Sounds like those fish are lucky you're there to look out for them. You came to the right place for advice.
Welcome to AC.
Welcome to AC.
55gal stocked tank and i know nothing about fish
- Thread starter bluemeate
- Start date
sorry if this is a bit mean, but i think your a bit hard headed yourself
do you not know what euthanize means?
your fish are kinda suffering...
you could take the fish back yourself, you dont have to wait around for your roomies to do it
do it yourself
i understand you dont know much about it, but thats not an excuse for laziness....
we got a testing kit and the parameters are
ammonia levels : 0ppm
nitrate level: 0ppm
nitrites: no test for it?
ph: 7.3-7.6
kit is API aquarium pharmicuticals(sp?)
so my cousin went out and took some of the water to a different fish shop and they said it was fine, he said the reason the sterling is dying (the fish shop guy said he might make it) was becuase when we added the fish, we also added the water they came in.
I dont know why (probably just to make a sale) but the guy said it would be okay to add more fish and my cousin went and bought another one... "so what kind of fish did you add?" "i dunno" /facepalm
from what ive read, we should be expecting an ammonia spike soon... if this is the case can someone give me advice on how to prepare for this?
I take it you guys will advice me to take back some of this fish, but these actually arent my fish so if you could prepare me a SIMPLE explanation on what the repercussions will be if we dont?
fyi i woke up at 9am and within half an hour i was out the door on the way to school and just got back 15 min ago... its 8:45, not to be a jerk to all the fish out there, but i put my education, personal needs, etc before these fish
ammonia levels : 0ppm
nitrate level: 0ppm
nitrites: no test for it?
ph: 7.3-7.6
kit is API aquarium pharmicuticals(sp?)
so my cousin went out and took some of the water to a different fish shop and they said it was fine, he said the reason the sterling is dying (the fish shop guy said he might make it) was becuase when we added the fish, we also added the water they came in.
I dont know why (probably just to make a sale) but the guy said it would be okay to add more fish and my cousin went and bought another one... "so what kind of fish did you add?" "i dunno" /facepalm
from what ive read, we should be expecting an ammonia spike soon... if this is the case can someone give me advice on how to prepare for this?
I take it you guys will advice me to take back some of this fish, but these actually arent my fish so if you could prepare me a SIMPLE explanation on what the repercussions will be if we dont?
ummm receipts and what not?
fyi i woke up at 9am and within half an hour i was out the door on the way to school and just got back 15 min ago... its 8:45, not to be a jerk to all the fish out there, but i put my education, personal needs, etc before these fish
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Kay heres the deal. "That Guy" at the fish store who talked to your cousin, was full of it.
The sterling is not dieing because you added the water it came with, it is dieing because it is in the WRONG conditions.
I am being very seriously honest when I say, you NEED to do what these people are telling you. Either euthanize the fish, or take it back to the store. No, you dont need a receipt, all you need to do is explain how one of their employees sold your cousin a fish at the same time as other fish, that CLEARLY cannot coexist in the same water conditions, and that you demand a full refund.
I understand that you have school and work and such, but the thing that people dont realize is that taking care of fish properly is just as hard and time consuming as taking care of a puppy or a kitten. If you cant make the time to do it right, DONT do it.
You need to explain to your cousin that even if most of the fish LOOK fine, it doesnt mean that they ARE fine. We humans are capable of breathing smoke and smog, even capable of doing so for long periods of time, but in the end, it is very very bad for us to do so. Its the same for fish, they can function in ammonia/nitrite/nitrate laden water, but it is not good for them, and given their size, it will kill them fast.
I dont mean to come down so harshly, I am a student too, I know how it is, but you came to us for help, and we are telling you that you need to take action now, please trust us.
If you really dont have the time, and you really cant get your cousin to stop buying fish, then you need to get rid of the tank (find a good home for the fish!) and try again when you can devote the time and energy to it.
Good luck. If you can do it, its really rewarding!!
The sterling is not dieing because you added the water it came with, it is dieing because it is in the WRONG conditions.
I am being very seriously honest when I say, you NEED to do what these people are telling you. Either euthanize the fish, or take it back to the store. No, you dont need a receipt, all you need to do is explain how one of their employees sold your cousin a fish at the same time as other fish, that CLEARLY cannot coexist in the same water conditions, and that you demand a full refund.
