# Please Help!!Fish Keep Dying within 10 Hours!!



## SMOOOZZZ (Sep 24, 2012)

OK. I thought this would be a good please to come for advise. I bought a 29 Gallon tank as a Kitr at Petco about a month ago. It came with everything you need to start. I ran the tank for a week and bought two fish they died right away within 10 hours. Then I was told i need to add more to the tank and have the water tested. The water tested fine with no issues I even bought a 35 dollar kit to test all levels. and added the following:Nutrafin cycle,aquarium salt and tetra aquasafeplus. Bought two more goldfish they died. I then duimped the tank cycled it for two weeks and then tried two more fish they died. Went on saturday and bought geo liquid mineral magic. The water was cloudy for a day tried two more fish last night they are dead this morning..please help..


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

how are you acclimating them to your tank?


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## SMOOOZZZ (Sep 24, 2012)

Wow.thanks for the quick reply i put the bag in the tank and let it sit for 30 minitues and put a bit of my water from the tank into the bag. The last set of two were eating and pooping but then after 5 or 6 hours started to look bad and then this morning they were at the bottom of the tank.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

it could be bad stock... how have you cycled your tank? You could try drip acclimating next time to see if it will help.


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## jbrown5217 (Nov 9, 2011)

I would look up fishless cycling. Most (if not all) of the products that help to start a cycle really don't do to much.

Also drip acclimation as mentioned by manafel


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

Yeah. I would shoot more towards bad stock. You seem to be setting your tank up properly and letting them acclimate to tank temperatures. As long as the water their in and the water you put them in aren't completely polar opposite, I do not see why their dying. 

Doing like Manafel said with drip line acclimation will help the fish acclimate to more than water temperature. It will allow for nitrate, ammonia(Hopefully none), and pH adjustments as well. Also, keep chemical usage to a minimum. Don't let a salesperson walk you down an aisle and point to every D--- thing and say "Oh, you need this, OH, and this too." The less chemicals used/required, the better. An excess of chemicals can stress your fish out. 

Also, I strongly believe in the fishless cycle. Allowing for your tank to completely cycle and healthy bacteria to accumulate in your filter media and tank will help welcome your fish. Water temperatures can reach room temperature and you can regulate pH levels as well as neutralize nitrate/nitrite levels and eliminate ammonia. Research your fish before you buy them as well. Learn what range of pH they like and water temps. Good luck and sorry for your losses!


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## Aeten (Aug 4, 2012)

Why are you adding aquarium salt if you have goldfish


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## goldie (Aug 4, 2012)

SMOOOZZZ said:


> OK. I thought this would be a good please to come for advise. I bought a 29 Gallon tank as a Kitr at Petco about a month ago. It came with everything you need to start. I ran the tank for a week and bought two fish they died right away within 10 hours. Then I was told i need to add more to the tank and have the water tested. The water tested fine with no issues I even bought a 35 dollar kit to test all levels. and added the following:Nutrafin cycle,aquarium salt and tetra aquasafeplus. Bought two more goldfish they died. I then duimped the tank cycled it for two weeks and then tried two more fish they died. Went on saturday and bought geo liquid mineral magic. The water was cloudy for a day tried two more fish last night they are dead this morning..please help..


Hello Smooozzz

Just my opinion but if that was my tank i wouldn't put any more fish in there untill you get it sorted out. I think possibly the tank isan't cycled properly yet.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

are you using the heater that came with kit? Gold fish need cold water.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Hello, and sorry for your losses. I know how discouraging they can be.

When you cycle your tank, what are you using as an ammonia source? You need an ammonia source (fish, flake food, raw seafood, or pure ammonia) to feed the bacteria that will eventually colonize your tank. No ammonia = no way for the bacteria to survive. And no bacteria = spiking ammonia levels that will kill your fish.

You're also, I think, facing weak stock from the store as others have mentioned. But I suspect that they would fare better if you set up the cycling process the right way, i.e. without fish and with a source of ammonia, and get the tank nice and comfy for them. Then, as Kayla mentioned, try drip acclimating the fish.

Sticky on drip acclimation is here: http://www.aquariumforum.com/f2/drip-acclimating-fish-11327.html
Sticky on fishless cycling: http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fishless-cycle-15036.html


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## bigcountry10 (Sep 24, 2011)

Thats what I thought Aeten why and how much aquarium salt are you putting in the tank. the only freashwater fish you should be putting salt in the tank for is cichlids if i remember correctly, and that should only be a very tiny amount too. 

also, you don't need to be adding all that crap to your water, atleast not rightnow. you should read up on this stuff for a while before doing anything else. my recommendation is to go read this.
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fishless-cycle-15036.html
and then while your tank is takeing the month or so to cycle read as much as you possible can, and don't talk to whoever you have been at the fish store (if you have been)cause there just having you buy crap to buy crap.


