Perplexing situation/long post, sorry.

This past week I bought a 10 gallon starter tank kit "for the kids" and proceeded to set it up. This is the first aquarium I've had as an adult and I've been researching a little about the hobby for a little bit now but, obviously, there is plenty to learn before getting started. I did not think about 10 gallons being too small for most fish, but I can accept this since I want to make sure I can keep a few small ones alive before investing in a much larger tank, which I plan to do if I can get this figured out. I'm having a bizarre problem and wanted to find out if anyone else has faced this particular scenario.

I bought the kit at petco on a whI'm with the kids (I know, I know), I let them pick out the substrate (1 pack of green and 1 pack of purple pebbles). We went home to get it set up before putting anything in. We got the gravel in and filled it up and started the filter. I went to a local fish store that has been in business in this town for a very long time so I figured that was the best place to go. The owner (and first guy I talked to) was very knowledgeable and helped guide me through the process, although he seemed a little disinterested to a certain degree. I didn't think anything about it really, just figured he was reserved. He kept his head down and talked quietly, nothing wrong with that. He mentioned that they used just regular tap water in their aquariums and that they've actually been telling people not to bother with the water conditioner. This was a first red flag for me because I had been reading extensively about the process. I assumed he knew a secret that the internet didn't, and he's been in business for decades, so I did what he said and didn't treat my water with conditioner. I walked out with 3 little white cloud minnows. I'm guessing it was his son that got them out for me (the second person I'll have talked to in this store). I asked him some further questions about introducing them and he said to just let the bag set for about 20 minutes and since their tap water would be the same as mine, I wouldn't need to acclimate the fish by adding 1/2 cup at a time. This was another red flag for me, but again, I thought they would know best.

I'm not surprised now that my poor little white clouds only survived four hours. I was a little devastated as this is a hobby that I really want to learn and this would be my first failure. I went to the internet and read more about introducing fish and water conditioner. I decided to go with my gut instinct and treat the water. I let it filter for over 24 hours with the water conditioner and took a sample to Petco to get it sampled, everything looked good according to the test strip. I went to the place I got my fish the next day to tell them about what happened and get more advice. I spoke with a lady (the third person so far at this store) and she denied that he would have told me not to treat the water. I chalked it up to a miscommunication and didn't think much into it because he was acting kind of quiet. She offered to replace my fish and that they would test the water if something happened to them. I asked her again about the introduction process. She said to let it sit about 20-30 minutes and then to add about 1/2 cup at a time till the bag was full. So I did. I bought a castle that my son picked out and she said to just rinse it and it would be fine to add.

I took my time introducing them (with the tank lights off like before) and filled the bag in increments until it was full, then released them as they wanted to come out. They were happy and so was I, oh and the kids were too. They swam and did fish stuff. I noticed a strong chemical/paint smell when I got close and decided it was the castle. I immediately took to the internet and all I could really find was that it would filter out and be fine, so I left it. The fish did great all through the night, I was up till about 5am researching about the fish and the cycling process. I left the tank light off all night and only turned it on the next morning at about 8ish.

By noon, two were dead and the third was acting bizarre. It was fluttering its little fins and seemed to not be able to fight the low current from the filter (its dead now). I had to be at class, so I took a sample of water and swung by the fish store. This time I got to speak with the same lady that sold me the castle and replaced my fish and I explained everything to her. She tested the water with liquid. The pH was perfect, no ammonia, and the tank (with two thermometers) has remained right at 78 F, which I've been told and read that white clouds will survive in. I told her about the chemical/paint smell from the castle and she said that would go away in a few days. She was baffled. She said something along the lines of sometimes certain fish just won't or can't survive in certain tanks. Another red flag, to me, because that doesn't sound scientifically sound. She stuck her head in the office and talked to (I'm assuming) the original guy I spoke with (the owner). She said they would replace the minnows with three black skirt tetras to see how that would go. I expressed that I didn't want to keep putting fish in to just kill them if there was something toxic killing them. I also said I couldn't get them yet because of class but that I could return later.

