Water test and temp is fine. Fish are dying from stress?

[Northernguy]

Ammonia rises very fast in small tank.
Your tank is really not cycled.Please listen to what they are telling you.
Read up on it as well.

[kurly]

Are you adding dechlorinator to the new water when you make water changes?

[Stlouisfish]

Well this store offers a 5 day return policy on dead fish (with a water sample), which we've exercized twice, so they are shooting themselves in the foot on that one...

The store used drops of various chemicals which turned samples of our aquarium water different colors in the multiple test tubes used. Is that what a "test strip" is?

At the very least, I know that the ammonia level was zero when we put the fish in, so that's not what's killing them (unless ammonia can go from zero to lethal levels in less than two days.

Got a lot of reading to do.. thanks again everyone!

If your tap water has no ammonia in it, testing that will also show 0 - that doesn't show your tank water is ready to put fish in it.

[Lady Hobbs]

The bacteria additives are not the same bacteria as the fish produce. It simply helps convert the harshess toxins to a less toxic form but not do the cycling for you. Some of the boosters do nothing at all.