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September 6th, 2008
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| | Fish Lore Newbie
| Not sure what I did wrong.
I have a 20 gallon aquarium down at my office, that I have had set up since May.This is my first time of ever having an aquarium. 2 months ago I also set up a 35 Hexagon at my home. Anyways yesterday I did a test strip test on the one at my office, and it had the Nitrates very high and the Nitrites were very good. I had just read a book and they suggested doing a 50% water change, so I thought it has been awhile so I would. I had to run to the fish store to buy some dechlorinator, and while I was there they asked if I had any freshwater salt and I said no. They said I should since we have very hard water. They said follow the directions on the package, which didn't say a whole lot other than to add 1 T per 10 gallons of water, which I did after my water change. I also added in some Stress Coat. I had to go to work this morning to pick something up and one of my balloon mollies was dead as well as a male fancy tailed guppy. Do you think it was the salt that might have done this, or did I do too drastic of a water change? I still have my male and female betta and they looked fine, my 2 bala sharks looked OK, I have 1 more mollie left and one more fancy tailed guppy.
I ran another test using the strips and the Nitrates seems Ok now, but just barely. It has a tinge of pink where as 0 would be white. I know everyone mentioned before getting the API Master test kit. I have it on order, but it hasn't come in yet. My other fancy tailed guppy does not seem like he is moving around like he should be. My other mollie seems OK.
Do you have any suggestions on what I should do so I don't lose anymore fish. Do you think it could have been the salt? I happened to see a thread on here last night and it sounds like most of you are not in favor of adding salt to freshwater aquairums. If you think it is the salt, what should I do to take care of the problem. I hate to do another drastic water change, but I will if you think I should. Today I planned on cleaning my 35 gallon Hexagon, but I am not putting the salt in, and I am not doing such a drastic water change.
Like I said, I am still learning. Between the 2 tanks I have lost 4 fish, and it seems like the more knowledgable I get, the worse I get. I think it might be more confusion than anything.
Thanks for your help | 
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September 6th, 2008
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| | Fish Keeper
| As far as I know, salt is pretty much for goldfish tanks. It helps there slime coat. Some Koi keepers use it as well. | |
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September 6th, 2008
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| | Moderator
| Quote:
Originally Posted by dianeej  I have a 20 gallon aquarium down at my office, that I have had set up since May.This is my first time of ever having an aquarium. 2 months ago I also set up a 35 Hexagon at my home. Anyways yesterday I did a test strip test on the one at my office, and it had the Nitrates very high and the Nitrites were very good. I had just read a book and they suggested doing a 50% water change, so I thought it has been awhile so I would. I had to run to the fish store to buy some dechlorinator, and while I was there they asked if I had any freshwater salt and I said no. They said I should since we have very hard water. They said follow the directions on the package, which didn't say a whole lot other than to add 1 T per 10 gallons of water, which I did after my water change. I also added in some Stress Coat. I had to go to work this morning to pick something up and one of my balloon mollies was dead as well as a male fancy tailed guppy. Do you think it was the salt that might have done this, or did I do too drastic of a water change? I still have my male and female Betta and they looked fine, my 2 bala sharks looked OK, I have 1 more mollie left and one more fancy tailed guppy.
I ran another test using the strips and the Nitrates seems Ok now, but just barely. It has a tinge of pink where as 0 would be white. I know everyone mentioned before getting the API Master Test Kit. I have it on order, but it hasn't come in yet. My other fancy tailed guppy does not seem like he is moving around like he should be. My other mollie seems OK.
Do you have any suggestions on what I should do so I don't lose anymore fish. Do you think it could have been the salt? I happened to see a thread on here last night and it sounds like most of you are not in favor of adding salt to freshwater aquairums. If you think it is the salt, what should I do to take care of the problem. I hate to do another drastic water change, but I will if you think I should. Today I planned on cleaning my 35 gallon Hexagon, but I am not putting the salt in, and I am not doing such a drastic water change.
Like I said, I am still learning. Between the 2 tanks I have lost 4 fish, and it seems like the more knowledgable I get, the worse I get. I think it might be more confusion than anything.
Thanks for your help | Hello Dianeej
It sounds like the possibility that your major water change affected the fish. Even tho your Nitrates were very high and the water did need to be changed, the drastic change in the water chemistry may have affected the fish, (the 50% water change).
Mollies are supposed to do pretty well with some salt in their tanks so I do not believe that is what killed one of your mollies. I do believe that the salt may have killed your guppy tho, the culprit could have also been the mollies or the Betta's, its hard to say and members with more knowledge on guppies may be along to give you a hand with that..
The fish can sometimes acclimate to the bad water but a drastic change in w. chemistry can affect them even more so.
Also as you already know the test strips are very unreliable and you are fixing that with the order of the API test. 
You should do a water change once a week on your tanks and use a vacuum to clean up any debris in the gravel, that will keep your nitrate levels down. Dont worry about a little nitrate showing, most established tanks will show some nitrates. Its the nitrites and ammonia that are the killers.
I see that you have a male and female Betta in that 20g tank. These two should never be in the same tank together. Betta's do best in their own tank and a male can and will most likely kill a female in his tank.
BTW.. welcome to fishlore!  | |
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September 6th, 2008
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| | King of Curt
| http://www.fishlore.com/WaterChemistry.htm http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm
Please read those. Ask us anything you do not understand.
Bala Sharks shouldn't be kept with smaller fish such as guppies and mollies. Bala sharks also get large enough to need a 75g-100g tank minimal, by full adult size.
