Hi, I am new to this site. I am seeking any help or advice on my tank setup. Recently I had a 4 in jardini. I gave it away to my sister for her new home. In return I bought another one same size to put in my 40 gallon unitl it gets bigger. Its a 40 gallon glass tank, with a fluval 304 canister, and one of the fluval submerible filters for back up filtration. In less than 24 hrs the arowana died. I got it at exotic aquarium in sacramento Ca, so I went back and go another one. It died with in a couple of hours. Then I picked one up from some guy in oakland and it died over night. I went to vallejo aquarium where I bought my original one that I gave my siter to have them double check my water. Ph was 7.5, no ammonia, no nitrates. I used the ph 7.5 to set the water to 7.5 since I read thats around the range they live in. Ive used water conditioner, stress coat and zyme, and a little bit og aquarium salt. Just want to know what you guys think I should do, or was the problem with my tank. I am currently letting my tank cycle until vallejo aquarium gets more in, since the one i got from them was the only one that survived. I live in vallejo ca. Do you think the drive from oakl and sacramento affected the fish. I read they are sensitive to water quality. Any help would be aprreciated. thanks

It doesn't sound like the fish, it sounds like your tank. How long has your tank been up and running? Are there any other fish in it right now? When I setup a new tank, I let it cycle before I put any fish into it. After a week or two of being set up I'll go to the store and buy some small community fish, usually neon tetras, to "test" the tank and also add some life to the tank and help it cycle. After those fish have been in the tank without any problems for a couple of weeks is when I'll try my first real fish and build from there. Have you done any water changes since setting this up? Added anything new? Cleaned your filters? How are you acclimating these new fish when you get them? What's your water's temp?

My tank has been running for a couple of weeks. I dont think its my tank. The only other fish in there is my algae eater. I think I figured the problem. I think it was because of PH shock according to some LFS. I would float them in the tank to get used to the temp of the water, but I didnt add any of the tank water in their bag to get them used to the water before I released them. A LFS told me to add tank water in the bag every 10 min for half an hr before releasing them, just to get used to the water. So I will be trying that once I get a new jardini, and seeing if that helps or works

What's the pH of your water before adding the any chemicals? Follow what your LFS said when acclimating any fish. You also can use a length of air tubing to set up a drip line that slowly adds the tank water for an hour or two. You might try adding a couple small fish that will eventually be food just to test the water, a couple $$ in fish is an easy test.

how do you do the drip test with the air tubing? Might try that

It's not a test, just a way to acclimate your fish slowly to the tank water. Take a length of air tubing (Usually 3/16") and suction start it so water is flowing out the one end, then take the tubing and tie it once into a knot and slowly tighten the knot until it starts dripping and then stick it in the bag/bucket in which your fish is. Let it slowly fill for an hour or two and then put the fish in the tank.

Oh ok, sounds good. Ill try that. is there away or technique to build suction on the tubing. Or would I do like using the gravel sccoper and work off gravity to build suction

Yes, it works exactly like a gravel vac. All you have to do is suck-start it and it does the rest.