cousinav

So, I did it all wrong. Combination of not enough research on my part and loads of bad advice (or lack of any advice) from store employees.

Anyway, the fish were already there and I tried to get the tank cycled. It's only been one month. The ammonia gets very high so I started changing out some water (about a third) daily. After a week I went to every other day. By the second day the ammonia level gets to 1 PPM or higher. I haven't used any water conditioner as we have well water that has no chlorination or fluoridation.

The fish are dying and I believe they will all be dead within a few days. I have learned a lot by researching online but I am unsure of what to do after the fish do die. I am assuming that I just keep the filter, aerator & heater running until the ammonia level gets to zero and then add back some fish a couple at a time. I will probably rinse the sponge from the filter in some dirty tank water and put it back. Do I change the charcoal and ammonia pellets or just leave them alone?

I want to get it right so my kids can enjoy the fish. Thanks for any help you can give.

COBettaCouple

Welcome to Fishlore.

I would start using Prime to treat your water with. It helps with water toxin levels and would help with your tank until it cycles. It's also handy in case of sudden spikes in water chemistry. Daily water changes of 25-40% daily until the tank is cycled would be recommended.

What are you using to test your water? I'd recommend the API master freshwater kit. The best time to test is right before you do a water change.

Charcoal generally needs changed once a week or it releases all that it captured back into the water at once. I don't run carbon in our filters unless we're clearing meds out.

Ntruder1400

Water conditioners are not just for chlorine/chloramine. Many of them also help to treat other chemicals/metals/minerals in the "tap" water. Depending upon where you are from, your well water could have lots of other stuff in it. I know the well at my camp will smell like sulfur or rotten eggs if it has not been used for a while. I don't know what the chemical or mineral is that gives it that smell, but it is just proof that well water is not the same as "spring water" - well, maybe it is, but you get the point.

Lucy

Hi cousinav,
Welcome to FishLore.

Most of us have made the same mistakes, so don't feel bad.

Follow COBettaCouple's advice, maybe you won't lose all your fish.

If they do die, continue to feed the tank with either fish flakes or pure (no additives) ammonia. To build up the beneficial bacteria your tank needs.

Read this, it will help you:
http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

Good luck with your tank.

Muffymouse

Welcome to FishLore. Hang in there =) COBettaCouple's advice is very sound as is the other advice you have received. Keep up with those changes, get a good test kit and some prime, if you lose fish; mourn for their loss, but don't give up and you and your kids will be able to enjoy your new fish with a mommy who has learned some tough lessons and now knows better. =))

cousinav

I have followed COBettaCouple's advice and today replaced the carbon (I also rinsed the filter sponge in the old tank water) and about 40% of the water and used the Prime. My well water has no bad smells but I suppose it could have lime or copper or something in it. I won't use the carbon anymore after this tank is fully cycled.

I checked the levels before and after the water change and it looked like this:

Before: pH 7.4, nitrite 0, nitrate 5, Ammonia between 1 and 2

After: pH 7.2, Nitrite 0, Nitrate a little less than 5, Ammonia between .5 and 1

With the nitrogen cycle stages described, does this make any sense? Maybe the new carbon will help bring the ammonia level down. I found the last remaining glowlite this morning wrapped around the filter intake and the molly is looking not so happy hardly able to swim. I am pretty sure she is blind as she has not really been able to find the food. I am almost inclined to euthanize her.

Shawnie

Welcome to fishlore cousinav!! Sorry for the loss of your fish but dont be hard on yourself...most of us have done this from lack of not knowing...me espeicially..if you still have live fish, daily water changes of at least 50% will help with the ammonia and nitrites....you have nitrates so its coming along with the cycle ....slowly but its coming along...having a 10 gallon will be quicker to cycle ..goodluck !

seedy

Hi cousinav
Despite what store employees tell you , most tetra species are not very hardy and require good water to thrive. I too made the mistake of adding them early , as have many others.
Follow the above advice and it will all come good.
Good luck

susitna-flower

HI, WELCOME TO FISHLORE!

This must have been hard. I just learned the hard way about how different fish react to "well" water.. I haven't had ANY problems with water changes until today. I've been keeping fish here for 3 years, and never had this happen before.

When I had finished my water change ALL my redline sharks were up near the surface of the tank gasping and loss of coordination! I was the temperature was right, and nothing different than has happened in every other change....Well just on the off chance I poured 3 caps of Prime in, that was just slightly higher than the recommended levels. Within 5 minutes they were swimming around normally....

My thought on this is that maybe the metals have built up in my well with low spring levels, or SOMETHING....but the prime covered it.

Angela_96

I do recomend using a conditioner like amaquel plus, you may not have clorine/chorimine in your well water however the metals etc that could be in your water need to be neutralized... My conditioner that I use (a locally produced by our local fs) detoxifies heavy metals in the water... you also need to put something in there to replace slime coating, etc... .the amaquel plus is the closest to the locally produced chem that there is that I use, and it works great in my tank, I had a lot of problems using stress coat/stress zyme in my tanks...

COBettaCouple

I'm sorry you lost another one and I hope that molly can make a turn-around. The results of a test done within 24 hours of a water change can be inaccurate but your first readings show a tank that's early in the cycling process. With daily water changes, you will see the levels get more manageable but the cycle will take a while.

If you do find yourself without any fish in the tank, go to the fishless cycling. Add fish food every 12 hours and don't do any water changes. You can also turn the heater to maximum while there are no fish in the tank, just remember to bring it back down when the tank is cycled.

Either way, I'd keep the aeration going and even if cycling fishless, treat all the water so the good bacteria doesn't get killed off by heavy metals or something else.

cousinav

Thank you. The molly didn't make it. She couldn't really even swim anymore and I hadn't seen her eat anything in over a week. I euthanized her with clove oil and vodka . I just couldn't watch her suffer any longer.

I did find and purchase Biospira today, so hopefully that will do the trick. Surprisingly, the neons are still doing very well and are as spry now as they were when I first got them. I think I will add two more neons so they can school and then let the kids choose one fish each for themselves. Thankfully there are only two of them. Funny, they have already named their future new fish, Courtney and Debbie (Courtney is a boy, though. Make sure you get that right.)

COBettaCouple

I'm sorry you had to put her down, I know that's really hard to do.