Quote:
Originally Posted by Stitchawl
Grrrrrrr.... I am getting angry. 
I put in a new aquarium and I can't get the water balanced. The fish keep dying and the water goes from clear to cloudy to clear again!
Any of you who keep fish got any ideas?
Here is what I've checked so far;
1. The water is well aged, so no CL
2. The pH is 7 Perfectly neutral
3. The tank is only set up for a couple of days so overfeeding isn't an issue. Besides, I used to breed several different species when I was a kid, so I know how much to feed.
4. I've tested for Nitrates and for Nitrites. All normal
5. The fish come from healthy tanks as do the plants.
6. No plastics inside the tank other than the intake tube for a large filter. I've changed the filter material several times.
7. Fish food is a mix of TetraMin flakes and freeze dried tubifex worms, a combination I've fed for years.
So why are the fish continuing to die? 
Stitchawl |
A new fish tank has to cycle. New fish, new fish poop, new ammonia, new nitrites and new nitrates. About six weeks from experience.
Best to start with a couple of fish. Not neons (we'll discuss that at some further stage) other larger tetras are good.
A couple of fish only poop for a couple of fish. A lot of fish . . . well, they poop for more fish. The bigger the tank, the slower the reaction to toxic ammonia from the poop, the smaller the tank the quicker the ammonia effects the fish. A little tank will kill new fish really quick if new water is not provided to dilute the ammonia.
With any new tank add starter bacteria. (The start to the cycle) It will break down the ammonia to nitrites and different bacteria (that don't exist yet because it's a brand new tank) break the nitrite to nitrate. That's why it's best to start with fewer fish. If the water becomes acidic, the new plants can break down and stuff up the cycle even more. So use fake plants for a start up tank.
For a new tank I would suggest to replace a quarter of the water every 2-4 days for two weeks with new water that's had water purifier added. You can do it less frequently after that but check the ammonia levels. After 6 weeks you can go back to once a week. Then you can add fish, but slowly. You can extend the times for lager tanks (4ft) and reduce the time for smaller (2ft) The tiny tanks need more maintenance but repacing ALL the water removes vital bacteria required for the cycle so just replace a quarter to one third of the water per water change.
I suppose the key is: Small tanks need maintenance more frequently than larger tanks and tanks with more fish in them need it more frequently than tanks with less fish.
Attached is "Disky". We buried him last year, aged eleven.