ynaggo

Hi this is my first post,
I currently have a 10 gallon tank I restarted 2 or 3 weeks ago, I added a 3 male guppies to induce "The Cycle". I feed them Omega Flakes. The water pH is at 7.0 and the temperature at 78-79F They seemed to be doing fine for about a week, then I went and bought 2 calico platies, 1 male and 1 female, and added them to the tank. They did fine for a week feeding them Tropical Flakes. Just yesterday I found the female hiding out a broken ship that I have at the bottom acting very strange as she didn't come out to eat. So today I woke up and found her dead with out any obvious diseases like ick or anything? I dont have a nitrate,nitrite,ammonia test kit should i go and get one?

SurfCityFish

had the same exact problem as you! my female was acting totally strange, and then I found her yesterday....but I have no idea why she died! I hope you figure it out!

joy1125

hi ynaggo, and welcome !

yes, you need to get the testers for ammonia, nirite and nitrAte. Get the liquid est kits, not the paper strips (they aren't accurate)

right now, your ammonia levels are probably extremely high and that's what killed your fish.

In a nutshell>> Fish waste is what causes ammonia. Ammonia is toxic to fish. Ammmoina and nitrite burn the fish, so it's critical for you to remove those toxins!


What you have to do to keep the fish alive, is change the water daily, best if you do it twice daily. Change 5 gallons in the morning, and 5 before you go to bed at night.
Make sure the water temp going back into the tank, is the same or very close, to the temp in the tank.

Read up on the nitrogen cycle, to understand how beneficial bacteria develop in a fish tank. There's an article here that's very informative. (I'll be back with the link for you)

And don't buy any more fish until the tank is matured and cycled.


Here's the link, please read all of it, and post back with any questions !
http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

(I suggest doing the water change right away.)

Lucy

Great advice from Joy.
My guess would be ammonia poisoning also.
"Inducing the cycle" with fish as the source of ammonia without doing daily water changes, as you found out is lethal to your fish.

Follow Joy's advice and may I add to us Prime as your water conditioner. It'll detox the ammonia and nitrite for 24 hrs between water changes.

Good luck.

ynaggo

so when I buy the Ammonia/Nitrate/Nitrite test kit, what are the readings supposed to be and will it adjust on its own after some time?

Lucy

The readings for a cycled tank are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite with some nitrates
The tank will cycle, however, unless you do daily water changes, the ammonia and nitrite will reach toxic levels and could result in sickness or death of your fish.

Please read the link that Joy provided. It'll help you understand the water chemisty of your tank.

ynaggo

5 Gallons is half my tank, I just did a change and added dechlorinator. So when ammonia and nitrite hit 0 can I do weekly changes of 2 gallons?

Would it be safe to add a bacteria culture product such as Tetra SafeStart to speed up the process?

Lucy

If you have 5-10 nitrates with 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, yes, you can go to weekly water changes.

I don't have enough experience with it but several members have successfully cycled their tanks quickly using TSS.

ynaggo

Is it safe to use with fish in the tank?

joy1125

the test kits provide a color card, to compare the fish tank water. It's self-explanatory, so don't worry, you'll understand it when you read the instructions. I know all this seems complicated , but it'll all make sense eventually

A tank is considered cycled when the biological "filter" is capable of processing fish waste and debris, thus retaining a nontoxic environment for the fish. This usually takes six to eight weeks. (the word "biofilter" can be confusing. It's not a "filter" you can purchase. It's a term used to describe the establishment of the biological capability to process fish waste)

About water changes.... Even when the "biofilter" is established, water changes are necessary. It's a good habit to get into, the fish love it, and will thank you for it by thriving, showing their best colors, and being healthy. I do water changes every other day, despite having 3 cycled tanks. Water changes are very simple, and there's no excuse not to take 15 minutes every other day, or at the minimum twice a week, to provide your wet pets the absolute best they can get. I can only compare it to our need for a breath of freh air. If we were confined indoors 24/7, with no fresh air, imagine how we'd feel?

nothing like fresh air for us


or fresh watrer for our fish...

Lucy

Yes, it's safe for your fish.
You're supposed to add it to a new tank at the same time as your fish.