New Tank, Water Test Fine, Fish Keep Dying

We bought my son a 5 gallon tank for his birthday. Per the pet store I set it up and ran the filter for 24 hours. We bought some glofish and I acclimated per their directions, float bag for 15 mins, net fish, do not put store water in tank. 2 died within a day. The remaining 2 looked ok, the water got a bit cloudy but everything I read said just leave it alone. Then another died. I took the water to the pet store and she said the ph was too low. Do 100% water change. Use tap water with stress coat (I just used bottled water the first time). Followed those instructions and our one fish survived. 24hrs later tested water at the store, she said it was perfect. Took 5 glofish home. (perhaps this was too many? although our lone survivor had already started hanging out near the top before the new fish were added) Acclimated per their instructions. Immediately all the fish look terrible. Hanging around the top, gulping for air. Within hours 3 are dead. As a last resort I begged the pet store for water from their tank, bought a cheap 2.5 gallon, and put my 3 survivors in it. They almost instantly looked better. Now they are swimming around acting normal in their temporary tank. WHAT IS GOING ON?!?!?!
I had fish tanks when I was younger and NEVER had so much trouble. We just dechlorinated the water, ran it for a day, put the fish in and boom, fish tank.
My son is heartbroken. He keeps getting a pink one and naming it "sweetie" and damned if that isn't the one that dies every time and then he cries and tells me he loved that one the best. I can't take it. And I can't kill anymore of these poor little fish. It's keeping me up at night. HELP!

 

I would let your 5 gallon run longer just to build beneficial bacteria. What were the results from the water tests? Also, which GloFish are you getting? I believe they may need a bigger tank but regardless let’s help you with your water first. When I get new fish I like to let my fish float for about 20 minutes, then I’ll add some of my tank water into the bag, wait 5 minutes, and then repeat the process twice. Finally I release them into the tank without contaminating my water with the store water (which you did). Using this method the fish can get used to your water parameters as well as the temperature since floating only adjusts them to the temperature change

 

The cloudy water means the beneficial bacteria are starting to grow. Add your fish in slowly (2 per week) so the nitrogen cycle doesn't get thrown off. Add a few live plants to help the bacteria cope with the ammonia. I suggest anubias plants as they are hardy and don't require much maintenance. Do you have a heater and a filter for your tank? A 5 gallon tank can't hold much fish, maybe get a betta and some snails. Also what type of glofish did you get?

 

Dont worry its not your fault Pet stores are bad for advice. Firstly you need to learn the Nitrogen cycle. It should of came up as a link for you to check. 2nd a 5 gallon is probably to small for a school of glofish I would consider either upgrading to a 10 gallon or rethinking your stock.

Also whenever you change water you need to add a dechlorinator.

 

Take a breath and then read.

First ignore everything fish store tells you, they don’t know anything and lie.

First to properly acclimate new fish you need to acclimate them to temperature and water parameters. Float bag for a while to equalize temperature. Then (and arguably even more importantly) slowly add tank water to bag, about 1/4 cup every ten minutes for at least two hours when bag gets too full you can drain some water from bag. There is a way to do this using tubing to slowly drip tank water into bag if you felt adventurous (drip acclimation). If tank parameters differ too much from store parameters the shock from a quick change in parameters can Kill fish (alot of times if the fish die with in 24 hours it’s because they weren’t acclimated properly)

Your tank isn’t cycled, running filter for 24 hours does nothing As the fish pees and poops and you feed the fish ammonia is being produced which is killing the fish slowly. You need to read up on fish in cycling. Either buy tetra safe start and dose accordingly (make sure you haven’t used water conditioner in 24 hours and don’t touch water for two weeks after using). OR buy prime, test water daily anytime ammonia or nitrite reaches 1 ppm it higher do water changes to lower them both below 1 ppm and dose with prime daily. Once ammonia and nitrite spikes and then goes down and stays at zero and you have nitrate your tank is cycled.

A 5 gallon tank is too small for most fish, while this may not be killing your fish today it will cause problems I believe there is a thread for stocking 5 gallons but I suggest a single brta

 

The cloudy water means the beneficial bacteria are starting to grow. Add your fish in slowly (2 per week) so the nitrogen cycle doesn't get thrown off. Add a few live plants to help the bacteria cope with the ammonia. I suggest anubias plants as they are hardy and don't require much maintenance. Do you have a heater and a filter for your tank? A 5 gallon tank can't hold much fish, maybe get a betta and some snails. Also what type of glofish did you get?

