Is there an aquatics expert I can phone ASAP?!!

[mishfish]

Please?

My daughters poured an entire tub of food into a 34l tank yesterday, I cleaned most out but my fish all look on the brink of death

[Isitwinteryet]

Glad your tank is ok!

I've only had goldfish not tropical but it's SO bad that pets at home told you 34l would be ok for even 1 goldfish let alone 2. it's just setting owner and fish up for a horrible time!

[BettyBaggins]

Yayyy to your nitrates!

[mishfish]

Good news

Ammonia down to 1 and nitrates down to 20/40!

No more fish loss yet either 😁

[quackingduck222]

That’s great you found out before getting your fish from there.

We didn’t. 25L tank was told was perfect for 3 goldfish. Realized very very quickly it was not suitable for 2 let alone 3, so we ended up with a huge tank that they soon outgrew and are in a friends pond. Gone tropical now.

I did vow never ever to buy fish again from P@H. But surprisingly our little shrimp is still going strong from them and he’s 2.5 years now.

[mishfish]

Yes as soon as we realised the error of our ways after buying the tank from P@H we went to MA and they have been so supportive from start to finish. It’s my son’s tank and he was so upset when he found out it was unsuitable for what he originally intended but they pulled him around

[quackingduck222]

Tbh I’m not sure. I know my PH tap water is pretty neutral but after a few days in my tank it lowers so must be due to the cycle or filter maybe?

I think the test strips can be a bit iffy and tricky to read.

But if your taking it to Madienhead aquatics you are in safe hands as they are fantastic and just so knowledgeable.

[mishfish]

Quacking would it have? To be fair I’ve never read the sticks myself- also taken water to a shop! So now doubting myself if I’m reading them correctly. It’s been a week tomorrow since the incident so hoping we get out of the other side

The Beta hammock arrived today 😁

[quackingduck222]

That sounds like a good plan. It’s great that your nitrates dropped overnight.

[mishfish]

I’ve done a small change now. Will keep up the 3 small water changes a day.

[quackingduck222]

I would do another water change personally to get your ammonia down. Also your nitrate at 80PPM is quite high but if your tap water is also 80PPM there is not much you can do about that.

A cycled tank should be
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0

A few more water changes should see you back to normal again.

[mishfish]

Ammonia 3 and nitrate 40 this morning (19 hours since last water change) this is good right?!

[mishfish]

Tap water:
Amonia: 0
Gh:180
Kh: 240
Ph: 7.5/8
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 80

[mishfish]

@bunnygeek- I’ve put some to the side!

[bunnygeek]

Do test your tap water as well - let it sit out for half an hour before you test it though.

Keep doing the partial water changes, you'll get there!

[mishfish]

Test strips have arrived
GH: 180
KH: 240
PH: 8
Nitrite: 0-0.5
Nitrate: 80
Ammonia: between 3 and 6

[mishfish]

Thanks @jimbodoesthelimboinhawaii

It’s horrible and I feel terrible that my fish are in human terms in a room with oxygen that’s poisening them. I can see a red hinge on the Tetra fins so anticipating them dying soon.

Honestly so gutted about this. We’ve been so careful with this tank and I stupidly left my 2 year old alone near it to answer the bloody door!

[JimboDoesTheLimboInHawaii]

Sounds like you're doing everything right, really. Wish I had more words of wisdom for you. It's awful when pets are ill. Keep going with the water changes, and good luck!

[mishfish]

And here are my babies fish

[mishfish]

We literally only bought the tank from P@H and after a few hours on the internet reading never stepped foot in there again. We go to a Maidenhead aquatics now!

I have been doing a few small water changes a day- party due to the fact the tank is upstairs and our water supply downstairs- I’m changing around 15-20 litres of water a day over 2 to 3 changes

[mishfish]

Fish wise we not have 3 black tetras, 3 African drawf frogs and a male beta

[mishfish]

Tank has been set up since the end of July. We did a fish less cycle before adding anything. Filtration wise it’s :

‘ powerful 3-stage filtration for superior water quality, oversized mechanical (foam), chemical (carbon) and biological (Biomax) media included, multi-directional dual outputs for customized water flow,’

This is the tank: www.petsathome.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/pets/fluval-flex-glass-aquarium-34-litre?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google_shopping&cm_mmc=Google--CPC--%20google_shopping-_-google_shopping&ita=1976&ito=google_shopping&CAWELAID=120267720000020312&cm_mmc=&ito=GAG44515172083&itc=GAC210995954840&itkw=nil&itaexid=&itawnw=search&itawmt=&itadvc=m&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy5L1_ay32QIVh5PtCh3q4QtfEAQYAiABEgK6J_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[JimboDoesTheLimboInHawaii]

Pets@home do not have an illustrious history of informed fish selling. Don't give them any more money until this tank is sorted.

Thinkfish.co.uk is an excellent resource - find a couple of hours and read all their articles on setting up and cycling a tank.

[JimboDoesTheLimboInHawaii]

The advice to do 'very small' water changes is pretty crap, unless you're doing them several times a day. Ammonia levels ought to be 0, 2 or more ppm can kill your fish.

[JimboDoesTheLimboInHawaii]

How long has your tank been set up? What filtration system do you have?

Keep doing the water changes!!!

[bunnygeek]

Yes Quick Start will do. The strips can be a bit inaccurate, the API liquid kit is better. Often the strips don't include an ammonia test either.

By false reading, they may read the converted ammonium as ammonia so it can be tricky working out exactly how much toxic ammonia is present. Nitrite readings are as toxic as ammonia also.