water, replace with fresh water, same temp as tank water, and dose with your dechlorinator.

 

[JadeandScott]

Is the dechlorinater the tap safe stuff? We were advised to wait that long (they actually said 3 days) by the shop that we bought the tank from (pets at home)

We added nutrafin cycle and nutrafin aqua plus which came with the tank.

We are unsure as to how to clean the tank out properly and safely and how often. As we have been told contrasting information by many different people! Some suggested monthly, others quarterly!So we haven't cleaned it yet :s

We're going to buy one of the test kits that you suggested and see what it says and also going to take a sample to the shop.

 

[JadeandScott]

This is the guppy when we first got it

 

[JadeandScott]

This is it yesterday

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Great advise in the article LindaB posted. You will need to daily water changes and testing to keep your fish safe from toxins such as ammonia and nitrite during the cycle.
This article will explain more in-depth about maintenance and cycling.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...-to-Starting-a-Freshwater-Aquarium/Page1.html
And some bad news. Your tank is quite over stocked for its size. The Molly will need a 80L tank and the neons at least a 40L.

 

[JadeandScott]

Surely it's not over crowded? The tanks in the shop have more fish than that! Been told we can have ten!

 

[JadeandScott]

Do you think the water killed the fish or an illness?

 

[jondamon]

It was most likely the water chemistry that has killed your fish.

Unfortunately local fish shops (LFS) don't always give the best advice.

Your tank is only suitable for a certain type of fish.

Either a single Betta (Siamese fighting fish) or some Nano fish such as Celestial Pearl Danios or you could have a colony of shrimps.

The Neon Tetras the store sold you are very active fish and require around a 60litre tank in order to have enough swimming space.

Let's not worry about this now.

Follow LyndaB's advice and get a water testing kit. I also would not add any more fish.

In the meantime perform a 50% water change using the tap safe. Then wait 1 hour and perform the same again.

This should hopefully reduce how much Ammonia etc is within your tank.


Keep reading on here until your eyes hurt as you will soon find out pretty much ALL the advice you have been given is wrong.

I think you may even want to complain to PETSATHOME after you've saved your fish.


Jon

 

[Mumma.of.two]

The tanks in the shops are temporary. That is why so many fish are in them. The tank is new, over crowded and uncycled so the ammonia is rising quickly. My guess is the water conditions are causing them to become ill and die.

 

[Rutrag]

Surely it's not over crowded? The tanks in the shop have more fish than that! Been told we can have ten!

The LFS store only has to keep the fish alive about a week until someone buys them. Their tanks tend to be overstocked out of necessity. They tend to also accept much higher losses than you should as an aquarist.

You also asked if the fish died due to water quality or disease. That's kind of a chicken and egg question. Poor water quality leads to the fishes' immune system breaking down and getting sickly.

I'm sorry to hear about your guppy. It was a male.

 

[JadeandScott]

This is crazy! Everyone is saying such different things it's just completely confusing us just want to stop the others getting ill x

 

[JadeandScott]

And I think we will definitely be complaining x

 

[jondamon]

This is crazy! Everyone is saying such different things it's just completely confusing us just want to stop the others getting ill x

If you want to stop the others then listen the folks here on AA as we are all about the fish.

LFS are all about the fish sales. Unfortunately they want your fish to die so you keep coming back to replace them.


Jon

 

[JadeandScott]

How horrible is that? I never realised they were so corrupt. Is it worth us taking water to them to test to see what they say? (were going to buy our own test kit but off the internet so will take a few days)

Were gna try to clean it tonight. Could anyone provide step by step ( easily understandable as we are newbies) instructions as to how to do it properly! The only way we have been told is by that shop and I am guessing that's incorrect.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

The article I linked in my first post explains it all.

 

[JadeandScott]

Will give it a go, thank you x

 

[LyndaB]

You're not the first newb to be given awful advice by the lfs, and you definitely will not be the last. Most of us have experienced this which is pretty sad.

Without forums like these, I would have lost my first tank and definitely not learned enough to add more tanks after that. Now, I'm up to 4. All happy and healthy. And they are that way as a result of forum membership, not the lfs.

Please do take advantage of reading the articles in the beginner section. I know it seems like a lot to take in but it's worth it. There is a huge learning curve in this hobby at the very beginning. Once you get the research and knowledge under your belt, you'll be much happier and you and your fish will have a lot less stress.

 

[JadeandScott]

I never thought that we'd be unable to trust their advise!

Tbh it has put us off a bit but were not the type to give up...

 

[JadeandScott]

Our last molly is now behaving the same as the first Molly that died. It is staying near the heater and not as active as it was yesterday