cloudy water and dying fish

[newtofish]

I know absolutely zero about fish but wanted an aquarium, so I bought a basic 10 gallon aquarium, 5-15 water filter/air circulator and heater, set at 76 degrees, about 3 weeks ago. I set it up as the instructions indicated using 2 tsp of EasyBalance in the water. I climatized the fish; 2 cichlids and one suckerfish (don't know what kind) and they were great for the first week. Then the water got cloudy and one of the cichlids died. I changed the water by vacuuming the gravel and taking out about 1/3 of the water and changing the filter. The water was still cloudy but I'd read it could take a few days to clear so I figured it was ok. I then added 2 sharks and 2 angels. 4 days ago the suckerfish died and this morning the 2 angels were on the bottom of the tank, dead. The water is still cloudy and I'm feeling pretty bad about the fish dying do to my lack of knowledge. I'm feeding them TetraMin Tropical Flakes and my water is wellwater, does that make a difference? I don't have a fish store within 80 miles of my house and could really use some help. Thanks!

[logans]

Have you read up on cycling a new tank? It sounds like this is most likely the problem. Setting up a tank is a bit more complex than adding water and then adding fish. The tank needs to "cycle" before becoming established and safe for adding fish. Do you have a test kit to test the water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? An established tank will have bacteria built up to take care of the toxins but until the bacteria is built up it is going to go through the process of first having an ammonia spike, eventually the ammonia goes away and the water has a spike in nitrite which eventually goes away leaving nitrate. Both ammonia and nitrite are very toxic for fish. So basically if a new tank suddenly has a bunch of fish added without first going through the cycling process the water levels are going to spike with these toxins killing the fish.

Some people will cycle their tank with just a couple of fish, most on here will tell you that you should cycle your tank before adding any fish since it is not good for the fish to go through the cycle. My suggestion would be to do some reading up on cycling a new tank.

Also, you definitely need to buy a test kit so you can test your water levels regularly for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH levels. Also be prepared to have some people on this forum jumping down your throat about how you should have done more research and made sure you knew what you are doing before starting a fish tank. At least that happened to me. Don't let it bother you too much. This site has proven to be a wealth of info for me and has really helped despite some of the posts that ripped me apart for my mistakes. Afterall this is a beginners forum and a great place to learn

You mentioned that you changed the filter. You definitely don't want to chagne the filter. You want bacteria to build up on the filter as part of the cycling process. When establishing a new tank water changes are the most important in keeping the toxins down but don't clean the filter, the glass, or other things in the tank, bacteria is your friend in getting the tank established.
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--Mike

[newtofish]

Thanks - I have been reading on cycling the tank and water problems and levels. A bit late I'm afraid but my enthusiasm got the better of me and the worse for my fish. I appreciate the info and will try to keep the few fish I have left healthy until my tank balances out. Should I be changing the water now or just hold off and let it all balance out first? The sharks and the the one cichlid seem pretty energetic at this point so I'm tempted not to touch it for a while. No, I don't have a test kit for the water. I have to drive 80 miles to get one as I live in the middle of nowhere in the mountains of southeast Tenn. I will get one in the next few days though as I want to do this right. Should have thought of that before but....

[Sprite42]

Even though you don't want to change the filter or vacuum the gravel (substrate), you will still want to do water changes of about 25% every other day. You will definitely need to get test kits to keep up with your water params. I would also invest in a good water conditioner like Prime or Aquasafe, something that neutralizes chloramines and eliminates heavy metals.

On another note, sharks are not good fish for a 10 gallon tank. They will very quickly outgrow it. Depending on the type of shark, they will need upwards of 55+ gallons. Most cichlids are not good either. You would need to know the type of cichlid you have. Some are really aggressive and some get HUGE.

That said, most everybody starts somewhere and the best way to do that is to come here and read, read, read. It is not as hard as it seems, the best tool in your box is patience. Please feel free to ask any questions no matter how silly they seem, that is what we are all here for!

[meyerhaus]

Glad you asked for advice. Once you get it cycled, you may want to look into minimum tank sizes for your fish; I think you are a little crowded. One thing at a time though...

[newtofish]

I appreciate all of your input. I have been reading and studying like crazy now and will take your experience and put it to good use. I'm off tomorrow on the long drive to the fish store and will get my water test kit and some good books (but NO fish!) Thanks - I'll let you know how it goes.