Hardy fish to start my Aquarium?

[Sheepsnana]

:facepalm:

[GrahamC]

These ones looked happy as Larry in the lfs, she did however put them in a net and walk to the other side of the store to put them in water, I thought that was a bit weird. Why not just have the bag right beside the tank :dunno:

Hmm. that's not good. She should have bagged the fish with the water they were in.

[frameaj1]

Oh no she did use the same water, but filled the bag and took it over to a sink. Then came back and scooped the fish out ..

[lmsmith]

Oh no she did use the same water, but filled the bag and took it over to a sink. Then came back and scooped the fish out ..

That could cause stress, but it shouldn't be enough to kill all of them.

How long has your tank been set up? Sorry, might have missed that in the thread.

EDIT oh, I see it's only been up and running for a week. Personally, I wouldn't be adding fish at this point. Give it a couple of weeks and test for nitrate. When nitrate shows up, it's probably ok to start SLOWLY stocking.

[frameaj1]

Thanks, I'm going to make sure it's perfect this time. Also maybe buy a whole water test kit.

[lmsmith]

Thanks, I'm going to make sure it's perfect this time. Also maybe buy a whole water test kit.

Honestly you don't use ammonia or nitrite once the tank is cycled, so I'd just worry about nitrate. Once you start seeing levels, you're probably ok to add fish. Take some water to your local petstore and they should happily test for ammonia and nitrite - if nothing shows, you're good to go - but slow!

[GrahamC]

Tanks can undergo mini cycles so I would think testing for nitrates is the least worthwhile.

If you had to choose a single test, probably nitrite is the best but it's also the one I use the least!

[calculator]

I think there all important, I use them all, although I use the nitrite the least, as I see any mini cycles as they start with an ammonia test.

[GrahamC]

That's the rationale for just buying nitrite because if there's an ammonia spike, the nitrite will also spike.

[F15hguy]

I recomend getting the lot, chances are in the future you will be setting up another tank.

also useful if you decide to add a lot of new fish at once

[calculator]

I recomend getting the lot, chances are in the future you will be setting up another tank.

also useful if you decide to add a lot of new fish at once

+1

When setting up a tank I find regular monitoring of the nitrate helps you work out the water change schedule.

[Dachende]

I followed LFS advice on my first tank , and my 5 neons died within 24 hours -

Then, I got completely different advice from the same shop the next week which resulted in my one and only Ich problem.

I thought it was odd because it was a well known and respected shop which everyone knows.

Now I just put water in a tank.

Get hold of some cycled media from a friend for the filter - or if no media available, squeeze a friends filter sponge into a fish bag with some of his water then pour into new tank.

Add water conditioner - generously.

Wait 2 days then add fish.

Haven't lost any fish since using that method except for the occasional natural death maybe once every few months.

I also know a guy who puts the hose straight into his tank, fills it, adds fish the next day. No water conditioner, no quick start, nothing. He's lost 1 fish in the last 8 months.

[lmsmith]

I followed LFS advice on my first tank , and my 5 neons died within 24 hours -

Then, I got completely different advice from the same shop the next week which resulted in my one and only Ich problem.

I thought it was odd because it was a well known and respected shop which everyone knows.

Now I just put water in a tank.

Get hold of some cycled media from a friend for the filter - or if no media available, squeeze a friends filter sponge into a fish bag with some of his water then pour into new tank.

Add water conditioner - generously.

Wait 2 days then add fish.

Haven't lost any fish since using that method except for the occasional natural death maybe once every few months.

I also know a guy who puts the hose straight into his tank, fills it, adds fish the next day. No water conditioner, no quick start, nothing. He's lost 1 fish in the last 8 months.

Mmm, I never *actually* test water either. If I'm cycling from scratch, I wait a few weeks, otherwise I do water changes, large and often (40%/day) for a couple of weeks. Never had a death from a cycling issue.

[calculator]

When I set up a tank I just grab a bit of media from another of my tanks, and then stock the tank very lightly, and do water changes everyday for the next few weeks. That has always worked for me.

[camtang]

I take water from another tank to fill, used cycled media/filter and throw in a bucket load of guppies then let nature take its course. guppies are good like that

[frameaj1]

Ok so got water tested no anmonia in it, didnt take enough for them to test nitrate but bought a test kit and will test when i get home.

[F15hguy]

I only test If i see something strange, or just to be sure during cycling.

then again, i'm dropping 50 odd fish into a 100L tank on a regular basis.

I always use TLC live bacteria just in case for large stockings and never had an ammonia spike. (Worst case was 3 weeks ago with 75 feeder fish into a 130L tank, got a nitrite reading of 0.5ppm at the worst.

[frameaj1]

Ok so Nitrite test is fine too! What else is left? Should I get them to test for Nitrate now? What else?

[F15hguy]

if ammonia = 0 and nitrite = 0 and you are getting a nitrate reading, then time to add more fish :happy1:

[frameaj1]

Cool, I'm just confused then as to why all the fish died :tears:

That was only 2 days ago, surely water can't jump in that time?

[GrahamC]

Just reading your thread again, I think the problem is your water still. Are you using tank water ie. rain water? If so, you'll need to add some minerals to it to make it suitable for the fish. In the same way marine fish keepers make up marine water starting with RO or distilled water.

[frameaj1]

Nope I used tap water I live in the outskirts of the city.

Used the water ager stuff, that kills chlorine etc.

[GrahamC]

Well, it's not clear what killed your fish then.

You're still not adding that pH down stuff are you?

Can you put some pond snails in to see if they live? Or mosquito rafts to see if they hatch?

[SamH]

It could have just been a bad batch of fish or something you put in the water (soap, hand cream, etc). I'd do a large water change (75-100%) and let that sit for a few days before trying again with some guppies.

[frameaj1]

Not using PH down anymore, will do the water change.

Do you wash your hands before putting your hands in? I'm a smoker and perhaps that could of been on my hands, I bought plants the same day I got the fish.