Help!

silverfang24 · 09-28-2007, 06:12 PM

I am so new to this fish ordeal! I was given a 35 gallon fish tank by a friend of mine. It came with some decoration, fake plants, heater, and parts to a filter. I ended up buying a new filter, gravel and a thermometer, along with some odds and ends. My husband made the mistake of telling our 2 year old that he would buy him fish before we even had water in the tank. Before finding out that you are suppose to allow your filter and water to set and run for 96 hours prior to putting fish in it we had purchased a snail, an algea eater, 3 tiger barbs, and 3 dwarf gourami. After having them for about 5 days we found 2 of our barbs stuck to the side of the filter. Within a couple of days our other fish started dying. We finally found that 3rd barb in a plant at a horrible level of decay. Our algea eater (its name starts with a P and I cant pronounce it, sorry) was sucked to the side of the filter and died, while the gourami are slowly dying off. I am lost, am I using a bad filter? Did they die because of the rotting fish that we couldnt find? Did I miss something? I feel bad they are dying, help please!

Jay · 09-28-2007, 06:21 PM

Hey silverfang24, welcome to our forums

The good news is welcome to the hobby

, the bad news is you have some serious problems

.

IMO I would go to our Article section and read about cycling tanks, IMO without involving fish. Then come back and ask questions and get answers to information you find confusing.

Regards,
Jay

cichlidgirl · 09-28-2007, 11:58 PM

If you keep anyfish still alive, do a 50 percent or little more water change, and then do 10 percent every day or every other day for about a month maybe a bit longer , your tank was not cycled and toxins build up fromthe fish and fish food. cycling a tank is when the water in your tank develops natural bacteria to get rid of 2 of the 3 main toxins. Your is not doing that, that is why your fish died, also make sure that you use stress coat or other chlorine remover in the tank and in all buckets of new water you pour into the tank. that should keep any fish still alive ok, but keep in mind they might be damaged internally now and prone to illness or other problems from being accidently poisoned .