CyBeRDeMoN

My girlfriend and I just bought a 2.5 gallon tank, and a few fish to go in it. After letting the water cycle and condition for 24 hours as recommended we bought the fish and put them in there. We purchased two Green barbs and an unidenitified(because of my ignorance) small white fish that feeds on algae on the bottom. A few hours later we purchased two tiger barbs and added them as well. At first they were playful and swam around alot. I've noticed now that they just seem to float in the same spot angled down. Can someone tell me what is going on?

Thanks,
CyBeRDeMoN

Gunnie

Welcome to FishLore! It's great to have you with us!

Your tank is overstocked, and it's not cycled. A 2.5 gallon tank is only big enough for about 2 fish. What you should probably do is keep all but 2 of your fish, and return the others back to the fish store. Definately take the algae eater back. What's probably happening is your ammonia level has risen to a high level and your fish are starting to get sick. Tanks that are cycled do not have this problem, so you need to understand what a cycled tank is. Here is a good article to get you started:

http://www.fishlore.com/Articles/TheNitrogenCycle.htm

If you want to keep all your fish, I'd suggest you get a 20 gallon long tank for them ASAP. You will still be doing a lot of water changes until the tank is cycled, but at least you would have the right size tank. I'd still take the algae eater back though. Most of them you see in the pet stores are called common plecos, and they can grow to over a foot long. That fish will get way too big for even a 20 gal. tank. Later on as you get the hang of it, if you still want one, we can give you some suggestions and places to do research where you can find the right species for your tank.

newbie101

a lot of places will tell you that you only need to let the tank cycle for 24 hrs but it can take weeks for larger tanks
for ur tank it might be, what, 5 days? a week? gunnie help me out :P
hey post some pics cyberdemon! we all LOOVVE pics!

cyberdemon23

5 little fish are too much for my tank? Unfortunately I do not have room for a 20 gallon fish tank in my dorm. This morning most of them seem to be doing much better.
If I did change the water daily would that help? Also how much should I change it until the bacteria gets up?

*Edit*
Would a pump help out any?

Gunnie

When you say pump, do you mean filter? You will definately need to change water out daily especially if you don't have a filter running. You will definately need a filter in that tank, or your fish will not have much of a chance of survival.

Neen

I think the rule is 1" fish per gallon of water. 2" is better. I'm hardly an expert (I'm hardly a beginner ha,ha) but I do know if your tank is crowded before it cycles, you will definitely kill your fish. This is a great site for (reliable) information. I have learned a lot in a short time. Be sure & read the article about cycling your tank & keep asking questions here. Good luck with your fish. Gina