stressed out fish didn't make it :(

[fishmama]

well....hey my friends...here is our update....the stress of 2 fishy cycles finally took their toll on two of our beloved fish.


just as i was contemplating the incompatibility issues and the schools of fish i should be making etc....maybe starting up another tank.......the x ray fish died.
(actually petsmart TOLD us she was an x-ray but i found out she was
a see-through zebra fish used for cancer research --HOW PETSMART WAS SELLING THEM I WILL NEVER KNOW!)
anyway...she was just dead one morning. no fin nipping type activity..i believe it was the stress from the 10 g tank and then the fishy cycle in the new tank..she was prety stressed from all of it...

i guess i was hoping once the tank cycled( as it has.)...everyone would be okay.

then tiger barb met the same fate. she had been pretty stressed from the long two-tank fishy cycle too. it was pretty upsetting. i really really loved her so much.

no signs of of fin nipping from rosy barb or black mollie or anyone else....
i think both died from cycling stress. they were the two i had been worried about.

water has been perfect..i've been testing every day.
although after both deaths i vacuumed and did a water change. ......
water still perfect and has been for a long while now. it's been probably since may 10th or so since the tank cycled. ....we didn't realize it until later though --because we never got the nitrate readings.

so--"school" decision made for us.
.....we decided to increase the rosy barb school.

we got a small pleco who is albino and won't grow too big and we got one male rosy barb and 2 females.
it seems to have given the big male rosy a few other guys to chase around and the tank seems playful but peaceful.


we are sad about the fish deaths of course.....but we are embracing our schools of neon tetras and rosy barbs. we still have one tough black mollie....she seems so happy ...

so that is our update. thanks to all for sending good thoughts and advice while we worked our way through these two fishy cycles. it was stressful on the fish AND on us! i wish i could save someone else all that stress.
do a fishless cycle! as if i know anything LOL oh well...i know what we've been through in trying to keep everyone alive during a disasterous 10g fish cycle and then transferring eveyone to a 36 g and doing it again. it was just too much for most everyone.

the only ones who survived the two cyclings were---one male rosy barb--one female rosy barb..one black mollie and one neon tetra.


by the way i still feel like i should write to Petsmart and gently beeseech them to not let little families like ours buy so many different species for their little 10 g tank. would it help? ...

i hope some others learn from our ignorant mistake.

anyway....here we are....this is our tank.

two male rosy barbs
3 female rosy barbs
one black mollie
one pleco
3 neon tetras (we plan to add to that school next)

all in a 36 g tank fully cycled and testing perfectly right now.

i'm sure i will have more problems along the way but i feel like we did get on the other side of one giant mountain. thanks for holding my hand along the way.

[Bunny13]

Sorry about the loss of your fish but I think you and your fish will be happy with the larger schools. I'm glad the forum was able to help and support you! Now that the tank is cycled the fun can begin!

[Trixie]

Originally Posted by fishmama

just as i was contemplating the incompatibility issues and the schools of fish i should be making etc....maybe starting up another tank.......the x ray fish died.
(actually petsmart TOLD us she was an x-ray but i found out she was
a see-through zebra fish used for cancer research --HOW PETSMART WAS SELLING THEM I WILL NEVER KNOW!)


by the way i still feel like i should write to Petsmart and gently beeseech them to not let little families like ours buy so many different species for their little 10 g tank. would it help? ...

Congratulations on getting through the most difficult part of fishkeeping - your first cycle. You now understand how to create and maintain a happy and healthy environment for your fish. Most people don't make it this far! It is a LOT of information.

I work in a Petsmart. I think that your "x-ray" fish was a Pristella tetra. (Pristella maxillaris). They are common "tropical community" fish. I have kept them in the past - they are lovely little fish. I have never heard of a see-through zebra fish used for cancer research, although I do remember hearing something about scientists using zebra danios for genetic research.

In our store the people that work in the "specialty" department (animal care) have to learn a LOT about a lot of different animals. We care for fish, small furries, birds, and reptiles/amphibians. We answer questions to the best of our knowledge, and if we do not know the answer, we will direct you to someone who does know, or to a specialty shop. I do know more than most about keeping aquaria, and I also own 2 cats. I learn more every day about animals from the other employees and from customers as well.

