5Gal Aquarium setup PLEASE HELP!

[jooj]

I've been trying to get my 5.5Gal tank going for a couple of months now and lost a goldfish due to improper cycling.....

here's my latest effort into cycling and switching to guppies instead of goldfish..


- approx 2 weeks or so ago: Daily feed tank with 2-4ppm liquid ammonia, also do daily reading to ensure cycle is happening

- next 2-3 days after the 2 weeks or so, continue daily feeding of tank with 2-4ppm liquid ammonia at night, by next night verified ammonia AND nitrites are 0 (when I didn't have to work, both reading are 0 by about 14hrs since adding liquid ammonia the night before)

- on the last day, do 2 x 50% water change (somewhere it said to do a 80-90% water change but did back to back 50% change instead)... also took out about 1/2 of the gravel (read somewhere its better to have less gravel and more water for dilution)... figured the remaining gravel + the same filter still have enough good bacteria to support guppies... verified Ammonia and Nitrites are both 0 and nitrates are 20-40ppm.

- next day brought sample water to store (they said it was fine based on 2 test strips used ) and brought home 2 male guppies and 1 sword plant to help with nitrates and water heater (set to 24C).....

- next day went to work and got call from wife that 1 guppy was dead (less than 16hrs) but other seemed fine.. so on my way home, I got replacement (3rd) guppy and pagoda decoration to help break strong water from filter (top fin power 10) from the store... when i got home, I saw the 2nd guppy also had died (guess sometime in the afternoon..)! Did another water test and same reading verified Ammonia and Nitrites are 0 and nitrates are 20-40ppm and proceeded to add the 3rd guppy and set the temp to 26C (as per petstore).. seems active and happy that night (watched it for almost 2 hrs!)

- this morning 3rd guppy is ALSO dead under the pagoda! didn't have time to do another water reading...


am I missing something?? even if say I didn't have enough good bacteria due to the big water change (vaccum the gravel) and removal of 1/2 the gravel - why are my fish dying if ammonia, nitrites are both 0 and nitrates stays around 20-40ppm (same reading daily for the last 3 days)??? Should they at least last a few days until there's a higher (detectable) amount of ammonia or nitrites??


Please help me understand what I'm doing wrong...

Thanks again for your time and help... really appreaciate it!

 

[threnjen]

Did you use a dechlorinator or tap water conditioner when filling the tank?
The liquid ammonia you used - are you certain it is free of surfactants (detergents), like does it foam up and look frothy when you shake the bottle?
Do you have the liquid test kit (API Master Freshwater) or strips?
If you have the liquid test, can you please test pH?
How did you acclimate the fish before putting them in the tank?

Sorry for so many questions, all are necessary
Welcome! We'll figure it out.

 

[jooj]

Thanks for your time and help...

Yes I use Top Fin water conditioner every time I changed the water.. if anything I may use a little bit more than listed on the bottle since its such a small amount of water.

I use old country ammonia which i googled and others have confirmed works and has no other chems

I use API master freshwater test kit

a few days ago ph was high 7's almost 8

I place the bag in the tank for almost an hr and I add small amount of tank water to the bag a few times before add the fish and water from the bag to the tank.


Thanks again... really frustrating to have spent almost 4mo trying to get this to work and still kill so many fishes