I went back in the evening to speak with the owner, he was busy, so I was approached by yet another lady (4th person with a 4th opinion). I started at the beginning and explained to her the same way I'm doing now. She got pretty defensive when I said what I was told about the water conditioner, but that's not something I would just make up off the top of my head. I explained that it was most likely a miscommunication and letting her assume I made it up so that I could move the conversation along to something productive. She then began to drill me about possible scenarios like maybe the kids poured something in, which could happen, but definitely didn't in this situation. This tank has become my baby and I want it to live, I'm not going to let that happen. Plus I was with them ALL day and put them to bed cause my wife was out of town. I then told her how I let the fish into the tank. She asked about how much air was in the bag because maybe in the introduction process, I deprived them of oxygen for too long and this maybe affected them in some way. I didn't want to be snippy back to her because I don't know that fish brains are exactly like humans, but oxygen deprivation just doesn't decide to kick in 15 hours later. I'm pretty sure its immediate. I also just want to know if I'm doing something wrong so that I can correct it and keep my fish alive. I even called my wife, who was home now, and had her smell the tank so I could describe the strength to the lady after we stood sniffing their other castles for 5 minutes. She said it wasn't as strong as before.

After several back and forth, seemingly pointless, ideas and scenarios, she finally says "let me go ask [the owner]." WHICH IS WHY I WAS THERE TO BEGIN WITH. I follow her to where he was so that I could correct any assumptions she had about how I set up my tank. He seemed annoyed because I was having trouble and said something along the lines of "here's what we'll do, go home, drain the tank, refill it and treat it for about 24 hours, come back and I"LL pick out your fish and if you want later you can trade em for something else." He was already the one that recommended the white clouds, but whatever. I asked if I should rinse everything off and he said no.

I drained the water, filled the tank back up, and added the recommended amount of conditioner. Almost exactly the same as before. I'll go back in a day or two and see what he recommends.

If you've made it this far, THANK YOU!!, but here are my questions:

1. Am I killing my fish somehow that I'm not aware of? Everything is brand new, rinsed and there has been no soap or other chemicals added.

2. Has anyone else experienced this, with fish dying in less than 24 hours? I know why the first 3 died, but not the next batch.

3. Should I be doing business with this place? Theres a Petco where I can get supplies if I have to, and another local shop that has been around a long time with a good variety of healthy looking fish. I actually went in today to check them out and ask his advice and the owner was nice enough but didn't even try to offer anything worthwhile or take my business. It was almost like he didn't want to steal a customer from the other guy.

4. Would the smell from the castle be the culprit, even though the lady said it wasn't?

Lastly, sorry for posting a book here. This is my first post here. I joined because I can't seem to google specific questions and get specific answers. I'm hoping to find that here. I don't wanna submit a pic of my tank till its worth showing and I can keep things alive in there.

Thanks!

 

Welcome to the forum
78 is too hot for WCMM(white clouds).
I would not go to that store anymore, they seem like they don't care about the fish.

Some questions,
Do you know the aquarium nitrogen cycle?
Do you have a test kit?
What filter?
What water conditioner?
What are your water parameters?

 

Thanks for commenting so soon. I was kinda worried that I would have to wait awhile before someone found my post!

I've read that WCMMs prefer cooler temps, but that because of breeding in tanks it isn't necessary to keep them in lower temps unless you want to bring out their color more. I want to eventually establish a tank that replicates the fishes natural environment, and my heater is a preset so until I can upgrade it I won't keep WCMMs if you think the slightly higher heat could be a factor. On another site I just read that they can live in water up to 90F. Not that I would try to do that, just that I've been told they are hardy and can adapt to different conditions.

I'm familiar with the concept of the nitrogen cycle, but still trying to learn more. My biggest question on that is how can fish survive in a tank for 6-8 weeks, or at least the first few weeks until the bacteria builds up enough to sustain them? I hate the idea of putting fish in a tank just to sacrifice them in order to get the tank established. Moral and financial dilemma.

I do not have a test kit yet. I've been trying to find one. I'd rather not give Petco any more of my money if at all possible. And the local place I've been going only sells individual bottles for raising or lowering pH. Although, in their defense, I might not know exactly what all to look for.

