My fish are getting killed!!!!!!

Question
Hi Dave,i just got 10 fish (5 black widows and 5 white clouds)in a 2.65gallon tank (or 10 liters) but after a week or so 3 of my black widows died. they were going very pale all the time and were moving really slow and hanging near the bottom whats happening? the alive remaining black widows are the same still. we have a filter and a plastic plant. we did have a ship wreck in there but we thought it could harm them...should we put in a live plant and maybe a decoration?. also what type of vegetables should i give them and im giving them ordinary goldfish food. is that ok?? i need help please supply me with every detail you can so my fish can live happy lives Thank you !!!!!

Answer
Hi Alisha:  Sorry to hear about your fish loss.  One of the problems I see is that you have too many fish in that tank.  for a 2.65 gallon tank you should not have more then maybe 3 or 4 fish even small ones.  The water in the tank is probably toxic so you are going to need to change between 20-30% of the water twice per week or more.  Also:  these are tropical fish not goldfish so you will need to get them the right kind of food.  I would start with getting my water chemistry tested.  How long have you had the tank?  Sometimes it takes a while to get a new tank set up correctly. You can take a water sample to most aquarium stores and many will test it for you for free.  Sometimes when fish are brought home the journey from the aquarium to your home is very stressful for them. The behaviors that you have described sounds a lot like stress.  Hanging at the bottom of the tank, pale colors, and even death can be stress related.  please keep me informed.