beginer here, need help

[msonmez]

Hi, me and my husband wanted to get some fish, so we got a 10 gallon tank, and some gravel and fake plants and some fish. We didn't know about ph levels, and nitrates and the other things too. We don't want to kill the fish.
The tank came in a set, with a filter, some Tetra brand aquasafe, hood w/ light and there were samples of fish food, and I got a heater as well. The instructions didn't say anything about letting the tank be without fish for a while, and we got fish the same day and put them in.
There's 4 barbs, 4 ghost shrimps (I can't find one and am afraid it got eaten!) there's 1 poscostumus (the algea sucker) and 1 beta and 1 other fish my husband said is a red eye.

What should we do? What do we need to get in addition to what we have? I am looking at the petco website and they have something called: Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Stress Zyme, it says it is to improve development of the biological filter and helps keep a naturally balanced aquarium, and there was another thing for the ph balance: Wardley Bullseye 7.0 Neutral pH Regulator

I'm really not sure what we need. I hope we can get advice on this.

My sister had a large fish tank, with gold fish, but I can't remember her using anything for the water ph levels or anything really....And she had them a very long time, they must have been at least 6 years old when she had to give them away...And that was why I didn't know about this stuff. And my husband was told WRONG BAD 'advice' from a fish store a few years ago, and so he also didn't know. The store sold him quite a few fish, one ate most of them and to top it off, they sold him freshwater, and SALT water fish telling him just add some salt to the water and they'll be fine. So sad...they died or got eaten up.

Ok, I will await a reply with some advice now. Thanks!

[William]

Sorry to hear about that fish store. Unfortunatly some of them just want to sell fish no matter what.

You will most likely not need the pH regulator. (depend on present pH) It would however be good to get some test kits for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

There are bacteria cultures to buy that help you speed the cycling but I don't think the stress zyme is such a product. Could you get aome water from an working aquarium?

Make sure not to feed to much during the first weeks since you didn't allow for your tank to cycle.

Have you downloaded our Ebook. If not do that and read it.

[msonmez]

I have not downloaded it but I will now. It also is smelling like pee....My mom thought the cat went somewhere but, the smell is deffinatly coming from the tank. She thinks the heater is making it too hot, but we don't know what it could be. Any ideas???

[William]

Sounds like you really need to check ammonia levels.

[msonmez]

Ok, I'll get a tester tomorrow and will do that. Thanks for the advice.

[msonmez]

We lost the tetra in the night.... :(

I just tested the water and the amonia is high 6.0, and the water is hard, the alkalinity is high and the nitrites are at 1.0
The water is off in our building this morning so I can't make a partial water change. But, when I do is it safe to add the tap water directly to the tank with the fish in it? And use the aqua safe at the same time? I really feel badly about not knowing all this stuff before getting the fish.

[William]

I feel for you.

The ammonia and nitrate etc are as you say high and is without a doubt what is killing your fish. In this situation you have to do emergency watre changes as soonas your water returns.

Start by doing a 50% water exchange. Make sure that the new water has the same temp as the old one. The best thing to do is to add the aqua safe into the water before pooring it into the tank. (In a bucket or something like that) but you can add the aquasafe after without any larger negativ effects. If you got the time you can remove 50% of the water and than add new water to it during a longer time frame. Say 10% every hour. This will reduce stress caused by the water change and help keep your fish alive. Make sure that your filter are under water the entire time if you do it this way.

After this change you should change 20% every day untill the ammonia and nitrate levels drop to where they belong. Monitor the levels and start changing water again if they start to raise.

Don't feed your fish for a few days and after that only feed them once a day after that and no more than they can eat in 2 min. feed every other day if levels starts to raise again.

How and when do you clean your filter?