Red-Fined123

My fish are dropping like flies. It's been only 4 days and I have lost 2 fish close to 3. 1 dalmatian molly died after 1 of my sunbirst tetras have died. My other dalmatian molly is about to die because it swims on its side and I thought it was dead before because it wasn't moving or breathing and it was laying on its side. WHAT DO I DOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

dee34

hi there first of all do u have any testing kit for your water , if so test the water if your readings are high u will have to do a water change asap

Meenu

Hi, Welcome to FL. I'm so sorry about your fish dying.

You're tank is about 10 weeks old, and suddenly your fish are sick, is that right? Are you able to get a liquid test kit and test the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels in your tank? This information will be very helpful to try to help you.

Edit: Also, learning about the nitrogen cycle is key to maintaining a healthy aquarium. People are sure to provide the link in a moment (I'm sorry, I don't know how to do that).

Shawnie

welcome to fishlore!!
im sorry your fishies are passing..I would go out and find some prime or amquel+ asap and start doing daily water changes until you can get your own test kit...you need something to test for ammonia/nitrites/nitrates ..an API master liquid test kit has all that and allows you to do hundreds of tests ....good luck@! mommybaby

Jaysee

You have a classic case of too many fish in too small of a tank. Plus, it is not cycled meaning it's not ready to support fish yet.

Read up on the nitrogen cycle, then about the specific needs of the fish you have. It will be blatently obvious how you got to where you are, and what needs to be done.

Shawnie

can we welcome new members with valued information please TY

Meenu

There is a ton of information on this website and also on the forum. If you are like me, you'll obsessively start to read all of the information on here. I would start with the information on cycling your tank on the main fishlore page. If this is hard to understand, as it was for me, read a bit on the forum. Many of the moderators have explained the cycle in easy to understand terms on many of the threads.

Then I'd read the care sheets for each of your fish types. Although you already have the fish, these sheets are awesome - they provide invaluable information about your fish and how to care for each type. There is a list on the right side of the page that lets you link to caresheets for many different types of freshwater fish.

But of course, in total agreement with Shawnie, first things first. Look for a water conditioner called Prime. Amelquel Plus (not plain Amelquel) will work as well. Everyone is suspecting your fish are ill due to the presence of ammonia and/or nitrites in your tank. Adding one of these conditioners will detoxify your tank for 24 hours at a time. With daily water changes and a detoxifying conditioner, your fish have a better chance of making it.

Good luck. I hope this helps you.

Lucy

Welcome to FishLore
I'm really sorry to hear about your fish.
Could you clarify something please? In your aquarium info it says the start date is August 20, but your first post says it's only been 4 days.
Knowing which is correct would help the members give more accurate info.

I agree with the others about getting your water tested.
Post the results and hopefully we'll be able to help you further.
Here's the link to The Nitrogen Cycle

Best of luck.

Tony G.

Welcome to Fishlore!
Sorry you are going through trouble...

Lucy

Although it may seem obvious to experienced fish keepers, it's not to someone who is new to the hobby.
We can't jump to the conclusion that the tank isn't cycled unless we know the readings.
If this member knew what needed to be done, they wouldn't be here asking for help.
In fact, until we have more information, it's not clear what needs to be done.

Red-Fined123

Thank you. My mom (I'm not an adult!!!) is talking to Petsmart right now and I think she's taking me there tonight to get the testing supplies and treatments. Let's hope this works. If not well...

Lucy

When they check your water ask them to write down the readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and we can all go from there.
Try and avoid buying the testing strips, they can be inaccurate.
The API master kit is very reliable. It seems expensive but you get 100's of tests and it will last longer than the strips.

gremlin

I was reading in your aquarium info the types of fish you have. You picked some pretty fish! Unfortunately, you also picked fish that really aren't suitable for a 10 gallon tank.

You have a goldfish in there. Goldfish grow pretty big (12 inches or more) and need to be in at least a 20 gallon tank just for one all by itself with no other fish. They also do better without a heater, but all your other fish will need a heater to keep the water warm enough and at the same temp (not changing all the time). Goldfish are also heavy poopers. This makes ammonia in your tank which can kill your fish. Reading about the nitrogen cycle will help you understand how a healthy cycled tank handles the fish poop. If your tank hasn't been set up very long, then it probably isn't cycled (which means there isn't enough of the good bacteria in the tank to handle the ammonia from the fish poop). If you want to keep your goldfish, you probably should get a separate tank for it.

You also have listed a "sucker fish". Do you know what kind of fish it is or can you put a picture of it on here? If it is the "sucker fish" that I have seen at WalMart, then it may be a common pleco. These are also heavy poopers. They, too, will need a minimum of a 20 gallon tank. They can grow to be 12 inches long. I have two that I bought two summers ago. They were 1/2 inch long when I bought them and they are now 10 1/2 inches and 11 inches long.

Take some of your water with you to the fish store and have them test the water for you. Write down what the results are and what kind of test they use - test strips or liquid test kit and brand name of the test. Some tests are more reliable than others.

With all that said, try not to get discouraged. Lots of people started out the same way you are. Fishkeeping can be a very fun hobby, but there is a lot to learn (which can also make it fun). And of course, pictures of your fishies are always welcome!

Red-Fined123

The sucker fish is an Albino Catfish. And I fixed my problem. There was a really high ammonia level. I gave my goldfish to my uncle. Everyday I stare at my dalmation molly because he's the only one that showed symptoms of dying like the rest of my dead fish. But, he's pulling through. He can now swim to the top in less than 30 seconds. He was very weak.

Lucy

Happy to hear your fish looks better.
I'm glad you gave your goldy to your uncle, hope he has a large tank?

Keep doing daily water changes because your ammonia will continue to build until the bacteria that 'eats' ammonia has a chance to develop.
Did you get your test kit?
You'll need to check your readings often so you know when the cycling process is done.
Then you can go to weekly water changes and you'll be able to breath easier.

Meenu

And so will the fish.

Lucy

gremlin

I'm glad you got your tank all sorted out. Albino cory catfish are pretty cool fish. I love to watch cories looking for food - they never hold still! The goldfish will do much better in a separate tank from your tropicals. It was probably the source of the high ammonia. Your tank should be able to cycle now and your fishies should do much better. Still waiting for pics!