DEAD FISH

[amanda]

Hi.
When I got my tank earlier this year, (which was given to me by a friend) I introduced some new fish and also bought 2 'tank cleaning type fish'. The fish shop reccommended them to me and said they feed and help keep your tank cleaner. I dont know what they are. They are funny looking, whitish in colour, they swim around the bottom of the tank 'cleaning' the stones and they stick to the sides of the tank with their mouths! They have big black 'tummy's' underneath!!! They have pink eyes on the top of their head.
Anyway, I have just found one dead. The other is quite still but I touched it with the net and is slowly swam away a bit.

Can anyone tell me what they are and if something I put in the tank can kill them... ie salt, filter aid or the stuff that makes tap water safe.

Or do they generally not live for long.

Thanks


p.s. edited message - just remembered when I went the fish shop on Saturday for some more food I was asking about the 'live' food available and so I bought some that the shop owner reccomended - (I thought I would treat my fish with a special supper!) they were like fine swimming threads with what I can only describe as fine white feather bits on them. Could this have something to do with it

 

[clutterydrawer]

the sticking-on-the-tank-sides bit makes it sound like a plec of some type.

either way, if it was sold as a "cleaner" its probably some kind of catfish. salt is not safe for use with catfish, so it could be that. why do you have salt in your tank?

also your tank looks overstocked - do you have readings for ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte?

 

[amanda]

I think they are some kind of plec, not catfish. They are strange looking creatures!
The tank is not overcrowded - the 8 fish that were already in there are very small, the orange stripe ones are the same size as my tiny neons and the stripy fish are only a few inch.

I have not tested any water readings for a while. I did my last water change last week.

I always add a small amount of salt with every water change as thats what the fish shop told me to do - is this not a good idea? Also, i think the live food I fed my fish was similar to daphnia, although it wasnt called daphnea - there was blood worm, daphnia and this other stuff in the shop, and they recommended this other stuff cause I have clowns.

 

[enchanted]

A plec is a catfish.

As for the Salt, I have read a lot of debates on here over it, but the general concensus appears to be using it during illnesses, but not with every water change..

Don't know about the live food.

 

[amanda]

Ok - I read the first reply wrong! I thought they were two different types of fish !



:stupid:

They are very small anyway!

I will lay off the salt and not go to that crap store anymore!

If anyone has any ideas as to why my little cute tank sticking friend died... let me know - I dont want to loose the other too

 

[Angry_Platy]

You have clown loaches....lovely fish hey....

Do you realise that clown loaches can grow to 12 inhes long?

I think the stuff you fed them was brine shrimp...does that sound familiar?

Also, I wouldn't be adding anymore salt....clown loaches are intolerant to salt....you may not see th effects straight away but the effects can be accumulative.

Also, the tank may not look overcrowded but the fish will grow.....this is not a problem if you are able to get a larger tank later on...I wouldn't put 2 clown loaches in anything smaller than a 55gal tank....

 

[amanda]

Brine shrimp does sound familiar now as you say it.

I was told only last week about the size clown loaches can grow to.... We are thinking of getting a new tank just for them.

I will lay off the salt.

What do you recon to live food? Bother or not bother?

 

[MAM]

um, any possibility of posting pics of your fish?? then we could better help you indentify them.

as said, most catfish and loaches don't tolerate salt very well, so yes, lay off the salt.

and yes, you are overstocked. you have basically a 15 gal US tank there. right now, your fish fit. but clown loaches get quite big, as said, and so do angels........

as for live food, its a great treat for your fishies, just be careful, certain types such as tubifex worms, can carry nasties into your tank. frozen foods, thawed in water, are safer alternative to live if you want to treat your fish to something other than flakes, but the choice is yours. i personally get live brine shrimp every now and again, but since seeing them in the fridge often freaks people out (that would be the mother-in-law..), i try to stick with frozen

 

[amanda]

We are going to get a new tank just for the clowns - for definate.

When I bought a bag of this live food, I asked what to do and they said just pour them in, so I poured the whole bag in, they didnt mention storing in the fridge, and they didnt have them in the fridge they just had them on the counter.... another dodgy shop???

I will bring my lead home from work tomorrow and post a reply here with a pic of my fishies!

That would be helpful!

Thanks

 

[enchanted]

I will bet that "Live Food" was freeze Dried not live. And adding it all to the tank at once could have thrown your levels off and caused the problem.

 

[amanda]

What is 'freeze dried' >>>

They were swimming about - strange bizzarre little creatures that they were - in fact they were swiming for their lives! (I suppose its quite cruel if they are really living things!?!?!?!)



I know... its not really funny.

Anyway my remaining plec is still remaining thank goodness.

 

[lucky62]

how often do you do water changes ?

 

[clutterydrawer]

frezze drying is a process of drying food, freeze dried food is commonly given to fish

yours however was live, not freeze dried. it's ok for the shop to keep it out on the coutner. i wouldnt recommend putting it all in at once though, i drop it in with a pipette for say, a minute, then i dont let them have any more.

it would be gret if you could get some pics/descriptoins of the unidentified fish as they could eb anything, you need to find out how big they'll get.

 

[samthefishman]

You have clown loaches....lovely fish hey....

Do you realise that clown loaches can grow to 12 inhes long?

I think the stuff you fed them was brine shrimp...does that sound familiar?

Also, I wouldn't be adding anymore salt....clown loaches are intolerant to salt....you may not see th effects straight away but the effects can be accumulative.

Also, the tank may not look overcrowded but the fish will grow.....this is not a problem if you are able to get a larger tank later on...I wouldn't put 2 clown loaches in anything smaller than a 55gal tank....

clown loaches will take YEARS to grow to 12"
Dont even bother bout rushing and getting a bigger tank.

I had 3 for 4 years, they hardly even grew. And they were in a 65gal.

 

[Angry_Platy]

sam....I never mentioned that they should get a tank right away...I never indicated that they would grow quick...

BUT...I would like to add that they will grow a lot slower in a smaller tank than what they will if in a larger tank