# HELP! the lives of my fish are at stake!



## GDFish234 (Mar 27, 2009)

Please help me for my new tank is in shambles. I think I added too many fish too soon, but that is just one problem. I have a relatively new (1 week old) 29 gallon tank with 2 dwarf gouramies, 4 burmese boarder loaches, 10 tetras (a school), and 1 clown pl*co. I didn't know you had to let it run a month before adding fish. Anyway, its a disater! I have a *pH of about 6.0, an ammonia level of about 2.0ppm, a nitrite level of about 0.25ppm, and a nitrate level of about 5.0ppm.* Yesterday I made a 50% water change, using STRESS COAT to cleanse the tap, and started adding AMMO-LOCK and NUTRIFIN CYCLE to detoxify the ammonia and add the needed bacteria. However, all I think the chemicals did so far is partially cloud the water and lower the pH from 7.2 (original) to 6.0 (today). Is this normal or is there yet another problem? Please post all the help and advice you can give and don't let my fish's lives suffer for my mistakes.


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## petlover516 (Nov 12, 2008)

well the only thing to do now is keep adding CYCLE, get Ammo-Rocks, add a bunch of live plants, and switch from stress-coat to Seachem Prime. Cycle use a different strain of bacteria that could be more bad than good once u stop adding it. switch to Bio-Spira or whatever its new name is. AMMONIA IS WAY TOO HIGH AND SURPRISED THAT YOUR FISH ARE STILL ALIVE, especially the cardinal tets.


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## japan4racing (Feb 18, 2009)

i just went through a similar situation. i started working 10 hours shifts 6 days a week and have neglected my tank maintenance. my filter is a month and a half old or older and i lost a tiger barb last night and this morning and a rainbow shark tonight. i have moved the other 4 barbs, 4 danios, and 2 clown loaches to a 10 gallon tank i had for water changes. i did a water change and changed the filter this morning before work but it didnt faze my extreme levels. i had nitrate levels beyond 200ppm and nitrite beyond 10ppm! when i got home tonight i had a mega bacterial bloom so i transfered the fish to the other tank. i did a water change of about 75% of my 38 gallon tank...now im hoping it can get habitable for my fish...i really learned the hard way the importance of maintaining your tank!


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## aquaman (Feb 16, 2009)

Watch out when using certain chemicals to adjust water parameters. They work, However some fish stress more over quick or multiple changes in PH/Ammonia. But them again your levels or so HIGH you may have to use them regardless like PETLOVER states. If you do watch out for {swings/daily changes} in nitrite/nitrate/ammonia/PH.. I would do 50% water changes every other day OR at least 3 times a week. I would also add CYCLE to the tank, but make shore you add this about an hour after the water change. In addition feed your fish very little for the next week or so. If you have a friend with an established TANK, You can ask him for some of his Gravel, Put it in bags and sit them in the tank for a while. Good Luck. OH and crank up you air.


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