New Tank Help

[dswgtzbt]

We are starting up a 45 gallon freshwater tank. We added stress coat to treat chlorine and added API quick start to add some bacteria (I know, a lot of people say this does nothing). After letting the filter run for a day or so, we added two fairly small fish to try a fish-in tank cycle. 1 small rainbow shark and 1 yellow cory. The next morning they were both dead. We tested the ammonia and nitrite and both were zero. The pH was kinda high 8.2, but that is what comes from the tap. So, could it be that these fish were kept in much lower pH tanks at the pet store and the sudden pH change killed them? That is my only working theory as I can't think of what else it could have been. Thoughts?

 

[fishwonder]

Once again, it takes 3-8 weeks to cycle an aquarium/filter. So no fish until this is complete.
Click here and read all about how to cycle an aquarium in various ways.