The kit I got was Aqueon. Heater is a preset and is keeping the tank consistently at 78F. The filter is Aqueon, as well; QuietFlow Aquarium Power Filter. Water conditioner is also Aqueon.

I'm not sure what you mean by what my water parameters are. Sorry. I'm new. Once I find out what that means, I will try to find out . If you mean specifics about pH/ammonia levels and hardness/softness, I have no idea. The two tests I've had done on my water have come up clean.

 

First off: Welcome to this forum. I think you'll find it to be friendly and very helpful.

But don't be dismayed if you get some differing opinions from various members. There's a lot to all of this, and people have different experiences and develop their own methods and approaches, etc.

But in general, you'll find a consensus about a lot of things.

You are doing and have done your homework, but are having problems. I don't mind long posts. I tend to make them myself.

Ideally, you won't add any fish until you've established the colonies of beneficial bacteria that are necessary to eat the ammonia that the fish will excrete into the water.

And that's what the nitrogen cycle is all about.

But. That doesn't likely explain the very rapid deaths of the fish so far.

Neither does the theory about oxygen deprivation. I agree with your thoughts on that.

It really does seem like they're being poisoned by something.

This could be the stinky castle. It's easy enough to eliminate that variable by just taking it out of the aquarium for now.

But it could also be from some cleaning agent or the like that's in the tank or on the gravel or anything that comes into contact with the water.

You didn't clean or wash the tank or the gravel using any sort of soap or the like, did you? It's very difficult to rinse such things off well enough to make things safe.

Ammonia is a killer for fish. Never use any glass cleaner on, in, or even near the aquarium.

What sort of water conditioner did you use? One that is highly recommended here is Sechem's "Prime". It is excellent.

You need to detoxify chlorine or chloramines that are in municipal water supplies to kill pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and protozoans, etc.

"Prime" and similar products are designed to do this, and the chlorine reactions happen very rapidly. Almost instantaneously.

People on this forum have differing philosophies about how to establish the beneficial bacteria (BB) in your filter system. The colonies of BB are necessary in the longer term for keeping your fish healthy.

Ammonia is highly toxic to fish, and since fish excrete ammonia, it builds up in the aquarium water. As the concentration gets higher, more damage is done to the fish, and eventually they'll die.

Having the BB established in and on the surfaces of the "media" in your filter system deals with this because one form of BB "eats" ammonia and excretes nitrite as its waste product. Nitrite is also highly toxic to fish, but...

The other form of BB eats nitrites, and poops out nitrates. Nitrates are somewhat toxic to the fish, but not nearly as much as nitrite or ammonia. So the BB constantly converts the ammonia into nitrite and the nitrite into nitrate.

You deal with the nitrate by doing periodic water changes.

That's it in a nutshell.

But again, it takes time for the ammonia to build up to a toxic concentration.

With those few fish in the tank, it would have taken many days for the ammonia concentration to build to the level that would outright kill the fish. So even though you do need to think about getting your BB established, this is not likely what killed your fish.

Thanks for commenting so soon. I was kinda worried that I would have to wait awhile before someone found my post!

I've read that WCMMs prefer cooler temps, but that because of breeding in tanks it isn't necessary to keep them in lower temps unless you want to bring out their color more. I want to eventually establish a tank that replicates the fishes natural environment, and my heater is a preset so until I can upgrade it I won't keep WCMMs if you think the slightly higher heat could be a factor. On another site I just read that they can live in water up to 90F. Not that I would try to do that, just that I've been told they are hardy and can adapt to different conditions.

Do you have an accurate thermometer to make sure that the preset heater is regulating the temperature at the point you desire? 78 is a decent "all-purpose" tropical fish temperature.

I'm familiar with the concept of the nitrogen cycle, but still trying to learn more. My biggest question on that is how can fish survive in a tank for 6-8 weeks, or at least the first few weeks until the bacteria builds up enough to sustain them? I hate the idea of putting fish in a tank just to sacrifice them in order to get the tank established. Moral and financial dilemma.

This is where you will find some disagreement. Some people advocate a "fish in" cycle. Others prefer a "fishless" cycle.

