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Original poster

tropical fish questions.

79 replies

longwaytogo · 06/09/2006 15:25

We have just put fish in new aqyarium, but having archieved don't think its been set up long enough. Anyway think we bought two pregnant guppy's how do you know when to put them in one of those isolation things?

Should I be putting some aquarium salt in?

OP posts:
Gingerbear · 06/09/2006 15:49

How long has the tank been set up before you put in the fish?
Did you do a 'fishless cycle' to establish the bacteria in the filter (the bacteria convert the fish waste into harmless nitrates from ammonia and nitrite)?
If you have just put in the new filter and dechlorinated water then added the fish, the ammonia and nitrite levels will gradually increase to reach a level where they are harmful to the fish. This is called New tank Syndrome. You will need to test the ammonia and nitrite daily for about 6 weeks and do a partial water change to bring the ammonia and nitrite down to a reasonable level. Adding 1 teaspoon salt per gallon of water will lower nitrite toxicity.
Guppies are not very hardy first fish. If you cycle the tank with fish, the best to use are zebra danios or platties - only 2 fish in a small tank. If I were you I would take the guppies back and exchange them.

tropicalfishcentre.com is a good website, so is practicalfishkeeping.co.uk

Original poster
longwaytogo · 06/09/2006 15:56

we did buy some zebra's 3 guppies and a fighter. They said they were all ok to put in new tank. We haven't put anything in the water what is a fishless cycle? [dim emotion] How much is nitrate tests etc? Not even seen them in the shop

OP posts:
Gingerbear · 08/09/2006 15:09

setting up a fish tank

test kits - you can get an API Freshwater test kit for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate/pH from Pets@home or most decent aquarium shops.

Gingerbear · 08/09/2006 15:10

How big is the tank? That is too many fish to start off.

Original poster
longwaytogo · 11/09/2006 21:14

The tank is 80 litres, sorry not been back to this thread for a few days. Right as predicted the fish are dying off at the rate of one a day. I don't think any of our local shops do tests so am going to have to journey a bit to get one I think. The surprising thing is is that it is the zebra fish that are dying. The female guppies look really healthy as does the fighter. The male guppy has fin rot.

I went back to the shop she just dismissed it and said that the others in their tank did not have fin rot as they were all new fish in the day before - she told me 'we do sell treatment for fin rot if that is what your looking for' needless to say will not be buying from them again.

So how do I fix this problem girls?

OP posts:
Kelly1978 · 11/09/2006 21:21

how long did you cycle the tank for? get some cheap platys or soemthing to help cycle it. they will prob die, but they will help build up the good bacteria that you need to keep the amonia and nitrate levels low.

fishless cycling is lettign the tank mature without fish. takes longer.

Kelly1978 · 11/09/2006 21:27

have you got proper breeding boxes?
they are ready to give birth when you see a large dark patch and they may act edgy.

Kelly1978 · 11/09/2006 21:27

also ime bigger fish take longer to be affected by soemthing and take longer to die.

Original poster
longwaytogo · 11/09/2006 21:33

oh flip does that mean I am going to loose them all then? Kelly so greatful for you replying you have so much going on hun keep strong and try and get some food down you pleease

OP posts:
Kelly1978 · 11/09/2006 21:38

yw

kids have been in bed hours and I'm sitting alone. do you have anyone close by with a fishtank? I would recomend gettign them into a mature tank if they are valuable, or it might even be worth nicking a filter sponge from someone and stickign that in your water, and most of the bacteria is in the filter. I don't know an awful lot about guppies but I have been keepign fish a few years. When I started out I lost my first 5 - the cycling fish, then I put in soem teras and some clown loach. I still have one of the tetras and the clown loach, so fingers crossed for you.

Original poster
longwaytogo · 11/09/2006 21:48

nope don't know anyone with a tank, so is there anything I can buy to cycle the tank or will it fix itself once all the fish have died?

OP posts:
Kelly1978 · 11/09/2006 21:51

nothing you can buy afaik. it takes time to fix itself, jsut have to see how it goes and test the water. sometimes you can be lucky and it cycles quicker than other times. y'know when you first fill a tank, it is all cloudy? well then it clears, and then you often find it goes cloudy again. The second bout of cloudiness is a bacterial bloom which is a good sign and not harmful tot he fish at all, then that will clear up and then your tank will be thoroughly cycled.

