Community Tank Going Crazy Help!

[skeeterpup2003]

My mother and I have a 29 gallon community tank which has been well established now for a year or more. It contains a painted glass tetra, two rummy nose, two giant danios, two iridescant sharks a pleco, a female betta and a shubunkin. for the last week the tank has been a bit cloudy, we cleaned it added the normal chems and it cleared up. Yesterday one of our fish passed away we thought it was a bit suspicious, but thought maybe he got bumped into the rocks when we were cleaning the tank. Well this morning another one of our fish passed. Our giant danios all of the sudden started going crazy this afternoon lunging at all of the other fish and each other. We tested the water and the PH was slightly elevated but not enough to be concerned and the alkalinity was slightly low again not enough to have us concerned. We are stumped as to what could be going on. All of the fish seem healthy otherwise. ANy help would be appreciated.

Stumped In Maine

 

[skeeterpup2003]

just to add nitrate was about 10
Nitrite 0
hardness 75
alkalinity was about 80
ph was about 7.4

testing was done on the quick dip test strip.

did a 50% water change yesterday.

 

[WILDER]

That tank is way overstocked and i can see why the tank is cloudy.
I would rehome the goldfish as the first goldfish on it own needs a 20gal tank, then 10gal for every other goldlfish added.
them sharks grow massive, i would take them back as well.
I would do an immediate water change as the filter not coping with the fish.

 

[skeeterpup2003]

There is only one goldfish and the sharks are still on the small side we plan on moving them to seperate established 55 gallon tanks when they get a bit larger (the fish in the 55s are all quite large). The shubunking is about 3in and the danios are about 1 1/2in. each. there are three other fish that are 1in or less. oh yeah the pleco is about 3 in. to me it doesn't seem overcrowded at all. that is a bit less than 2 in of fish per gallon.

also the tank was over due for a water change which could explain the cloudiness. We did the water change yesterday and it is crystal clear today.

 

[WILDER]

Goldfish are massive waste producers they soon mucky a tank up.
i have one and believe me they are messy fish.
the tank is overstocked and they are not happy.
The cloudy water is a sign on its own that the filter not coping.
I would do a water change.
And buy another back up filter why you can sort out what you do, as you will lose them all if you don't take any action.

plecs are massive waste producers to, i would do a gravel vac.

 

[TigerIssey]

Please listen to the previous post telling you the irredescent sharks get massive. They get huge, and only belong in huge public aquariums, they should not be on sale to the general public!!! If you do not rehome them as youngsters, you will have a lot of trouble later on. Goldfishes belong in coldwater ponds not tropical freshwater aquariums. Once you get the goldfish and sharks out you may stand a better chance at keeping the water clear.

Even using the dodgy 1 inch per gallon rule you are supposed to count the size of the adult fish, therfore with two irredescent sharks you are way way over 2 inch per gallon. I think it is at least a 600g aquarium needed for these fish. Check what type of plec you have as well if its a common plec you are in trouble again, the common plec grows to about 28 inches and needs a tank of 250 gallons. Plecs also produce lots of poo, if its a biggie it will produce more.

 

[Lynden]

My mother and I have a 29 gallon community tank which has been well established now for a year or more. It contains a painted glass tetra, two rummy nose, two giant danios, two iridescant sharks a pleco, a female betta and a shubunkin. for the last week the tank has been a bit cloudy, we cleaned it added the normal chems and it cleared up. Yesterday one of our fish passed away we thought it was a bit suspicious, but thought maybe he got bumped into the rocks when we were cleaning the tank. Well this morning another one of our fish passed. Our giant danios all of the sudden started going crazy this afternoon lunging at all of the other fish and each other. We tested the water and the PH was slightly elevated but not enough to be concerned and the alkalinity was slightly low again not enough to have us concerned. We are stumped as to what could be going on. All of the fish seem healthy otherwise. ANy help would be appreciated.

Stumped In Maine

Your tank is very mismatched and overstocked. The Goldfish should be with other coldwater fish in a 55 gallon, the Tetras, Danios, and the "galss tetra" (which I assume is actually a dyed Glassfish) should all be in a shoal, and the Pleco should be in a 100 gallon tank, at least, and the Iridescent Sharks (of which I agree should not be on sale to the general public) should be in an enormous tank of at least 1000 gallons, or 10' x 10' x 10'. I suspect that if you rehome the fish (the Danios are simply being aggressive) that they will recover quickly.

-Lynden

 

[CBBP]

mm.. poor goldfish..