Can someone give me some advice please?

I got a tank about 4 - 5 weeks ago, and the man at the shop said to fill it with water and leave it to settle for a week which I did. I then got 7 Neon tetras. I was told to wait another week and then added 4 plattys, and 6 Harlequin Rasboras.

I went back to the shop when the tank had been up and running for 3 weeks, and all the fish seemed well and got 3 Mollies, and 3 guppies.

Everything semed to be ok but then two of the mollies got white spots and the man at the shop said they had itch. I bought WS3 treatment for it but I am losing fish - 2 Neons, 1 platty, 1 guppy so far and today another platty doesnt look well.

Can someone tell me what I can do to get this sorted.

Hi khelly. How big is your tank? Also have you been doing any water tests or changing the water at all - how much and how often?

If you could tell us that it will give a better idea what is going on and we will be able to help you. .

By the way, you have been given rubbish advice from the pet shop, but we'll get to that later.

Well I'm afraid you're another victim of bad LFS advice i.e. the old "let water stand and then add fish" myth. Before the water is safe for fish to be in, a colony of filter bacteria has to be established that will effectively process the toxic ammonia from fish waste turning into nitrite (also toxic) and finally nitrate (safe in low levels). This is called The Nitrogen Cycle.

If you read the Sticky on Fishless Cycling, you will see that this is the most effective way to establish a tank. However, like myself you have cycled the tank with fish which isn't ideal but not the end of the world. If you also read the Sticky on Cycling With Fish you'll see that there is a way of getting the fish through it.

Although, at this stage, it's possible that the tank is cycled but just to be sure, you should get a water testing kit. The API Master Test Kit is generally considered to be the most reliable and post results for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

Your fish succumbed to whitespot probably due to the stress of going through the cycling process. Also, the fact that so many fish were added at once made them prone to disease. None of those fish are suitable for cycling a tank apart from the Platies who are usually quite hardy but, given the bioload in the tank, it might explain why they also succumbed.

I'm so sorry that your first foray into fishkeeping has been a difficult one but it's great that you have now sought advice on what to do properly. So get the test kit, measure your water quality and we can take things from there.

Thanksyou for such quick replies. I havent been tsting the water. I have been taking water to the pet shop twice and they said it was ok.

My tank is 30"x15x15", and I just have some gravel, plants and a filter in it.

Do I need to a water change or carry on with the treatment for the fish?

Ok, well if I were you I would get an API Master kit as Mary recommended - it is said to be the most accurate and reliable. test your water and let us know the results and we will take it from there.

In the meantime I would do a 50% water change. One of the main causes of ich is poor water quality so you may well have an issue with that.

If you are still doing the treatment for ich, then when you change half the water (dont forget to use dechlorinator by the way), then you will also remove half of the meds in the tank, so you will have to redose that amount.

Hope that makes sense!

Right I have got the testing kit and just tested the water -

PH between 7.4 and 7.8
Ammonia 0.50
Nitrite between 2 and 5.0
Nitrate 20

This is after a 50% water change. What do I do no please?

Do another water change now and leave it for a couple of hours then do another. Your ammonia and nitrite are very high and will kill your fish if left unchecked.

When are you due to finish treating for the ich?

Hope you dont mind me going on about this.

I did another water change and these are the results after it -

PH between 7.4 and 7.8
Ammonia more like 0.25 than before
Nitrite just a bit darker than 0.25
Nitrate 20

What is the best thing to do now.

I have one more dose of ich meds to give tomorrow and then it's finished. Platy still doesn't look good but hasnt died yet.

hiya khelly, dont take this as worth anything, but i would leave it now and test again tomorrow. one of the experts though will be on later and will be able to give you some decent advice.

I'd be tempted to do another water change to be honest. The ammonia and nitrite will rise overnight anyway, so you might be as well to get it as low as you can, and then check again tomorrow.

Missed this! Everyones given great advice though!! Keep up with those WCs and to TFF

Tbh, khelly you need to get the ammonia and nitrite levels to zero before your fish will have a chance of fighting off the Ich infection. You might need to do a repeat dose of the meds. in a couple of days but for now, finish the course you have and keep testing and doing the water changes.

Found my sick platty dead this morning. I've does the tank with the last lot of itch stuff and tested the water.

After a water change and dosing the tank I got these readings -

PH between 7.6
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 0.50 (gone up!!)
Nitrate 20

I dont have time to do another water change now, do I need to recheck when I get back tonight or leave it till tomorrow?

sorry to hear of yet another victim of very poor lfs advice & sorry you're at the receiving end of it khelly. All the rest... as above