I think they are danios (?) They are the smallest ones, the minnow looking ones. They were the only ones that were recommended for a small tank, all the others said at least 10 gallons. The glofish website says one to two fish per gallon of tank water, but that seems like way too many. We did initially have a female betta (for less than a day) but she jumped out of the tank, even though it had a lid! There was a tiny opening around the filter. I found her on the floor. (that is a whole other story)

Take a breath and then read.

First ignore everything fish store tells you, they don’t know anything and lie.

First to properly acclimate new fish you need to acclimate them to temperature and water parameters. Float bag for a while to equalize temperature. Then (and arguably even more importantly) slowly add tank water to bag, about 1/4 cup every ten minutes for at least two hours when bag gets too full you can drain some water from bag. There is a way to do this using tubing to slowly drip tank water into bag if you felt adventurous (drip acclimation). If tank parameters differ too much from store parameters the shock from a quick change in parameters can Kill fish (alot of times if the fish die with in 24 hours it’s because they weren’t acclimated properly)

Your tank isn’t cycled, running filter for 24 hours does nothing As the fish pees and poops and you feed the fish ammonia is being produced which is killing the fish slowly. You need to read up on fish in cycling. Either buy tetra safe start and dose accordingly (make sure you haven’t used water conditioner in 24 hours and don’t touch water for two weeks after using). OR buy prime, test water daily anytime ammonia or nitrite reaches 1 ppm it higher do water changes to lower them both below 1 ppm and dose with prime daily. Once ammonia and nitrite spikes and then goes down and stays at zero and you have nitrate your tank is cycled.

A 5 gallon tank is too small for most fish, while this may not be killing your fish today it will cause problems I believe there is a thread for stocking 5 gallons but I suggest a single brta

Thanks for the advice. After 7 dead fish in 2 days I've realized I should ignore the pet store advice. My short question is about the safe start. I added it in last night, but I was too tired and too traumatized to try to put the fish back in. But I also had recently done a water change and used the StressCoat to condition the water. Should I put more Safe Start in? I had read a bit about the two not being compatible but still don't understand the what the remedy is if I have already done it wrong.

I learned about cycling in my searches yesterday. But we definitely did not to this with my fish tanks when I was younger. I kept 3 platys in a 2.5 gal for a couple years. I didn't even have a filter! I would take the fish out and do 100% water changes. Based on what I have read it seems that its only a miracle from the heavens that they lived.

 

Welcome to FishLore!

Unfortunately, the Tetra SafeStart (TSS) will not work now due to improper use. TSS is a great product, but needs to be used in strict accordance with the directions. But sadly TSS doesn't include directions (kind of a Catch 22 as it were).

So here is what you should do:
1) Do a water change to get ammonia and/or nitrites as close to 0ppm as possible. (You may had already done this)
2) Wait a minimum of 24 hours. (Very important since use of any water condtioner less than 24 hours before adding TSS will cause it to fail)
3) After you 24 hour wait, add an entire, well shaken, appropriate size bottle of TSS.
4) Add fish within 2 hours. (You can actually put the fish in, then immediately pour in the TSS)
5) Do nothing but lightly feed your fish for next 14 days. (no water changes, no adding chemicals, I even recommend against testing unless you fish look stressed)
6) On day 14 test your water and if all worked correctly...you're cycled.

Best of Luck!

 

Unfortunately danios are very active fish and do need a bigger tank. It’s weird the Betta jumped out, maybe keep plastic wrap over the hole?

 

OP, hopefully you figure out why your source water at home can't support a new fish for 24hrs. That should be your first thing to tackle. Then do what the others are saying.

 

Danios are very active fish that should be kept in schools of at least 6. 5 gallons is much too small, and I'd even say that a 10 is too small too. I'm pretty sure 20 long is the minimum recomended size for danios.

 

Danios are very active fish that should be kept in schools of at least 6. 5 gallons is much too small, and I'd even say that a 10 is too small too. I'm pretty sure 20 long is the minimum recomended size for danios.

Yah you are right. I swear zebra danios are the most ADHD fish i've ever had

 

They really are! I guess I like them so much because they remind me of me!