For a "fish in" cycle, you add a bottle of prepared bacteria solution to the tank with the fish. That "bottle of bacteria" is supposed to get the bacteria colonies established immediately so that the fish (as long as it's only a few fish to start) do fine, and then the bacteria multiplies and eventually, you can add more fish.

For a "fishless" cycle, you simply need a source of ammonia to "feed" the beneficial bacteria (BB) as the colonies grow. You have to find special ammonia that has no other ingredients (soaps, perfumes, surfactants). Then you add small amounts of it to keep the ammonia level high enough to nourish the BB as it's getting established.

For a fishless cycle, you can either use the bottled bacteria or not. Things go faster, of course, if you do use the bottled bacteria.

I do not have a test kit yet. I've been trying to find one. I'd rather not give Petco any more of my money if at all possible. And the local place I've been going only sells individual bottles for raising or lowering pH. Although, in their defense, I might not know exactly what all to look for.

It would be good to get a good liquid test kit. I get them from Amazon because it's cheaper than anywhere around here. Most folks here use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit. If you use that one, then you can compare your results with lots of other folks on this forum. So that's a benefit.

The kit I got was Aqueon. Heater is a preset and is keeping the tank consistently at 78F. The filter is Aqueon, as well; QuietFlow Aquarium Power Filter. Water conditioner is also Aqueon.

OK. That's all probably fine. Just so you can verify the temperature is really what you think it's supposed to be.

Is the QuietFlow filter one of the small ones that fits completely inside the tank, and hangs on the back? I actually like those. They are quiet, and because the pump is at the bottom, it's self-priming. Very trouble-free.

I'd be curious, though, about exactly which one it is because it will make a difference in how you maintain it.

I'm not sure what you mean by what my water parameters are. Sorry. I'm new. Once I find out what that means, I will try to find out . If you mean specifics about pH/ammonia levels and hardness/softness, I have no idea. The two tests I've had done on my water have come up clean.

Unless your pH is way out of whack, that isn't likely a problem. Most people advise against doing anything to adjust the pH. It's a real can of worms, and can cause all sorts of problems. Still, it'd be good to find out what it is.

The basic parameters, in descending order of importance are:

Ammonia concentration

Nitrite concentration

Nitrate concentration

pH

Hardness

The problem is that you may have some other chemical in the tank that is killing the fish. And a basic test kit may not find it.

Still, it would be helpful to know what all of those basic parameters are at because you're having fish die.

 

Very informative! I think that answers my question about the nitrogen cycle, I just didn't know exactly what my question was until now. I didn't know how long it would take ammonia to build up enough to kill the fish. So it sounds like, theoretically, by the time there is enough ammonia to be somewhat harmful the bacteria should already be doing its job and converting it to nitrites then nitrates?

I've seen a little bit about bottled bacteria, but didn't know if that was just a gimmicky money scheme type product. I'll research those with a little more credibility.

I have the outside therm-strip that came in the box, plus I picked up a floating one. I just now noticed that they're on the same side of the tank, so I'll probably switch one over to the other side, but they've both been consistent.

I *think* that the filter is supposed to be for up to 20 gallons, but yeah, its pretty quite. Pretty peaceful trickle happening over here while I'm trying to stay up working on a research paper for school. And yeah, it hangs on the back. At first glance it seems pretty simple, but then again, so did setting up a tank without killing 6 fish in less than an accumulate 20 hour period.

Also, I should reiterate that absolutely no other chemicals (soaps, cleaners, etc.) have touched any of my supplies. At least to my knowledge. I think I would have noticed if the tank had been repackaged, unless it had been sent back and professionally repacked and sold as "new."

I guess its possible that maybe residue from washing my hands at some point might have been involved, but I would think that if fish are that sensitive than no one who ever washes their hands would be able to keep fish.

Lastly, while their service seems a little dry, I am appreciative of the help I've received from our local shop. They could have easily just charged me for the second set of fish, but instead the owner is giving me another opportunity to start fresh with my tank and is going to provide another set of replacement fish. If it remains poor service or declines further, I'm not opposed to switching my business. But as long as they keep trying to help, I'll at the very least alternate my business until I build a relationship with one or the other.