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## gar1948 (Jan 25, 2012)

I think you need to do much more research on setting up a new tank. Don't listen to the guy in the pet store. Use this website for honest info.


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

Honesty, i would only suggest chemical wise to a pH regulator or equalizer, and Seachem Prime for chlorine, chloramine, ammonia and nitrate/nitrite detoxification. No more!


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

You shouldn't even be using ph regulator or equalizer as it will cause ph swings. If you need to low ph the best and safest way is to mix ro/di water with tap. Now if have low ph and need to raise it, get some crushed coral and either put into a mesh bag and add to your filter or mix some up into the substrate.


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## Brian757 (Sep 24, 2012)

susankat said:


> You shouldn't even be using ph regulator or equalizer as it will cause ph swings. If you need to low ph the best and safest way is to mix ro/di water with tap. Now if have low ph and need to raise it, get some crushed coral and either put into a mesh bag and add to your filter or mix some up into the substrate.


Your way is much better but I didnt want to delve into all that. But if you use pH Down in moderation, test pH levels; a pH chem will do as much good as mixing water. But yes, I guess we should be practicing safe habits


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## thriftygranny (Sep 3, 2012)

After reading all the posts (and they are great and right on the money too) I asked myself a question...Did you clean the tank with anything when you started? Did you use any windex or vinegar when you first got the tank? If so you might have a chemical in the water from the cleaning supplies. If so you will need to drain and refill the tank numerous times to be sure it is gone. Then you can start over.

Also were these the "feeder" goldfish? I tried them in the past and most didn't make it 24 hours.

I appreciate how frustrating this must be for you but hang in there, you will get past it.


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## crozzy (Nov 13, 2011)

I think you should start from scratch, strip your tank and start again.
I know thats a pain but there must be a reason for your fish dying, I mean whats the odds on every fish being from a bad batch.
Leave the salt out cant see why your using that?
Clean the substrate again make sure its really clean.
If you know someone with a system thats been running for a while ask for some of there filter medium,substrate and even some water just to kick start your filter.
You can always repay them with a fish or two.
Be patient, and never listen to shops they just want your cash.
The guys on this site know a lot more than some shops so read some of the posts.
Good luck.


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## cherk947 (Sep 10, 2012)

I had a similar issue like this. My tank was within the normal range for all rest (API Master Kit used) but I bought a fish from a local fish store and did the typical wait 30 minutes before I put just the fish in the tank. It was dead the next morning. I got a replacement fish and test the hardness of the bag water. It was very hard (they do this to prevent disease) compared to my soft water. I put the little guy in a bucket in the bag water and slowly over a few hours added my water to the bucket in small quantities. I have not had any issues with him since. 

I learned this from a guy who has been in the hobby for 10 plus years.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I don't believe in complete tank re-starts so much, but since the tank is empty and you have had a persistent death problem it would be easy now to alleviate the suspicion that something is in the tank. But....as long as you didn't use any chemicals to clean it out, and you did clean it out, I don't really see the need.

If you bought the test kit, what is your ph? A bottomed out ph will kill fish like what you have mentioned. Test your tap ph and then let some water sit out for 24hrs and test it and see if the value changes from the origianl tap reading. This will give you an idea of what the tank "should" have for a ph value. After you test the tank and if it is far off from the tap reading, then you may have found your issue. There are easy things to do to keep this from happening, like the mention of crushed coral above. Are you on water softened water? 

Have you tested for ammonia and what is the level? You need to read up on the nitrogen cycle. Letting a tank sit for a period of time may be called cycling the tank by some people, but the term cycling comes from the nitrogen cycle. Letting it sit for however long you choose does nothing to let the cycle progress - you'll know what I mean once you've read about it. The cycle needs an ammonia source which the fish usually provide, as mentioned.

My guess is the ph. Sounds like a sub 6 level in your tank....which will wipe out most of what you put in there.

Lastly, may want to re-think the fish. 2 goldfish in a 29g is just asking for more trouble later on. Also, stop adding anything but a dechlor to the tank. They will not correct your issues and are likely causing more harm than good.


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## Aeten (Aug 4, 2012)

Please excuse my double post but if I'm not mistaken SMOOOOZ you mentioned adding aquarium salt to your tank. Goldfish cannot tolerate salt or brackish water and I am guessing that this is what killed them


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