I'm a new fish owner and need help!?

Question

My poor fish! I don't know what I'm doing. The water gets murky with in a week after cleaning. I have a filter and use distilled water... What else do I need to do? They have started to get these little white spots on them and I don't know what to do! Or what to get to prevent this?

Answer 1

Stop using distilled water, it lacks necessary minerals that the fish need. What kind of fish do you have, how many fish and what size tank are they in? The white spots sounds like ich which they could of gotten from bad water which is either caused by over crowding or over feeding. The tank probably isn't cycled either which could mean you have high ammonia, which is deadly and could be poisoning your fish.

Check this site out, it has tons of information for new fish owners. http://www.firsttankguide.net/

Answer 2

Add some tank CYCLE, a product that helps introduce more nitrifiers in your tank, it eats up the bad bacteria , helps the cloudiness and the fish not to die. Then add some ich remover, dont use distilled water, use water that has Aquasafe added or any other brand of dechlorinator. Dont overfeed, in a way be stingy with food, just give them what they can eat in like 2 minutes. Dont do too much gravel sucking, ur sucking the good bacteria out and the bad bacteria is overunning your tank. Your tank will take a long while to stabilize, im talkin weeks maybe a month if u check the water and follow these techniques. Patience and Knowledge, id suggest reading as much as u can if u want to have a healthy aquarium ecosystem.

Answer 3

First of all, stop doing 100% changes and cleaning everything out. You are killing off all your beneficial bacteria that are helping with the nitrogen cycle. Just do 25-30% changes (and stir the gravel). Clean (rinse off or change if the carbon is depleted) your filter cartridge the next day.

The murkiness (milky/cloudy) is a natural part of the nitrogen cycle and will clear up on its' own in 7-10 days as the bacteria multiply. Test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate spikes and do partial water changes (25-30%) as necessary to alleviate their toxicity.

The white spots are indeed the parasite ich and need to be dealt with right away or they will kill your fish. You don't say what kind of fish you have, goldfish or tropicals, but here is a remedy for ich that I use and it has worked every time I have had the occasion to use it.

If you have already tried medication without results, there is another way to cure ich. The other approach is to actually destroy the organism with heat, and can be combined with the salt treatment, but not with meds.

The data that was studied (including a report by the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center) suggests that most strains of Ich cannot reproduce at temperatures above 85ºF. To use this temperature treatment approach, slowly (no more than 1 or 2 degrees per hour) raise the temperature to 86ºF, while maintaining strong continuous surface agitation to oxygenate the water.

This is extremely important because water holds less O2 at higher temperatures. (This is why meds should not be used in conjunction with high temp – most Ich treatment products also reduce oxygen levels. Less available oxygen, combined with the respiration difficulties an infected fish is already faced with, could be fatal.)

The adjusted temperature should be maintained for approximately 10 days, or a minimum of 3 days after all signs of the parasite have disappeared (the life cycle of the parasite is 7 days). Do not discontinue treatment when the spots go away. This is critical, because we know that the parasites are visible only as a white spot (trophont) on the body of the host, and not during the reproductive or free-swimming stage. We also know that trophonts on the gills are impossible to see.

Holy cow, danielle, you must have a lot of time on your hands. Are you on vacation? I totally agree with your answer (it took me a while to read it) and I can't believe there are 4 know-nothings out there that gave you a thumbs-down on it.

Answer 4

I had a couple of aquariums years ago. The pet store sells a small booklet on fish diseases. You will be able to easily identify the disease. The, you buy a small bottle of medicine from the pet/ fish store and pour it in the water. You may need a better filter. How big is your tank. I used a regular in-tank charcoal and cotton airator in my ten gallon tank. In my twenty gallon tank, I used a filter that rests on the back of the tank and the airation was separate.

You can also clean the gravel. The fishes poops collect there. I believe there is a hand-pump thing with a long tube that reaches down into the gravel. It's fairly inexpensive. Use it about once a month.

I always used a piece cut from black poster board on the back of my aquarium. It was a very neat back-drop. It went well with the natural stone/ pebbles.

