Algae Eater Died?

[Judgejudy]

In my 12 gallon tank i have 2 gold barbs, 4 platies, 2 rasboras, 2 ballon molies, 6 neon tetra and i had 1 algae eater. I went to a pet shop and i wanted a algae eater so i put it in the tank and it was doing fine. Later that day it was lying motionless on the gravel ( it was dead ) why did it die? Thanks.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Fish need to be introduced very gradually to the new water conditions. You do this by floating the bag containing the fish in the tank and gradually, over half an hour or so, adding about twice the volume of water to the bag as was in there originally. You then net the fish into the tank and throw the bag water away.

If you didn't do this and particularly if the algae eater was an oto (otocinclus), which are very sensitive to new water conditions, then that is probably why it died.

It is also possible that your water conditions are not very good and you need a test kit to know that. The fish that are in the tank will adjust to poor water conditions to some extent but new fish, who are not used to the poor water conditions, will be killed quickly.

You have 16 fish and it sounds like your previous algae eater died so your tank is quite heavily stocked and that will lead to poor water conditions if you don't have adequate filtration and don't keep up good tank cleaning and maintenance.

 

[Judgejudy]

But since then i have aded gold barbs but there doing great

 

[Noahs ark6]

But since then i have aded gold barbs but there doing great

Different fish react differently to being put through demanding situations, prime ordeal is very correct in how to add new fish

 

[Joshwainwright]

Do you have a testing kit of some sort? I would check your ammonia levels to see if you had a spike, plus what Prime has said is 100% correct