Ahhh Please Help

[hendrixpujols11]

I have a ten gallon tank that I set up 3 or 4 days ago. The water level kept on dropping, maybe b/c of tests or w/e. So, just now I filled my old 3.5 gallon tank with water. I used more than enough conditioner, and heated it to the right temp. After it, I looked up and one of my harlequin rasboras was dead, floating on the surface!!!!!! I'm afraid it was shock. What could it be? My parameters are high-ish b/c its cycling. The ammonia is at about 8.0 and everything else is 0. pH is 7.6. Please help, i don't want any more deaths!!

[hendrixpujols11]

or maybe pH difference??

[jm1212]

you should do a 50% water change. your ammoina is very high, and you need to get it down. your fish died from ammoina poisoning/burn. tomorrow you should do another 50% water ahcnge, and then another on Saturday. keep doing 50% water changes until your ammonia gets down to 0.25

do you have a thermometer? you can use that to get the water temperature correct right out of the tap, and the n you add it to the tank after you add the conditioner.

you need to do a 50% water change if you ammoina and/or nitrite are over 0.5.

after your tank is cycled, you need to do 25% water changes onve a week

[hendrixpujols11]

but I did not do a wate change. I just added water. Also, so while its cycling you should do constant water changes??

[Mgamer20o0]

keep doing water changes as long as there is ammonia or nitrites or high nitrates. with ammonia that high i would do a 75% water change and check again. keep doing as many water changes until its zero.

here is the post on cycling just in case you havent seen it.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598

[hendrixpujols11]

where do the fish go when i change the water?

[Mgamer20o0]

they stay in the tank. unless your doing 100% water change you can put them in a bucket for short term. stop reading and go water change.

[jm1212]

you dont need to take the fish out of the tank.

do you have a gravel vaccum? you can use it to go through the gravel and suck up and fish poop and change part of the water at the same time. you NEED to change part of the water especially during cycling, not just adding to what has evaporated.

[hendrixpujols11]

no gravel vac, going now to water change.

[hendrixpujols11]

no gravel vac, going now to water change.

[hendrixpujols11]

how do you introduce the water gradually?

[Mgamer20o0]

how do you introduce the water gradually?

are you talking about new fish in the tank?

you use the bag or a bucket and slowly switch the water out. start by adding some of your tank want and keep doing it. you will have to take some of the water out and then add more.

[hendrixpujols11]

no, i mean a water change from the sink, im diong it from a funnel now, cuz im rly scared of shocking them.

[Mgamer20o0]

fresh water is going to be good for them. when i do water changes i just put the hose in my tank and fill it up. i add prime for the whole tank.

[icecubez189]

go out and get a gravel vac. it is simply not enough to take water out and replace it. gravel vaccing helps remove fish poop and other organic waste, which if decomposes become toxic ammonia. im guessing you didn't cycle your tank either.

if you do the bucket technique (gravel vac water into bucket. then have another bucket on hand already filled with treated water to refill aquarium with) just guesstimate the water temperature in your aquarium and temperature of the water coming out of your faucet. to do this, you'll obviously need a thermometer for your tank. or fill the bucket with water and leave for a couple of hours so it reaches room temperature. then treat with water conditioner and add to your tank.

[hendrixpujols11]

as said before, the tank is cycling now. I purposely got hardy fish so the tank could cycle. My water feels too cool but the thermometer says 82 which would be slightly too warm. Could it be off?

[Mgamer20o0]

anything is possible. i always have a couple of them.