all my fishes have died :(

[gangofgin]

i got a new tank 2 weeks ago, got 4 cutie little cold water fishes and did everything by the book. spent a fortune on the water treatments etc.

ive come to london for a few days so i get a timer for the light and a food block and on top of that my dads been going in once a day to check on them, this morning he went in and my nice sparkly new tank has got furry brown moss all over it and all the fish are dead

he went round to where we got them and asked what it could be, as there was no signs of the brown mossy stuff the day before and he said they most likely had white spot for a while and it got infected... only had the things 2 weeks

RIP
samuel l jackson
RIP
the krypton factor
RIP
spiderman
RIP
fish stick

 

[Tangerinedream]

RIP poor fishes

 

[zebrastripes]

Poor fish.

 

[Sarah&Braydon]

aww poor fisheys

 

[MagicMarkers]

Coincidence or fish epidemic ?!?! Spotted the dogout the window laying on something in a * shouldnt have this but iv got it * way, so ranout to the garden and one of the fish had commited suicide !!
Jumped out of the pond and dried up in the nightime and now the pride and joy of the dog, oh dear.
They were a ghost koy that we never really got round to naming, mostly known as, that see through one

 

[*saulino*]

aww poor fishies

 

[puppylove]

Aww poor wee fishes

 

[Geordie&Bairn]

Poor you love
RIP fishies
will you try agian and get some more?
sarah

 

[Becky]

Hello,
Want to help here and hubby keeps fish so hopefully we can help.

First he doesn't think much of your pet shop - he made a face when I mentioned White Spot to him!! They should be quarrantined before sale, and you should have seen signs of sickness before they died so he doubts it would be that!

When setting up a fish tank you need a filter whether its cold/warm water. The filter has bacteria in it which help to break down the waste products from the fish (poo!)

Hubby recommends reading up about "Fishless cycling" of your tank which prepares the tank for fish. And also read about "nitrogen cycle" too.

The brown stuff will either be either algae or mould from the food block. Fish will be fine without food for 2 days especially if you have plants in the tank.

What happens when you get a tank like you did, after 2ish weeks the ammonia levels will get to a critical point which kills the fish. Without the filter there is nothing to help break down the ammonia so it keeps getting higher and higher.

There's also guide on how many fish you should have in a tank and you'd be surprised how few they recommend you put in a fairly large tank!

Especially goldfish which are a very dirty fish.

He tells me the only water treatment you should need is De-Chlorinater which takes the chlorine out of your tap water.

Hope this helps and you're more successful next time!!

 

[muppetdaddy]

I'm another one who's 'into fish' as my OH puts it and was a moderator on a fish forum so i'll just post a few snippets of info, hints and tips to try and help you with your next lot of fishy friends:

Setting up the tank:

*Always use de-chlorinator on tap water before adding to the tank, if you run out, leave the tap water in a bucket for 24hrs as chlorine levels will fall when the water is exposed to air.
*Always use a filter and ensure that it is suitable for the tank volume, a slightly bigger filter can allow you to keep more fish in the tank but don't push it.
*Allow the tank to cycle, either with or without fish (Google 'How to cycle a fish tank' and 'The Nitrogen Cycle in Aquariums' for full details on this process), and invest in a small water testing kit that includes tests for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates and pH.
NB: The quickest way to 'cycle' a tank is to borrow another filter sponge from an established tank and squeeze it into the tank water to transfer the bacteria.
*Decide on a Coldwater (no heater) or Tropical (with heater) environment and buy appropriate heater if required.
*Decide on what fish to keep before going to the fish store! It's like going food shopping with the munchies otherwise , all the pretty colours, etc. can lead to money wasted and dead fish
*Decorations/sand/gravel are all totally personal choice and the fish won't really care that much as long as there are holes to hide if there's a mix of fish.

Stocking the Tank:

Tropical (21c - 26c): (ie, Neon Tetras, etc.)
*Try and follow the general guideline of 1" of fish per gallon of tank water, ie. a 20 gallon tank can support 20" of fish.
*When getting the fish a bit of research will do wonders as, like anything else, some fish just don't like each other, some are aggressive, some need hidey holes, some have to be in a shoal, etc.

