New Tank- Platies Hiding

[shallowwater]

HI- I am completely new to aquariums, fishtanks....and would appreciate help
I bought a fluval chi 5 gallon tank. As per the aquarium shop's instructions i had the aquarium run with the filter and lights, and conditioner for a week and added the fish today. They sold me one betta, three white cloud mountain minnows and three (red-tail) platies. The white cloud and betta seem to be doing fine but the platies are quite listless and are staying at the bottom of the tank! Not sure if its normal for a new tank- or something wrong. I attached a pic- ( i tried attaching a video but it didnt work) of them.

thanks so much!

 

[frankenfish]

have you tested the water parameters? it's quite possible the tank is still cycling and that could be why your fish are acting a bit off. it's also possible that the platies are hiding from the beta. as they become more comfortable in their new surroundings they should start moving around more. definitely test your water ASAP though

 

[shallowwater]

Thanks- Excuse my ignorance- testing for what exactly- I went to this fish shop which is supposed to be great at teaching newbies- I asked if I need some type of testing kit- they said I dont. So what do i need to get to test it?

 

[frankenfish]

you really do need a test kit. i tried going without one for awhile and it was really tough not knowing exactly what was going on in my tank. it's especially important for a small tank like yours where things can fluctuate very quickly. ammonia and nitrite are the things you need to be concerned about. if there isnt a good bacteria colony yet in your tank you could be experiencing an ammonia spike. if there is a bloom of ammonia eating bacteria you could be experiencing a nitrite spike. as your tank becomes established the right amount of microorganisms establish to keep the cycle stable. for now i would recommend doing a 15-25% water change every day or so and getting a test kit as soon as you can. if you can afford it the api master kit is definitely your best option

 

[shallowwater]

Thanks! One more question- when I do the 25% water change- should i condition that water first?

 

[frankenfish]

yes! always condition water before adding it to your tank

 

[ValRasbora]

Don't feel ignorant, you've come to learn!

Platies often hide for the first day or so until they get adjusted to their new tank, if it is not the parameters, IME.

Good luck

 

[shallowwater]

Thanks- I got the water parameter kit- the NH3 levels seem to be around . 25- not that good at reading the result yet. Im doing a 50% percent water change every day. Do you think my tank is overstocked? not sure if i should return some.

 

[frankenfish]

i mean, technically yes you are overstocked. that being said, with enough attention it is manageable. the biggest thing i'd be concerned about right now is the betta getting stressed because of the crowding. they really like their personal space. others would probably say return a few fish, i'm kind of partial to higher stocking but it is a lot more work keeping the parameters at acceptable levels.

 

[OrangeCones]

HI- I am completely new to aquariums, fishtanks....and would appreciate help

Welcome, shallowwater!

As per the aquarium shop's instructions i had the aquarium run with the filter and lights, and conditioner for a week and added the fish today.

I'm sorry that the fish store gave you incorrect instructions. Other than confirming that your tank has no leaks and that the filter and lights function, waiting a week after adding water conditioner did nothing to prepare your aquarium for fish.

They sold me one betta, three white cloud mountain minnows and three (red-tail) platies.

In my opinion, you have been sold fish that overstock your aquarium. You have 2 incomplete shoals but no room to complete them.

If you are going to try to keep these 7 fish together, daily water changes will likely be necessary. An in-fish cycle while overstocking a tank is not likely to work out without a lot of water changes. What water conditioner did the store sell you?

 

[Fuzz16]

wan take the plaaties back, cause when they make babies, your not gonna have anymore room in the tank for them and when other fish stress it leads to sickness, hence why overstocking isnt so great.
in the meantime, adding some fake plants will be a great help possibly to all the fish.

its sad that the pet store took advantage of you, their not all like that, but sadly most are.

this is a great forum to learn, though, and i hope you enjoy it here