My fish are dying!!!!! It's a new tank and I have been empting gallons per day to get it cycled but they are still dying. My PH level is to high and it hasn't lowered. I just added a 2nd filter in hopes that helps. I bough ph down drops but i was hoping to not have to use any chemicals. Any ideas if I am doing something wrong? 

Define large - we have a 20 gallon.

Either way though - we are far from experts or even worthy in knowledge to help you. We are just lucky.

Anytime ours has gotten really bad we usually change out the whole tank and that works. Getting a bigger filter made it happen a lot less too.

I would be googling. 

My tank is 35 gallons so yes I consider 20 large also.

I'm doing everything google says to do. My tank is not green or dirty at all. It varies from crystal clear to a tad cloudy (which usually is right after I clean tank) I read on New Tank Syndrome, which i am assuming is going on. I was hoping someone is very familiar with fish tanks and can give me a clue if I am doing something else wrong.

I added another filter so now I have double filtering going on. I am hoping that does the trick. Thanks Kel...I mean Buckwild! 

You need our other Hawaii 29PUGer...she has a MASSIVE tropical fish tank and knows quite a bit. I believe she is off snorkeling though today. :) 

snorkeling though today
Must be nice! I soooo want orders to Hawaii. But not now, when my kids are older so they aren't whining and crying all the time 

We have a 65 gallon tank. Measure the tap water to find out what the PH levels are. Extra filters wont lower the PH levels. Hope that helps. 

I just measured the ph levels and its super high straight from the tap. I did add the lower ph drops b/c I dont want my fish to die. Should I use bottle water? 

Should I use bottle water?
You can....If you have a 5 gallon jug you can fill those up at the filtered water dispensers. You can also get rocks that can lower the PH levels as well. What kinds of fish do you have? 

Are you using water conditioner to eliminate the clorine? I always put water conditioner in the water as Im pouring it back in when I change the water and also when I start over and fill the whole things back up. Also check the water temperature. You could be freezing them or frying them. When we lived in pendleton I used a heater in the tank, here I havent had to use it. I think the tank needs to be between 73 and 75 degrees. 

Well I have a heater int he tank and it keeps water abt 75.

IDR the name of the fish, I know my 2 dalmation fish dies and my sucker fish ( I dont know the real name of them plexa something)

I have not used water conditioner but I will try that. I didnt realize our water had ALOT of chlorine.

I have just reg rocks now, and I been vacuumming them daily.

I am going to try water conditioner next and see how that works. I dont have a 5 gallon container and Id need 6 or 7 to fill the tank. I did not realize it was this difficult to get the tank right. I must be an idiot lol.I will keep working on it. ty 

You can use the water conditioner now. Just squirt some in there. Back when I first started my tank years ago the people at petsmart said you cant use too much of conditioner, within reason. I use several big suirts for my 30 gal tank. Some tropical fish are just super sensitive to temperature and things in the water. The water out here is badly clorinated so it needs treatment. 

ok, thank you. I'll head off and get water conditoner. Hopefully that'll do the trick 

When you first start the tank you Ned to cycle it, once the Ph levels are OK you can introduce your fish into the tank. I empty 1/3 of my tank once a week & refill it, adding a water conditioner to the tank each time. I also add aquarium salt to my tank.

I have a 20gl tank with Angel Fish, Mickey Mouse Platy, Glass Catfish & a Synodontis Catfish. 

whats aquarium salt for? Hmmmm.....This is so tricky. OK, well we set up the tank and let it run for abt 2 days then added fish. LOL, I guess it didn't cycle properly. We also have live plants, can they add to much nitrate and stuff that can kill the fish??? 

whats aquarium salt for?

More info on the benefits of Aquarium Salt


.LOL, I guess it didn't cycle properly.


There's 4 different ways to cycle a fish tank properly