 

Actually, it's not that the beneficial bacteria will become established fast enough to spare the fish from the ammonia, it's just that in your case, I can't see ammonia build-up being the cause of such quick deaths.

In your case, with just a few small fish in a ten gallon system, I'd expect it to take at least several days for the ammonia to build up to a deadly level.

With the right bottled bacteria, you can get the filter media well established with bacteria in about two weeks if everything goes well. Without any bottled bacteria, or "seeded media" from an established filter, it can take a month or more.

So I'm just saying that the rapid deaths you've experienced are not likely to have been caused by the fish's own ammonia excretions killing them.

So we need to look for another culprit.

It is possible that the water conditioner you used did not do the full job. Often, municipal water is treated with chloramines as the secondary disinfectant. Chloramines are ammonia/chlorine compounds.

Some water conditioners only deal with the chlorine. That, then, can free up the ammonia from the chloramines, leaving a fairly high level of ammonia in the water. So that's one possibility.

Prime, and some other water treatments, deal with the ammonia, too, by forming safe compounds from it as well. But again, this is just speculation. The water treatment you used may well have dealt with the ammonia as well.

I'm just trying to think of things that might be present in your water that could have caused such quick death in those fish.

 

Ahh, I gotcha. I think. lol

I thought that too, but we tested my tank water at the shop and it was free of ammonia. The conditioner had been in for about 48 hours at that point.

Tell me if I got some wrong info about this, but they told me that letting the filter run for 24 hours, even before adding the conditioner, would rid most (or all) of the chlorine from the water.

Oh, also I've got my tank filled to the black rI'm line so there's about an inch of space between the water and the rI'm of the tank. Plus the lid is designed so that there's at least another half inch. Is that too full? The filter keeps the water moving so I would think that puts enough oxygen in the water. I don't have an air pump, but with a 10 gal and the filter I don't think its necessary. Right?

 

Hello OP, welcome, sorry if I retype what's been said. IMO, the LFS is being bothered with all this work and didn't get the sale on the tank set up. Gee, the owner has all this work for 3 WCMM and all the new tank issues that go with it (either LFS). I'm not saying it's right, but how right is it to them? I did see your post giving them a little bit of a break, awesome.
Just start over with setting up the tank. Reclean everything with fresh water and set it all up. Then wait and do what you are doing now and research.
Good luck

 

I don't disagree that this might be the case, but to me, from customer service grows customer loyalty. I'll pay a little more for decent service and I'll repeat my business. My dad was with me when they replaced my 8.00 fishies and dropped about 60-70 for an upgrade for his tarantula tank because he liked that they did that. I bought a 30 dollar castle that I could have gotten online or elsewhere for cheaper because I thought they were treating me well enough to do so.

I don't buy into that attitude of dismissing someone because they didn't get my initial 50 dollar investment. I didn't get that particular vibe from them, really, though. Just poor social skills and possibly some inability to communicate consistent theories, seeing how I spoke to 4 different people and got 4 different ways of introducing the fish. Plus, after reading some of their reviews online it seems they treat people like that regularly but their experience balances out the bad reviews.

I'm not complaining about having to start over, especially if it will save my fish. I hope that I didn't imply that in any way. I'm complaining that my fish are dying and no one knows why .

I mentioned their attitude and behavior because I'm inexperienced with setting up a tank and wanted to find out from people who might know if I'm being jerked around a little bit or not. If its because I didn't purchase my tank from them, then I really don't care to do business with them. But I really don't think its that, just yet. Its a mom and pop place and while they have decent business, there is never more than 2-3 people while I'm there and I browse patiently till they've taken care of everyone else or approach me. I like looking around at all the cool stuff.

 

Welcome to FishLore! I'm sorry troubles have brought you here, but I hope you stick around!

I have 2 of the 10 gallon Aqueon starter kits in my apartment and I have to say that I love them. It's uncommon for kits to come with good equipment right off the bat, but Aqueon is definitely one of them that does.

