Getting Started

[Malathi]

Hi,
I am new to this website. I seriously have some doubts regarding my 10G fish tank.
First I started my tank with 4 gold fish....Within 15days I lost all the 4. Then I recycled everything in the tank and started again with 4 mickymouse fish. Again 2 are dead....From Petsmart I heard that is because of PH in the water. I bought all the necessary medicare for the fish. Now I had 3 fish...Now and then I am finding some fry's in my tank but they are hiding under the gravel. Water is completely cloudy....and I am not understanding the reason for it....Can anyone help me out with this?


Thanks,
Malathi.

 

[rich311k]

Welcome to AA!!!

How long has the tank been set up? Did it cycle? What color is the cloud? Sounds like a bacterial bloom to me. How often do you do PWCs on the tank?

 

[Malathi]

Hi ,
Thankyou for responding.... It has been just 1 month. The color of the cloud is like white bluish. When I felt the water cloudy I did 1/2 water change. It has been just 3days back.

 

[rich311k]

I sounds like a bacterial cloud. It happens in new tanks as the bacteria colonies are establishing. It will go away. Do you know your ammonia and nitrite levels? I imagine you are still cycling. 50% water changes every few days is probably a good idea.

 

[Tong]

I am guessing your initial fish died because your tank was not yet established/cycled. Seeing as how your tank has been set up for 1 month now, your cycle should be winding down so hopefully things should be better from here on out.

If you don't know about cycling, do some research on the nitrogen cycle and fishless cycling to avoid massive die off on your next tank.

IMO, petsmart doesn't know anything...atleast not my petsmart. If they are so good at determining the causes of fish death then why are half their fish dead? Just odd to me. Wrong PH has never killed fish. Only very low/high or swinging PH has...but I would bet those would have to be kind of extreme to kill fish as well.

 

[hsherman1986]

I agree with Tong. A different PH will not kill fish. Swings will. They will adapt to different ph, so long as it is stable. DO NOT USE CHEMICALS TO ALTER YOUR PH! This will only cause swings in the ph which is way more harmful than whatever your PH is.

It was probably high ammonia/nitrites from the cycle being incomplete that killed the fish.

There are some good articles written here about the nitrogen cycle, I don't have any of the links, but someone else will come along with that info, or just do a search for nitrogen cycle.