Answer 5

First, don't use distilled water as it contains NO minerals (a bad thing, the lack of minerals is what makes it soft...). If your tap water has levels of chlorine, chloramine etc. that CAN be neutralized by using one of the many chlorine neutralizers out there, use it, if not use something like drinking water or spring water instead. About the spots, more details! I won't be able to diagnose for you but if you have more details about what they look like there are a couple of knowledgeable people on this site that will be able to.
It might be ich though. Try calling the pet store and explaining what it looks like. if it is ich you need to start treatment immediately. The pet store will be a big help in telling you how to and what to treat it with. Good luck with your fish!

Answer 6

It sounds like you didn't cycle out your tank before putting your fish in. Lot's people don't know that you have to set your tank up and let it filter without fish a week before adding fish. Adding the fish too soon only made the nitrate/ammonia levels raise even higher which could have done 2 things to the fish: burned their scales, or stressed them out and now they've got a fungus. Sounds like Ich.
First thing i would do is go to your pet store and tell them your situation. They'll show you the chemicals you can add to try and lower the ammonia levels, and they'll tell you to do a partial water change. They'll also probably give you some Rid Ich cuz thats what it sounds like you have. You may have to just end up starting over again.

Answer 7

I would highly recommend getting a couple of beginner's books on aquarium keeping. I would recommend The Complete Idiot's Guide to Freshwater Aquariums. and The Simple Guide to Freshwater Aquariums. Those are two of the best books I've come across since starting my aquarium. I'd also recommend The Everything Tropical Fish book, though it's not as good as the other two I mentioned. They give tips on getting aquarium supplies, setting them up, details on that lovely thing called tank cycling and water chemistry, details on some fish diseases you might come in contact with, good fish for beginner's, and so on and so forth.
Even if you go with everyone's elses answers, get a beginner's book. It will save the lives of your fish, just by giving you basic information. It'll make everything easier.

Answer 8

I agree with Danielle here with why your water is murky especially after cleaning. Stop using distilled water. As mentioned it won't hold a PH suitable for your fish.

The white spots are or could be ich. Danielle seems to know the most about ich.

Answer 9

fry that fish up, keep feeding it tell it gets a little bigger and just dont clean the tank it will eat the crap growing in the tank. when it gets nice and fat...eat it, thats the best move you can make

Answer 10

First of all do not use distilled water in your fish tank and not because it doesn't contain "minerals" Distilled water is "soft" and does not hold the proper level for PH required by most fish. Spring or tap water is what you should be using.

With that said, your tank is getting murky could be from a couple of things:

All too often too many new fish owners make the same common mistakes. Did you wash your tank out properly prior to installing? Did you wash your gravel thru a strainer (and I don't mean just rinse it off)? These are the two leading cause for cloudy water.

Your tank is not cycled properly. See web page.
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/biologicalcycle/a/nitrogencycle.htm

I'd strongly recommend that you become familiar with the Nitrogen cycle, so you are aware of what will be happening in the upcoming weeks.
You should begin testing your water right away for ammonia and take appropriate steps to keep it below lethal levels. Hang in there; once you get your tank through the initial cycle the cloudy water problem will clear up
Do you or are you using a gravel siphon to clean the bottom when doing water changes? ( Did you rinse out your filter and pads prior to installing them?

If you did not rinse the gravel well enough you can do one of two things, stir up the gravel in the tank really well. This will cause all the "dirt" particles to float in your tank. Keep the filter running and do a 20% water change. As long as your water "quality" is fine, do this every other day until the water is clear. Each time, be sure to rinse your filter out as well.
Adding an air your bubble want does nothing for the fish or the water. Dissolved O2 comes from the water itself moving. Bubblers move very little water there for add very little to no Dissolved O2 to your tank.

Do your water change every other day (I know pain in the butt) but if the tank would have been cycled properly in the beginning, this would not be happening now.

Also your tank could be going thru algae blooms:

More on algae:
Algae are mostly-photosynthetic organisms that sometimes resemble plants but are not plants, having no true roots, stems or leaves. Algae grow in freshwater and saltwater. Saltwater algae are sometimes referred to as "seaweed." Like plants, algae require light and nutrients to grow. We supply plenty of both in our aquariums, with several hours of aquarium lighting a day and nutrients like nitrates and phosphates from fish waste.

