Help? New tank, new fish, bleh..

[BPags52]

I agree with the above responses.

But on a side note, you said you bought various things to help pH / etc. Really you dont need to be adding chemicals/etc to adjust your pH level. I've seen alot of people here recommend letting your fish adjust to your tap waters pH, rather than use chemicals and risk fluctuating it (fish are sensitive to pH changes).

You'll still want something to dechlorinate/etc your tap water but it sounds like you already have that. I've never used that brands you mentioned so I can't speak for them. Prime (made by Seachem) seems to be the most popular water conditioner (used for water changes/etc), and is cheap.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4057
That should be all you'll need for water conditioners (someone pls correct me if I'm wrong).

But yeah, that tank is too small for plecos really.

 

[ChefKitty]

I understand the tank is too small. I am going to get a bigger tank.
The test strips I got measure nitrates, nitrites, hardness, chlorine, alkalinity, and pH.
I did a strip earlier and everything is in the ideal range, but the water is soft..
The reason I have a small tank is because I am moving in a month to a bigger place, which will be more permanent and I will be able to establish a larger aquarium.
So I've already realized that I should have held off on getting them.

 

[N.C.]

buy a betta take back the plecos bettas dont require a heater but you should get one of those bubbler things..........this is why u should never ever ever ever ever buy from a place like that they should have never sold those poor baby plecos to you in the first place.

 

[ChefKitty]

I keep trying to say I knoww I screwed up! I joined the forum to get advice now that I have them. Shiatt I'm gonna do whatever I need to do to raise them into healthy fish.

 

[wingate2581]

I keep trying to say I knoww I screwed up! I joined the forum to get advice now that I have them. Shiatt I'm gonna do whatever I need to do to raise them into healthy fish.

I'm hearing ya. If you are gonna move to a bigger tank in a month or so this is what I would do: I would still dump off the chocolate just for bio-load reasons. Keep the rubberlip and 1 tetra to cycle the tank. Keep testing your water on a regular basis. do SMALL regular water changes according to the readings you are getting. When you move keep your filter and bio-material submerged in tank water then replace your old filter on the new larger tank to help cycle the new tank so you dont have to go through the cycling process again(this all depends on how far away your moving). Do understand that this is still putting the rubberlip at risk, and other people may disagree with me but I also realize you dont want to get rid of all of your fish and I cant blame you for that. I say keep the rubberlip and not the chocolate albino because I believe they stay smaller. I would get rid of both if you cannot get a bigger tank though. Sure ya jumped in a little quick but your taking the time to research now, Live and learn. I did the same thing with my first tank. Now I have 4 of them. Careful........it's addictive

 

[abarilot]

I'm hearing ya. If you are gonna move to a bigger tank in a month or so this is what I would do: I would still dump off the chocolate just for bio-load reasons. Keep the rubberlip and 1 tetra to cycle the tank. Keep testing your water on a regular basis. do SMALL regular water changes according to the readings you are getting. When you move keep your filter and bio-material submerged in tank water then replace your old filter on the new larger tank to help cycle the new tank so you dont have to go through the cycling process again(this all depends on how far away your moving). Do understand that this is still putting the rubberlip at risk, and other people may disagree with me but I also realize you dont want to get rid of all of your fish and I cant blame you for that. I say keep the rubberlip and not the chocolate albino because I believe they stay smaller. I would get rid of both if you cannot get a bigger tank though. Sure ya jumped in a little quick but your taking the time to research now, Live and learn. I did the same thing with my first tank. Now I have 4 of them. Careful........it's addictive

If people on here got on your case its just because we love our fish and want others fish to survive. We were all noobs at one point. In fact back when I started I thought letting the water evaporate and then filling the tank with water once it got to a certain point was doing a water change! I still dont know how I didnt kill any of my fish! So it sounds like you are on the right track for saving your fish and doing research. As for buying fish, once your new tank cycles I'd find another place than Petsmart. Good Luck and write more if you have questions!

 

[ErikFromNJ]

Those fish are going to die in that tank. Not only is the tank to small, you have them in uncycled water! Right now there gills are burning from the ammonia burns! For the fish's best interest, take them all back. Do some reading, get prepared and then start over. A pleco should not be housed in as 5.5 gallon tank. It is just plain cruel to the animal. The person who sold them to you should be fired.

I'm not trying to be mean, just truthful. If you are moving in a month, then why buy a fish tank at all? Why not wait a month? You're just tossing money in the garbage.

 

[Bpweitzm]

You should look into some dwarf species of fishes that stay small if you want some interesting things. Most fish will outgrow a 5.5 as it is realllllly small...
Look into a dwarf puffer maybe. they are cool

but don't let the plecos be stunted and die!

 

[ChefKitty]

Those fish are going to die in that tank. Not only is the tank to small, you have them in uncycled water! Right now there gills are burning from the ammonia burns! For the fish's best interest, take them all back. Do some reading, get prepared and then start over. A pleco should not be housed in as 5.5 gallon tank. It is just plain cruel to the animal. The person who sold them to you should be fired.

I'm not trying to be mean, just truthful. If you are moving in a month, then why buy a fish tank at all? Why not wait a month? You're just tossing money in the garbage.

I don't really know what you mean by uncycled water.. explain?
Sorry, when I think cycle I think of the Nitrogen cycle.. which I'm trying to get a handle on.. I've been doing my research and testing the water. So I don't really know what else to do.

 

[Neophyte]

By uncycled water he does mean the nitrogen cycle, essentially without a cycled filter the water just builds up with ammonia which poisons the fish and even after the nitrogen cycle starts the ammonia converts to nitrite which is still bad for them and then finally if all goes well a filter after about 4-6 weeks will bring all of this to nitrate which is okay if kept under certain levels with water changes.

As far as testing the water you should get a liquid test kit as those strips although convenient are normally inaccurate.

And just echoing what everyone else here has said read. Read everything you can find on the nitrogen cycle and about the requirements of your fish. Unfortunately you can't always rely on the pet store employee as their job is just to get you to buy something and if you kill it by them not suggesting the right environment you just come back to buy more making the store more money for their (unknownst to you) bad service.