Cloudy water after fish died.

Ok I got the test kit (same exact one you recommended). Also all the fish are still alive and well. I followed the instructions carefully but its possible there is something I did wrong there always is when I do something for the first time. Here are the results:
Nitrite-1.0
Nitrate-between 0 and 5.0 I'm guessing around 3.0
ph-7.6 or just barely below
ammonia-4.0
I'm guessing the only really bad thing is the ammonia levels. What is high and what do I do about it?
 
ammonia and nitrites should be zero...water changes are needed.
 
Ammonia and Nitrite are both toxic to fish. Nitrate is not as bad, and is usually removed from the tank with regular water changes. If you have ANY reading at all of Ammonia or Nitrites, you need to do water changes to keep those at ZERO. This is very important. Even if you have to do more than one water change in the same day, and even if you have to do more than 50% water change. Clean, fresh water is the best thing for your fish.
 
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. This will probably be my last in this thread since my tank is fine now. I got the hydro sponge and gave it a day and it did nothing so I decided to change the water completely. I know you guys told me not to, but I think the fish are much better off. I made sure the PH never changed by more than .2 and I have a digital thermometer so I could get the temp exactly the same in the 6.6 gallon. I did some tests right when I filled the 20 gallon back up with fresh water and there was .5 ppm of ammonia which I'm guessing I can't do much about. Thanks to the hydro sponge it is slowly going down to 0 though. I read the instruction book for the test kit so I could better understand the test results and everything else seems fine. Thanks for recommending the hydro sponge it didn't clear my tank in an hour but it does help in other ways.
 
if you have ammonia, keep doing water changes until it's gone. . .
 
Lamilia said:
I was really attached to that black mollie I was determined to keep it alive. My brother was like 5 seconds away from flushing it
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Tell your brother that flushing is a TERRIBLE way to kill a fish! They die slowly and suffocate in filth. Please never, ever flush a fish that is still alive. Ever!:)
 
wataugachicken said:
if you have ammonia, keep doing water changes until it's gone. . .
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It's in the water supply. No amount of water changes will help. The filter is taking care of it though.

oscaremmy said:
Tell your brother that flushing is a TERRIBLE way to kill a fish! They die slowly and suffocate in filth. Please never, ever flush a fish that is still alive. Ever!:)
Click to expand...
That is why I saved him. My brother isn't going to be getting any more pets...I hope. I already have a ferret because of him. Stupid controlling girlfriend...the part that really makes me shutter is the fact that she is going to college to be a zoologist.
 
For your question about removing the shrimp exoskeleton, some people say you should keep it in there for a few days so the shrimp can regain/eat the minerals back from it. I don't think that it's the same as a dead fish though, which pollute the water more because they consist of proteins too. Correct me if I'm wrong :S
 
Hi Lamilia, is your shrimp still alive? Shrimp are more sensitive than fish to ammonia etc and are usually the first to die.

Your test kit should have an explanation of the cycling process. All tanks go through it no matter what your water reads out of the tap. First the ammonia will spike, then the nitrite and then the nitrate. This is usually a slow process. You can speed it up by adding live plants (lots) and some filter media (bit of sponge etc...) from a filter that's been running on an established tank. You need to test the water alot at first because the ammonia and nitrite will kill your fish. At the beginning don't add any fish and feed very little - like a pinch every other day. The fish will be fine but the idea is to keep the waste down (fish poop out what they eat = ammonia = dead fish).

Do you have a vaccum for when you change out water? I'm just mentioning it because I didn't know how to do a water change until I researched it - we're not born knowing this stuff. It is really important though so you should read up on how to do a proper water change. You need to be vaccuming your gravel and not changing your filter material - it's holding the beneficial bacteria which is getting rid of the ammonia and nitrite. Prime water conditioner costs more but you use less and it detoxifies ammonia. It's especially good for you to use that now. I think it also works on nitrites because the instructions with it say to use a double dose if you're having a problem with nitrite.

We've all been where you're at now. Most of us got through it by doing lots of reading and water tests and water changes. We love this hobby that's why we joined this site. Stick with it and you'll get to the point where your fish aren't a pain but a joy. Good luck and keep asking questions.
 
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