Our Fish Died

[Hunni Bee]

We got fish for our Three/Four and Four/Five Classes Tuesday. We took the little guys to the pet store with us to pick out the fish. They had a ball...

But I asked the salesperson speciifically what were good, hardy fish for little guys to keep as pets...that would survive occasional fingers in the tank, overfeedings, etc. She enthusiastically pointed me toward the tetras. So we bought four tetras and a bottom feeder for each tank.

4 of the fish died within the first 3 hours. Yesterday morning we found 2 more dead, and 2 others not looking well (swimming backward, not eating). We did everything the salesperson and the pamphlet said.

I think they tried to unload these fish on us...in the tanks at the store, a few fish were dead. But I figured that out of 100 fish in a tank, you're going to lose a few. And after talking with other people, I found out that tetras are NOT easy to keep - they need heated water, special food, etc.

But to try to unload sick or hard-to-sell fish on three-year-olds is wrong to me. They didnt know exactly how many fish we bought, so they havent noticed that they are dying....but when they all die, what am I going to say?

We can get a refund or replacement fish if we bring the dead fish back to the store within 2 weeks () but I kinda feel some type of way about this...what should I say to the pet store?

[Zoe]

Definitely bring them back. That's ridiculous. One or two fish is understandable, but not a whole bunch! I've heard tetras are very hearty so I don't know why they would die that quickly. Did you have the water cycled before adding the fish to the tank?

[SilverSabre25]

Take 'em back. Possibly try another pet store. They could have been sick; there are a few fish diseases (ick being one of them...were there little white spots on their fins?).

You might really be better off with generic goldfish.

[Hunni Bee]

Originally Posted by Zoe

Definitely bring them back. That's ridiculous. One or two fish is understandable, but not a whole bunch! I've heard tetras are very hearty so I don't know why they would die that quickly. Did you have the water cycled before adding the fish to the tank?

Yeah, we set the tanks up last week. We specifically waited a week so that the water would be all ready for the fish. We did the water conditioner, set the filters up, the whole nine. I dont know what's wrong...

And Silversabre, I think that's what we're going to do...we didnt want goldfish because they poop so much, but that's better than what's going on now. I dont know about ick...the fish were so tiny, and some of them were see-though, so they may have...

[PitterPatter]

Aw sorry your fish died. I would call and ask them what they want done with the bodies (shiver eew) and tell them u expect a full refund. I would then go to a dif store for fish.

I personally have 5 tanks of Bettas. Some are young but a couple are over a yr old, I think, one is 2 yrs old. Only prob with them is u can't keep them in the same tank. I have had african dwarf frogs and other fish with them. I can't recall the fish they get along with but the store would be able to help if u were interested in taking that route.

Good luck to u.

[Symphony]

Ick looks like they have been sprinkled with salt, and it is a very common thing when fish are kept in water that is too could for them/and or they are under stress.

Tetras are super hardy and easy to keep, but not if they are kept in the wrong environment. Letting a tank sit for a week is not cycling.

Check this out...

http://www.worldcichlids.com/faqs/cycling.html

[countrymom]

we have a fighting fish, I would really recommend them. Easy to take care of and they last a long time.

[Hunni Bee]

Originally Posted by Symphony

Ick looks like they have been sprinkled with salt, and it is a very common thing when fish are kept in water that is too could for them/and or they are under stress.

Tetras are super hardy and easy to keep, but not if they are kept in the wrong environment. Letting a tank sit for a week is not cycling.

Check this out...

http://www.worldcichlids.com/faqs/cycling.html

Ooohhh. The book that came with the tank said something about amonia, nitrite, etc....but it said that once the bacteria start growing in the tank, it will take care of the ammonia and nitrite, and you keep the nitrate down by changing the water on a regular basis. I definitely asked the (same) salesperson about what I needed to set up the tank, she made it seem like pie.

Maybe it was our tanks...Im sure the director wont let us buy anything else for the tank...we'll probably just have to get goldfish for a while.

[Cat Herder]

The things that pop to mind are:

1. Did you use a dechlorinator in the water before you put the fish in?

2. Did you float the fish in the bag of water for a about an hour to gradually allow their temperature to settle to that of the tank?

3. Were they any metal objects in the tank?

4. Did you wash out the rock and decorations before placing them in the tank?

5. Did you allow the tank to cycle before bringing the fish home?

Those are the minimum recommended requirements when starting a tank to the best of my knowledge. They will most likely ask you those questions.

