Fish Died within 12 Hours

[jhinchman]

Hello,
I am having trouble starting my fish tank. This is my first try at fish. I have a 10 gallon tank, filter, heater, and undergravel filter with airstone. I filled the tank and added Aqua Safe and proper PH 7.0 (Conditioner and buffer) and left the tank set for a little over 24 hours. Also, we have softened water. The PH of the tap water is about 7.8/8.0. The ph of the tanker went down to 7.2 then has climbed back to about 7.6. We added 2 mystery snails, 2 red wag platies, 1 fern, and 2 mollies. We had the water tested at a local national chain pet store where we bought the fish, before purchasing the fish there. We added the fish 12 hours ago. So far, 1 molly has died and 1 platy is looking too good, ie laying on the bottom of the tanker not moving much. I am not sure how to tell if the snails are okay; they both have there trap doors still attached and do not smell. I changed out 1.5 gals of water with so previously pre-treated water to try to slow the demise.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Jake

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

When the store tested the water, what were the readings? I would remove all the inhabitants and return them to the store until you figure this out. Most people on this forum will tell you not to mess with the PH, as long as it is stable. If the water was 7.8 out of the tap and then 7.2 after the addition of chemicals, and now 7.6 that may have contributed to their death. Do you have your own means of testing the water?

 

[anabolina]

I'd agree about not messing with the ph. I'm also a newb and live in a high ph area and have water that's 7.8. Despite this, my mollies and platy have lasted 2 months so far in a 5 gallon and the molly lasted 2 months before that in my bigger home aquarium before I moved him to the office and all seem really happy and healthy.

I wish I'd known about the fiish-less cycle before I started my first tank, have you looked into it?

 

[Monoxide]

Hello,
I am having trouble starting my fish tank. This is my first try at fish. I have a 10 gallon tank, filter, heater, and undergravel filter with airstone. I filled the tank and added Aqua Safe and proper PH 7.0 (Conditioner and buffer) and left the tank set for a little over 24 hours. Also, we have softened water. The PH of the tap water is about 7.8/8.0. The ph of the tanker went down to 7.2 then has climbed back to about 7.6. We added 2 mystery snails, 2 red wag platies, 1 fern, and 2 mollies. We had the water tested at a local national chain pet store where we bought the fish, before purchasing the fish there. We added the fish 12 hours ago. So far, 1 molly has died and 1 platy is looking too good, ie laying on the bottom of the tanker not moving much. I am not sure how to tell if the snails are okay; they both have there trap doors still attached and do not smell. I changed out 1.5 gals of water with so previously pre-treated water to try to slow the demise.


Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Jake

Yeah you need to do your test kit readings and see what amonia and etc are. Also I didn't see you mention cycling the tank? I suggest if they all die to restart over. Start with a fishless cycle and it will go alot smoother with things. Something else is did you put the fish into the tank soon after getting home? Or did you let the bag of fish sit in the tank water for some period of time to let them get use to it. SO when you do add the fish to new water its not a shock to there body and etc.

 

[jhinchman]

Sorry for the delayed response. We had a one of the platy's die this afternoon. So that leaves us with one of each. I took some more water into the pet store to get tested tonight. The test showed ammonia at 0.5 ppm, Nitrate at 0, Nitrite at 0, total hardness of 50, alkalinity buffing capacity of 100 ppm, and Ph 7.8. Also, I floated the fish bags in the tank for about 1/2 hour before putting the fish in. We also had one snail die. I changed out 1.5 gal of water again to help. The pet store suggested adding some salt. So I added 1 Tbsp of aquraim/sea salt, about 1/2 the amount suggest on the back of the box. I wish I would have know about fishless cycling before get the fish. If they don't make it; I will definitely do that.

Thanks for all the help,
Jake

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

Stop the salt, do 50% water changes until your ammonia is 0. You will know when your cycle is complete when your ammonia is 0, Nitrites 0 and nitrates less then 20. I am just curious as to why the store said you should add salt? Also how did they test the water? Did they use test strips or test tubes?

 

[IThinkTherefore]

Ammonia is REALLY hard on your fish - you might be better to make at least a 50% water change as soon as possible, and you're going to have to be doing a lot of those during the fish-in cycle.

Good luck! I hope your molly and platy pull through :/

 

[jhinchman]

Thank you for the replies. How often/frequently should I do the 50% cycling? I am not sure they said to add the salt.

