Another Day, Another Tiger Barb

[DjLeethul]

I have a 29 gallon tropical community fish tank with 5 tiger barbs, 4 serpae tetras, and 2 clown loaches. Two days ago, one tiger barb died mysteriously and now today, after I fed the fish, one that was away from the others started to swim irregular and kept swimming towards the top of the tank upside down.

His gills seem to be working very hard and his top fin is visible frayed. I put him in a hospital tank with some salt and a bubbler.

Is there anything else that I can do?

 

[WILDER]

Can you post your water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
The clown loaches the tanks to small for them, how big are they.
Clown loaches need 90 gallon tanks.
Plus you shouldn't really keep clown loaches in less than groups of three.
Once fish swim upside down there rarely make it.

 

[DjLeethul]

My clown loaches are small, about over 1.5 inches. I am moving them to a larger tank in a few months when they get bigger.

My pH is around 7.5 ~ 8
My ammonia is 0
Nitrites ~ 1 - 3 ppm
Nitrates ~ 50 ppm

 

[Jazzzz]

nitrite a bit high there

 

[WILDER]

Immediate water change, and increase aeration in the tank.
How often do you maintain the tank.
How long has the tank been set up.
Whats your tap nitrate reading.
Bad water quality soon takes its toll on fish as it weakens there immune system due to stress, burns that gills and skin.

 

[DjLeethul]

I did a water change after completing my last reply. My tap levels for nitrate 0 - 10 ppm. My tank has been set up with fish in it for over a month and was cycled without fish for 3 weeks prior to that. The fish were not all added at once.

I maintain the tank (under gravel cleaning and water changes) every 3 or 4 days depending on how much poo I see on top of the sand.

All the other fish are great. The serpae tetras and the clown loaches are very healthy. The clown loaches venture out more than the tiger barbs do and do not seem stressed at all.

 

[WILDER]

If your tap nitrate reading is only 10 that means you can get the reading down.
Does your tank only have an undergravel filter.
There useless and not ideal for larger fish as they soon blog up.
I would think of investing in an internal filter once that cycled take the undergravel filter out.

 

[DjLeethul]

I actually have two internal filters running (30 gal aquaclear and 30 gal topfin). Mind you, they are both not running at full capacity because I do not want the whirlpool effect in the tank. I have been having problems in this tank for a little bit now and I have no idea what is causing it.

Now I guess my tiger barbs are suffering because of it.

I thought tiger barbs where one of the hardiest fish and that if you do have clown loaches, they are always the first to show signs or even die.

 

[WILDER]

Did you cycle the tank with the two internal filters, or have you added one since you added the fish.
Cut down on feeding.

 

[DjLeethul]

I cycled with one and I will cut down on feeding

added the other one when all the fish were in

 

[WILDER]

Ok that why then.
The other filter needs to cycle.
When you buy new filters it best to put a sponge from the older filter into it, then put the new sponge into the old one.

 

[DjLeethul]

so what do I do now then?

I guess I screwed that one up. The other filter has been running for almost 3 weeks now.

 

[WILDER]

Just keep up with water changes and plenty of aeration.
The other filter has to cycle.

 

[DjLeethul]

thank you for all the advice

 

[WILDER]

Good luck.