[dEHmom]

Originally Posted by Hunni Bee

Yeah, we set the tanks up last week. We specifically waited a week so that the water would be all ready for the fish. We did the water conditioner, set the filters up, the whole nine. I dont know what's wrong...

And Silversabre, I think that's what we're going to do...we didnt want goldfish because they poop so much, but that's better than what's going on now. I dont know about ick...the fish were so tiny, and some of them were see-though, so they may have...

it takes more than a week to cycle a tank. more like a month or more. and you feed it even though there are no fish in there.

i've never done this, but you have to be INCREDIBLY careful with the bioload as well. gold fish are the hardiest fish. honestly, the pet store people don't know a whole lot about anything. They honestly dont!

if you are interested in fish keeping in any way, go to flippersandfins.net, and they can inform you there.

more than likely you had a spike in ammonia, nitrate or nitrite in the tank, and that's why they all died. something is not right with the water chemisty.

also!!!! if you happened to spray something in the air, it can settle in the water (even with a lid on it!) and polute the water, or if you stuck your hand in there after you washed your hand, or used any objects in the water that had soap residue. anything that goes into a fish tank should never have touched soap. EVER.

[kidkair]

Originally Posted by Hunni Bee

Yeah, we set the tanks up last week. We specifically waited a week so that the water would be all ready for the fish. We did the water conditioner, set the filters up, the whole nine. I dont know what's wrong...

And Silversabre, I think that's what we're going to do...we didnt want goldfish because they poop so much, but that's better than what's going on now. I dont know about ick...the fish were so tiny, and some of them were see-though, so they may have...

My goldfish doesn't poop that much and the kids actually think it's fun to watch her poop. My potty trainers are always telling the fish to use her toilet and stop having accidents. I've had good luck with platys and black mollys being pretty hardy just so long as you keep up on tank maintenance. My goldfish puts up with me not cleaning the tank very often so I tend to like her better than any other fish I've had.

[dEHmom]

one common mistake people make with goldfish, and the reason they think they don't live long, is they dont' give them proper home.

goldfish rule....

60 square cm for each 1 cm of fish body length excluding the tail
or

24 square inches for each 1 inch of fish body length excluding the tail

i think that is equivalent to about 10-15 gallons for the first goldfish AT MINIMUM and 5 gallons for each one after that.

they will never stop eating if you let them. feed them a small amount daily is what i do, and mine live for year and years and years. i also add spirulina powder to help grow algae in the tank (good for the fish, and the snails) and vary up the diet by giving pellets, flakes sometimes, and they also get to eat blood worms when the frogs get fed. they also enjoy eating the frog and tadpole bites when i try feed the frogs.

average life span of a goldfish is approx 20 yrs!!!!!!!!!!

change out 25% of the water weekly, or do like me and change out 30-50% every 2 to 3 weeks hahaha, i know i'm bad. but i have adfs in with the goldfish, and a bunch of snails (snails are very very messy) and my chemistry is always in balance. ADF's would be the first affected by poor water quality. and as long as they are happy i don't bother.

over feeding, and over stocking are the biggest nonos in a tank. live plants help balance out the ammonia and other poor quality conditions (much like a live plant in your home cleans the air).

eta: we went to a banquet for camp when i was like 5 yo. they had those little feeder fish goldfish on each of the tables in a little bowl. they allowed each of the kids to take them home. that "feeder" goldfish, grew bigger and bigger as long as she had the room to, and lived to be 13 yo. my sister didnt' change her water for a few weeks when my parents split up, and she jumped out of the bowl, and thats why she died. a feeder goldfish that normally lives a few days before being fed to something else. as long as they have the room to grow, they will continue growing.

[Symphony]

Originally Posted by dEHmom

one common mistake people make with goldfish, and the reason they think they don't live long, is they dont' give them proper home.

goldfish rule....

60 square cm for each 1 cm of fish body length excluding the tail
or

24 square inches for each 1 inch of fish body length excluding the tail

i think that is equivalent to about 10-15 gallons for the first goldfish AT MINIMUM and 5 gallons for each one after that.

QUOTE]



It breaks my heart when people put goldfish in bowls. I'm not sure why fish are seen as disposable, but it makes me sad

We have goldfish as our daycare fish, because I wanted a coldwater tank down there. We have two fantails and a moore in a 40 gal. They are so beautiful!

[Live and Learn]

My kids bought six feeder goldfish as pets 5 years ago. Five are still alive and boy are they huge!!

