I agree about the soap, also try to purchase test kits, because like that you can go by something other than a LFS person telling you a vague answer like "your water is fine"
why r my fish dying like hell?
- Thread starter somethingisfish
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really? the guy i bought my tank from had even told me, that because the tank hasn't been inhabitated for a couple of months, that by using biodegradable soap it'll help clear up the white residue from that was previously there. Anyways, thanx for the advice and i appreciate it.
All soap = Fish Deathtrap
Ammonia/Nitrites = Fish Deathtrap
Jar = Fish Deathtrap
What do you mean, "food plants"? White clouds don't eat plants, or else they couldn't be kept in planted tanks. They eat insects, small invertebrates, etc., but can last 2 weeks without food. Basically, the white clouds were just starving in the jar. At least they have a large tank now.
Most likely you're LFS (local fish store) isn't that good, seeing their reccomendations. Angels get very large, and the maximum is 1 in a tank less than 40g. You're fish are probably dieing from the parametres (nitrite, nitrate, ammonia), and getting their gills and organs tortured by the little bacteria.
Please return the angels, refund or not. They will get too big for you're tank, and overstock it. Please do NOT get any more fish until you're tank is cycled (NOT with fish).
AKA, Scrub you're tnak with salt and vineger, take back the angels, get a test kit, move the fish to a new tank until the 36 is cycled, and PLEASE get a new pet store. "Assorted Tropical fish" is just stupid. They, in all likeliness, have no clue what they are talking about, and are just making you're situation worse. Good luck
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--DP
Ammonia/Nitrites = Fish Deathtrap
Jar = Fish Deathtrap
What do you mean, "food plants"? White clouds don't eat plants, or else they couldn't be kept in planted tanks. They eat insects, small invertebrates, etc., but can last 2 weeks without food. Basically, the white clouds were just starving in the jar. At least they have a large tank now.
Most likely you're LFS (local fish store) isn't that good, seeing their reccomendations. Angels get very large, and the maximum is 1 in a tank less than 40g. You're fish are probably dieing from the parametres (nitrite, nitrate, ammonia), and getting their gills and organs tortured by the little bacteria.
Please return the angels, refund or not. They will get too big for you're tank, and overstock it. Please do NOT get any more fish until you're tank is cycled (NOT with fish).
AKA, Scrub you're tnak with salt and vineger, take back the angels, get a test kit, move the fish to a new tank until the 36 is cycled, and PLEASE get a new pet store. "Assorted Tropical fish" is just stupid. They, in all likeliness, have no clue what they are talking about, and are just making you're situation worse. Good luck
.--DP
I'd highly suggest reading up on cycling. There are various methods you can approach in cycling and I think you'll find if you had came here first, you would have been advised against doing a fishy cycle. But since you're into it now, the best thing you can do is test your water often and change your water as often as it takes to get your ammonia and nitrites down. Invest in a good liquid test kit.
You mentioned pH a few times. This isn't a swimming pool or a hot tub. PH is the least of your concerns at this point. You'll find that many species are highly adaptable to a wide range of pH levels as long as it remains stable. What you should be the most concerned about as previously mentioned is your ammonia and nitrites and they can kill fish even at low levels.
The reason why your water tested fine at the store was because your cycle had yet to start in your tank. There was nothing to read. I think you'll find if you test now, you'll get some high ammonia and nitrite readings. It can take a number of weeks for a tank to be fully cycled not a few days. Your tank is fully cycled when you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and a small nitrate reading.
Oh and there are some species of fish that are deemed hardy. Mollies and angels aren't included in that category and it's generally thought mollies do better in brackish water long term. Your angels will also get too big for your tank.
And skip the soap next time.
You mentioned pH a few times. This isn't a swimming pool or a hot tub. PH is the least of your concerns at this point. You'll find that many species are highly adaptable to a wide range of pH levels as long as it remains stable. What you should be the most concerned about as previously mentioned is your ammonia and nitrites and they can kill fish even at low levels.
The reason why your water tested fine at the store was because your cycle had yet to start in your tank. There was nothing to read. I think you'll find if you test now, you'll get some high ammonia and nitrite readings. It can take a number of weeks for a tank to be fully cycled not a few days. Your tank is fully cycled when you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and a small nitrate reading.
Oh and there are some species of fish that are deemed hardy. Mollies and angels aren't included in that category and it's generally thought mollies do better in brackish water long term. Your angels will also get too big for your tank.
And skip the soap next time.
The white residue was most likely just hard water stains which could have been removed with regular old household vinegar (which btw would have been safer). On a tank that has been fully set-up don't use any kind of cleaning products...an (unused) toothbrush or algae scrubber will remove most things on the glass / decorations. Gravel vac all the substrate at least once per week, and the only chemical you should ever put in your water is a water conditioner like Prime to remove chlorine/chloramines.
um dwarf puffer, jus to let you know, i actually did talk to the fish store guys and they said that about 20 fish would be enough for a 36 gallon tank. and plus my angelfish are really small just like the rest of my other fish, becasue they r freashwater and i dont even have 20 fish in the tank. oh and pleaz learn to read before saying about the jar becasue i have mentioned that i moved them into a tank. n i saw them eating and nipping at the plants when they were in the jar, and i guess a good job at the project coz my fish survived, unlike so many other poeple. also my plants did grow.
I agree - it is possible that soap residue and/or normal cycling w/o sufficiently frequent water changes are behind your fish deaths. If you have any fish left, get an API master test kit and do frequent testing & water changes until all you see is nitrate (NO3).
Reading is very helpful in this hobby. Read, read, read, act, repeat.
In the OP's defense, there is a persistent idea that one can take a bunch of Elodea densa (Anacharis) and a guppy and pretty well seal them in a small tank w/ plenty of indirect sunlight and keep it going for quite a while. I think the Science project was probably related to this idea, it just got derailed a bit.
My youngest daughter tried this on advice from a zoo employee... it worked for about 9 months in a 2L soda bottle. One big E. densa stalk and a small fan-tailed guppy sealed in there except for a ~1/2 flake per week feeding of the fish. All was well for 9 months. Then one day she came home to find a dead guppy and a brown stalk. When these things crash, they crash hard & fast.
Reading is very helpful in this hobby. Read, read, read, act, repeat.
In the OP's defense, there is a persistent idea that one can take a bunch of Elodea densa (Anacharis) and a guppy and pretty well seal them in a small tank w/ plenty of indirect sunlight and keep it going for quite a while. I think the Science project was probably related to this idea, it just got derailed a bit.
My youngest daughter tried this on advice from a zoo employee... it worked for about 9 months in a 2L soda bottle. One big E. densa stalk and a small fan-tailed guppy sealed in there except for a ~1/2 flake per week feeding of the fish. All was well for 9 months. Then one day she came home to find a dead guppy and a brown stalk. When these things crash, they crash hard & fast.
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