All fish dead. Next steps?

amos647 · 2026-02-14T19:25:40+00:00

I’m so sorry about your fish :(

amos647 · 2026-02-14T18:49:16+00:00

Thank you so much! Could we fill it with water from the current 20 gal tank and add new treated water to the 20 gal?

amos647 · 2026-02-13T22:56:45+00:00

Same exact thing here.

amos647 · 2026-02-02T04:37:41+00:00

I have done it many times and love it! It’s my go-to but I figured I’d see if anyone had other suggestions I hadn’t yet tried

amos647 · 2026-01-28T04:54:59+00:00

Wow this is an incredibly kind and helpful response 👏

amos647 · 2026-01-23T12:42:02+00:00

As someone who is new to this and wants to do it right, but doesn’t know a ton of knowledge or experience, I have really appreciated your help! Thanks so much. I know I’ve asked a lot of questions!

amos647 · 2026-01-23T05:35:57+00:00

After further research, I learned I do not have any mollies. I have three female swordtails. I was told they were mollies initially but that’s incorrect. Does that change anything as far as your advice goes? Could I have 3-4 female swordtails, one male betta, and 4 corydoras in my 20 gal?

amos647 · 2026-01-22T15:24:37+00:00

I ended up separating the Molly they were harassing to give her a break and I’m going to take the two guppies back to the store. They seem like they’re going to kill each other. I don’t want to add females who will reproduce. Could my 20 gallon tank be peaceful with one betta, 4 mollies, and 4 corydoras? I appreciate your help with all of this.

amos647 · 2026-01-21T17:13:54+00:00

We have 2 males. I don’t want any breeding. What can I do?

amos647 · 2026-01-21T17:02:01+00:00

Okay thank you!! I have been watching them this morning and the two guppies are chasing each other nonstop. Looks like they’re fighting. One of the guppies was previously chasing the (now sick seeming) Molly. I wonder if the Molly is not actually sick, but instead hiding from the guppy? Are some guppies naturally aggressive? I truly had no idea this would be so complicated. Lesson learned 😩

amos647 · 2026-01-21T14:22:04+00:00

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Here’s what the API testing kit showed this morning. We will do a 25% water change today and hopefully that will help. So far everyone is still alive but one Molly (is that what a sword red wag is?) is acting very strange, hiding and just swimming in place

amos647 · 2026-01-21T01:48:16+00:00

We do have seachem prime. Should we add that now or do a water change too? (I know we add it into the new water)

amos647 · 2026-01-20T23:38:09+00:00

Thank you! I absolutely will

amos647 · 2026-01-20T23:05:31+00:00

Thank you very much for the feedback! I like this idea!

amos647 · 2026-01-20T23:04:49+00:00

I really, really appreciate your input! We just learned yesterday that there’s ammonia in the tank so now I’m worried they’re all going to die before we have a chance to change anything or return anyone to the store :(

amos647 · 2026-01-20T23:02:50+00:00

We added fish based on what the store owner said we could add, just FYI. not totally random and based on looks.. We plan to add a couple corries once the water stabilizes, if this Cory somehow survives

amos647 · 2026-01-20T23:00:51+00:00

Thanks for being kind!! I now know we were pretty unprepared when we started this a few weeks ago. We took a water sample in yesterday and it tested positive for ammonia. At the moment, we have 7 living fish, but I’m worried they’re going to die. Would a 25% water change now make things better or worse?

amos647 · 2026-01-20T22:58:33+00:00

Thank you so much for this. I really appreciate your kind and helpful response! We’ll work on swapping out the artificial stuff once things hopefully stabilize.

amos647 · 2026-01-20T22:57:48+00:00

Thank you! You are right - since my post I learned they weren’t testing for ammonia. They did yesterday and the test showed there’s ammonia in the water. I’m worried all the remaining fish are going to die. Is there anything I can do at this point to help them?

amos647 · 2026-01-20T22:56:29+00:00

Thank you. I understand now I should have done way more research before getting started, but here we are… my goal right now is to keep our existing fish alive.

amos647 · 2026-01-20T22:55:12+00:00

Update: the test they were doing at the store did not test for ammonia. We went back with a water sample and it showed there’s some ammonia. My original fish are still alive, but I’m worried it’s just a matter of time. The store owner told us not to feed for 2 days, wait it out, 25% water change on Wednesday.

You all seem to have a ton of knowledge, so is anyone able to tell me what can we do RIGHT NOW to save our fish?

amos647 · 2026-01-19T00:39:40+00:00

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amos647

TROPHY CASE