my tropipcal tank

Question
QUESTION: i have recently bought a start up tank...i added fish in...and they started to die! well i guess it was coz of overcrowding it. well now i have two fish. 1 albino barb and 1 gold barb. i am a first timer and i just started around 5weeks ago. i just found out my tank was a 20liter not a 10liter. ive put in the water treatment. since i thought it was a 10liter i added only half of the water treatment for a 20liter tank. do u think i should add more water treatment or just leave it like this with my fish in the tank? also both my fish seem to be swimming everywhere like there in a panic, is this normal? could i add more fish?
ANSWER: Hello,

If your fish is a 10 L, only add enough 'water treatment' for a 10 L. Putting in too much of anything can overdose your tank and kill your fish.

Your fish may be darting around because they are ill, or because of a water quality issue. Since your tank is so new, it may be suffering from 'new tank syndrome'. You should check both your nitrites and ammonia to make sure that neither are too high.

I recommend not adding any new fish until you are sure your tank has cycled and your ammonia and nitrite levels are safe.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Stephanie

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QUESTION: hello, thanx for the info...
umm, how do we check if nitrites and ammonia are right?
and when fish seem to be fading their colour does that mean there's not enough light? and how do u know when ur tank has finishing cycling? thanx for the big help!^^
ANSWER: Hello,

You can check nitrites and ammonia by purchasing suitable test strips or test kits from pet stores. They come with instructions and are quite easy to use.

Usually fading color in fish is a sign of disease or a water quality problem. This may be another indicator that your ammonia or nitrites are out of control.

You can tell when your tank has finished cycling by regularly monitoring the ammonia. As it starts to recede into safe levels, begin monitoring nitrites instead. Once those are also at safe levels (after they peak at dangerous levels) your tank is probably cycled. It may be a good idea to wait about a week after this point before adding fish, then recheck nitrites and ammonia to make sure that your tank is completely finished the cycling process and is stabilized.

Best of luck.

Regards,
Stephanie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hey!
i have put my 2 barbs in a 45L tank now! they seem to be happier with the extra space. is it normal for a fish to respond to is own reflection? like its swimming at it. will this harm itself?
i have bought 4 new very small angel fish, i put them in my 5gallon tank. is the tank too small for them? sometimes their near the surface, pecking at the bubbles the pump makes. does this mean their hungry? is this normal for them to hang around near the surface?
also when a fish starts tumbling and then starts swimming again, does this mean they will die?
thanx for the big help!

Answer
Hello,

Yes, it is normal for fish to respond to their own reflection. Sometimes when fish are put in a new aquarium they will swim up and down the glass for a while. I'm not sure why they do it, but it is a normal reaction for them as they adjust to their new space.

Having 4 angelfish in a 5 gallon tank is going to be a little tight. Angelfish have long fins, so they usually need a bigger space. It should be ok for a while, but it you can get them a bigger tank you should. Sometimes gasping at the surface is also a sign that their water is toxic, either from ammonia or nitrites or something completely different. I would watch this problem carefully.

I am not sure what you mean by a fish that tumbles and then starts to swim again. If they look completely healthy, and there is nothing wrong with their water, then they probably aren't going to die. However, if they are losing color, have no appetite or have any other symptoms of disease then this could be a bad thing.

Regards,
Stephanie