I understand that you have school and work and such, but the thing that people dont realize is that taking care of fish properly is just as hard and time consuming as taking care of a puppy or a kitten. If you cant make the time to do it right, DONT do it.
You need to explain to your cousin that even if most of the fish LOOK fine, it doesnt mean that they ARE fine. We humans are capable of breathing smoke and smog, even capable of doing so for long periods of time, but in the end, it is very very bad for us to do so. Its the same for fish, they can function in ammonia/nitrite/nitrate laden water, but it is not good for them, and given their size, it will kill them fast.
I dont mean to come down so harshly, I am a student too, I know how it is, but you came to us for help, and we are telling you that you need to take action now, please trust us.
If you really dont have the time, and you really cant get your cousin to stop buying fish, then you need to get rid of the tank (find a good home for the fish!) and try again when you can devote the time and energy to it.
Good luck. If you can do it, its really rewarding!!
once again, i cant give away something that isnt mine. just advice me on what i can do to help thier situation, and since you guys obviously care much more for these fish than i do, then you need to give me some simple easy explanations for my cousin on what he needs to do and why becuase in the end, they are his fish and his tank, not mine. sorry for being blunt but thats the truth.
also aside from this discussion on fish ethics, can someone tell me if i should be expecting an ammonia spike soon? when it will come? how will i know if its coming? what to do?
also aside from this discussion on fish ethics, can someone tell me if i should be expecting an ammonia spike soon? when it will come? how will i know if its coming? what to do?
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Don't worry blue, most of the cats here on AC are really great guys and gals, they are just passionate about fish and sometimes don't realize how some of their comments come across.
As to your fish, to put it bluntly, heres what will happen: they will die. Now, it may not happen today, tomorrow, or even next month, but if(like any other living organism) they are kept in conditions unsuitable to their needs(like a cold water fish in warm water) they will eventually succumb to an ugly death. For instance, many cold water fish cannot get enough oxygen in warm water. This means that they basically suffocate. That sure doesn't sound fun to me.
Basically, here's what I recommend you do with the tank:
get your room mates together and have a discussion about who will care for the fish and how to properly care FOR the fish you have. If this means taking some of them back, so be it.
Agree to hold off on purchasing new fish for, say, a month.
If your room mates want to continue buying new fish/doing as they please, you will have to make the tough call of either finding new room mates, taking all the fish back anyway(or selling to another store), or just letting it go. No matter your personal opinions on how fish should be treated, there are no laws that I am aware prohibiting the killing(no matter how inhumane) of fish....
As to your fish, to put it bluntly, heres what will happen: they will die. Now, it may not happen today, tomorrow, or even next month, but if(like any other living organism) they are kept in conditions unsuitable to their needs(like a cold water fish in warm water) they will eventually succumb to an ugly death. For instance, many cold water fish cannot get enough oxygen in warm water. This means that they basically suffocate. That sure doesn't sound fun to me.
Basically, here's what I recommend you do with the tank:
get your room mates together and have a discussion about who will care for the fish and how to properly care FOR the fish you have. If this means taking some of them back, so be it.
Agree to hold off on purchasing new fish for, say, a month.
If your room mates want to continue buying new fish/doing as they please, you will have to make the tough call of either finding new room mates, taking all the fish back anyway(or selling to another store), or just letting it go. No matter your personal opinions on how fish should be treated, there are no laws that I am aware prohibiting the killing(no matter how inhumane) of fish....
can anyone tell me whats the deal with the water parameters though, according to what ive read the tank is fine... for now... is there anything else i may not be testing for? im in northern california so the water is pretty soft, also is there a way to find out if there is enough oxygen?
can anyone get me a link to a website/guide of some sorts where I can attempt to ID the fish?
can anyone get me a link to a website/guide of some sorts where I can attempt to ID the fish?
Just keep an eye on them and when they kick the bucket scoop them out.
Fish die, its part of the hobby like it or not. Thats what fuels it in fact. The fish suffering sucks but dont have a heart attack over them.
But when they die, listen to what others have said and dont get discouraged. It's a quite easy and rewarding hobby to get into.
Good Luck Again!
Fish die, its part of the hobby like it or not. Thats what fuels it in fact. The fish suffering sucks but dont have a heart attack over them.
But when they die, listen to what others have said and dont get discouraged. It's a quite easy and rewarding hobby to get into.