[dEHmom]

Originally Posted by Symphony

one common mistake people make with goldfish, and the reason they think they don't live long, is they dont' give them proper home.

goldfish rule....

60 square cm for each 1 cm of fish body length excluding the tail
or

24 square inches for each 1 inch of fish body length excluding the tail

i think that is equivalent to about 10-15 gallons for the first goldfish AT MINIMUM and 5 gallons for each one after that.

QUOTE]



It breaks my heart when people put goldfish in bowls. I'm not sure why fish are seen as disposable, but it makes me sad

We have goldfish as our daycare fish, because I wanted a coldwater tank down there. We have two fantails and a moore in a 40 gal. They are so beautiful!

people believe they don't feel anything and because most goldfish cost less than 1 for 12, they think they are not worth anything. did you know goldfish are smart enough that you can train them? google it if you don't believe me.

[Michael]

That's wierd our fish did last night too. Tough on our daughter who had named it Gills.

[Kaddidle Care]

Tetra are hardy - we've got them, they were given to us by one of the Daycare families that didn't want their fish any more. We've got 2 Bleeding heart Tetra, 2 black Tetra and one Neon Tetra in a 10 gallon tank. I have no idea how old they are but I've been ignoring them pretty well for 3 years. I only clean the tank like once or twice a year.

They do have a heater - and I feed them Mon., Wed. and Fri. Overfeeding will dirty the tank and kill them faster than anything else. If the children are putting their hands in the tank then - hmmm - I'd skip it. Soap and hand sanitizer will put your fish belly up in no time.

I only let the tank run 24 hours before putting them in and it's plain water from the tap with no chemical additives. They're still alive. I personally think they thrive on neglect.

Fantail guppies might be a choice as I used to keep guppies in a fish bowl. But make sure you just get a few fancy males with the longer tails so they don't start breeding and having babies. While the kids may get excited about that it's awkward when another fish eats the babies.

[wdmmom]

I will NEVER buy a fish where another dead fish is present. Not only is it disgusting but fish tend to rot away fast and if they are in a small tank, may let off toxins making the other fish ill.

If you lost that many fish that fast, either they have ick or some other disease.

If you plan to get more, have your tank set up at least a day or 2 ahead of time. Clean it all out...including getting new water, new filter and rinse those rocks off good. If those other fish were harboring something, you don't want your new fish to get it.

Make sure your tank is up to temperature, you used a dechlorinator, etc.

FYI...Goldfish are the best to have! I have 2 fantails I got at walmart. I paid like $1.43 each and they've been with me now for over a year!

[Symphony]

Originally Posted by dEHmom

people believe they don't feel anything and because most goldfish cost less than 1 for 12, they think they are not worth anything. did you know goldfish are smart enough that you can train them? google it if you don't believe me.

Preaching to the choir sister I breed and show fish professionally, I have somewhere around 1500 at the moment

Just the three daycare fish though

[Hunni Bee]

Originally Posted by Catherder

The things that pop to mind are:

1. Did you use a dechlorinator in the water before you put the fish in?

2. Did you float the fish in the bag of water for a about an hour to gradually allow their temperature to settle to that of the tank?

3. Were they any metal objects in the tank?

4. Did you wash out the rock and decorations before placing them in the tank?

5. Did you allow the tank to cycle before bringing the fish home?

Those are the minimum recommended requirements when starting a tank to the best of my knowledge. They will most likely ask you those questions.

I did all of this except number 5, and I really didn't know to do that. I had one kid open the tank top, but no one stuck their hand in it that I know of. The kids were really serious about the fishtank and I dont think they would have allowed each other to do that.

I did what the pamphlet said to the letter....I wish I had read up on it more. I had a post on here asking what fish to get, but it died when the server crashed . Everything we bought was clean and new, and we washed it all before putting it in the tank....I kind of expected the salesperson to tell me what I asked her...I mean we went to Petsmart, so I figured she knew what she was talking about.

I had goldfish for years as a kid...I rarely cleaned the tank, forgot to feed them, put my fingers in the tank.

I feel bad about it, but this was my first try on classroom pets, so I get a re-do

Thanks so much for the info. I'll do better this time

[Symphony]

People who work at large pet store chains seem to be a joke. I would look for a smaller fish store for better luck.

