Fish are dying...i feel guilty

[3Corsameal]

ok, i know i have been told i have too many fish in my tank.

one of my clown loaches is on is way out too now, he is just swimming very limp and can't really control himself, is lying on the bottom on his side and looks like he has no strength.
7 of my little neon tetra's have died too, haven't seen what happened to em, but i think some of em were attacked, i saw little nicks out of them. and they all been sucked into pump, by the time i find them

plus my other crab, has just froze up, and keeled over onto his back.

is there something wrong with my water?

What is "cycling"?

will they continue to die until they reach a level where the fish are stable and i'd be left with a few?

Might get rid of the Gourami's and a few angels, now i know what i like, am beginning to prefer the smaller fish, that keep busy, like my cory catfish and the danois.
Can i take fish back to LFS and swap them for something else, like plants, or would he be more likely to just take them back and not offer a refund etc..

 

[Allivymar]

How many/what types of fish do you have again and how big is the tank 3Corsameal? I forget.

Take a look at these 2 articles; they explain the cycle and how important it is to understand. Once you are finished, check your levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrates. If there is any ammonia or nitrite do a water change to dilute it:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=21
http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html

If you have levels of ammonia and nitrite that would most likely be whats wrong with your water. Fish shouldn't die until things stabilize.

As for returning fish, it all depends on your lfs. Some will take fish back and give partial credit, some will just take them back and give nothing. Some won't take them back at all.

 

[3Corsameal]

i had very high levels of NO3 when i last tested, and have done two 30% water changes.

i have a 12.5 uk gallon tank

3x original angels
2x koi angels
3x clown loach (now have 1 left)
3x pearl gourami (now have 2 left)
10x neon tetras (now have 3 left)
5x zebra danios
2x aqua crabs (both died)
3x albino cory catfish (these seem the happiest/most healthy and lively)

seems loads when i type it out :|

 

[Terry]

3corsameal i think you are a bit overstocked, even with the fish that has died you are still overstocked.

I think you have whats called

" must have more fish "

Syndrome.LOL

I think what is basically wrong is that you have to many fish for the size of tank you have.

The amount of fish you have would stock a 40gal tank nicely, not a 12.5gal.

I think that you should get rid of more than just your gourami's or they will die until like you said you are left with what your tank will hold.
But that don't always work like that, if your fish are slowly being poisoned by high ammonia,nitrite,nitrate then you could loose the lot.

As for returning fish to your lfs they should take them, but it is up to them what they give you in return, some will give you nothing, and some will give you about a third of what they are worth. they won't give you cash but they will give you a credit note, some notes are just for fish, and some are for anything in the shop. Again it is up to the person in charge.

HTH

 

[Terry]

3corsameal.

If you need to talk about this instead of posting, give me a ring. My number is on my web site. I am here everyday, i am poping out between 2.00-4.00 today to do a tank maintanance but i will be here until 7.00pm.

I am here to help.

 

[3Corsameal]

thanks alot Terry.

Whats sort of things do u sell that can help with the balance of toxins and bateria?

what is a BIOSPHERE? i keep hearing about

 

[TankGirl]

Do you mean biofilter? or biobugs? A biosphere is often referring to a glass ball that has water, a tiny plant and a living creature, like brine shrimp, and the idea is that all of these things, with sunlight, can live off each other inside.

Basically for your setup you should have about 4 smallish fish that are relatively tough (not neons) and keep them in your tank over a period of about 4-6 weeks, during which time you will be doing water changes every couple of days or so as toxins build up from their waste. Over time bacteria ("biobugs") will grow that live off the toxins, and in essence "filter" your water biologically, or a "biofilter." The tank toxins (ammonia and nitrite, initially) will be consumed by the bacteria that has grown inside the tank and inside the filter, and in the end you are left with the final product of nitrate, which is less toxic to the fish. That is when your tank has cycled. Your regular water changes following the completed cycle are done once a week or once every two weeks to rid the tank of nitrate. The biofilter consumes the other toxins, which should not be present when you test for them, once the cycle is complete. I hope that is not too confusing, but basically you need to start with a few very hardy fish, wait about a month without adding any more fish, and get your cycle completed. After that you can add a few more fish that you like, but get the tank cycled first. It requires patience but is well worth the wait! Good luck, and definitely call on Terry, because you will get solid advice there

 

[William]

Bio Spira is what hes talking about I'm sure

 

[3Corsameal]

yeah, thats it William.

So i'd be best to get rid of most fish.

how about keeping

3x cory catfish, they only an inch long
5x danios, only an inch long
2x angel fish

 

[William]

I'm leaning towards no on the Angel Fish.

You can't keep/buy fish for their size now, you have to plan for what size they'll get when they grow up.

Two angelfish would probably need atleast a 30gal tank to be content.

 

[TankGirl]

I do not think you can get BioSpira there, but check with Terry.