# Just starting off - 2 casualties already.



## Dannyboolahlah (Jan 23, 2012)

New to fishkeeping. Bought a tank on Saturday after a couple of days of research, and got it up and running. 
It's a 30l tank with submersed heater and filter. 3 plants, gravel bed and one largeish ornamental rock. Everything washed before use. 
Got it all going for over 24 hours with nutrafin aqua plus and cycle in it. Put 3 zebra danios in today after reading up and finding they were good fish to cycle with. 
When I put them in I thought it was unusual that they were swimming right at the surface as if gasping for air, showing signs of oxygen deprivation or ammonia poisoning. Surely neither of these should be present in a new tank though?
Put them in at around half 4 following proper procedure, and have unfortunately lost two already. One at around half 10 and the other around an hour later. 
I had the misfortune of witnessing the second - he/she started flipping over and struggling to stay upright, but he was still trying for a good few minutes, slowly getting less active. 
After the first death I did a 20% water change (conditioned of course) to see if it would help, but the remaining two didn't change their behaviour. 

Other than taking the bodies and a water sample to my LFS in the morning, is there anything else you can suggest? 
I already feel terrible so please go easy on me and don't tear me a new one if I've made a stupid noob error. I spent the best part of two days researching setting up a tank and beginning the cycling process, but I'm well aware I may have made an error.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Did you acclimate them to their new water? It is important to do so. This is more involved than just temperature acclimation. You need to first float the bag that you get them in, in the water for 20 minutes. Then open the bag and add a little of the aquarium water to it. Keep adding small amounts of the water until the bag is full. Then take the bag out, put the fish in a net, and throw away the water that came from the pet store (you dont want that in your aquarium). Put the fish in the tank, and they should be happy.


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## Dannyboolahlah (Jan 23, 2012)

bmlbytes said:


> Did you acclimate them to their new water? It is important to do so. This is more involved than just temperature acclimation. You need to first float the bag that you get them in, in the water for 20 minutes. Then open the bag and add a little of the aquarium water to it. Keep adding small amounts of the water until the bag is full. Then take the bag out, put the fish in a net, and throw away the water that came from the pet store (you dont want that in your aquarium). Put the fish in the tank, and they should be happy.


I left it for 20 mins sealed for temperature, then added an equal amount of my water and left for another 20 minutes. 
I then tipped the stores water into mine. Have since read that this is a bad idea unfortunately. 

Since posting I've lost the third fish  as a lover of animals all shapes and sizes, I feel absolutely terrible.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Dannyboolahlah said:


> Since posting I've lost the third fish  as a lover of animals all shapes and sizes, I feel absolutely terrible.


Sorry to hear that.

Can you test your water for the following: Temp, pH, Ammonia, Nitrate

Sometimes tap water will have ammonia or nitrate in it. If the pH or temp are too radically different, then they may be shocked by that as well.

If everything still looks ok, then try drip acclimation. Here is a video on how to do this.
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## Dannyboolahlah (Jan 23, 2012)

bmlbytes said:


> Sorry to hear that.
> 
> Can you test your water for the following: Temp, pH, Ammonia, Nitrate
> 
> ...


Don't have a test kit as the LFS said he'll happily do tests whenever I need them. I'll take a sample in tomorrow, and post up the results. Is it worth taking the bodies in? Will it help diagnose the issue? 

Do you think the acclimation may have been the problem then? 

Thanks for your help.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Acclimation or chlorine or extremely different water conditions would be the only issues I could see. You said that you used a dechlorinator, and that you bought it from a local store. That would probably rule out the latter two. Acclimation is what is left.

Ammonia could be it, but it looks like the dechlorinator that you used also detoxifies ammonia (it removes chloramines).


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Even though the LFS will do your water test it is still a good idea to have a test kit. In my case I don't like to wait and also prefer to do my own test.


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## Dannyboolahlah (Jan 23, 2012)

I'll invest in a test kit then. Will they be able to test for chlorine? Would like to be able to rule it out. 

Thanks.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Buy this test kit. It's regarded as the best one out there.









It does not include a chlorine test. I think Tetra makes a chlorine test strip though.


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## Dannyboolahlah (Jan 23, 2012)

That's the one I plan to buy, seen it recommended a few times. Thanks.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Dannyboolahlah said:


> Is it worth taking the bodies in? Will it help diagnose the issue?


Sorry, I forgot to answer this question.

If you want to get new fish, some places ask you bring the fish and the receipt back (sometimes even a water sample). Others do not. It is not likely that they will be able to tell you the cause of death, unless the water sample shows a harmful amount of some chemical in the water.


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

As an aside, never EVER dump bag water into your tank. You never know what might be in it. I always net my fish from the container and gently place them into the tank.


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## Dannyboolahlah (Jan 23, 2012)

Just got back from taking a sample in:
No ammonia, high nitrites.
He said pH was fine, but I didn't think to ask what it was.
So it's somehow started cycling a lot before the fish went in, so the nitrite level has shocked them.
Been told to give it a few more days then take another sample in.
Will order my own test kit online.

Lesson learned about bag water, will net them in from now on.

How often/how much should I be doing water changes once the fish are in? Been told 10% a week is normally enough, but should be more for a small tank - which mine is.

Thanks everyone for your help.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

20-30% is good once the tank is "cycled". For a bare-bottomed tank, siphon off all the visible muck. For a gravel tank, wash 1/3 of the substrate. You may need more or more often until then.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Was there anything in the tank before adding the fish? Meat, food, plants, anything?

The cycle will not start without a source of ammonia. High nitrites could mean that there is ammonia in your tap water.


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## Dannyboolahlah (Jan 23, 2012)

Was plants in there before. And a tiny snail that I assume was a stowaway with my plants.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Did the plants die before you put the fish in?


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## Dannyboolahlah (Jan 23, 2012)

bmlbytes said:


> Did the plants die before you put the fish in?


Nope. Plants look fine.


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