[bice99]

We LOVE our guppy tank - with males and females. Yes it does need a heater. Yes we probably have too many fish in it now. But - we started with 3 females and 2 males. Guppies live birth, so that's really cool to see. Plus, there are always tiny babies to watch (make sure you have live vegetation in your tank for them to hide in). The kids don't know exactly how many fish we have, so they don't notice when one dies. My big girls do, but don't mind as much as when our goldfish died.

[jen2651]

we have 3 goldfish in a little tank (with air at least) that we have had for 5 years. I kind of would be ok with them not going on forever, but the kids love them. I am a really bad fish parent. I just use our well water, I scoop them into a cup with their water and then change and rinse the whole tank at once and put them back in. They are pretty hardy! I can say they were less than 50c at Wal*art...

[dEHmom]

Originally Posted by jen2651

we have 3 goldfish in a little tank (with air at least) that we have had for 5 years. I kind of would be ok with them not going on forever, but the kids love them. I am a really bad fish parent. I just use our well water, I scoop them into a cup with their water and then change and rinse the whole tank at once and put them back in. They are pretty hardy! I can say they were less than 50c at Wal*art...

lol!

just for everyone who is reading this thread....

by changing more than 25-(max)50% of the water, you are starting the cycling in the tank all over again. also, don't believe the filter information. Changing out the filter pad when you change the water, or every few weeks, STARTS THE CYCLING ALL OVER! rinse the filter in the dirty water before you throw it away.

you a tank is cycling, it spikes up in ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites. this is what kills fish. some fish can live through it, but if they are weak, since you just bought them, traveled with them, they've lost their mom dad, and sisters and brothers too, it's a rough time for them

i have never cycled a tank, BUT i also seed the tank first.
allowing the water to sit out for 24 hours lets it reach room temp, as well as evaporates the chlorine, so you don't need a dechlorinator then.
however, not everyones water has the same chemistry. some people might have higher ph levels than others, if you use water softeners that can be a problem. there are many fariables to fish keeping.

as i stated i am bad and neglect tank maintenance, but i feed my fish and frogs semi daily, and sometimes they go 3 days without a feeding.

[Hunni Bee]

So as of Friday, we have two fish still alive. Out of ten.

The tiny white catfish (my fave) and one of the four tetras.

We didn't even bother to try and get any money back. We couldn't save dead fish bodies in May, and based on you all's posts, we probably caused it.

I leave the light on in the tank continuously, which warms the water. And thing seem to be going alright for those guys.

Im going to get some goldfish for the summer. thanks for all of your all's help

[Abigail]

Originally Posted by bice99

We LOVE our guppy tank - with males and females. Yes it does need a heater. Yes we probably have too many fish in it now. But - we started with 3 females and 2 males. Guppies live birth, so that's really cool to see. Plus, there are always tiny babies to watch (make sure you have live vegetation in your tank for them to hide in). The kids don't know exactly how many fish we have, so they don't notice when one dies. My big girls do, but don't mind as much as when our goldfish died.

I think Guppies are SO PRETTY and SO EASY to care for too! I only had a 5 gallon tank and had 4-5 adults in it and before you know it babies! I had plenty of that short green plastic grass planted on 1/3 the bottom of the tank and had some floating at the top for the babies to hide in when they dashed to the top once in awhile. When I cleaned the tank I used a clear bucket and took out very little water at a time because I usually ended up sucking up a baby which looked like a dot so had to pour bits back into the tank before dumping the old water, LOL. I would definitely give guppies a try for breeding because it's a good experience and takes time and the pet store will usually take them for in-store credit or at least to get them off your hands when you have too many.

If you only have a small tank without a filter, I would recommend a fighting fish, also known as a Betta. I've had those over the years and had an underwater frog in the tank with them. They can be boring since they need to be alone (they fight til the death and will even try to fight if they are put next to a tank with another one). Bettas are those fish you see in a glass container on someone's counter holding a water plant in a vase shape if you know what I'm talking about, they'd be pretty in that as well and it doesn't look like a fish tank. I've got one of those half-bowls to hang on a wall and I'll be putting a Betta in that so it's actually hung on the wall like a photo and the kids and my cats can't get to it!

[Sunshine44]

I would just tell them the first died and tell them you'd like to replace them with different fish (after you research and find good fish). I find goldfish live forever and so do Beta fish. Both require little attention and poking is ok as my kids do it!

[Sunshine44]

Haven't read the other replies, but anytime you change the water you should let it sit for at least a few hours to reach room temp before putting the fish back in. Betas and goldfish don't need a filter, but you'll be cleaning the tank every few days.