Advice On Fish Health For Disheartened Newbie

[newfin]

Dear Forum Friends,

Please help! I set up my 150l tank back in August. Initial inexperience and penny-grabbing LFS meant I stocked with 8 leopard danios, 4 Cory Schwartzi and 4 Cory Punctatus too soon and the tank/filter had a turbulent time cycling and settling. I eventually got the ammonia to zero though and all was well.

I had to go away for 3 weeks in December and some kind neighbours fed the fish for me at night. The tank had quite a build up of algae on the glass and (plastic) plants when I got home. I immediately cleaned things and did a water change (40 litres). One of the Danios was swimming frantically near the bottom, rapid, unsettled behaviour which settled over the following week.

In the past fortnight however I noticed the Schwartzi's had lost there barbels and 3/4 have died. The Punctatus have their barbels and appear fine. One of the Danios was looking very thin, not feeding well and has died today. I feel like despite all my efforts these animals are suffering because of me and I am doubting starting the tank. It feels like a constant uphill struggle.

My tank details are
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate 10
pH - 8 - 8.2
with liquid API kit

Temp 23
3mm pea-size gravel with sand in places for the corys

Usual weekly water change of 30-40litres until i feel we have vacuumed the gravel well enough.

I have not cleaned the filter since I started the tank in August, not wanting to disturb the ecology.

Is there anything I am missing through inexperience? I feel dreadful about the whole thing. I was reluctant to medicate the tank as it took me SO long to get the filter settled, but I don't want any more fish to suffer.

Thanks for any advice.

Newfin

 

[rocknurworld2006]

Dear Forum Friends,

Please help! I set up my 150l tank back in August. Initial inexperience and penny-grabbing LFS meant I stocked with 8 leopard danios, 4 Cory Schwartzi and 4 Cory Punctatus too soon and the tank/filter had a turbulent time cycling and settling. I eventually got the ammonia to zero though and all was well.

I had to go away for 3 weeks in December and some kind neighbours fed the fish for me at night. The tank had quite a build up of algae on the glass and (plastic) plants when I got home. I immediately cleaned things and did a water change (40 litres). One of the Danios was swimming frantically near the bottom, rapid, unsettled behaviour which settled over the following week.

In the past fortnight however I noticed the Schwartzi's had lost there barbels and 3/4 have died. The Punctatus have their barbels and appear fine. One of the Danios was looking very thin, not feeding well and has died today. I feel like despite all my efforts these animals are suffering because of me and I am doubting starting the tank. It feels like a constant uphill struggle.

My tank details are
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate 10
pH - 8 - 8.2
with liquid API kit

Temp 23
3mm pea-size gravel with sand in places for the corys

Usual weekly water change of 30-40litres until i feel we have vacuumed the gravel well enough.

I have not cleaned the filter since I started the tank in August, not wanting to disturb the ecology.

Is there anything I am missing through inexperience? I feel dreadful about the whole thing. I was reluctant to medicate the tank as it took me SO long to get the filter settled, but I don't want any more fish to suffer.

Thanks for any advice.

Newfin

ph is very high!!

wats ur ph out of the tap.

when are them readings from.

do u ahve any thing in the tank ie decor, dravel that is buffering ph?

 

[newfin]

pH has always been 8 from API testing kit since the tank was started.
I have the plastic plants, 2 pieces of mopani wood and a piece of volcanic rock for the corys to shelter in. Stats haven't changed over past weeks. This test was taken yesterday. Will do a tap water pH comparison and post result.

 

[rocknurworld2006]

i wud try to lower ph if i were u and take lava rock out

 

[Inchworm]

Hi newfin

There are two main reasons why corydoras are likely to lose their barbels. The first is erosion and the second is bacterial infection.

If you have rough gravel, or gravel with any sharp edges on it, it will erode or wear away their barbels. Even though you have given them some sand they will still look among the bits of gravel (using their barbels) for food that might have settled there. Please check the lava rock for the same.

Bacterial infection can take hold when the water quality goes down as it might have while you are away. Elevated nitrite or ammonia will weaken the corys and make them more susceptible to bacteria that might have been present all along but causing no problem while they were stronger. Other things that could bring this on are low oxygen content in the water, fluctuating temperature (especially quick warm ups), uneaten food in the water, or aggressive tankmates.

It's possible that your corys were not in 100% good health if they were present during the cycling process. They could have had some damage to their gills which might not have been noticeable while you were home and carefully tending the water.

Take heart, newfin. There are many people who listen to the advice of the lfs shopkeepers and clerks and have problems at the beginning. This situation seems to have developed because you had a neighbor helping you out. He might just have overfed them and without water changes for this period the water became fouled. Now that you're back you will soon have the trouble under control. Please share your experience with the other members who are just starting out. It will be most helpful to them.

 

[mark.w.jones]

I would agree entirely with what inchworm said above. Bottom feeders are far more prone to suffering from uneaten food at the bottom of the tank. This is why sand is the best substrate for them as all uneaten food remains on the surface where it can be easily hoovered up. It will also not damage their barbels. With gravel, uneaten food, waste, dead plant material etc. works its way down through the gravel to the very bottom of the tank where it remains until you do a very deep gravel vac. Just make sure you are doing a weekly gravel vac and then quite a deep graval vac every month. Don't restock the missing fish for 2 weeks and check your water stats over that time. Look out for any fish behaving differently to usual.

 

[newfin]

Silly question maybe - but can a catfish grow it's barbels back again?

Things have improved now we are home. Water is stable and clean, no more casualties but I am keeping a very careful eye on the big Schwartzi whcih has lost its barbels. He looks well in every other sense and I think his colour has picked up too. Just concerned to do all I can for him. The other 3 Corys are doing fine too and have their barbels intact.

Many thanks

Newfin

 

[rocknurworld2006]

Silly question maybe - but can a catfish grow it's barbels back again?

Things have improved now we are home. Water is stable and clean, no more casualties but I am keeping a very careful eye on the big Schwartzi whcih has lost its barbels. He looks well in every other sense and I think his colour has picked up too. Just concerned to do all I can for him. The other 3 Corys are doing fine too and have their barbels intact.

Many thanks

Newfin

yes they can grow back with good water conditions and making sure gravel is fine.
and good health

 

[Inchworm]

Hi newfin

I'm happy to hear that you have things in order again.

Your cory might regrow it's barbells if they are not too badly damaged, but if they are completely gone the chances aren't that good. Until you find out how it will turn out, take extra care to be sure he gets enough food.

Do you plan to get any more corys?

 

[waterdrop]

(sorry newfin, shouldn't do this in your thread...)

Hi inchworm -- I asked a similar barbell related question over in the cory forum.. just if you get a chance sometime, no hurry.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[newfin]

This cory has lost them leaving a small white area where the mouth is. This area has shrunk and looks better than in previous weeks but I am concerned things may have gone too far. He is still ferreting around for food and I always ensure there are catfish pellets and algae wafers for them all. I know how important the barbels are for feeding, but I'm hoping for now - fingers crossed (or fins!!)

I'd love more corys in the future with more experience, I think realistically not for a good few months. I would firstly look to add to the number of Punctatus Corys as there are only three in a group, and they tend to leave the poor Schwartzi on its own (assuming he doesn't make it), otherwise we may consider getting him a few friends. Even when there was four of each in the beginning they didn't tend to mix with each other as one group but stuck to their own kind.

I think we may also add to the Danios as they are so hardy and forgiving of a newbie, perhaps the Zebras in a group to add to the 5 Leopards we have now.

Thanks for the advice in the meantime.