FISH DYING!!!

Question
i am a complete beginner, and i recently inherited a fish tank and equipment from my uncle who used to be a hobbyist. i got a filter and already had a heater and gravel. i made sure to wash the gravel really well and made sure the tank was ultra clean. so after letting the filter run for two days i went to my local aquarium store (it's a specialty store my uncle left me a note about not a lousy petco or something) they tested my water and suggested i get some feeder goldies to start the nitrogen cycle. i got four. the guy told me that i should expect most of them to die (not an issue they were 10 cents each) but after 2 days of lethargic activity and bottom drifting the first goldie died. i noticed his gills looked a little inflamed. now it's a day and a half later and the same thing has happened to two other goldies. now i am getting frantic about disease in the tank. how do i save the remaining fish as well as prevent the disease from hanging around and infecting the fish i want to eventually put in and keep long-term?

Answer
First off welcome to the aquarium world..
The first thing you did wrong was buying fish too early and your tank not being cycled yet. when you first start an aquarium it can take up to 3-4 weeks for everything to become ready. you can speed the process up by adding a product called cycle or start right. This will give you the good bacteria you need to start your aquarium. When the good bacteria starts to spread in your tank your water will become very cloudy, this is normal, it means everything is working properly. you also need to make sure there is no chlorine in your water, which may be the reason your fish had inflamed gills. When you do decide to choose fish, check what the water parameters are for that species. Add fish slowly a few at a time and make sure they are compatible with each other. Regular water changes are a must for a healthy aquarium, but that is something you will get into after you get fish.
I hope this helps, remember an aquarium requires lots of dedication and commitment so patience pays off. your tank will look beautiful before you know it..

Keep me updated on your progress and we can get into some of the more advanced stuff like p.h. levels and water chemistry. but for now lets get your aquarium going..



                                                                         Good Luck,
                                                                     Aaron N. Brandstatter