 

[lauraf]

Do a 50% water change daily. The store may have suggested the salt because it can assist with symptoms of brown blood disease which can happen during a fish-in cycle, but I'm guessing it's actually because they don't know what they are talking about - they should have given you way better advice if you have ammonia readings like that!
If you can, go buy a water dechlorinator/conditioner called Prime, made by Seachem. Use it when you are doing your daily water changes - it will temporarily bind ammonia, and help your remaining fish survive the cycling process.
Oh, and welcome to MFT. Please keep asking questions - we hope to be of help.
Cheers,
Laura

 

[aakaakaak]

1. Return the remaining molly. They get too big for a 10 gallon tank. Slap the sales person on the way back to the local fish store (LFS) for me.
2. Be careful not to overfeed. Only feed them about the size of their eye. That's generally how big their stomachs are. If you do overfeed you end up with bad water and dead fish.
3. When you can, get your own liquid test kit. It will save you time and piece of mind.
4. Unless you're experienced, don't mess with your PH through chemicals. Fish die that way. The fish/snails you have prefer the
5. What kind of water softner do you have? I'm wondering why you have such a high PH if you have a water softener.
6. Get a bag of Hikari algae wafers. Your snail may have starved as there's no algae in your tank yet. Also get something for calcium for their shells. Some people like to put busted up egg shells in a nylon. I prefer using clam/oyster shells. Any shells will do, just be sure to boil them first.
7. Mollys, platys and mystery snails all prefer a higher PH. Don't monkey with it.
8. If you're willing to drop 8 bucks or so, go get a bottle of Tetra Safe Start and add it after a reaaaaaally good (like Laura said, 50%) water change. It's beneficial bacteria in a bottle that will help greatly with getting your cycle started. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE BOTTLE EXACTLY!
9. What temperature is your water at? 78-80ish is optimum for what you have.
10. Do some research on the nitrogen cycle in relation to aquariums.
11. Do some research on the types of fish/snails you have and what they need.
12. What type of fern do you have? Java Fern?
13. Stop adding salt. Salt can kill snails, just like it kills slugs.
14. WELCOME TO MFT!
15. Yes, what Laura said. Prime will temporarily bind your ammonia, but not effect your cycle. In fact, you should probably double the dose for the first time you use it. Only use it at water changes though.

 

[jhinchman]

Thanks everyone for the replies,
I really appreciate the help. Unfortunately last night or early this morning the other molly and platy died. Since the first two fish died within 24 hours, I was concerned about the water. So I emptied the tank of water, and refilled it with 10 gal of bottles/reverse osmised water from the grocery store. I added 1 tsp of tetra safe start to the water. I would like to try the fish-less cycle method to start the tanker. Though, I am not sure what to do with the one remaining snail in the meantime. Can the snail survive the fish-less cycle? Our could I just leave the snail in the tanker for a while to start the cycle?

Thanks again,
Jake

 

[lauraf]

The snail will probably not survive a fishless cycle - the ammonia levels in a fishless cycle will get really high, and extremely toxic. You could put the snail in a bowl with some live plants - put it where some natural light will hit, and you will get algae for the snail to munch on. Be sure to change the water regularly, using your dechlorinator as directed.
For a fishless cycle, ensure you buy ammonia with no surfactants. And to do a fishless cycle, you will also need to have liquid test kits on hand for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. You should have these tests anyway when you do restock your tank. Good luck - keep us posted!!!

 

[aakaakaak]

Tetra Safe Start is not generally water treatment. It's a beneficial bacteria booster. It needs fish waste or other waste to survive. You're supposed to add it with fish.

Prime is a water treatment. Prime should have gone in your tank without the fish.

About an hour before you go get new fish add the entire bottle of Tetra Safe Start to your tank. Don't open it otherwise.

Edit: You're doing the fishless cycle method? Forget the TSS. Find PURE ammonia with no surfactants like Laura said.

 

[nanu156]

Salt kills snails... It kills anything with out scales.

Your water softener also likely adds salt, you have a snail free tank once the second snail bites it. Sorry to be harsh, but no snails for you unless you want to use bottled water.

Take the snail back if you can, remove the plants too.

Do the fish-less cycle. Don't buy more snails.

BTW most fish stores will let you return dead fish, i would at least try to return the dead guys (all of the chains take DOA's back if they last less then a week)