Coldwater (16c - 20c): (ie, Goldfish)
*Try and follow the general guideline of 20 gallons of tank water for the first fish and 10 gallons for each fish thereafter. Sounds a lot? Coldwater fish are messy and need the extra water/filtration to cope with it. These types of fish are not strictly aquarium fish but pond fish and when kept in aquariums they suffer from stunted growth and shortened lives so if you keep them you need to try and give them the best chance.
*Bear in mind that an aquarium in a house is very hard to keep within the 'coldwater' threshold during summer, for this reason Tropical fish are regarded as easier to keep.

Buying Fish:

*Check the shops tanks for dead fish, if you see any don't buy.
*Check that the pet shop is against dying fish (the practise of injecting dye into fish to make them a bright, pretty colour which only guarantees death within months), there should be a sign in the window if they are against the practice.
*Ask about their quarrantine proceedure, this is vital if you are adding fish to an existing aquarium already stocked.
*Ask questions you know the answers to, if they don't know their stuff you can't trust their advice so you're on your own with decisions.
*A good fish seller should ask you about your tank so be prepared with all your stats


Regardless of what type of fish you are going to keep the introduction method is the same:
*Float the fishbag in the tank to equalise the water temps inside and out
*Open the bag and allow some tankwater into the bag while still floating
*Gradually exchange the water in the bag before finally letting the fishies swim into their new home by dipping the bag under the surface.

Feeding:

*Adding too much food is more dangerous than adding to little! Excess food decomposes and causes Ammonia levels to rise to lethal doses so again a bit of web research on your fish will help here.
*Fish will be fine for up to one week without food as long as they are gradually starved down and then fed back up. The week before you go away gradually decrease the amount of food the fish get and then when you get back gradually pick the feeding back up over a week. Don't use the food blocks as the contain mostly calcium carbonate which disrupts the water pH and also causes Ammonia spikes as you have in effect just dumped a load of food in the tank

Cleaning:

*Aim to change approx. 20% of the tank water every two weeks (minimum) with fresh water, highly stocked tanks may benefit more from a 10% change every week.
*Clean the filter sponge every two weeks by squeezing it in the old tank water that has been removed before you throw it away.
*Clean any fish poo off the gravel/sand
*Wipe the glass with a magnetic scrubber (easiest way)

I hope some of this was of help and wasn't too but I do like fishies

 

[Becky]

Basically muppetdaddy just said what I wanted to say - but did it much better!

It sounds like a lot of effort but if you want happy fish its worth it.

 

[X5OT]

I am also 'into' fish, having started at the age of 7 I now keep Malawai cichlids. Nothing more to add that hasn't been said already by others, but yes, make sure you get a filter next time! There are several options when it comes to filters (I run 2 big external filters), but a simple under-gravel filter will not cost lots and works very well.

Better luck next time!



ps, LOL at names for your fishies

 

[gangofgin]

thanks for all your replies and advice, i'll print that out
i will deffo take note before getting anymore, and im not using the same aquarium. im really angry with them, the thing about the food blocks should have been pointed out to me, as they're meant to be experts and i've dealt with the same person every time and they knew it was a new tank.

thanks again

 

[jools221181]

 

[muppetdaddy]

One more post from me regarding filters

As X50T pointed out there are various types of filter, and like most equipment each has it's pro's and con's so i'll try and give you the basics of the 4 main types from small to large scale:

Undergravel Filter:

Essentially it's a plate that sits on the bottom of the tank with the gravel on top. It's works by using a small pump to draw tank water down through the gravel and into the filter before expelling it out a pipe at the top of the tank.

Pro's - Virtually invisible except for the pipe (which is normally clear plastic anyway).

Con's - Hardest to remove/replace if there's a fault or if it gets clogged and require diligent & regular cleaning of the gravel bed to remove debris.

Internal Filter:

These are the most common type of aquarium filter and come in all shapes and sizes. They are attached to the inside of the tank with suction pads and are a self-contained unit.

Pro's - Very easy to clean and maintain with masses of choice over looks.

Con's - Can be seen in the tank unless hidden with decorations.

Hang On Back Filter (HOB):

A box that does exactly what it says on the tin, it hangs on the back of the tank and draws water up using a small pump, passes it through several filter chambers before dropping it back into the tank.

