Am I doing something wrong?!?!?!

[MartinS]

[EDIT]Just re-read this and realised it reads like I'm having a pop at you - definitely NOT, and apologies if it reads that way![/EDIT]

Kate
As ex-employee of aquatic shop (for many years), everything said above is what you should have been told. We had customers who 'knew better' and we would sell them at their own risk, but as mentioned above, would always recommend doing it slowly.
Personally, I can't see the point of adding 'cheap' fish to start the cycle running, especially if theya re not fish you want to ultimately have in your tank. The best suggestion is to try and have some idea of what you want to have swimming around your tank, and add a couple at a time, therefore not ending up with a random 'tester' occupant that you can't catch, don't want and doesn't fit in with the type of fish you keep.
It is not nice to lose fish, but hopefully you will have learnt a lesson and not make the mistake of thinking that all shops know their stuff. Best thing to do is, if you haven't already, get a good book on the subject, read up as much as you can, and as everyone else has said, just take it slowly. A tank that is allowed to progress naturally will ultimately evolve so much better than if forced into life with chemicals and over-stocking.
I'm sure it will all come together eventually, just don't add any more fish, do regular water changes (25% twice a week for the moment, with the water at the same temperture as you tank, treated with de-chlorinator), and thens as things start to settle down, you can start to do less water changes (say once every one to two weeks), and most importantly keep the feeding to a minimum. I'd recommend a small pinch (if using flake) once every other day for the moment, and then once sorted, feed them once a day, and give them at least one (preferably two) days a week off from feeding (they wouldn't be fed in the wild!).
Good luck, and keep us informed on how it goes
Regards
Martin

[Garf]

Originally Posted by Kate

I did what the fish shop people told me to do, which was put the bacteria and chlorine solution into the tank, get the tank to the correct temperature, put the fish bags in to the water for about half an hour to adjust the fish to the new water temperature, put the fish in to the tank.

This is bolox. The tank needs to be cycled before you can put fish into it. This allows the ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels to stablise, as well as trace metal elements and chlorine to be leached out. Of critical importance, it allows the bacteria in the filter to build up. These bacteria are what munch the "nasty" chemicals. without these bacteria, your fish have not got a chance. Completely washing out the filter material (or gravel if you are using an undergravel filter) kills off the bacteria and buggers up the whole process.

This cycling process takes 4-8 weeks to complete, and you should not be putting ANY fish into it until the ammonia levels start to stablise. These levels peak 2-3 weeks after setting up the tank and then start to die away. Usually it is safe to proceed with stocking after this 4 weeks. However, there will be an ammonia spike each time you put fish in the water (basically becuase they start crapping in it) and so you need to add a few fish at a time. This translated to 3-4 fish one weekend, then 3-4 fish the next weekend.

What you have done is referred to as "new tank syndrome". You put too many fish in, too early, and they die. Simple.

now you will have to wait for the filter to get back up to speed. Stock the tank with plants and water, and leave the thing alone for three weeks to let it cycle properly. finally, you will be able to start stocking the tank a little at a time. The trick is patience. In the end, with a bit of hard work, and a lot of perseversence, it will be very rewarding, and might look a little like this..




You've got my mobile number, woman, give me a call this evening.

[Adrian Kelland]

It looks like they have a mirror ball in there

Very clear tank there Garf.

Adrian

[Garf]

think that's my whisky decanter in the reflection

And the water is only clear becuase the baby platys and fighting fish have moved onto solid food and off that liqui-fry crap that makes the water murky

[Garf]

Originally Posted by Lou

Do I get this right - you buy cheap fish because you might kill them, so you don't want to waste too much money on dear ones?

Test the water by adding same fish and wait to see if they die....

Nice.

yup, that's pretty standard practice in keeping tropical fish. you need fish in the tank to cycle it properly, but you don't want to add delicate or expensive fish becuase they will not stand up to the changes in water quality. you add "hardy" fish such as bleeding heart tetras, or maybe some platys, and let them crap in the water, which kicks off the whole cycling process. If you do it too early, or you get an ammonia spike, or the filter bacteria die, or any one of a hundred other problems materialises, they die, so you do it with cheap hardy fish. It's a cruel world, eh . Products now exist on the market such as "cycle", which attempt to mimic the eating/crapping process and thus cycle the tank chemically, but personally I go for the hardy fish method as the more chemicals you dump in your tank, the more likely you are to have problems. Besides, if the fish die they get fed to the cats and I don't want the cats to eat that crap

[Lou]

If I come back as a fish, remind me to come back as something sensitive and expensive! Don't fancy a (short) life as a crash test fish....

[MATTBIN]

better off coming back as something cheap and hard, oh you already are

Matt

[Lou]

Originally Posted by MATTBIN

better off coming back as something cheap and hard, oh you already are

Matt

*sharp intake of breath*........boy are you gonna get it next time we meet, old man!

And you'd better watch your back at Scapa too......those valves are nicely accessible to everyone, you know!

[MATTBIN]

You keep your hands off my arse.
I'm only repeating what you told me anyway. Cava and orange juice wasnt it?

Matt