Fish keep dying
i received a 5 gallon fish tank last christmas and soon after bought some fish and they died i was told htey died becasue i have too many in there (there were 5), i then proceded to buy more fish (only one at a time) and within hours they die. please help i don't want to keep killing fish!
Answers:First, a tank needs to be cycled so the "good" bacteria will keep the nitrite and ammonia (which the fish make in their excrements) level low--nitrites and ammonia will kill fish fast and 5 fish in a 5 gal. tank will contribute an amazing amount of those two products. Your tank will also go through what is known as "new tank syndrome"--developing brown or blackish algae spots, sometimes having the water chemistry spike and then drop. You should buy test kits for ammonia, nitrite at a minimum--get the ones using reagent, not the test strips (the older test strips get, the more off their results and you can't tell how old the kits are sitting on the shelf) and test your water. You'll need a dechlorinator unless you're using bottle spring water (and then you'll need to always use the same brand since not all spring waters are the same). Research your fish to make sure they are appropriate for your tank--all need to live in the same temperature (get a good submersible heater you can adjust). It's easier if they all eat the same thing. They have to get along. Some fish only do well in schools, others are super territorial and won't get along with any of their own kind (some won't get along with any other fish). Get a good filter. Before adding fish, make sure everything is working propertly (heater is maintaining the set temperature, filter is filtering) and the tank is set up as you wish it to be (trying to do changes later can disturb the ecological balance in the tank sending your tank into another dreaded cycling). If you are going to cycle using fish (which can be hard on the fish), pick hardy fish that don't cost a fortune in case they die, test your tank water at least twice daily (more if possible) and do water changes if the levels are above the recommended (kits come with levels or normalcy for you to compare your water to). If you're doing fishless cycling, do a search for how to do that using ammonia and/or fish food (the beneficial bacteria "eat" ammonia, decomposing fish food creates ammonia). You might be able to get a product called "Bio-Spira" by Marineland (small pouch which is enough for a 5g tank costs about $10 and needs to be kept cool) which eliminates the need to cycle your tank--when you're tank is all set up and ready for fish, just open and dump the pouch contents into your tank (I usually dump it into the filter to make sure the bacteria starts going in there) and then put in your fish; continue to test the water twice daily to make sure things nitrites/ammonia levels are staying close to zero.