where have we gone wrong with our new aquarium??

Question

our girls got an aquarium for christmas, on thursday morning we filled the tank up with water (normal tap water, nothing added, like the bloke in the fish shop told us to.) then we waited all day for the water to get to the right temperature 26 degrees farenheit. we bought our fish 2 angel fishes, 3 zebra fishes, 4 guppy's and 2 plecostomus. they were fine, but then the water now looks so cloudy you can't really see the fish inside. all the fish are just gathered in a corner by the filter and not really swimming around much. when we woke up this morning (saturday) one of the angel fishes were dead, it had lasted a day and a half. where did we go wrong, is it the water, should we have added something, is everything working correctly? please help!!!

Answer 1

first of all...too many fish to put in the first time....you should start with just a few until the ecosystem gets worked out....there isn't even any algae for the pleckos to eat yet...

next - did you mean celsius? 26 F is REALLY cold - it should be 72-75 F....if you mean C, 26 is to warm...

angel fish need it a little warmer, and they need a different pH then the other fish you mentioned....

also - add some conditioners that will provide a slime coat and get rid of any impurities/chemicals that may be in the tap water.....

like someone else said....leave the tank empty (no fish) for a few days so everything has a chance to "settle"

also....when adding fish to the tank, you should put the plastic bag you bought the fish in directly in the tank....float it in the water for about 30 minutes....then cut the bag open and let them easily in.....this lets them get used to the temperature....
sounds like you may have stressed/shocked them....

hope this helps....good luck!

Answer 2

First off, if your water temperature was 26 Farenheit then your water would be frozen, since that is equal to about -5 degrees centigrade !!.
The bloke in the fish shop has ill-advised you about the water. You cannot just use tap water and not treat it with stress coat or dechlorinator etc. You can buy an "instant aquarium" sachet, which you add to the water before turning on the filters and heater. You then leave the water for at least 24 hours before adding any fish to start the cycle.
You've also added too many fish and the wrong types. Angelfish and plecs aren't hardy enough to stand a immature tank that hasn't been fully cycled. Zebra danios are a good cycling fish but don't put more than about four or five in and leave it for a good 4 weeks to cycle properly. I know the temptation is to put loads of fish in but they'll all die if you don't cycle the tank correctly.
It also depends on the size of your tank. If it's capacity is more than about 100 litres or water I would recommend you leave the tank at least a week before introducing any fish or attempting to cycle the tank, otherwise the water will be poisonous to the fish.
The plecs and angels won't last much longer I don't think, but the guppies might survive, and your zebra danios are as hard as nails, so they'll survive more or less anything. Leave the tank to cycle and put dechlorinator in the water, add some stress zyme or stresscoat to help the water stabilise and just hope it settles. Let the tank cycle for a month, check your nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and PH levels with a home test kit and if the readings rise, do a partial water change. Take out around 20% of the water and pour in tap water that has been pre-treated with dechlorinator and stresscoat and allowed to stand for at least 24 hours to get to room temperature.
If you don't do the things correctly the fish will be caused stress and will probably die or will be badly affected. It's fine to keep an aquarium but you have to look after it properly, remember, good fishkeepers take care of the water, the fish look after themselves.

Answer 3

Ohhh Maaan! This is sad. You were told wrong about this:


Then you needed to let the water heat up to between 73 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The Fish you bought are Tropical Fish, they are not cold water fish. Personally, I think you should start out with just Guppies until you get the hang of caring for tropical Fish. They are Hardy and fun to watch as well as being very colorful. Then as your Knowledge grows get other tropical fish, but NOT from the same Stupeedo.

You needed to wash (no soap) the Gravel in water to get all the silt (dust) out of it. Packaged Gravel has a certain amount of fine dust that can clog the gills of fish, this may be why the were gathered near the filter, they couldn't get enough oxygen because of the silt in the gravel.



The 2 Angel Fish are egg layers and hard to raise as is the Plecostomus, the Guppies are Live Bearers and a pretty hardy fish.

I would take these Fish out and put them in a properly prepared bowl and change the tank water and boil the Gravel, then go buy How ever may Gallons your tank is, buy that many Gallons Bottled Spring Water and fill the tank half full with the cold water, then heat the rest of the water you need to fill the tank to just about 100 degrees then put it in with your cold water, then take the temp of your tank water if it is above 83 degrees add just enough cold Spring water to bring it down to at least 75 degrees. Then put you fish into plastic Zip Lock Bag with the water (and add air) they are in, in your holding area and set the Bag in the Tank, there should be enough air to float it for about 30 minutes to bring their water up to the temp of your tank. Then release the Fish into the Tank along with the water they warmed up in. You should have better luck.

I would not listen to that person again, he obviously did not know what he was talking about.

I have done some research so you would be able to read up on each breed of fish you have and how to care for them.

If I were you, I would stick with Guppies for now, as they are easier to raise, and not as sensitive.

Good Luck the second time around.

God Bless
LMN

Answer 4

If the water is cloudy... it sounds like you did not wash the gravel before putting it in the tank.

You should also have added some neutraliser to the water to kill off the chlorine.

Your water should be between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius.

Make sure that your filter is working. The dust from the gravel should not kill the fishes and your filter might manage to pick it up. But if the gravel is very dirty... your water will be dirty for a long time... as your fishes do disturb the gravel and will keep making the water cloudy.