I agree that the culprit is the castle. Not all ornaments are aquarium safe, even if they are sold for aquariums. That doesn't make sense, but it does happen rarely. Even if the smell is supposed to go away, don't leave anything in your tank that smells like chemicals. Maybe you can get your money back since it cost $30? Or at least exchange it for some silk plants, which the fish might like better anyway. Any reasonable shop should do that since their product was defective.

That local store sounds like bad news... I'm not sure I would let the owner pick out my fish next time if I was in your place. I don't think I'd go back at all, which sucks because we want to support mom n pop fish stores. But sometimes, just like any other business, they're not very good. I'm lucky to have a lot of choices when it comes to buying fish stuff in my area- The best shop is a local one, but I've never had a bad experience at my nearest Petco either. The worst shop around is actually a local one (ornery staff, sick and dead fish). Are there any further away places you can drive to? My favorite fish place is an hour away from me but it's the worth the trip every time!

For a bottled bacteria product that starts your Nitrogen Cycle (fish-in), I recommend Tetra SafeStart. I never start a tank without it!

It sounds like you're getting good advice from everyone else here. We're gonna figure this out and your tank will up and running without deaths soon

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Hello Chuck Wheat. Sorry for all of your troubles and glad that you are not giving up on owning an aquarium. After you get past all of this, it will all be worth it...I promise
This hobby has a steep and sometimes unforgiving learning curve. To me part of the fun is figuring out problems and fixing them.
The only thing I would suggest is to start from the very beginning as though you just bought everything. Clean everything in vinegar and water. Rinse rinse rinse and rinse some more. Get rid of the castle, don't ever use that one again regardless if the smell goes away, return as suggested. Set everything back up and take it from there.

 

I'll definitely be sticking around. All of the advice is great and its nice having a community of information to sort through!

I'm going to give this place another shot to help me get this sorted out. I'm going to give my tank another evening of filtering before going back there for fish. The guy said he would let me return the fish he chooses if I want to at a later date for something I would like more. But the thing is, for a starter fish, it doesn't really matter what kind it is to me. The white clouds were his recommendation to begin with and while they aren't the most sought after fish they're still neat and pretty. I'm sure whatever he decides will be fine and I'll find out as much as I can about them. I just don't want to keep killing them!

The last red flag on all of this is that when I asked about rinsing everything, he told me not to do that. Which doesn't make any sense to me, but I'm going to do it his way one last time. If it doesn't work, I'll know not to trust his experience.

We have another shop in town that has an equally impressive variety, but as mentioned before, I usually tend to support people who treat me right. While their service is a little dry, they have been more than fair with me; however in some situations, good service can't replace quality advice.

 

Ahh, I gotcha. I think. lol

I thought that too, but we tested my tank water at the shop and it was free of ammonia. The conditioner had been in for about 48 hours at that point.

Tell me if I got some wrong info about this, but they told me that letting the filter run for 24 hours, even before adding the conditioner, would rid most (or all) of the chlorine from the water.

Oh, also I've got my tank filled to the black rI'm line so there's about an inch of space between the water and the rI'm of the tank. Plus the lid is designed so that there's at least another half inch. Is that too full? The filter keeps the water moving so I would think that puts enough oxygen in the water. I don't have an air pump, but with a 10 gal and the filter I don't think its necessary. Right?

If your local water supplier uses plain chlorine as their only disinfectant, then it is true that it will dissipate in fairly short order. 24 hours is often quoted if you have good water stirring and surface exposure and movement so good gas transfer can occur.

But if the local water utility uses chloramine as their secondary disinfectant, that will not "gas off" from the water easily, so you must use a dechlorinator, along with something to lock up the ammonia that will be released.

I fill my tanks as high as you describe. I like them about that full.

You are probably getting adequate oxygen the way you have things set up.

Since it doesn't sound like ammonia is the culprit, and oxygen is probably good, and the temperature sounds reasonable, too, then it must be some other toxin that's been killing the fish.

You haven't used any cleaners or soaps, have you? Even reaching into the tank with some products on your hands can contaminate the water.

I agree that you should abandon the castle. And you should thoroughly rinse everything in the aquarium again, including the gravel and the filter along with its media. Very thoroughly. I'd use warm water. No soap. Use plenty of water.

