# Current killing fish?



## barbiegrl75 (Oct 5, 2011)

Okay so this may seem like a dumb question but it's the only explanation I can come up for fish dying... 
I recently bought 3 glofish for my 10 gallon tank (yes I know some recommend 20g but I'm not getting into that right now). I know all about the nitrogen cycle and how that works. I've been checking my water parameters every morning using the API master kit and doing a 5% water change almost daily yet 2 of my fish still died after only 3-4 days...I've noticed the one that is left is having trouble "hanging out" in one spot. Whenever he tries to be still he drifts a little then has to, I guess, stabilize himself? (which seems, to me, to be a bit of a struggle). When he's just swimming around he's fine. Which leads me to ask...is it possible that the constant fight to swim against the current is what killed the others? Or is that a ridiculous assumption?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

the current is not the problem....the danios kind of like it in fact...obviously something else is wrong...


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## barbiegrl75 (Oct 5, 2011)

well darn


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## ilovemyplaties (May 3, 2012)

Maybe cut back on the water changes and just do 10 % once a week. Maybe your fish are stressed? Do they have enough hiding places or are any fish agressive? anything like that?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

New tanks are hard on fish.


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## barbiegrl75 (Oct 5, 2011)

unfortunately my last little guy (who seemed healthier the day before yesterday and yesterday) died sometime during the night. I just don't understand...my water parameters weren't great bc I know it still had some cycling to go but the water was no where near deadly (I don't feel) and I thought I was getting a hardier fish that could withstand the rest of the cycling....this tank is starting to get discouraging.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Don't give up. Its a wonderful hobby (I say this even though I only have one tank). I spend a lot of time with my fish. DON'T GET DISCOURAGED !!!!!!!!!!! I hope you have better luck when you try to cycle the tank again. Maybe a fish less cycle?


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## Guest (Jun 10, 2012)

First of all, I don't think that glofish are all that hardy to cycle your tank with. Get danios, these fish are very hardy. If not, get a betta, bettas can withstand just about anything. Next, get some bacteria like StressZyme and follow the directions. I am not sure how often you are supposed to change your water during cycling the tank. But I would not change it as often as you did before. Maybe someone can help you with the water changing routine that you are suposed to do during cycling.


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## OhYesItsMe (Oct 1, 2011)

Do u know what fish u plan to have u should tell us and we can tell u the hardiest species that will work best to start of the tank. How about some Cory catfish?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

angelclown.....glofish are danios..zebra danios in fact...they are every bit as hardy as the regular zebra danios you see in the shops.......
i think the tank needs to be run in (cycled) longer...while i don't do fishless cycling it may well be better for a beginner....


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## Guest (Jun 10, 2012)

I didn't know that glofish are danios. That is cool. Learn something new every day.

Yes I agree with you loha, the tank does need to be cycled a bit longer. Also not so many water changes, let the fish get acclimated to the tank. Maybe do water changes every week, or every other week.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Were these fish from Walmart? That alone could be the problem.


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## barbiegrl75 (Oct 5, 2011)

I got my fish from Petsmart. I have actually had my tank set up for nearly 2 months before I actually put any fish in it. The only reason I changed the water so frequently was because I was afraid the ammonia levels would get too high. (i don't really know how quickly ammonia can build up in such a small tank with so few fish). 

This isn't the first time I've tried though. I had tried my first round of fish around September 2011 and I got three guppies (at this time I had very little knowledge about the cycling process and stuff). Within the week all three were dead, so I tried mollies yet again about 2 weeks passed and both of those died. Then I tried guppies again and, of course, they died...I hate killing the fish so I decided to wait til I came home (I was in college). During all these fish I was carrying the water weekly, maybe even twice a week, to Petsmart to test the parameters and of course they would tell me what I needed to do including water changes and getting the marine salt (whatever it's called). I felt like I was doing all I could and it would never work. So while I was "taking a break" I did a lot of research so that I would have a better idea on what to do. I got these guys on my birthday and was so excited because I felt like I was better knowledged and that these guys would actually make it this time...

To Angelclown: I actually did purchase and use Stresszyme the day my first glofish died (maybe it was too late). 