I started out on 80l now have 240. Love my fish. One is very tame, follows me aroudn the room (from behind the galss, obv!) and will be hand fed.

goreousgirl · 11/09/2006 21:51

God - I am SO THRILLED with this thread!! I got my dd a tropical fish tank 4 weeks ago - and assumed we could bring the fish home....Oh no!! We have to wait endless time, and I am doing a 'pregnancy test' like thing each day with a stick hoping it won't turn bloody pink - the colour hasn't changed! I have a filter, sand, fish pooh, recyle stuff - the lot - not a dicky bird - HELP _ and THANK YOU!! GG

Kelly1978 · 11/09/2006 21:55

get soem cheap fish, neon tetras or soemthign that you can buy, 4 for £5 type of thing. They won't survieve but will help it along a LOT

Kelly1978 · 11/09/2006 21:57

plecs are a good first fish, once the tank has cycled a bit,t hey are very hardy and absolutely essential to a tank for their cleaning abilities.

goreousgirl · 11/09/2006 22:00

It sounds awful doesn't it - letting some poor thing die, just so we can amuse ourselves a bit sooner!! Still it's tempting!! If I don't do it - do you know how long (roughly) it will take? Originally the shop thought it would be a week... Thanks so much for this by the way..

goreousgirl · 11/09/2006 22:01

Oh, and I've put our existing goldfish in their too by the way, - give it a bit of extra room (heater off obviuosly) and hoping it will help the process??

SewingMadMummy · 11/09/2006 22:07

Dh says don't put the salt in - you have freshwater fish and it will kill them - but you probably know this by now!!!

Kelly1978 · 12/09/2006 09:22

if it doesn't kill the goldfish! take him out and put the heater on! You want the tank to be nice and warm to encourage bacteria growth. cycling time really depends on the size of the tank, how many litres is it?

guppies do like a little bit of salinity int heir water. low salinity will affect their health, but you only want about 1 tbsp per gallon. 80 litres is about 20 gallons.

Kelly1978 · 12/09/2006 09:23

Eeek! per 5 gallons, don't put one per gallon in!

Kelly1978 · 12/09/2006 09:39

amother thought. If you do want to keep guppies, then you need to think very carefulyl about what else you are going to put into the tank, because they are going to have to be fish that can tolerate brackish water. guppies can tolerate a fairly high degree of salt so your best bet would be to go for a brackish set up. Most freshwater fish can tolerate brackish water, but if you want really healthy fish I would look at brackish species. I had a violet goby once, sold to me as a freshwater fish, but he died because of the low salinity. They are really beautiful though, and worth a look.
My tank is an american cichlid community now and I wouldn't want the hassle of brackish fish!

Original poster
longwaytogo · 12/09/2006 13:27

Kelly what on earth is an american cichlid community?

About putting someone elses filter sponge in our tank - Haven't all aquariums got their own bacteria so putting someone eleses sponge will not necessarily be good for ours?

OP posts:
Gingerbear · 12/09/2006 13:42

to all those setting up a tank - please read my link. (4th post)
It took 9 days to cycle my tank fishlessly - how is that a long time? And no fish died in the process. You need a bottle of pure 9 or 10% strength household ammonia, (Boots sell it as do hardware stores) and to read the atricle on fishless cycling on tropicalfishcentre.
Guppies are hardwater fish, NOT brackish fish. They like the water pH to be 7 or above. A tiny bit of salt will reduce nitrite toxicity to all fish, but some are more sensitive than others.
Plecs like a mature tank - ie established for 4-6 months.
The cycle is finished when the ammonia and nitrite have shot up then dropped to zero - with fish this can take 6 weeks. Algal or bacteria blooms are no indication of when a tank has cycled - you need a test kit. If you can't get an API Master Freshwater kit locally - they are always for sale on ebay.

Gingerbear · 12/09/2006 13:44

A sponge (or the crud sfrom a squeeze of a sponge) is good to add to your tank - as all the bacteria your tank needs will be there already - and a good way to 'seed' your tank for a healthy bacterial population to grow.

Gingerbear · 12/09/2006 13:49

cichlids are a family of fish.
American cichlids are from - America.
A general tropical community tank is what most folk start out with - a mixture of peaceful fish who generally all live together in harmony.
Some types of fish have to be kept as 'species tanks' - ie the same fish all together. Some Cichlids are examples of this - they would kill or chase or nip the fins of other fish as they are very terratorial.