HELP !! my fish store fooled me

[skjl47]

Oscars are extremely robust. They'll probably laugh at the nitrites and grow a few inches DURING the cycle.

Hello; One of us appears to have missed some of the important information in the is thread. My take is that the tanks is very newly set up and is not yet cycled. If my take is correct there are no nitrates as yet. Nitrates come some weeks later after the beneficial bacteria (bb) colonies become established.
The fish make ammonia as a metabolism byproduct. That ammonia stays in the water until enough of the ammonia reducing bacteria grow an established population and can then change it into nitrites. Then eventually a population of another type of bacteria that can convert nitrites will grow. This second type can then turn the nitrites into nitrates.

So if I am mistaken and there are nitrates in the tank then the tank must be "cycled". And yes nitrates are much less toxic and can be tolerated by fish while ammonia and nitrites are damaging at even low levels.

 

[FishBeast]

Hello; One of us appears to have missed some of the important information in the is thread. My take is that the tanks is very newly set up and is not yet cycled. If my take is correct there are no nitrates as yet. Nitrates come some weeks later after the beneficial bacteria (bb) colonies become established.
The fish make ammonia as a metabolism byproduct. That ammonia stays in the water until enough of the ammonia reducing bacteria grow an established population and can then change it into nitrites. Then eventually a population of another type of bacteria that can convert nitrites will grow. This second type can then turn the nitrites into nitrates.

So if I am mistaken and there are nitrates in the tank then the tank must be "cycled". And yes nitrates are much less toxic and can be tolerated by fish while ammonia and nitrites are damaging at even low levels.

My bad, I was following another thread wherein a tank was mid-cycle (presence of nitrates but also nitrites) and mixed it up with this one. You are correct, the tank will undergo a fish-in cycle, Safe-Start or not, and as OP cannot return the fish they will have to endure the ammonia and nitrites that will come from their decomposing nitrogenous waste as the Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter colonies establish!

 

[J. H.]

Get a freind to give you substrate or filter media feom a cycled tank. It will speed up the process, and if you can get enough of it it'll cycle your tank instantly.

 

[skjl47]

Get a freind to give you substrate or filter media feom a cycled tank. It will speed up the process, and if you can get enough of it it'll cycle your tank instantly.

Hello; I think there is not any such friend. Another option might be to try to buy some solid material from a fish shop. Décor, substrate or even used filter media.

 

[Jexnell]

Oscar's are a very emotional fish. When things change on them they get sad/depressed. After the move from the fish stores tank/water activity level outside of the tank to thier your tank/water they will be sad/scared for a few days till they get used to all the newness. Give then placed to hide out in, then they can come out when they feel safe.

 

[Jreeper]

Update :- the 2 black 1 are swimming fine now, but the albino still standing still in the bottom, i tryed to feed them today with shrimp and very little pellets, the same thing happend the black ones eat but the ablino didnt... I really think she gonna die but i hope not

 

[Jexnell]

Albino fish are typically more timid than their normal counterparts. Usually not as aggressive as well. So it may take it more time to settle in. Fish can go days without eating. It won't starve itself when he gets hungry enough more settled in it will eat.

 

[Jreeper]

i dont think so buddy , look at the fish fins she always closed the fins and not swimming in a good way

 

[skjl47]

i dont think so buddy , look at the fish fins she always closed the fins and not swimming in a good way

Hello; At some point the water conditions need to be known. If you have a good test kit and can use it please let us know what the ammonia and nitrite results are at this time. Either of these even at low concentrations can be damaging to the fish.
Please do not use test strips for this. A good master test kit is very much better. An established tank with a completed cycle will have zero ammonia, have zero nitrites and some level of nitrates. ( note - be sure to shake the nitrate vial like the dickens.

That said there can be other reasons a new fish does poorly. We already know the fish shop did not give you good information. That fish has a sunken belly and to me such does not come about in just a few days. My take is this condition may have taken some weeks to develop.

 

[Jreeper]

i will buy a test kit tomorrow sir , i dont have one right now ... and the tank isnt cycled so there is gonna be ammonia and stuff