To OhYesItsMe: I like colorful fish like guppies, platies and such but I really want to stay away from livebearers and eventually I want to get a few panda cory but I've read that they are sensitive to water issues so I wanted to wait to get them until the tank was fully cycled and I knew everything was okay...I just really want to stick with small, hardy, community fish that are active top to mid level swimmers and I'd really like some color but I can live without colorful as long as they live...Like I said I'm getting to the point I just want anything that will make it. I thought the glofish were the best option because they fit all the criteria I was looking for at the time...obviously not.

I probably should slow down on the water changes, as stated. Like I said the reasoning behind it was because I thought they'd die from ammonia if I didn't (I AM a beginner and not ashamed to admit it haha). I still don't see how this could have killed them off so quickly...they didn't seem to be bothered when I was changing the water. I feel like my tank is cursed. 

Thanks for all the responses!


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

a couple of things.....
if the tank was set up for 2 months with nothing in it , then it really wasn't cycled....i don't cycle my tanks because i just don't have the time to have an empty tank laying around for 2 or 3 months...i really wouldn't recommend this for you as i have a little more experience in this area....the only water conditioner i use is "DECHLOR" by WECO...it does exactly what i need it to do and nothing that i don't need it to do.....
try putting some flake food in the tank every other day...then after about 2 weeks start testing the water...
another thing is that every now and then i run across a situation where nothing lives very long in a particular tank....one of our member ran the fish section of a large chain store...7 forty gallon long tanks...no matter what they did ; no matter what species of fish ; nothing lived very long in only one of the tanks..
i figured that it could have been either there was something wrong with the silicone or there was something next to that tank that got into it from the air...


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## barbiegrl75 (Oct 5, 2011)

wow well I hope it's not the tank! I'll definitely try out the food to get the cycling going...
a thing I failed to mention was two days before I got these last fish I put some ATM nitrifying bacteria in the tank...which is supposed to get the tank practically cycled right?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

it is supposed to just speed it up..1-2 weeks....


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

it is supposed to just speed it up..1-2 weeks....


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## yannis2307 (Apr 23, 2012)

yup i use nitrifying bacteria too....the one i use is jbl's denitrol, it's very good, it only needs ten days for the cycle, and in the second-third days of cycling you can start adding fish...


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## barbiegrl75 (Oct 5, 2011)

yannis2307 said:


> yup i use nitrifying bacteria too....the one i use is jbl's denitrol, it's very good, it only needs ten days for the cycle, and in the second-third days of cycling you can start adding fish...


okay so if I just try again with my bacteria and give it longer maybe it will work...Do I still need to add flake food to feed the bacteria? Or do I just add the nitrifying bacteria and leave it alone? I don't complete understand how the product works...Or should it have worked the way I did it? (add the product about three days before fish then did nothing til I added fish) If so I don't understand why the fish died...shocky mabe bc I did so many water changes, even though it didn't seem to bother them?


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## yannis2307 (Apr 23, 2012)

i spoke about the product I use, not about any nitrifying bacteria product. anyway, usually the products contain ammonia and everything the bacteria need to get a colony established in your tank. the appliances vary between products. the one i use needs aa dechlorinator first, because chlorium kills it's bacteria, and then after an hour you put a dose of the bacteria product. then, every day after that, you put half the dose you put the first day for ten days. you must not do water changes, because then the water will have chlorium again and you will have to use the dechlorinator again wait 1 hour etc. you can do water changes but id rather suggest not to. Anyway, the product must have instructions!!!!!read them!!!


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## barbiegrl75 (Oct 5, 2011)

The only instructions it has are the dosage amount and the temperature to maintain in the water... It doesn't say anything else.... And I thought the product you were speaking of was a nitrifying bacteria product of a different brand, I must have misunderstood...
Needless to say I still don't know what I'm supposed to do with it.


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## yannis2307 (Apr 23, 2012)

you are supposed to put a dechlorinator in the water before the bacteria product. buy one and put it according to the dosage it says. then, after one hour, put the bacteria according to the dosage it says. continue putting half the dosage it says for the following 9 days. You MUSTNT do water changes for those nine following days. clear?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

if your tank is set up just do a 40% water change...add some dechlor...add some of the nitrifiing bacteria.......just follow directions from there...no water changes for a week or 2..do not test water the first week..second week test every couple of days...you can start adding fish at the beginning of week 3....
i have almost a gallon of Seachem Stability sitting here that i really don't use...i should start selling it...lol


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## barbiegrl75 (Oct 5, 2011)

Well I guess I'll try one more time... Thanks everyone


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