pixiejanet Posted June 7, 2006 Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 Carryl you may have read this already but thought it pertinant to post here for all other beginners so they don`t make the same mistake!!! I got into tropical fish by mistake. I wanted a larger tank for my two goldfish, but when it arrived it was already set up for tropical as in heater, filter co2 system and gravel, so i thought i`d give it a go(as you do!) Set it up and added plants and left it running for a couple of days. Purchased fish, put them in the tank, non of this 30 mins malarky, just in, well i didn`t know!! within three weeks i`d bought: 6 neons 6 glowlights 5 harlequins 3 glassfish 2 emperor tetras(one of each) 2 corydoras 1 chinese sucking loach(Boris) 1 siamese fighting fish(bubble) All well. Fed `em daily. Did water change fortnightly, 2 buckets out, 2 buckets in,(after 24 hours standing) cleaned filter monthly. sorted plants. All living happily together Then someone brought round an abandoned mollie, had to take him in he was going to be flicked Looked lonely, bought him two wives, happy mollies They`re a bit like puppy dogs, all playful and bouncy. One died bought another, happy mollies :lol: Then 3 penguins turned up, were going to be flushed stuck `em in, seemed happy , got territorial, sent them to the shop.( the two i managed to catch that is, other one still in! Then friend bought me mr&mrs guppy(sweet!) Mrs guppy ate mr guppys tailfin off Sadly demise came when mr guppy got stuck in back of the filter mrs guppy left to live alone as punishment sadly got fed up and departed no more guppies Went away for a couple of days, came back to no Bubble(murderer in tank!) and four dead harlequins one lonely harlequin left. All been well since. Then i was given books! Arghh! Need to resit my chemistry exam methinks!!! How have my little fishies survived? I knew about chlorine and ph, but there`s loads a stuff i should`ve done and didn`t know!!(after all, how difficult should it be?) Want to get a new fighter and pals for lonely harlequin, but what if i`ve overstocked?? what if i shock `em into getting measles by my lack of knowledge?? Wish i`d never got books :-? Glad i have. Hope it`s not too late for my inmates!! :roll: My tank is a 30x16x12 filter a fluval2( had a cheap 3 but flow too strong, put it in goldfish tank. Have bought test strips, all seems well, but according to books no-one should be alive!! Eeek!! After you all finish laughing at my stupidity, :oops: :oops: sound advice needed! PixieJanet.xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 7, 2006 Report Share Posted June 7, 2006 You posted this in the other forum (yes people, there are other forums out there ) while I was away Janet so by the time I read it you had had several replies so I didn't add my 2c worth there. You have been very lucky so far. The best you can do is to keep up the regular water changes but a bit more than a bucket each time. Change 1/3. Have you bought any test kits? Test pH, ammonia, nitrates and nitrites. This will tell you what is giong on in the tank and how far through the cycle it is. I would not add another fighter with that mix of fish. In fact, I am a fan of fighters being in species only tanks but a lot of people keep them (successfully too) in community set-ups.In fact, do not add any more fish at all. Let the tank settle. I know it's hard, but also stop taking in other people's stray fish! You don't know where they've been or what diseases they may harbour (harbour - fish joke :lol: ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 After you all finish laughing at my stupidity Not laughing, well, the way you wrote it was funny :lol: , but not at you heck, who hasn't made mistakes! I sure have made my share I managed to get a couple of books with some basic stuff in them, but didn't find them until after I got my first tank. It was the internet and HERE at this site that I'm learning the most. If I didn't have the net, and just trusted the people in the stores (not blaming them per say, sometimes some just don't have the knoweldge either!), I'd be lost and would no doubt have given up on the hobby long ago. Glad that things are looking up for you and people here will help you, that I know for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southerrrngirrl Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 Haha sounds like my experience, but with a larger tank! When I first got my AR380 we had 8 neons, 8 silvertips and a rainbow shark. I've had gouramis, platys, swordtails over the last few.. none of which survived. So I can't laugh at your stupidity.. because its my stupidity too! Best thing I did was get a test kit, it tests for pH, high pH, Nitrates, Nitrites, and ammonia. I also got the gh & kh kit too and only just figured out how to use it last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 i wouldnt call it stupidity, i call it being let down. when i started the people i got sold fish to (and the tank the same day) didnt bother to inform me about cycling. this is one of THE most crucial parts to maintaining a healthy tank over a long period of time and people who are supposed to be pros (after all they own the business right? who owns a business without knowing anything about it) just dont mention it. why? because they want to sell those fish NOW thankfully there are staff out there that will refuse to sell you fish if you purchase a tank the same day with the intention of putting fish in there. most of the time this pee's the customers off because they dont understand or dont care but at least its giving those fish a better chance at being happy and healthy. sometimes if the customer asks enough questions about why they cant have those fish now they realise and are thankful for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixiejanet Posted June 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 Got test strips, have been lucky, all`s well. Leaving it alone `til i can get bossy penguin out, he`s just too darn quick for me. Found out my loach is going to get very bossy too, got to find a way of removing him too! may get the man from the shop to help me there i think. Need a new home for the mollies so may have to invest in another tank! i need a bigger house!! wonder what`ll happen next on planet janet :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted June 8, 2006 Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 are ya using two nets to try get them out? sometimes they can be right pains in the A$$'s to get out, i had to use four nets (my little sister holding two) to try and get my khulis out :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixiejanet Posted June 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2006 No sharn, never thought of that(doh!) I worry i may stress my other fishies when chasing the beast round the tank!! will have a go. Best make sure my cat is out or she maybe thinking `lunch` teehee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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