2 fish have died in 4 days do I change the water & if so how?

Question

I was given an aquarium a few weeks ago and in the past 4 days I have lost an angel and a butterfly fish, there were no signs of disease on either and both seemed active and were feeding previously. There is a slight greasy film on the surface of the water so I am wondering whether it might be a good idea to change the water. it is filtered and is at 25degrees, how do I go about changing it? do I need to just change it a half at a time? shall I take the fish out first and if I do how do I get the fresh water up to temp before I put them back in? the heater takes bloody ages to get it up to 25.
Help!!! I haven't had much dealings with fishies!!

Answer 1

Your tank is new, it is cycling. "New tank syndrome" isn't mysterious at all, it is just another term for the nitrogen cycle. Basically, fish poop, the fish poop turns into ammonia (toxic to fish), then the ammonia turns into nitrites (also toxic to fish), and finally the nitrites turn into nitrates (not toxic to fish as long as it is kept at low levels). A new tank fully stocked with fish will have a high ammonia level, therefore your fish will be poisoned. You should always stock a new tank very lightly with hardy fish, or else try "fishless cycling" (look it up on google for more info). Angels and butterfly fish are both quite sensitive and therefore not good choices for new tanks. The size of your tank (which you did not mention) will also determine what kinds of fish you can keep. 50% water changes once a week are always a good idea, freshwater fish love fresh water. Use a gravel vacuum to suck out the water and the debris from the gravel. Do not remove the fish (it is stressful)--just be careful to avoid them with the gravel vac. Good luck--do some research, keep up with maintenence and water changes and I'm sure you will have a healthy tank in no time!

Answer 2

If you are worried about the oily film on the top of the tank water, there is a simple way to get rid of it. Take some clean paper towels, lightly lay them on the surface of the tank water for just a second and then lift them off as soon as they begin to get damp, before they sink under the water. Do this a few times with new paper towels and it should lift most of the greasy film from the water (whatever it is).

As for cleaning the water, do 20-25% water changes each week or so by using a siphon hose or tube to suck up the fish poop and excess food from the bottom or gravel along with the water. This dirty water is great for watering your plants with, by the way. It's the best natural fertilizer you can get! Then just add fresh, clean, conditioned water at as close to the same temp. as the current tank water as you can get it (Just mix in a little hot water or stick some of the conditioned water into the microwave). This will do the least possible amount of stress to the fish and their environment as possible.

You may be experiencing "New Tank Syndrome" if the tank is not cycled. Or there may have been something in the tank that left the greasy residue on the top of the water that was toxic to the fish. It is hard to tell. I have added a link below that tells about the nitrogen cycle in new aquariums.

Answer 3

The film may be something that was in the tank before you made it back into an aquarium. A healthy tank requires organisms that can only survive in water that is free of chlorine and has "nutrients" to feed on, e.g. fish manure. To de-chlorinate your water you could get a chemical tablet dechlorinator at you per store, but usually, the chlorine will dissipate through evaporation after 48 hrs or so.If your filter is working properly (check it for debris in the filter) you should not have to change your water. Only add water as needed. Don't change the water unless you are able to determine that the film is from something foreign. It would only put your remaining fish under more stress. More than likely, your fish died from natural causes. Being introduced to a new environment is very stress full. It is also possible that the fish were not healthy when you bought them. You should also be sure that your fish are compatible. Being in a tank where someone is always chasing or being chased (an Angels are notorious chasers) cold be the problem. When choosing your tankmates, ask your fish store helper to choose fish that will get along. I am also wondering about the temperature in your tank. It should be at least 78-80 degrees F.

Answer 4

I think the film comes from over-feeding the fish. So, you might want to slow down on that. Just once or twice a day and only as much as will be consumed in about two minutes.

You can purchase a vacuum for your tank that will siphon out the water and clean the gravel at the same time. Very easy to do. And inexpensive. A 50% water change would be fine. You don't have to remove the fish to clean or change the water. You could let the water sit for a bit before adding it to the tank to get it to room temperature.

Answer 5

May be you have a virus in the tank or the bottom sand and grit . Sounds like you may need to sterilise all your equipment
Your best bet is to go to the local specialist and ask for advice on which products to use and also how to deal with the fish whilst you clean out and sterilise the tank
Unfortunately death of fish can be an issue with this type of aquarium , even with filters and heaters
Try and ensure you source any future fish from a reputable dealer
Good luck

Answer 6

Wow. Weather you have a filter or not, you still need to change the water regularly. Just because you have a filter doesn't mean the poop vanishes, it is trapped and still polluting the water. Get a gravel siphon to vacuum the gravel, vacuum every 2 weeks and make sure you only remove about 25% of the water as you vacuum. Good luck!

Nosoop4u

Answer 7

cut down feeding fish to 2 small pinches a day for water change take out a quarter of water replace with new should be done once a month

Answer 8

No, not really. Almost every first fish batch placed in the tank die due to a mysterious problem called "new tank syndrome". As for changing your water, you should try to change it about every two weeks. Just siphon about 1/4 of the water out, replace it with "cured" water (that's been sitting to evaporate the chlorine), and add necessary salt.

Please, make sure that the first fish in your tank are relatively cheap. Save the pretty, expensive fish for later.

Answer 9

Change about 25% percent of the water at a time, so they dont go from dirty & warm straight to clean & cold

Answer 10

I think anyway for changing the water is ok. But i'd like to suggest you take the water from rivers(make sue the rivers have living fishes as well), not from tape. Just an instinct from my past experiences.