newb, please help!

[AllieKeneston]

i just got a 10 gallon fish tank the day before yesterday. i'm totally new to all this, keep that in mind. my fish have been in the tank since i got it. i don't really know what i'm doing to be honest. i had 3 black mollies, now i have 2.. and one goldfish. the black molly died yesterday.. it was at the bottom? but now i'm nervous my others are gonna die. the black mollies have been staying at the top, right by the heater. my water's also really foggy. i did a pcw yesterday. with about 50% of the tank. should i keep doing that to make the water less foggy? i added bacteria supplement too.. is that good or bad? also, when doing pwc w/ tap water, i put a few drops in every gallon container i put in the tank, is that good? i just need a little guidance, because i really wanna keep these fish, and soon get new ones. thanks in advance for any tips or advice.

 

[eco23]

Welcome to the site

This article should pretty much cover everything for you. Make sure you also do some research on the nitrogen cycle in aquariums-
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...-but-i-already-have-fish-what-now-116287.html

Make sure you have a quality test kit like an API Master kit to monitor toxin levels, and be prepared to do water changes as necessary. A bottle of Seachem Prime serves as a great tool because it dechlorinates and also temporally neutralizes ammonia and nitrIte.

Good luck!

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

i just got a 10 gallon fish tank the day before yesterday. i'm totally new to all this, keep that in mind. my fish have been in the tank since i got it. i don't really know what i'm doing to be honest. i had 3 black mollies, now i have 2.. and one goldfish. the black molly died yesterday.. it was at the bottom? but now i'm nervous my others are gonna die. the black mollies have been staying at the top, right by the heater. my water's also really foggy. i did a pcw yesterday. with about 50% of the tank. should i keep doing that to make the water less foggy? i added bacteria supplement too.. is that good or bad? also, when doing pwc w/ tap water, i put a few drops in every gallon container i put in the tank, is that good? i just need a little guidance, because i really wanna keep these fish, and soon get new ones. thanks in advance for any tips or advice.

Hey Allie,

First things first, you should of cycled the tank before you put any fish in it. This is probably the cause of your deaths. Here is a link to a fishless cycle.
Tips and tricks for your fastest fishless cycle!

Since you already have fish, I say just try to punch threw it, or try to return them for now. Aquariums need a biological filters that have bio in the aquarium naturally.

 

[AllieKeneston]

would pwc help the situation out? and make my tank less foggy?

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

would pwc help the situation out? and make my tank less foggy?

The "fogginess" or cloudiness in the water is probably from the continued water changes, allow the tank to settle for awhile. When I first set up in tanks, they are normally cloudy for the first day or two for me.

It depends what kind of filter is running, if an air pump is running, if you have active carbon in the filter, and what substrate your using.

 

[eco23]

I'm sorry...I have to disagree. The cloudiness (bacterial bloom) will eventually clear on it's own (it's not from water changes)...but what is of paramount importance is the health of your fish and keeping toxin levels as low as possible. Make sure you get a quality liquid test kit, and let your results dictate when water needs to be changed and how much. I personally recommend keeping both your ammonia and nitrIte levels at or below .25 at all times. I would suggest doing 50% water changes every day until you are able to get the test kit.

The other unfortunate issue is that Goldfish are not suited for a 10 gallon. The normally accepted minimum is 20-25 gallons for the first, and 10 gallons for each additional Golfish. It's entirely up to you, but if returning your fish and doing a fishless cycle is something that interests you...there's also a guide in my signature.

 

[Redtail....giant]

it could be your gravel, did u rinse it good before you filled it up with water. cycling your tank is very important , most people don't know that this is a very critical step before adding fish to your tank.

 

[Ray_Dockrey]

What are you adding to the water going into the tank? I couldn't tell from you post if you are adding water conditioner or bio supplement. I hope you are adding water conditioner.

 

[jetajockey]

Fish deaths are not due to putting them in an uncycled tank, it's likely due to high toxin levels accumulating. It can be dealt with by frequent water changes and light stocking plans.

I agree with eco about the water change stuff and the bacterial bloom stuff.

 

[kjwcpm]

As eco23 pointed out, you can do a fish in cycle but you have to be prepared for frequent active monitoring and lots of PWC's.

But since your fish are also not really suited for the tank you have, I'd seriously consider giving yourself a fresh start. Either return the fish to the store, or use resources like Freecycle and LFS websites to find good homes for your remaining fish.

This is what I ended up doing, and I'm really glad I did! I've been able to go to doing a fishless cycle. Less stressful on the fish and myself alike. Once the tank cycles, you can check with folks here for ideas on how best to stock your 10g tank.

 

[AllieKeneston]

What are you adding to the water going into the tank? I couldn't tell from you post if you are adding water conditioner or bio supplement. I hope you are adding water conditioner.

i'm adding water conditioner. at first i added a little bit of bacteria supplement.

 

[AllieKeneston]

As eco23 pointed out, you can do a fish in cycle but you have to be prepared for frequent active monitoring and lots of PWC's.

But since your fish are also not really suited for the tank you have, I'd seriously consider giving yourself a fresh start. Either return the fish to the store, or use resources like Freecycle and LFS websites to find good homes for your remaining fish.

This is what I ended up doing, and I'm really glad I did! I've been able to go to doing a fishless cycle. Less stressful on the fish and myself alike. Once the tank cycles, you can check with folks here for ideas on how best to stock your 10g tank.

The goldfish actually seems fine. I've been doing a 50% pwc daily. The tank's actually gotten a lot clearer.. no more cloudiness. does that mean i'm doing the right things?

 

[AllieKeneston]

yes, i washed the gravel.. and i wish i did the fishless cycle. lol

 

[StuG]

yes, i washed the gravel.. and i wish i did the fishless cycle. lol

I was in the exact same position as you with my first tank Allie. (a 10g just like yours).
Luckily for both you and me, however, we found this site. Just listen and heed the advice you are given on here and you'll be fine.
Get that test kit. Try to find a nice new (bigger) house for that goldfish, and keep doing PWC as needed.
Most problems can be alleviated with nice, clean, water.
Also, as others have mentioned, buying a bottle of Prime is a cheap and effective way to help yourself out.