Algae come in many forms. There are microscopic, one-celled algae, filamentous algae that resemble hair, algae that grow in sheets, and macroalgae that look like plants. There are even algae that live inside the outer integument ("skin") or calcium shell of some corals, anemones, and other sessile invertebrates called zooxanthellae. There are slimy-looking algae that are often not algae at all, but a colony of primitive photosynthetic organisms known as cyanobacteria. There are also very hard-to-remove little dots of green that sometimes grow on aquarium panels which also are not algae, but diatom or radiolarian colonies (microscopic, one-celled, animals with hard shells) with algae incorporated in their matrix. With all that said, let us answer some common questions right up front:

Algae growth is inevitable in an aquarium.
Algae consume nutrients in the aquarium that if allowed to accumulate, are harmful to fish. Algae can be a good thing.
The presence of green algae in an aquarium indicates a healthy environment for fish.
There is absolutely no way to completely prevent algae from growing in an aquarium, without killing the other life in the tank.
Chemicals should never be used to control the growth of true algae in an aquarium, and should only be used in rare circumstances to control cyanobacteria.
Correcting a severe algae problem requires time and patience.
Natural methods of controlling algae are the best and most effective.

Algae removal from the tank panels can be done on an as-needed basis, but no more than once a week. Removing algae involves either correcting negative water conditions to control or slow excessive algae growth, or an age-old process known as "elbow grease" (scrubbing it off!). Algae removal in an aquarium should be done only when necessary. We have seen many aquariums where daily removal of algae resulted in fish that were so stressed, most had diseases and were dying. You should never remove all of the algae from your tank. Allowing some algae to grow in the aquarium can be beneficial to the aquatic environment. When algae is removed from aquarium side panels, care should be taken to select an algae scrubber that will not hurt the finish of an aquarium. Be careful not to get gravel caught in an algae scrubbing pad where it can scratch the aquarium. Never use household cleaning pads to remove algae. They contain fungicides that kill fish.

Your first mistake is boiling the water. Boiling water consentrates the nitrates in it causing algae to grow even faster. However, I've never heard of it growing within an hour Wow!

First, test the water you are filling up your tank with. Many public water supplies (our homes) have a concentration of nitrates at around 7ppm or higher. (Bottled water is no better).

This could be the start of your problem.
Be sure your tank is not within direct or indirect lighting such as a window or in a room where the lights are on constantly. Is you tank near a heat source. Sometimes we do not take into consideration a fishtank is near a heat register which can and does add additional temperature changes to your tank.

Did you clean the filter as well? Be sure the entire filter is cleaned and free of algae.

Use a razor or scraper and gently scrape all sides of your tank. Clean your gravel and return it to the tank as well. DO NOT wash the gravel in the tank. The residues of the algae will remain.

Since you have NO FISH I am assuming, use cold water to start your tank. Algae likes heat and light. Using cold water will prohibit growth. Allow your tank to run bringing it to room temperature. Then you can plug in your heater allowing your tank to run.

If you have a stick on thermometer, get yourself a floating one. The stick on thermometers pick up ambient air temperatures from OUTSIDE the tank and can be up to 10 degrees off. DON"T trust them. Try keeping your tank at 72 for a couple of days.

You can also purchase phosphorus pads for around $2.00 at your local pet store. These can be cut to fit with your filter and remove large amounts of phosphorus. These can be reused over and over just remember to rinse them out well when you clean your tank.

Test your water. Since you have not gone thru the cycle process allow your tank to run. This should really help with the algae. If you find your water quality is all your tank isn't near a heat or light source, ok but still getting algae turn the temperature down or off and let it run. You will want to scrape the sides of the tank and do a water change no more than 20% every other day. This should only be done if the algae returns in a heavy form.

White spots or possiable ich:
Is it white spot disease or is it Ich? You need to know the difference between the two since they are treated differently.

Cryptocaryoniasis, White Spot Disease or Marine Ich is caused by an infestation of the ciliated protozoan Cryptocaryon irritans. Although Cryptocaryon becomes a parasitic organism at one stage in its life cycle like Oodinium and Brooklynella do, and it progesses less rapidly than these other ich diseases, in a closed aquarium system it can reach overwhelming and disasterous numbers just the same if it is not diagnosed and treated upon recognition.