So what is killing your fishes is either the cold water or the chlorine in the water.

Answer 5

you should NOT have put any fish in until the water stats were right. This takes around 2 weeks. You should certainly NOt have got angel fish which grow huge and will eat the other fish. The shop who sold you these fish to put in a new tank and which sold you incompatible species should be stopped from selling fish at all. Sadly you will no doubt lose all of the fish you bought. However the fault lays squarely with you for doing zero research at all. The info is out there had you cared to look. Sadly now, living creatures are suffering and will die.
Why didn't you learn about keeping fish before you got them????

If you can, either return the fish to the shop for a refund or find someone with a mature tank who will take the fish off you and save their lives.
Then when your tank has matured, get a free water test from a reputable fish shop and take advice about which species are compatible and how many you can have in your tank. If you care to let me know where you live, I can find out some reputable shops near you.
Tropical fish are not easy pets. They need careful water changes weekly, and plenty of attention.

Answer 6

wow, you really should have done some reading before deciding to just go out and buy some fish. First of all, the chemicals in tap water need to be removed. You're not buying from a very reputable pet store if they told you not to add anything. Second of all, for the fish you bought - tropical fish - require a heater set to at least 76 degrees F. 26 is below freezing! Third, why type of filter are you using? I would duggest going out and buying a how to book on aquariums and doing some research before buying more fish. They require a lot of upkeep!

Answer 7

Are you sure about the temp? 26 degrees? That's below freezing!
Bottom line, you can't have guppies living with angel fish. Angel fish are very aggressive.
Anytime you use plain tap water, you should always add chlorine remover or something along the line of Start Right. It takes all the leads and harsh chemical out of tap water.
There is some stuff on the market called Crystal Clear and it's really inexpensive. A few drops and the tank will be clear as glass within an hour or two.
I really encourage you to research your fish and their compatibility before adding any more together. I too have taken these kids advice at the pet stores and have "numerous" horror stories to go along with their advice.
Most pet stores will test your water for pH balance and other things for free if you take them a sample.

One thing I have learned through MANY pet stores is they are just trying to sell and will tell you just about anything to get you to buy more. Always check for yourself.
P.S. Angel fish get along with very few fish. Be careful what you stick in there with them.
Feel free to e-mail me if you wish. I have numerous fish and many experiences such as yours this morning.
Sorry that happened, good luck in the future.

Answer 8

I have a 55 gallon tank and went through TONS of fish before I figured it out. I would have to say, since you are not adding chemicals, you are feeding them too much. There is one chemical ONLY that you should add. It makes the water instantly OLD. Can't remember the name but they can tell you at a pet shop. OR if you want to instead of that, you should have gold fish in there for a few days to a couple of week, depending on the size of your tank. That does the same thing. The gold fish have something in their poop and pee that is really good to get the water going. But sadly, you should get rid of them. The goldfish. They can make your tank very dirty and hard to clean. And I'm serious about the food. Just alittle a day! I put it into the cap of my food (don't touch the food with your hands and fingers, the oils in your skin is bad for them) container and that is all they get. And it's just alittle. Like for the amout you have, if I had to measure, I would say 1/4 teaspoon. You won't believe that the food can make your tank that dirty but it does. As for the angel fish, they are very delicate. Everything has to be absolutely perfect for them or they die. Temp and food and surroundings. I don't get thim anymore. They died on me too. But I have 50 other fish that are going on 2 now since I know what I'm doing. Also, do you have air bubbles going on in your tank? If not, you need them. Keep your filter and keep it clean. Let the water evaporate about 1/2 to 1 inch, depending on the tank again, and then refill with fresh water. Never put any chemicals in. Feed just alittle daily. You could get a gold fish or two and put in now to help the water, but don't keep them over 2 months or so. (and I did find a home for mine! I didn't have the heart to flush them LOL) So that is really all I do now. I quit wasting my money on the chemicals and doing everything they told me at the pet shop and have a clear lovely fish tank now. And my fish are 2 years old now. The temp should be between 68 and 74 F. To help your tank now, go every other day feeding. That food has to get out of there. I'd have to say that is why the tank is cloudy now. If it were me, I'd actually go 2 days before feeding, but people freak out telling that. They won't starve though. There is plenty in there for them for now. Give them alittle, if it is still cloudy, go another day or two. Or, you could drain the tank half way and fill again. But you really should have "old" water to do that. I hope all of this helps you. You'll really enjoy looking at your tank some day.

Answer 9

Well if the water is cloudy it means that probably your filter is not working correctly.Putting regular tap water couldn't have damaged your fish.It is surely your filter to blame because you said they are standing in a corner by the filter .Probably that is were the water is the cleanest.Try unplugging your filter and everything else.Put the fish in another aquarium.Change the water.Clean the sponges in the filter as it as well.You should do this quick because dirty water means the fish aren't breathing properly.I can't guarantee this will work but it seems the best solution for what you described.Hope it works!

Answer 10

it sounds like the filter is not working or you have a water problem, re try with distilled pure water, new filter and you need an air filtration system as well , also make sure tank is of appropriate size for amount of fish, also snails will help keep tank clean, tap water in some areas has a poor ph and or too much chlorine , and well water may contain iron deposites and minerals that can create problems as well .once all the above is addressed and fixed and you replace the fishies do not forget at least one mermaid and one siren as well ! good luck !