Something fishy...

Clean the tank, feed them and give them plenty of drinking water.
 
A good tip is not to tip the new fish straight out the bag into the tank. Float the bag in the tank for a while then pop the fish in. Lets the water temp in the bag equalise slowly with the tank and doesn't stress the fish as much when you pop them in.

That's what I used to do with the tropical fish at any rate.


DON'T OVERFEED THEM. Keep the tank clean. Don't overstock the tank.

You can buy fish that will help keep the tank clean, not sure if you can get them for cold water though (I kept tropical ones).


https://fishkeeper.co.uk/post/keeping-coldwater-fish-in-aquariums
 
Last edited:
c1973 said:
A good tip is not to tip the new fish straight out the bag into the tank. Float the bag in the tank for a while then pop the fish in. Lets the water temp in the bag equalise slowly with the tank and doesn't stress the fish as much when you pop them in.

That's what I used to do with the tropical fish at any rate.


DON'T OVERFEED THEM. Keep the tank clean. Don't overstock the tank.

You can buy fish that will help keep the tank clean, not sure if you can get them for cold water though (I kept tropical ones).


https://fishkeeper.co.uk/post/keeping-coldwater-fish-in-aquariums
Click to expand...

You can get Weather Loaches which are temperate fish so can survive in cold water.
Personally Fabian, Today until Sunday isn't enough time to cycle the tank IMO and you should give it 5 days. This gets bacteria building up (which are needed for the fish health)
Fish (the forumer not the, well, fish) gave me sound advice a couple of years ago when I set up my first 25L tank... Now I have a 240L tropical set-up (it can become quite the past-time) and I personally think tropical is easier then cold water - if you have goldfish that is, notoriously hard to keep due to being so dirty.

What size of tank do you have and what are you going to keep in it?
 
Farneyman said:
Have the filter running since this morning..
Click to expand...

I'm afraid that's irrelevant, as you have nothing going on to feed the bacteria in the filter. Fish waste (ammonia) is turned into nitrites by the bacteria which in turn are turned into nitrates. Ammonia and nitrites are dangerous to fish if levels build up. Nitrates are utilised by plants and/or controlled by partial water changes.

you have 2 choices, stock hardy fish 1 or 2 at a time whilst the bacterial load build up in the filter, or (my preferred option) run the tank through a fishless cycle by introducing ammonia yourself and monitoring the 3 (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) levels. Once fully functioning you can add ALL your fish at once. This works incredibly well and is explained here http://www.tropicalfishforums.co.uk/index.php?page=fishless_cycle

and here is an ammonia addition calculator based on a formula I put together.
http://www.tropicalfishforums.co.uk/index.php?page=ammonia_calculator
 
HomerJSimpson said:
I know nothing about fish but from the direction of the thread can the OP not switch it to a tropical tank as there would seem to be more choice and it seems easier to maintain
Click to expand...

same rules apply Homer, cold water and tropical are equally easy to maintain, one just has a heater in it!!!!!
 
chrisg said:
same rules apply Homer, cold water and tropical are equally easy to maintain, one just has a heater in it!!!!!
Click to expand...

Told you I knew nothing. However I've seen a few friends aquariums over the years (tropical) and I'm amazed at how great they look and actually how calming and therapeutic they are sitting and watching the fish
 
Farneyman said:
At this rate I will be buying fish that don't have distinct marks so they can be easily replaced lol

Its a 14 liter one and thanks for all the tips and advise so far.
Click to expand...

Zebra Danios and Cloud Minnows are your friends there. They all look alike.
14L is a small tank though. I have a 28L one sitting next to me now that only has one fish in it.
 
Of no use with you going the cold water option, but I bought tropical fish for my daughter at the same age, 5 years ago. 8 male guppies, imagine my surprise when they had babies. Randy buggers!

also I think she fed them no more than a handful of times and only took interest when they died... We still have three left, hanging on in there
 
chrisg said:
same rules apply Homer, cold water and tropical are equally easy to maintain, one just has a heater in it!!!!!
Click to expand...

Couldn't be more wrong!

Coldwater fish are harder to keep as you don't have the stability of a warm water tank due to fluctuations in temperature in the day & night and as has been mentioned, coldwater fish emit more than 6 times more waste (ammonia) than tropical fish which is why when calculating the amount of fish you can keep you can't keep anywhere near as many coldwater fish due to those examples. Also whether the tank is cycled or not, you do never put all the fish in at once, you slowly add a few fish at a time (floating the bag) so the beneficial bacteria, which you cannot measure the strength of when at zero, can cope with the ammonia spike and consume it as food and convert it accordingly.

Also, virtually all coldwater fish are hybrids, man made and imported from the Czech, as such again there is more stability and knowledge with tropical (true bred) fish, there is also not a fish on the planet that will keep a tank clean! You can obtain a vegetarian fish (various sucker mouths) that will attach themselves to glass and rocks but it is impossible for them to clean a tank per se and should still have their own diet fed to them, only gravel cleaning with the correct syphon whilst doing a 20% water change, washing the filter in that water to protect the bacteria and then before adding new water back dechlorinated it and replace it slowly but also add some more liquid bacteria due to the water taken out will keep a tank clean & healthy.

A 14l tank will hold next to nothing as it probably won't hold that in actual water volume after dispersion so you have less than 3 gallons, in colwater terms that's 1 fancy goldfish, its not big enough for a standard goldfish so I would opt for a small shoal White Cloud Minnows which are temperate fish, do not overfeed!
 
Just to clarify a bit more on why coldwater fish take more looking after, coldwater fish rely on greater oxygenated tanks, cold water retains oxygen but as soon as it warms up it reduces oxygen levels massively, as such a cold water tank in your house will not stay or be cold continually! Make sure your filter is breaking the surface area, this will help to draw oxygen in and disperse chemicals through exchange.

If the tank was a little larger I would say to put a heater in it on low as that would help to reduce peaks & troughs in water temperature adding great stability but circulation is critical in a cold water tank in the home, and keep it away from direct light and above radiators also.
 
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