Pro's - Everything is outside the tank allowing full use of the whole aquarium space. Easy to maintain and clean and the exiting water can help to oxygenate the tank as it falls back in.

Con's - Can be noisy and sometimes a faint smell is apparent. Also means the tank has to sit away from the wall to allow for the HOB system which can look out of place (A version of the HOB filter is now being incorporated into the hood/lid of some tanks which does resolve this issue).

External Filters:

The daddy of filters
These look like boxes or drums and sit outside of the tank, usually in a cabinet underneath the tank. Hoses run from the tank to the filter and back up to the tank again.

Pro's - Excellent filtration and can handle large bioload (the amount of waste produced). Full use of the tank space is gained as everything is outside the tank.

Con's - Some can be noisy (faint humming usually) and the pipework can be unsightly as there are two pipes running in and out of the tank. Some modification of the tank hood is normally required to allow the pipework in and out. Always the possibility of a flood as the filter is gravity fed so if a leak occurs under the tank level then the tank will drain onto the floor (believe me I have plenty of experience of this )

IMO the best choice of filter for all-round applications would be an Internal one, some good manafacturers of these are Fluval, Rena, TetraTec, Interpet, Elite and Eheim and a quick Google will tell you all you need to know before buying. Having used most brands I would recommend either Eheim Aquaballs or Elite Stingrays as the best looking and for all round performance.
To reduce the clutter in the tank (if chosing Tropicals) there are now a range of filters that have heaters built in, these are obviously more expensive, bigger and also have the issue of if one bit breaks the rest is history so not always the best route.

Hope this helps

 

[X5OT]

Re muppetdaddy's post, I can second the Eheim range - my 2 extrnal filters are Eheim and never had any issues with them in the past 7 years! (never had the tank drain out on me though!! - what a nightmare!!)

muppetdaddy: just out of interest, what sort of fish do you keep? I've moved from general freshwater tropical community to African cichlids about a year ago and love them We r due to move house over the summer, so am planning on buying a nice 5/6 footer to set up as marine Will still keep the mbuna though (they r in a 180L 3ft bow front Juwel vision 180 at the mo, along with about 50kg of ocean rock!)

 

[ShineyHappyPeople]

2 weeks isn't long enough to have cycled a tank. Unfortunately pouring in water treatments when you first set up a tank isn't enough. The water needs some good / bad bacteria in there for the fish to be able to survive.

A good way of doing this is to "feed" an empty tank. Put a bit of food in every other day and after a while the water will create some nitrates & friendly dirt basically lol.

Your tank should be set up for about 1-2 months before adding fish.

Its very frustrating though, I feel your pain!

 

[muppetdaddy]

X50T:

Like most people I started with coldwater, 4 goldfish in an uncycled 12 gallon tank , all but two died so I got one the web and researched what went wrong.
I then progressed to a 40 gallon coldwater for the remaining two goldfish, a 40 gallon tropical tank with assorted fish and a dwarf pufferfish for the 12 gallon.
Then the bug really hit and I got a 65 gallon tropical tank with assorted discus, etc. to go with the 3 other tanks

I then converted one of the 40 gallon tanks into a tropical marine reef as a friend was breaking down his tank and selling off the liverock cheap. After that I converted the 65 gallon tropical over to a tropical marine reef tank and moved everything over from the 40 gallon reef and added more stuff. Then that tank cracked and emptied onto the floor so it all got crammed back into the (thankfully) empty 40 gallon.
I then went shopping and got a 120 gallon tank and used the 40 gallon as a sump and created my third reef, dismantled all the other tanks and sold/gave away all the other fish to concentrate on the reef. I did run a small nano reef for a while for my son in his bedroom as a nightlight with inverts and corals only but that eventually ended up in the main tank as it was too much hassle to run.

Then we moved to Scotland and I had to sell everything and now I have nothing






for now

 

[Urchin]

We had a marine tank, I loved it.
We had a spider crab called Eric. RIP Eric LOL

 

[muppetdaddy]

James had a Spider crab (top right on the rock pile) in his Nano Reef which was his night light for a while when he was about 2 - 3 years old, they're very cool inverts 8)