Does Anyone Have A Cursed Tank?

[wolfwolf]

I got a free tank over a year ago (I think). Since then I have been through ~8 cories, ~5 danios, ~4 harlequin rasboras, 1 clown pleco and plants such as corkscrew valli, watersprite, wisteria, crpyt wendtii, chillensis, green myrio, and a couple more plants that I do not remember. The point is this tank is just junk! I have a 20 gallon hi-tech planted that is doing well, and a 2 month old 75 gallon mbuna setup that is doing well.

Why is my 29 gallon doing so badly? What drives plants to a slow rotting death? Also what drives fish to a slow death? No signs of foul play. I am ready to shut the tank down and give it up. Maybe switch a shelldweller rift tank.


29 gallon tank - sand substrate (1.5") - aquaclear 50 filter - newly added aquaclear 30 powerhead - 200 watt heater (cold in my basement)- Water temp 80F - 1ml Excel once a day - Flourish trace and flourish twice a week (2ml each) - 30% water change 1 a week - pH7.4 - kH 3 - gH 10 - Last check nitrate 20 - 1 large piece of drift wood - 1 slate cave - 1.8wpg of t5 lighting- on 8 hours

I have three plants that are doing okay - 2 anubias and a java lace fern (all babies or cuttings from my 20 gallon tank). Everything else seems to plain rot or not grow. I have BBA in my substrate and all over the plants.

My fish just seem to turn up dead. I did treat with copper a few months ago for ich but I did not lose a fish to ich. I have also tried antibacterial and anti parasitic medication in the past.

What am I missing? Poison driftwood or sand?

 

[Hiya70310]

Maybe the previous owners cleaned or treated the tank with something that just doesn't come off or maybe somethings up with one of the items inside if your tank.
But I'm just guessing though

 

[Dave Spencer]

Why is my 29 gallon doing so badly? What drives plants to a slow rotting death?..... no signs of foul play. I am ready to shut the tank down and give it up.

……1.8wpg of t5 lighting- on 8 hours

…. Everything else seems to plain rot or not grow. I have BBA in my substrate and all over the plants.

It`s not a curse; the signs of your planted problem is there for you to see.

What am I missing....?

Your plants are carbon limited. The light levels are creating too much demand under your current dosing regime.

Can`t help with the fish side of things, sorry.

Dave.

 

[Night61]

i know i do. since setting up my 26 gallon (brand new tank) i have lost three guppies two barbs three mollies and 4 adult mystery snails.
most in one month. i am not sure if its me or the tank, but with my luck it is me

 

[Amunet]

A 3 gal tank my mother gave me is a death trap. Filtered (and cycled), heated, cleaned on a regular basis, and the bettas still never lasted very long. So.. yeah... don't use that tank any longer (well actually might for brine shrimp hatchery).

 

[wolfwolf]

Why is my 29 gallon doing so badly? What drives plants to a slow rotting death?..... no signs of foul play. I am ready to shut the tank down and give it up.

……1.8wpg of t5 lighting- on 8 hours

…. Everything else seems to plain rot or not grow. I have BBA in my substrate and all over the plants.

It`s not a curse; the signs of your planted problem is there for you to see.

What am I missing....?

Your plants are carbon limited. The light levels are creating too much demand under your current dosing regime.

Can`t help with the fish side of things, sorry.

Dave.

So I need to add MORE Excel? Hmm, I was actually going to go less. Thought maybe too much excel was killing the plants. I know a co2 system would be ideal (love the system on my 20 gallon tank) but the wife would kill me. So I will follow yor advice and do a higher dose of excel. If it is that easy I will kick myself for not trying 6 months ago. Thanks!

 

[OldMan47]

Excel does not work with all plants. It only works with the ones that are capable of extracting the carbonates from the chemical bonds in the product. A typical plant type forum will list which plants do well with excel and which do not.
The fish death trap, on the other hand, looks like you may have some kind of contaminant in the tank or filter. I would move all of the fish and plants elsewhere and then do a thorough cleaning of the tank and filter. That means throwing away all of the media in the filter and cycling from scratch. It would also mean replacing all ornaments and the gravel substrate. The heater and similar items could probably be salvaged by giving them a thorough cleaning. Porous materials like bog wood would go if I was not certain that they were OK. There is nothing inherently dangerous about the tank itself unless it has been repaired and someone used the wrong kind of silicone to seal it. Some silicone has antimildew ingredients in it so that it can be used in a bathroom and not end up covered with mildew growth.

 

[shelaghfishface]

hmmm yep, every community tank i set up seems to go wrong,nothing else! either by buying 1 fish thats ill, tampering too much,
i guess im just not lucky at all,i devote lots of love n care to them ,, just wont happen