People Arn't Reading the Stickys. "Before posting ....

[docrak]

By Menagerie

Answer these Qs to ensure we have as much information as possible about your ailing fish and its environment:

1~What type of fish is afflicted? In addition, please describe what is wrong with the fish to the beset of your ability (i.e. cotton like growth, bloated, etc.).
2~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp, pH)? Please give exact values.
3~ How large is the tank? How long has the tank been set up?
4~What type of filtration are you using? Please give the name and number (i.e. Fluval 304) and amount of gph if known.
5~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are there current sizes?
6~When is the last time you did a water change and vacuum the gravel? How often do you do this? How much water do you remove at a time?
7~How long have you had the fish? If the fish is new, how did you acclimate it/them?
8~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlorinator, new substrate, etc.?

Please do not ask ill fish Qs in this thread. Copy and paste the questions into your own thread as needed.

These are really important questions to answer in your post about sick fish. Now you may not now all the answers, but every bit of information helps. It's very difficult to help when someone just post: "My fish is dieing, Help".

Also another question you may want to add is:

A~What kind of food have you been feeding your fish, have you changed their diet recently?

 

[BrianNY]

I'm in kudo giving mood this morning, and you just got some docrak .

Unfortunately too many people truly don't understand the importance of providing info on water chemistry because of lack of experience. The sad fact is that many people don't even have all the needed test kits and expect not only an instant diagnosis, but a magic cure.

Experience is a good professor. People learn through their mistakes and those of us that have been there before just have to be patient and explain.

 

[Jchillin]

Most first time visitors to the forum may not even see or know what a "sticky" is. For that matter, they may not even know the varieties of forums this site provides.

I've seen examples of first time questions attached to existing threads and for that matter, it may not even be the correct thread at all.

Perhaps some language/instructions on the registration page could help. BTW, yours truly is guilty of all of the above charges. I my defense, I was desperate and didn't take the time to familiarize myself with the site prior to posting.