very new newb plz bare with me ty

[silas313]

Okay sorry but this may be long and it may not make alot of sense but suggestions and help and names of medicines and etc would help. Ive been doing research on many diseases and stuff on my fish or what may be in the tank. But a few things have same symptoms as another thing and yet its different medicine for that treatment. So instead of going out and buying 100 bucks of all medcine i can find in the fish world ill ask for help and advice. I ll be honest and tell ya about my tanks not being cycled properly. It messed up when i added fish. But i got a 29 gal tank from walmart stardard stuff that comes with it for filter and stuff. Also I put this tank together and added fish (which i think they are.. red zebra cichlid, and 2 yellow labs, and a jeweled cichlid i think. I dunno names for them i think its african. Well then later i put in 3 more fish (i dunno the names of them but few pics ive seen and names people called em are a blue Mbuna strips down side head towards tail with it on top fin, also got black something some wat same but very dark, and i think i got another small red zebra. well i added those after waiting some time. Then recently i added 1 more fish i thought it was a kyni or something its yellow black strip kinda fish like a bee . Its small too and two frogs. Well i added them all in some weeks. Also i dont have test strips and i had to pay big fine so i havnt had money to buy test strips. So i dunno the water numbers. Anyways Heres my problem. i did research on why there acting weird. I never seen this, so i dunno. But anyways i ve been watching my fish and after i added the last fish which is the yellow bee fish think its kanyi or something is when the symptoms i seen kicked in but i dunno. I dont truly watch the tank all day and night. But anyways i thought i might have ich... because the it said that they rub on stuff like decos, fake plants, and walls, and also has white spots! Well my fish does everything except the white spots.. And i turned up heat to 78 to try to get the spots to pop up quicker if it was ich like ive read but i still see nothing for spots. So therefor i dunno if its itch but also the fish do seem to go towards the filter and stay under it latly which is unusual for them. So then i also looked around for this "flashing" i seen in the tank as well and it said that it could be parasites of some sort.. now i dunno wat it is nor do i know where to look for. Because ich didnt say that they hit the wall and jump to top of the tank like there crazy and also there breathing heavy. So i didnt wanna get ich medicine and also some sort of medicine for flashing and do it at once.. because i dunno wat it is and i dont wanna try alot of meds in which everything could just be 1 thing.. but also i seen where it could be normal of the flashing and the rubbing and hitting the walls and staying under the filter was said that it was normal from some other people saying it was aggresion towards other fish showing there territories. But anyways heres diff i see in fish. They use to sit at bottom and be normal and bright. And they did chase once in while. Now there alot of times at top like oxygen is out and there at top chillin alot. And some fish go and hide under filter all day and nite which is totally diff. And also the flashing like a spaz and rubbing on decos and hitting wall with head and jumpin to top.. SO all those things are symptoms but no white spots... so any help would be great ty and sorry for the big paragraph iam new

edit - pretty much i stocked a tank without cycling and i got no test kits till this weekend so i dunno the ph amonia and etc. and i added alot of fish to a tank and well they started to do two diff things which 1 was ich and 1 was the twiching which are two diff disease but i dont see spots so i dunno if its ich or not or if its anything. Iam asking if u had suggestions to wat is wrong before i go buy alot of medicines for all diff diseases and just buy 1 instead. Also the color on side of few fish are fading and lookin ugly so maybe i figure stress from overstock. But they got so many signs of parasite or disease or ich so iam asking what u guys think my fishys could have if they have anything . Iam also so so sorry that it is long and sucks that i type like crap on internet. But this is the 1st and last big post like this . iam thankful for u guys giving a shot at reading it.

 

[nycfatcow]

can you reorganize your writing... i read the first 5 sentences and it really makes no sense...reorganize your post and im sure youll get more responses

 

[Zagz]

Ok first start with a large 75% water change. I would assume it is ammonia spiking with the hanging out at the top. Second don't get test strips, get a master freshwater kit from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals. Until you get a test kit do water changes every couple of days to keep the ammonia and nitrite down. You can also take some water to your local lfs and get them to test.

Now for the really bad news. Your tank is too small for any africans and you have way too many of them. You are going to suffer severe aggression issues. You really should return the fish and rethink your stocking.

If you suspect ich, turn up the heat to 87 slowly (a degree or two every 6-12 hours), and leave it there. They may have ich in the gills. Don't add any meds, just dechlorinator every water change.

 

[rkilling1]

I just wanted to back up Anne on this one. Pretty much everything that I was thinking while I was reading your post, Anne has already said.

You have done a lot of things wrong when you set up this fish tank. From not researching the species aggression and space to not cycling it carefully. BUT I have to say that you are now on the right track. Coming here is the best thing to help you have a happy and enjoyable aquarium. (As long as you heed the info)

I love cichlids like the ones that you have, but they require a substantial investment for the bigger tank and equipment. If you are set on having them, then be prepared to purchase another aquarium.

IMO, perform the PWC as Anne has suggested ASAP and then go to petsmart.com and print out the price of the API freshwater mater kit and take it to the store. This will save you quite a bit of money and that kit is VERY important at this stage.

And just as Anne has said (again), you really need to return those species of fish.

 

[silas313]

hey thanks for help and suggestions. I got a question i bought another tank i bought ammonia that said no phosphorus in it. now iam not brightest kid on block does that mean good ammona to cycle or no? also stress coat api will take chlorine out of water right ?

 

[An t-iasg]

I'm happy to hear that you are beginning a fishless cycle for your new tank! If the ammonia label says "contains surfactants" or if it has a fragrance, or if it bubbles and foams when you shake it, then you should not use it in your tank. I think some people got "tank-safe" ammonia at Ace Hardware. I ordered ammonium chloride from a chemical supply company.

Yes, Stress Coat will take the chlorine out of the water.

 

[silas313]

thanks for feedback i did 1/3 water change cleaned filter and cleaned gravel with sphyon. Also added some melafix for torn fin. Now dont i take filter out of water so carbon in it doesnt destroy the medcine? and then wait like hour then put filter back up or owat? i just added medcine let it sit for 10 minutes then added filter so i probably did it wrong any suggestions? Also i added air pump with tube in water for oxygen and now the fish are swimmin faster then ever around tank kinda worried me for sec... but i just think there happier with those bubbles.. also alot of people telling me stress coat doesnt and does take chlorine out errr.. but i think it does... so who knows

 

[rkilling1]

Stress coat says right on the bottle that it neutralizes chlorine and chloramine.

When you are cycling an aquarium it is NOT a good idea to clean the filter or vacuum the substrate. You want the bacteria that are forming in those areas to multiply as fast as possible and not get ride of them.

If you are going to dose Melafix, you need to completely remove the charcoal from your filter for days not hours. If the charcoal is a couple weeks old, then I wouldn't worry about it.

The air is a good idea. It causes surface agitation and therefore O2 exchange. Your fish and bacteria need the O2.

Have you been able to get a liquid test kit? or at least take a sample of your water to an LFS for testing?

 

[silas313]

Hm no i still waiting on the test kit to come from the place i bought it from off the net. And no i didnt take sample to the lfs. I am changing water and tring to treat tank for the injured fish fin. so in order to get the melafix to work i have to keep the filter out of my tank and let it run for long time? Also if so i still do the doses every few days like it says rite? says like do it for few days.