 

I would let your 5 gallon run longer just to build beneficial bacteria. What were the results from the water tests? Also, which GloFish are you getting? I believe they may need a bigger tank but regardless let’s help you with your water first. When I get new fish I like to let my fish float for about 20 minutes, then I’ll add some of my tank water into the bag, wait 5 minutes, and then repeat the process twice. Finally I release them into the tank without contaminating my water with the store water (which you did). Using this method the fish can get used to your water parameters as well as the temperature since floating only adjusts them to the temperature c

My water continues to test no nitrate, nitrite, or ammonia. Even in the midst of the fish kill it tested 0 ammonia. I had 3 survivors at that point to I moved them out. To clarify, I didn't put store water in my tank. I got 2 gallons of store water and set up a second minI tank to at least keep the fish alive while I figured out what the **** was going on in my tank. They made it through the night in the minI tank but I knew that set up wasn't going to last long. I don't know how long it would take 3 little danios glofish to pollute a 2.5 gal tank but I didn't want to find out. I put them back in my tank today using the acclimation method mentioned a couple times in this thread. (which is how I always used to acclimate my fish, but again, just trying to follow the "expert" pet store directions)

The rest of this reply is mostly a vent. It SUPER frustrating that I was essentially set up to fail. This large pet store chain, that shall remain un-named but starts with a P, clearly said 3 gal was the minimum tank size for this fish. It's written right on the tag! Even the Glofish and Tetra websites are incredibly unhelpful! Glofish says they can't recommend a tank size (what?!) and Tetra has very vague instructions for their products. Argh!

Of my 3 left, the two from the second batch seem to be doing well so far. But my guy from the first batch, who has held on through everything, is not looking good and for some reason that is making me super sad, that after all this he probably won't make it. I hope my little guys pull through, but if they don't, do they have pink betas? I have to get one and name it Sweetie.

 

What do you use for testing your tank water? Test strips aren't that effective (the pet store uses these cause they are cheap). Try getting an API master test kit if its within your budget. If your water tested 0 ammonia, it might be sudden ph changes. It won't take long for 3 danios to pollute a 2.5 gallon tank, they will also be stressed from the small tank size and the small school size. Do water changes daily if you are going to keep your fish like that temporarily. Make sure to dechlorinate the water and add the quick start/beneficial bacteria thing. You could return them to the pet store and buy new fish when your bigger tank is set up. Your fish will probably die at the pet store though, unless a fish keeper comes along and buys them .

 

It’ll get better! It’s hard receiving bad in-store advice. You may have to hunt for an all pink Betta but you never know which fish will catch your kid’s eye. Even if you don’t find it at the first store you go to at least you can try again another day while the tank stablizes

 

have you tried Seachem Prime?

I setup my 1st patio ponds 2 months ago without knowing about the nitrogen cycle. I had 0 ammonia but very high nitrites, like 6-8ppm. my feeder goldfish started dying. after some research, I bought a big bottle of Prime and did the overdose everyday for about a week until my nitrites dropped to 0.

btw, Prime does not get rid of ammonia or nitrite. it somehow makes them non-toxic for about 24 hours or so.

 

Well my 3 little guys made it. The Tetra Safe Start must have worked even though I used it incorrectly. I also acclimated the fish over a longer period of time and added the tank water to their bag. I think this was the biggest help. But also I added a heater and a bubbler (which the pet store said I didn't need but I'm not listening to them anymore). So since several factors changed its really difficult to figure out where to point the finger.
It's clear the tank is too small for them, though. There are only three, maybe I could fit a fourth, but they are picking on each other a bit. Which I read can happen when you don't keep enough of a schooling fish. I had been waffling on a bigger tank and am now kicking myself that I didn't (again, bad advice). But we really only have room for a ten gallon, MAYBE 15 if it has a small footprint. If we do upgrade, do you have a resource you like for tanks? Maybe online? I don't want to have to go back to the chain pet store...

Thanks to everyone for all the advice and encouragement so far. It has been so helpful.

 

Well my 3 little guys made it. The Tetra Safe Start must have worked even though I used it incorrectly. I also acclimated the fish over a longer period of time and added the tank water to their bag. I think this was the biggest help. But also I added a heater and a bubbler (which the pet store said I didn't need but I'm not listening to them anymore). So since several factors changed its really difficult to figure out where to point the finger.
It's clear the tank is too small for them, though. There are only three, maybe I could fit a fourth, but they are picking on each other a bit. Which I read can happen when you don't keep enough of a schooling fish. I had been waffling on a bigger tank and am now kicking myself that I didn't (again, bad advice). But we really only have room for a ten gallon, MAYBE 15 if it has a small footprint. If we do upgrade, do you have a resource you like for tanks? Maybe online? I don't want to have to go back to the chain pet store...

Thanks to everyone for all the advice and encouragement so far. It has been so helpful.

Great to hear! I would find a small Mom and pop shop and buy from them. Besides supporting local businesses they tend to be a little more knowledgeable. I like getting my lights, heaters, and filters all on amazon but because of shipping I like the in store tanks