Unlike Oodinium and Brooklynella that typically attack the gills first, which allows these ich diseases to advance into life-threatening levels quickly as they go unnoticed, Cryptocaryon usually appears at the onset as salt-sized white spots visible on the body and fins of a host fish, and when the organisms become parasitic, it is then that they move inwards to the gills. Because crypto is more easily recognized in its beginning stage, this makes it much easier to treat and cure before it gets out of control.

Aside from the appearance of the white spots, fish will scratch against objects in an attempt to dislodge the parasites, and rapid respiration develops as tomonts, mucus, and tissue debris clogs the gills. Fish become listless, refuse to eat, loss of color occurs in patches or blotches as the trophonts destroy the pigment cells, and secondary bacterial infections invade the lesions caused by the trophonts.

Although copper is very effective on Oodinium, and it works well to eliminate crypto organisms in their free-swimming tomite stage, it is not as effective on the Cryptocaryon trophonts that burrow deeply into the tissues of fish. A combination of freshwater and formalin treatments adminstered by means of dips, baths, and prolonged treatment over a period of time in a QT is recommended

Reinfection will occur no matter how effectively the fish have been treated if Cryptocaryon is not eradicated from the main aquarium, which can be accomplished by keeping the tank devoid of any fish for at least 4 weeks. For fish-only aquariums hyposalinity can be applied, and to speed up the life cycle of the organisms, elevate the tank temperature to 85 degrees for 10 days to 12 days. For treating reef tanks, FishVet No-Ich Marine, Ruby Reef Kick-Ich, and Chem-Marin Stop Parasites are Cryptocaryon specific remedies that are said to be "reef safe". Several days prior to returning fish to the main aquarium, clean all filtering equipment, change any filtering materials, and do a water change.

Remember to remove all filters media and turn off protein skimmers when treating for any types of Ich.

Although many over-the-counter remedies contain the general name Ich or Ick, carefully read the product information to be sure it is designed to specifically target and treat "Cryptocaryon"

Brooklynella hostilis - these protozoa reproduce asexually by means of simple binary fission through conjugation, which is why they are able to multiply so much more rapidly than Cryptocaryon (White Spot), and Oodinium (Velvet Ich), and why it can kill fish within a few days and even hours upon recognition

Most similar symptomatically to Oodinium, this too is a parasite that primarily attacks the gills first. At the onset fish may scrap up against objects, rapid respiration develops, and fish often gasp for air at the surface as the gills become clogged with mucus. Fish become lethargic, refuse to eat, and colors fade, but the most noticeable difference that sets Brooklynella apart from Oodinium is the heavy amount of slime that is produced. As the disease progresses a thick whitish mucus covers the body, usually starting at the head and spreading outward, skin lesions appear, and it is not uncommon for signs of secondary bacterial infections to arise.

Suggestions range from copper, malachite green and other remedies, with some recommended being used in conjunction with formaldehyde. However the general consensus is these types of medications are either largely ineffective or do not work at all, and that the best and most effective treatment for Brooklynella is formaldehyde alone. Typically a standard 37% formalin solution (shop & compare prices) is mixed with either fresh or saltwater in a separate treatment container, initially all fish are given a quick dip or a prolonged bath, followed by continued treatment and care in a QT. Of course the longer fish are exposed to the formalin treatment, the more effective it will be at eliminating this "disease". Whether to administer a dip or a bath to start with is something you will have to determine yourself, but there's a very simple way to do this.

Since these are Free swimming parasites which are in watersources, come attached to our fish etc. The only way to ensure NO ICH is to get a UV Sterilizer and addit to the tank. The UV Sterilizer kills the free swimming forms of various ich and other parasites.

Hope this helps

If the swarmers do not find a fish host, they die in about 3 days (depending on the water temperature).


Please note: your fish could be suffering stress from the lower PH levels in your tank. You do not want to change this too quickly adding more stress on your fish. You are going to have to do another water change, however only change 10-15% of your water allowing the ph to slowly raise and your fish to adjust.
Good Luck