1 Dead, 2 Very Sick :( Don't Know What's Gone Wrong!

[lukyjay]

I need your help. I don't drive a car and there is no way I can get to the fish shop to ask them for help. I can catch a bus to get medication if needed.
 
I have in my 65L aquarium:

• 1 Bala shark (I know, I'm giving him back to the fish store)
• 4 guppies (bought only 6 days ago)
• 7 neons (I had 8 but one vanished about 1-2 weeks ago)
• 2 bristlenose catfish
• 1 fighting fish

 
I originally had 2 bala sharks, but one got sick and died about a week or two ago, around the same time one of my neons just dissapeared from my tank. The bala shark's fins went red, like they were bleeding and he got smaller because he couldn't swim or move properly making him unable to eat.
 
Now my betta and one of my new guppies are slowly getting smaller and their fins are showing damage. I have been doing water changes, checking levels and vacuuming gravel.
 
Ammonia was just a bit above 0 (had just fed them before testing) Nitrites was a dead 0, Nitrates was around 5.0 (maybe a touch less, about a 3.0 if that were on the scale?)
 
I have moved my tank about a month ago, and moved it again last week. I got away with only changing 50-75% of the water, and keeping the ammonia/nitrites/nitrates in safe levels the entire time.
 
Please help me, how can I save my fish and prevent more from getting sick? Once they get better I will be returning the bala shark to my LFS so he has a better environment to live in.
 
Here's a link to my Dropbox album that shows my tank, the healthy fish and the sick fish: https/www.dropbox.com/sh/fbi9fhgf8s7g5um/1IUemVTmgr

 

[ncguppy830]

i dont know about the sickness but the tank is overstocked even without the bala. bn miniumum is 20 gallons. 

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Hi lukyjay,

The above is correct, but I'd say 30gallons for a single BN Pleco. They are quite messy fish, though I love mine. They are also quite territorial with each other. So as they get older more issues will arise.


Secondly, guppies and bettas are generally a bad mix. Bettas should not be housed with similar looking fish. Guppies, especially the colorful males, would qualify. Certainly you may have heard of some folks having some degree of success in the past, but those are the exception, not the rule. Some bettas are more laid back then others and are more tolerant. Others are quite intolerant of other fish. So it really is a fish by fish thing, but in general, just bad practice.

If you could stick to just the neons and the beta you'd have far more success I believe.

 

[lukyjay]

Then why did my LFS tell me I can fit another 2 guppies on top of all this if I wanted to? Grr. I'll get rid of the bala like I said, and I think the betta and one guppy will die because of this disease, so I won't replace them if I'm overstocked. Would that still be overstocked?
 
Thank you ncguppy for your feedback

 

[ncguppy830]

take what you get from the LFS with a grain of salt not all are experinced fish keepers

 

[lukyjay]

Hi lukyjay,

The above is correct, but I'd say 30gallons for a single BN Pleco. They are quite messy fish, though I love mine. They are also quite territorial with each other. So as they get older more issues will arise.


Secondly, guppies and bettas are generally a bad mix. Bettas should not be housed with similar looking fish. Guppies, especially the colorful males, would qualify. Certainly you may have heard of some folks having some degree of success in the past, but those are the exception, not the rule. Some bettas are more laid back then others and are more tolerant. Others are quite intolerant of other fish. So it really is a fish by fish thing, but in general, just bad practice.

If you could stick to just the neons and the beta you'd have far more success I believe.

Sorry I don't understand, are you saying that maybe the guppy and betta are nipping each others fins? So you don't think this is a disease? I hope that's the case, it's as easy as separating the two if this is the problem

 

[eaglesaquarium]

That's exactly what I am saying. Although the nipped fins may have developed a fungus. Pictures would help diagnose.

 

[lukyjay]

That's exactly what I am saying. Although the nipped fins may have developed a fungus. Pictures would help diagnose.

Hey Eagles, the pictures are in my original post at the bottom It's so hard to get a clear picture because they swim so fast, sorry Did you need a more specific picture of their fins?