I assume your bettas are Betta Splendens. Those are the 'Siamese fighting fish'/'fancy bettas' that the pet stores sell. Betta Splendens should not be kept together in such a small area due to their aggression. They've been domesticated for over one thousand years in which time they were bred for their aggression as well as their looks.
The only cases I've heard of a male and female being together successfully is when kept in large ponds (1000+ gallons) that are heavily planted and heated to stay 75-82 degrees farenheit. | |
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September 6th, 2008
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| | Fish Lore Newbie
| Thank you for the info. I kind of think it might have been the drastic water change also. I read a book night before last on Aquariums and he suggests defintely doing a 1/4 water change weekly, but if you can to do a 50% water change, that would be even better. I had the time so thought 50% would be good. I was so wrong.
Do you guys recommend a 1/4 water change weekly, along with the gravel cleaning?
As for the Bettas I have a male and female betta in both of my tanks. I went by the recommendations of the fish store. I can't really blame them totally. I should have done my homework, but I asked them for all friendly fish. However, I have never seen either one of them agressive at all. I have had the pair at work since I first started my tank in May and the pair at home since I started this tank 2 months, ago. The weird part is, I started my tank at home with little guppies that the fish store just gave me to help establish my tank. Since then I have had a couple of babies show up. I was told that the male betta would eat them, and probably the other ones also, but so far he hasn't which really surprised me. He goes right up to them. One has grown big enough now to swim out in the middle of the tank and the other one I just spotted this morning, and is very tiny. Both Bettas seem so docile. I believe what you are saying, so please don't misunderstand me, they both seem so mellow.
I will run down to work tomorrow and see if I have any fish left. I now know about the bala sharks also and how large they will get. They were very small when I first bought them. I also had 2 clown loaches, but I gave those away Friday to a girl who has a 75 gallon tank. There were really getting big. I will probably have to do the same thing with the bala sharks, if I have any left that is.
Thank you for all of your help. I wish I would have found this forum before I even set my tank up. At least I would have known which fish to stay away from. | |
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September 7th, 2008
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| | Moderator
| Quote:
Originally Posted by dianeej Thank you for the info. I kind of think it might have been the drastic water change also. I read a book night before last on Aquariums and he suggests defintely doing a 1/4 water change weekly, but if you can to do a 50% water change, that would be even better. I had the time so thought 50% would be good. I was so wrong.
Do you guys recommend a 1/4 water change weekly, along with the gravel cleaning?
As for the Bettas I have a male and female betta in both of my tanks. I went by the recommendations of the fish store. I can't really blame them totally. I should have done my homework, but I asked them for all friendly fish. However, I have never seen either one of them agressive at all. I have had the pair at work since I first started my tank in May and the pair at home since I started this tank 2 months, ago. The weird part is, I started my tank at home with little guppies that the fish store just gave me to help establish my tank. Since then I have had a couple of babies show up. I was told that the male betta would eat them, and probably the other ones also, but so far he hasn't which really surprised me. He goes right up to them. One has grown big enough now to swim out in the middle of the tank and the other one I just spotted this morning, and is very tiny. Both Bettas seem so docile. I believe what you are saying, so please don't misunderstand me, they both seem so mellow.
I will run down to work tomorrow and see if I have any fish left. I now know about the bala sharks also and how large they will get. They were very small when I first bought them. I also had 2 clown loaches, but I gave those away Friday to a girl who has a 75 gallon tank. There were really getting big. I will probably have to do the same thing with the bala sharks, if I have any left that is.
Thank you for all of your help. I wish I would have found this forum before I even set my tank up. At least I would have known which fish to stay away from. | Hi Dianeej
It makes me so angry when I hear things like this from fish store employee's. They are out to make a buck and do not care about the fish at all. How they can say that the female and male Betta would be ok in a tank together, and yet, keep them all separated in cups for a good reason and not in a community tank is beyond me! Also the idea that guppies would be good starter fish for cycling a tank? What terrible advice and I would not be looking for that employee to answer my fish questions again if I were you.
For these reasons its a great idea to do research first on the fish you would like to keep before buying them.
So far you have been lucky with the Betta combo in your tank, may be that they are very very young... But its best to keep and eye on them, since the aggressive behavior can appear almost suddenly and I hope that you have a small tank available and be ready for that time when it comes.
Folks here are very helpful and feel free to ask away with any questions you may have and please.. as a lot of us have learned here, just because someone works in a Fish store, does not make them a fish keeper w/ experience. Their job is to sell fish... and make money... and sell more fish! | |
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September 7th, 2008
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| | King of Curt
| The large waterchange would only harm the fish if something were different about the water going back in as opposed to the water already present to which the fish are acclimated.
Waterchanges stress the fish slightly, but if done carefully (not sloshing the water around or chasing fish with the tube(s)) you should be fine. Some of the people working with some of the more needy fish, like Discus, end up doing daily waterchanges on their babies to make sure they grow properly.
But if your job has city (municipality) water supply the water could, and very well might, change on a day to day basis. They can put chemicals in the water that are considered to be in small enough concentrations for human consumption. We had a friend that had well over 500 bettas and the city put a pipe re-hardening chemical in the water. That chemical ate the flesh off of every betta they had, but was considered "safe" for human consumption. (Sorry for semi-off topic story, but just goes to show what happens to city water supplies.)
Thank you Dianeej for showing interest in your fishes' well being. So many new comers only want what looks pretty without any regard for its health. You are to be commended on that. | |
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