Newbie

[Blakeanthony75]

Got a 25 gal tank Monday & added my water conditioner. I know I was supposed to wait to put fish in after 5-7 days (according to my local pet store) but I was impatient and bought about 7 various small fresh water/non aggressive fish along with an algae eater. They all died within two day except two that are still alive. I took a sample of my tank water to my local pet store today (Friday). She used the same pH test I bought at walmart and told me my pH level was too high. I already knew this... She told me the ONLY way to fix it is to empty & start all over again. Is this true? & if so what's gonna make it this better than last? PLEASE HELP! THANKS!

 

[jcolon]

to AA!

In a way the LFS is correct ... but no need to empty the tank.
Unfortunately ... there is so much more to setting up and maintaining an aquarium than just waiting 5-7 days.

To begin with ... read the article below on fish in cycling ... you will need to do plenty of PWC's as the article will explain. The first thing you have to do is establish Beneficial Bacteria that will convert ammonia into less harmful compounds ...aka cycling your tank .... and not the cycling LFS's mean when they say run your tank for a few days. To establish the Bacteria may take a few weeks to a month ... but once that is done, future fish will be in a better environment.

I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?!

 

[jcolon]

Oooppss hit the post button too quick.

Don't concern yourself with pH ... your main concern is cycling your tank which will take serious commitment to do the necessary PWC's. Get your own test kit to check the water parameters regularly (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates) with the goal that the bacteria ultimately produce nitrates. We recommend the API test master kit ... forget using test strips ... they are notoriously unreliable.

Once a tank is "established" you will need to continue weekly PWC's of between 25% - 50% to keep nitrates low. But for now ... since you still have fish ... you will need to do constant PWC's to keep the ammonia levels low. If you can rehome / return your remaining fish ... you can do a fishless cycling which is detailed in the link below.

Again don't worry about pH, or adding any other chemicals to your tank other than dechlorinator/conditioner .... we highly recommend Seachem Prime.

The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling

Good luck!

 

[bruinsbro1997]

to AA!

Got a 25 gal tank Monday & added my water conditioner. I know I was supposed to wait to put fish in after 5-7 days (according to my local pet store) but I was impatient and bought about 7 various small fresh water/non aggressive fish along with an algae eater. They all died within two day except two that are still alive. I took a sample of my tank water to my local pet store today (Friday). She used the same pH test I bought at walmart and told me my pH level was too high. I already knew this... She told me the ONLY way to fix it is to empty & start all over again. Is this true? & if so what's gonna make it this better than last? PLEASE HELP! THANKS!

If the WalMart is using strips, we in no way know the exact pH as liquid test kits are far more accurate. You don't need to start over again but you can try to cycle the tank properly. In addition to the link below you should also read this if you wanted to go the fishless cycle route:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...-Guide-and-FAQ-to-Fishless-Cycling/Page1.html
Good luck!

 

[aqua_chem]

Is your tap pH naturally high, or is something else at work here? Just to be sure, are you using some kinda of sand that will buffer your pH, such as a marine sand?

A high pH coupled with a cycling tank can lead to ammonia poisoning, as at higher pHs the less toxic ammonium is converted into ammonia, which is much more toxic and will lead to fish death.