Rinse repeatedly over a period of time to hopefully let whatever it is that's killing the fish dissolve and dissipate and be washed away.

Then, when the tank is full again, use the water treatment again, and let things run for 24 to 48 hours.

Then, if you want to do a fish-in cycle, add the proper sized bottle of Tetra Safe Start Plus along with just a very few fish.

Then you need to leave things alone for two weeks to let the bacteria in the TSS do their thing.

Feed the fish lightly during this time, and the ammonia they produce will nourish the bacteria.

Hopefully all will go well this time.

As for which pet store to use: It really comes down to the individuals who work there. Don't dismiss Petco or any other chain out of hand. You may find good individuals working at any store.

I get a lot of information from this forum in particular and the Internet in general. Then I shop for equipment and supplies where I can get what I need, when I need it, and for the best price.

But this town has no real specialty fish stores, so I haven't established any relationships with local experts. You have to play that by ear.

 

OP, I actually had a very similar thing happen to when I upgraded my tank from 20 gallon to 36g aqueon bow front. I forgot to rinse the new tank before filling it with treated water so all of my livebearers & juvenile fry died on me within 48 hrs of the being in the new setup. I was just as perplexed as you on why they died because my water parameters were perfect, I used my old filter w/seeded bb and I put in a bottle of TTS just to be safe. Only until someone on here mentioned if I rinsed out the new tank first before filling did I realize that was my big mistake. So morale of my winded story... Like many posts before me... Rinse rinse rinse! I'm thinking maybe aqueon sprays some toxic disinfectant or something on their tanks that killed your fish & mine. Since it's only 10 g, just start all over. Good luck!

 

OP, as long as you do whatever that LFS says what can he tell you , you've done everything he says. Also typically those stores will give you very little credit towards a new fish I wouldn't be surprised if he just gave you a few cents towards the purchase of a new fish in the future.
FYI white clouds are awesome

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Current Update: I drained the tank, as instructed by the LFS. Treated the water and let it run for approximately 36 hours. Went back and had a much more pleasant talk with the owner. He actually apologized for the last lady I spoke with and let me know that it wasn't me that he was upset about. He gave me a single black skirt tetra, which I just got introduced to the tank. It seems fine and happy for now. I'll update again after a 24 hour period. Hopefully by that point, we'll know we're in the clear!

Thanks for all the advice! I'm sure I'll need more at some point. Also, if by some chance one of you reading this happens to be the owner at that particular pet store, thank you for your patience and I hope that you don't think I came on here to air out any grievances.

 

How are things going now?

 

How are things going now?

So far so good, thank you for asking!!

Basically, I drained the tank and started from scratch, doing everything by the book. The original pet store I went to "loaned" me a black skirt tetra that I kept in there for a week to test the waters. When I returned him, I was hoping to get either a betta or some harlequin rasboras to be the new occupants. After a long talk with the owner of that place, I pretty much decided not to do business there anymore after he told me that I was reading too much. That pretty much ruined it for me there.

I went to the other LFS in hopes of getting the fish there. After browsing around for about 20 minutes with no one in the store I walked past the "office" where the door was cracked. I saw a bed, which I didn't think was a big deal cause its family owned and ran and maybe they just rotate staying there for security or to make it easier to work long days back to back. I still don't blame them for that at all...but I saw an arm and another persons face as I passed by and kept going. When I got about 3 or 4 tanks away, thinking that seeing me pass the door would encourage to have someone come out to assist me, the door slammed shut. So out of sheer awkwardness I browsed my way to the front of the store thinking how I could probably just get my own fish and leave money on the counter. But I just left.

My only other option in this town is a Petco...so I figured if the only two LFS in town don't need my business bad enough to adjust their customer service...I'll just shop corporate from now on.

I went to Petco and had a really good knowledgable discussion with one of the fish supervisors. I walked away with a dwarf gourami and he has been going strong for two days now. I couldn't be happier, currently. As soon as my tank cycles I'll be getting either some shrimp or a ADF or some really small schooling fish like neons or pygmy corys or something. That decision will be made later after more research.