Hiya, I'm new both to this site and to keeping tropical fish. We have had a whole set up given to us today, unfortunatly I put completely new water in (Treated with API stress coat +) and warmed up to 26 degrees using heater in tank before we put the existing fish back in. We lost 7 fish during transit. We now have 2 glowlight tetra and 1 black spotty sucker fish type looking happy, but 1 congo tetra is lying on its side not moving at all on the bottom (it's gills and mouth are still moving) tbh the other congo tetra doesnt look very happy, it keeps going 'limp' and sinking, then it comes back to life and swims around, then goes 'limp' again?? Also the black sucker fish has spikes on its head (they were stuck to the net when I moved it) any ideas what breed it is please?

What's the pH in your tank? My guess that it'd be shock due to massive pH change??
By the way if you mean a whole new setup is you completely change the tank and water, then I think your tank is not cycled yet

Could be pH shock... or they could have gone too cold while they were waiting... did you also bring home the filter and the media that were in it, and is it now running in the tank? If so, how long was the filter switched off during the move, and did you clean the media in tapwater?

The black sucker fish sounds like a Bristlenose Plec. A picture would confirm.

Been to my LFS and he said the same; the tank has not cycled yet and the fish probably died as a result :( nothing I can do except wait a week and then take a water sample to him (from the tank, ;) not me)The filter and media were washed in tap water (I now know I shouldn't have washed the filter!)

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Oh dear! A learning curve at least! You'll know not to do it again

You'll have to get your cycle back on track now!

Do you have a test kit at all so you could post the readings?

We now have just one glowlight tetra left (We have called it 'Nails' as it is obviously hard as) Our sucker fish has been described as a male spinenosed catfish by the chap at our LFS, I did try to take a photo of 'Spike' but he swam into his helicopter and hid...he's a little shy!

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It will take longer than a week, more like 4-6 weeks to cycle from scratch, assuming all the bacteria have died. Or you can use Waterlife Biomature to shorten this by 2 or 3 weeks. Or you can get some mature media from someone kind enough to give you some (make sure it's from a healthy tank).

Never listen to a shop that says you can add fish to what is now a new tank after a week. They are talking absolute rubbish.

The chap in the LFS said not to do anything until he has tested the water in 7 days time??? So I havn't tested the water myself as yet ... Which is v.frustrating as I'm desperate for Nails and Spike to survive!

Quote:??? No such fish, my bet is a bristlenose Plec.

To attempt to keep ammonia levels down you'll need to do daily 25% water changes with warmed dechlorinated water.

JON

That's terrible! I will tell the LFS what you said BlackGhost, thanks so much for all the help guys - basically the LFS only care about taking my money then and don't care about the fish! :(