Dying Angelfish

[xstatic]

I have a pretty new setup and i keep getting fish and they keep dying. i'm getting tired of this and i have an angelfish right now that is just sitting on its side in the bottom corner of the tank and occassionally gets up to swim around briefly before returning to the corner. i'm sure its going to dye soon, but i was hoping someone could give me some ideas to make it better. i have 3 other fish and they seem fine at the moment. thanks

[Grassguy]

Have you cycled your tank? What are your water parameters? Some fish can handle the cycling of the tank better than others, but it's not good for any of them.

What about water changes?

[xstatic]

Im not too sure what you mean about cycling the tank and the water parameters, but i have been changing 1/3 of the water every so often and using a tap water conditioner with it. the water temp. averages around 80F and i have a power filter installed. There are 3 angelfish and one other that I forget the name of, but the store said it would be fine with them. Also is it normal for the other 2 angelfish to hang out together at the top of the tank right in front of the power filter constantly? LOL. Thanks

[OrionGirl]

Cycling refers to the process of providing beneficial bacterial colonies that process the wastes produced by fish.

Ammonia is the primary waste, and it is deadly to fish. There are numerous ways to prepare a tank for fish, but establishing a means of dealing with ammonia and the components it is converted into, is essential. Fish exposed to high levels of these wastes frequently die, and delicate fish, such as angels, seldom survive.

So, what is happening right now is that your fish are being exposed to high levels of toxins. These toxins impair their ability to extract oxygen from the water, make them prone to diseases, and less active. The fish that are hanging around the filter are trying to find better water--in the wild, water movement=fresh water.

You need to start doing daily water changes of at least 25% of the water. Match the new water in temp, and be sure to treat the water for chlorine/chloramines, check your water utility to see which is used in your area.

Then, if you are serious about taking up this hobby, but a good book--I really like 'The Simple Guide to Keeping Freshwater Fish' by David Burchowitz. And, get a test kit that includes tests for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH and hardness (GH and KH).

[Grassguy]

Go to the stickies on this forum to read about cycling and the nitrogen cycle. You need to test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate to determine if the tank has cycled. If you don't have the test kits, you can take a bag of your tank water the the LFS and they should test it for you. THE main tenant of aquaria is water quality

Edit: Orion girl and I responded bout the same time, listen to her she is much more helpful than me..

[xstatic]

I'm going to go to the store and get the testing kits, but they have 2 kinds. one for pH level and one for ammonia. Do I need both?

[Grassguy]

Yes, I would get both. You really should find a nitrite test too. That will be the second spike in your cycle.

[LMOUTHBASS]

are the worst fish for the uncycled tank - tey are VERY sensitive to water parameters - this is why their dying i woul expect the toehr too soon unfortunatly until the tank is established don't get any more - if you want fish while cycling try zebras their tough as nails

[PumaWard]

What size is the tank?

[xstatic]

the tank i am using right now is 5.5 gallons. i have a 10 gallon tank im going to setup and start using instead soon

[Dangerdoll]

eeek! sounds like a massive ammonia spike. A 5.5 gallon isn't near the appropriate size for 1 Angel, let alone 3 and the additional one you don't have the name for. But I understand you were following the advice of the guy at the pet store, that advice was very very wrong. Your 10 gallon won't be enough to keep these guys either, I would shoot for at least a 30 for the remaining 3. You're in a tough spot for the moment because you have the fish but don't have the resources to keep them happy...... The prospect doesn't look good. Since you are in this predicament though, what I would do is get a 30 gallon, get it started and concentrate on water changes. Hopefully, if done enough, you may be able to get these remaining fish to survive. Another option is to return the fish while picking up the 30 and your kits, and follow the cycling instructions given in the thread above.