3rd time is a charm...I will try to post this again. I have a 55 gallon tank that had 4 fish in it. Like a dummy I decide it is dirty and I clean it from top to bottom, including rinsing all of the stones and replacing ALL of the water. Off to the fish store I go..with high hopes of a beautiful tank. The lady at the fish store never said a word about conditioning the water..ph, nitrates, nitrites, ammonias. I come home with about 20 new fish. Well, guess what? They are dying one by one. How can I save them? I thought after reading some of this that I had too much ammonia for them so I have already done a 1/3 water change. I dont believe we have chlorine in our water because we have well water but we do have a softener. It has been 2 weeks since the complete clean job and about 3 days since the water change. Now what? Any Help please...and I will name a fish after you!
My tank is in trouble
- Thread starter mammarudd
- Start date
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Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
With that many fish, it's going to be a lot of work til the tank cycles, since you cleaned it thoroughly. Best thing to do is 30-50% at least every other day, if not every day, with your fish load. Also, see if you can get a used filter cartrige from a friend or if the lfs would possibly help, and put it into the tank. Then order some Bio Spira. Either from online or see if your lfs can get it, and add it to the tank immediately. What it is is the bacteria you need, it cycles your tank almost instantly. In some cases it's immediate, and in some cases it takes a couple days. But it's the best out there for that type of product. And don't let the lfs con you into Cycle, it just doesn't work.
G
Guest
Guest
ok, you don't have to name fish after me.. but i will try to help.
The best thing you can do at this point is buy a test kit... read about the nitrogen cycle: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=21
your are going to want to test those water parameters every day until you are completely cycled.. or at least every other day.
you are going to have to do daily water changes.. small ones.. (like 10-20%) to keep the ammonia and nitrites from killing your fish... but you are most likely going to have most of the fish die.. that's what happens when you cycle with fish.
You could also try to get some seeded filter media from the fish store. Just ask them if you can have some of their filter floss and put it into your filter. Some places sell "bioballs" but you need one for every 5 gallons of water or something like that. If you can get your filter seeded it will help you out a ton and keep you from losing more fish.
Good luck!!!
what kind of fish do you have that are still alive?
The best thing you can do at this point is buy a test kit... read about the nitrogen cycle: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=21
your are going to want to test those water parameters every day until you are completely cycled.. or at least every other day.
you are going to have to do daily water changes.. small ones.. (like 10-20%) to keep the ammonia and nitrites from killing your fish... but you are most likely going to have most of the fish die.. that's what happens when you cycle with fish.
You could also try to get some seeded filter media from the fish store. Just ask them if you can have some of their filter floss and put it into your filter. Some places sell "bioballs" but you need one for every 5 gallons of water or something like that. If you can get your filter seeded it will help you out a ton and keep you from losing more fish.
Good luck!!!
what kind of fish do you have that are still alive?
Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
And if you don't know what Bio Spira is, it's the live bacteria, and needs to be refrigerated til put into the tank, and also has only a short shelf-life, so it's best to use when you get it. It's not a chemical, so don't think you are adding chemicals, it's not.
lyquidphyre
Aquarium Advice Addict
What kind of fish did you purchace?
Get testing kits (not the strips, those don't work that well), and test your water and do a 25-30% daily water change
Feed your fish every other day or every three days and ONLY how much food they can eat so you don't have rotting fish food added to your problem.
Did you add water conditioner to remove chlorine? Some brands have a stress coat that will help relieve stress.
The ideal thing you can do, is take most of the fish back before they all die off
Get testing kits (not the strips, those don't work that well), and test your water and do a 25-30% daily water change
Feed your fish every other day or every three days and ONLY how much food they can eat so you don't have rotting fish food added to your problem.
Did you add water conditioner to remove chlorine? Some brands have a stress coat that will help relieve stress.
The ideal thing you can do, is take most of the fish back before they all die off
Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
As for conditioner, the only one I use is Prime, as it's a lot more concentrated, you use less, and therefore the cost is less. It's also recommended by a lot of people.
BillD
Aquarium Advice Addict
Read carefully people. He is using well water, so doesn't need a conditioner. Daily water changes would be the order of the day, in the order of 50%. Waiting to get a test kit, is unecessary, as we know the water needs changing. The test kit may be helpful, but there is no reason to delay. It would also be better if you could bypass the water softener.
Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
Good eye BillD, I didn't see that. Probably doesn't have any chlorine. And yes, is there any way to bypass the softener?
G
Guest
Guest
well i didn't mean they had to go buy a test kit before doing the water changes.... i meant they needed to get a test kit ASAP and start doing daily water changes STAT... and learn about the nitrogen cycle so they know exactly what they are doing and WHY they are doing it.
But if they go ahead and get to the fish store they can get some filter media.. the bacteria in that filter media should jump start their cycle and keep from killing off any of the other fish.
But if they go ahead and get to the fish store they can get some filter media.. the bacteria in that filter media should jump start their cycle and keep from killing off any of the other fish.
Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
I agree, if you can get some filter media from a cycled tank at the lfs, that will help a bunch. And get a good test kit and watch your parameters closely. I paid 20.00 at the lfs for the AP Freshwater Master Test Kit, and you can get it cheaper from Big Al's Online. I just needed mine ASAP so I paid the extra. Best to get yours as soom as possible as well, and remember, the most important thing is the water changes, preferably daily.
talloulou
Aquarium Advice Addict
Out of curiosity what type of fish are the 20 fish?
Thank you so much for all the great info. Our local fish store as a rule..does not give out their used floss due to liability.....give me a break, and guess who does not handle the Bio Spira? Well, guess I won't be going back there! Walmart is starting to sound better and better now. As for my softener, there is no way to bypass it as it runs on demand and is automatic. I think the only way is to let it run out of salt and drink nasty water. Figures someone would ask what kind of fish. I'm not great on the names but I will give it a try. 4 guppies, 2 chinese algea eaters(1 dead already) some fish with a stripe and they glow in the head and tail, some swordfish(male and female) and some other kinds of orange colored fish (some dead) , 2 black mollies(one dead) and 2 white fish(one dead) supposedly they were all good companions in my tank. I had a cat fish bottom eater that died and I have something danio. ??? There are plenty...I tried to post a picture of the tank but I dont think Im doing something right. Thanx again
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Thank you so much for all the great info. Our local fish store as a rule..does not give out their used floss due to liability.....give me a break, and guess who does not handle the Bio Spira? Well, guess I won't be going back there! Walmart is starting to sound better and better now. As for my softener, there is no way to bypass it as it runs on demand and is automatic. I think the only way is to let it run out of salt and drink nasty water. Figures someone would ask what kind of fish. I'm not great on the names but I will give it a try. 4 guppies, 2 chinese algea eaters(1 dead already) some fish with a stripe and they glow in the head and tail, some swordfish(male and female) and some other kinds of orange colored fish (some dead) , 2 black mollies(one dead) and 2 white fish(one dead) supposedly they were all good companions in my tank. I had a cat fish bottom eater that died and I have something danio. ??? There are plenty...I tried to post a picture of the tank but I dont think Im doing something right. Thanx again
Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
Are you sure there's no bypass? Most water softeners have a bypass on them that I've seen. Might double-check.
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