Good Luck Again!
I am in no way an expert, but from my research this is what I have:
Water parameters are mainly about pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. There are others, but usually you can get away with worrying about the main 4 for now.
What you need is some form of liquid parameter test kit, API is usually considered the best, and they make a nice master kit for somewhere between 30 and 40 bucks. Bit pricey, but your fish will thank you (well they wont but they would if they could).
What you want to test for is your Ammonia levels, NitrIte levels and NitrAte levels (and pH).
The liquid test kit should have tests for all of those and some other things you dont need to worry about at this instant.
follow the directions for each test exactly, helps to triple read each step before you do it. I like to do a second test for each just to be sure of the readings.
Basically what you are looking for in a stable tank are:
0 Ammonia
0 NitrIte
low NitrAte
Why this is important is this:
All dead matter in the tank decays. As it decays it produces ammonia. This includes uneaten fish food, fish poo, fish pee, dead leaves, dead fish, your eyelash, anything. Ammonia will burn the fish's gills and cause severe damage to your fish, depending on ammonia levels if can be a mild irritant or fatal, however even mild damage can be permanent, so for the sake of the fish it is important to keep levels as low as possible, preferably zero. There is a bacteria that eats ammonia and produces NitrIte. NitrIte is also harmful to fish as it inhibits the ability to uptake oxygen into the fish's bloodstream. Obviously not good for the fish. So also keep levels as low as possible. Finally there is a second bacteria that will eat the NitrIte and form NitrAte. NitrAte is the least damaging to the fish and can be allowed to reach higher concentrations. The catch is that it takes awhile for all this bacteria to form in sufficient quantity to keep the ammonia and NitrIte at zero. The time from when you put the fish in, until the bacteria is sufficient is called the cycle. The key to this is to do frequent water changes until the tank is cycled and you dont see large ammonia or nitrite spikes. nitrate can accumulate a lot more until a water change is needed.
The more fish you have, the more ammonia you have, and the more you need to do water changes.
There is some debate as to how important pH really is, but usually between 7-8 is optimal for most fish.
Beyond that temperature is probably the next most important, and that depends on the fish you have in the tank. Like you have discovered, cold water fish dont like warm water...
Water parameters are mainly about pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. There are others, but usually you can get away with worrying about the main 4 for now.
What you need is some form of liquid parameter test kit, API is usually considered the best, and they make a nice master kit for somewhere between 30 and 40 bucks. Bit pricey, but your fish will thank you (well they wont but they would if they could).
What you want to test for is your Ammonia levels, NitrIte levels and NitrAte levels (and pH).
The liquid test kit should have tests for all of those and some other things you dont need to worry about at this instant.
follow the directions for each test exactly, helps to triple read each step before you do it. I like to do a second test for each just to be sure of the readings.
Basically what you are looking for in a stable tank are:
0 Ammonia
0 NitrIte
low NitrAte
Why this is important is this:
All dead matter in the tank decays. As it decays it produces ammonia. This includes uneaten fish food, fish poo, fish pee, dead leaves, dead fish, your eyelash, anything. Ammonia will burn the fish's gills and cause severe damage to your fish, depending on ammonia levels if can be a mild irritant or fatal, however even mild damage can be permanent, so for the sake of the fish it is important to keep levels as low as possible, preferably zero. There is a bacteria that eats ammonia and produces NitrIte. NitrIte is also harmful to fish as it inhibits the ability to uptake oxygen into the fish's bloodstream. Obviously not good for the fish. So also keep levels as low as possible. Finally there is a second bacteria that will eat the NitrIte and form NitrAte. NitrAte is the least damaging to the fish and can be allowed to reach higher concentrations. The catch is that it takes awhile for all this bacteria to form in sufficient quantity to keep the ammonia and NitrIte at zero. The time from when you put the fish in, until the bacteria is sufficient is called the cycle. The key to this is to do frequent water changes until the tank is cycled and you dont see large ammonia or nitrite spikes. nitrate can accumulate a lot more until a water change is needed.
The more fish you have, the more ammonia you have, and the more you need to do water changes.
There is some debate as to how important pH really is, but usually between 7-8 is optimal for most fish.
Beyond that temperature is probably the next most important, and that depends on the fish you have in the tank. Like you have discovered, cold water fish dont like warm water...