Petsmart has "species tags" on the front of each and every aquarium in the store. The information on those tags is color coded - dark green for tropical community fish, light green for semi-aggressive, light red for South American cichlids, dark red for African cichlids and Orange for goldfish community. It also contains info like the latin name, maximum adult size, minimum suggested tank size, feeding suggestions, etc. The newest set of these species tags is wonderful. All of the stores do not have them yet, but they will soon, I hope. The difference between the older and newer tags is mostly the info regarding minimum tank size. Petsmart also has free "care sheets" with good information on setting up aquariums and for many of the different fish available in the store. Most people don't bother with the info. They just want to get an aquarium, put water and decorations in and then fill it with pretty fish and forget about it. And when it starts to get dirty-looking they come in asking for "a sucker fish to clean the tank." I spend most of my days explaining to people that "fish pee and poo in the water and regular water changes are required to remove it." And "keeping a goldfish in a bowl is a really bad idea." And "the sucker fish you are referring to is a pleco. They do not eat poop. They also can grow to 18". It is unsuitable for your 10 gallon tank."

On the other hand, I know almost nothing about reptiles. I don't even really like them that much. And I don't like the bugs that they eat, either. But when someone asks a question about them, I try to find the information for them. I am REALLY grateful when I am scheduled to work with one of the reptile "experts." That way I get to learn more about them.

And lastly, we don't get paid very much. Many people come to us asking questions that really should be directed to a veterinarian, and are annoyed when we suggest that they take their pet to the vet. We do the best we can every day. I am there because I love taking care of the animals.

[johnpeezy]

Originally Posted by Trixie

I have never heard of a see-through zebra fish used for cancer research, although I do remember hearing something about scientists using zebra danios for genetic research.

ahh yes the glorious glo fish....these raido-active looking beauties were create in hope to have a color changing fish to test for poor water quality. I wonder what they were thinking when they came to this decision?? "Hey guys, I have an idea lets create a brigtly colored fish that we can introduce into non native water ways so we can test water quality..."

[Trixie]

Is that where those fish came from? They underestimated how popular they would be in the aquarium trade. A day does not go by where a kid wants either one of those or a "Nemo" fish.

[fishmama]

thanks guys. yes i am glad there are people like you working there at petsmart. but not my experience, unfortunately.........

we walked out of there with so many different species and no schools.

anyway......all rosy barbs seem to be fine today and looking for waldo oops i mean pleco ..LOL EVERYDAY IS FUN! yes this is becoming fun now....

this link which i can't make into a link for some reason..so you'll have to cut and paste...sorry...tells the story of the see through zebra fish that we had.

and there's a picture. we got her at petsmart.

Scientists Create See-Through Fish, Watch Cancer Grow | LiveScience

[joephys]

Originally Posted by Trixie

... kid wants either one of those or a "Nemo" fish.

I am just glad petsmart doesn't sell salt water fish. Not that it makes it ok for someone to go out and buy their kid a nemo from petco, but at least petco sells tank raised clowns.

[fishmama]

and i am glad that i found a local fish store where the owner is very educated and has held my hand through this process. it is nice to talk to the same person all the time when you go in. that's the advantage of the mom and pop LFS.

not that petsmart employees can't be educated of course! Trixie --you are fab!!!!

............but unfortunately i ran into people who gave me wrong info.

[Trixie]

Originally Posted by joephys

I am just glad petsmart doesn't sell salt water fish. Not that it makes it ok for someone to go out and buy their kid a nemo from petco, but at least petco sells tank raised clowns.

Yeah, me too!!!!!! I still have to explain to people every day that "Nemo" fish are saltwater and the fish in the store are all freshwater. They usually say "Oh! I didn't know there was a difference."

[rosita]

And (no) pity the fool who doesn't care, just wants that darned Nemo fish".

[joephys]

Originally Posted by Trixie

Yeah, me too!!!!!! I still have to explain to people every day that "Nemo" fish are saltwater and the fish in the store are all freshwater. They usually say "Oh! I didn't know there was a difference."

Thats ridiculous. That should be something that is a common sense thing, with no fish keeping experience required.

[Trixie]

Originally Posted by joephys

Thats ridiculous. That should be something that is a common sense thing, with no fish keeping experience required.

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.
H. L. Mencken
US editor (1880 - 1956)