Fish Dying!

[Treacle27]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and would like a little help if possible.

I have 140 litre tank and i'd like to think that i did everything right when setting up my tank. I left it for 2 weeks before added any fish and everything seemed to go ok for the first month or so.

Since I started building my stock up they have all started to slowly die. First of all it was my Fighter 'Alan', i was gutted and 2 Angel fish. Then it was 2 female fighters about a week later and now i've just lost a molly. I only have 1 female fighter left and a molly.

I keep checking my water and all seemed to be ok (I have however been using strips and not drops to test my water which are recommended on here - i will now change), i also do my 25% water change regulary.

Has anyone any idea what could be causing it. there seems to be nothing seriously wrong with the fish and I don't want to bring any more in yet before the problem is sorted for them all to just die.

Help, please!!

 

[Jimbo1984]

You stocked it too quickly. Have you tested the water for ammonia and nitrite?

 

[WILDER]

Added to many fish to soon.
Take a sample of your water to the lfs and tell them to write the readings down for you.
Best to invest in a liquid master kit of your own.
Increase aeration with an airstone to help the gills in bad water quality.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showforum=58

 

[Treacle27]

I don't think adding too many fish at once was the problem as I built up my stock over a matter of 6/7 months. I have had my tank quite a while but wanted to give you background as to what I did in the beginning. Sorry i probably should've explained a little more.

At first i only added a couple of fish, followed by a couple more fish a month later and so on and so on. When at the highest stock level i only had 9 fish. surely that isn't too much for a 140 litre tank to cope with!?! is nine fish within a 7 month period too quick?

I do have an airstone and i always ensure that the setting is on high, especially when a treatment is in the tank.

Yes, tests for Nitrates and Ammonia completed, all are fine!

Any other ideas?

 

[scooterchick]

Hi there,

Ok, let me get this right. You set your tank up, left it fishless for 2 weeks then started adding fish, yes? Over the next few months you slowly stocked your tank but now your fish are starting die?

Right. More than likely your tank was never cycled. (Don't beat yourself about this, fish shops rarely tell you about this). So, at various points over the past few months you will have had nitrite and amonia in your tank. This will have affected your fish, will stressed them out and weakened their immune systems. It's not uncommon for fish to die months after having lived in an uncycled tank, just when you think you're doing well, everything's roasy, your fish start to die!

The good news is your tank is now cycled so you can start building up your stock again, slowly as before.

What exactly did you have in the tank? Just from the bits and pieces you've said, your fish didn't really sound very compatible anyway and I would really like to know your actual readings for amonia, nitrite and nitrate. Did your lfs say they were 'fine'? That's the usual, they don't want to get involved with tank chemistry.

Can you tell us the actual readings and whose left in the tank?

 

[alessasavoca]

another thing that might be a consideration is the actual tank mates themselves- what was in there before the fish started to die?

 

[Treacle27]

Well, first of all please can you let me know what IFS is?? i don't know if i'm being stupid or this stands for something but i don't get it! is it something Fish Shop?? forum language - it takes me a while!

I'll do another reading tonight and let you know what it is! At the minute i'm using the tetra strips. What 'drops' testing kit woud you recommend and i'll go and buy it.

Please don't shout at me if i have the fish compatibility wrong cos i've only gone on what the fish shop said was ok . I had:

1 x Plec
2 x Angel fish
1 x male fighter
3 x female fighters
2x Mollies

All i have left now is 1 molly and 1 female fighter!

When you say that the tank needed to cycle, what do you mean by this??

I think i need to get some serious reading done on this forum before getting anymore fish.

Thanks for your help!

 

[alessasavoca]

A filter works like so: Ammonia-Nitirite-Nitrate. Ammonia is the fish waste (toxic) which is then broken down into nitrites (also toxic) then from nitrites to nitrates. Nitrates are only harmful in a high concentration, and if you have live plants in your tank nitrate is a fertiliser for them so it helps to keep the levels lower. It's loads of bacteria that do the nitrifying process in your filter and by adding a large bio load of fish the filter might not have had enough bacteria to cope (it takes a while for the bacteria to catch up with the bio-load) so the ammonia wasn't being processed. There's a few great stickys on cycling your tank etc , I will find them for you to have a read.

This could have killed your fish as the test strips often don't test for ammonia, which is why we all recommend a liquid one, API do a fantastic one, it's available in Pets@Home for £17.99 and lasts for ages.

1 x Plec
2 x Angel fish
1 x male fighter
3 x female fighters
2x Mollies

As far as stocking (don't worry I'm not cross-someLFS are useless at giving advice it's not your fault) goes the plec will most likely outgrow your tank (can get really big) and is a pooping machine.

Angels shouldn't really be kept with fighters as they can be nippy (so can the fighters) so they are likely to do some damage to each other.
Male and female fighters shouldn't be kept in the same tank as they are generally far too agressive towards each other and can even fight to the death.
Mollies prefer brackish (slightly salty) conditions but they can live in a freshwater tank.

LFS means local fish store

If you want any more questions answered you can PM me if you like and if you want any stocking advice there's a wealth of knowledge on this forum!

 

[Treacle27]

ok so i'll go straight to Pet@home tonight and get the liquid one's and i'll reply with the readings.If all are ok what would the next step be now?I think i would like to have a Angle fish only tank - i luuuuuuuuuvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeee them! also, what do i do with plec when he gets too big. He's only about 2 inches at the mo!Thank you for your very useful help!xAngle has anyone hear of this Angle fish?? sorry meant Angel!

 

[alessasavoca]

you can sell him on here! Or use it as an excuse to get a bigger tank : Where did you get the fish from?

 

[scooterchick]

Hi Treacle,

LFS = Local Fish shop = Want to make money = Will give you bad advice so they make as much money as possible. Not all are like that of course, so when you find a good one, stick with them.

Anyway, we you inititally set up a tank you have to cycle it. This basically means build up enough 'good' bacteria to deal with the bad things like nitrite and amonia. Fish waste and rotting food give off amonia (deadly to fish) this in turn becomes nitrite (again deadly to fish), however in an established tank there will be plenty of bacteria that convert nitrite to nitrate (acceptable to fish so long as it doesn't get out of control). Your tank will now have completed the above cycle but you still have to keep an eye on things. Your LFS will be able to provide you with the testing bottles, yopu can buy a kit that has the lot, inc PH tester, or buy them individually. Strips are hopeless, will give you a 0 reading regardless of what nasties are in your tank.

Incidentally, how big is your tank? That will have a bearing on what type of fish you get. From the original fish you had, your Angel fish need a minimum of 30 gals, a common plec needs at least a 5' tank, male fighters are not community fish, they do much better on their own, in fact fighters, male and female, are not really suitable when you're starting out. Mollies also do better in slightly salty water.

If I haven't already, welcome to the forum! Please stick around, folk here give advice for free cos they are about fish, fish shops are looking for a profit.

 

[scooterchick]

Sorry, I started that reply hours ago!

 

[Treacle27]

Hello,

Ok so i've got the API testing kit and the results are as follows:

PH - 7.6
Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
Nitrate - 0 ppm

My tank is 150 litre, not idea what that is in gallons (just used a converter online and it's 36.something gallons)

Also, is this a sign of anything, both my fish seem to have long poo's coming from their rear ends. It is poo and not any pesties!

 

[scooterchick]

Hi there,

OK, you should have a nitrate reading. I know it's a pain but could you do the tests again? When it tells you to shake the bottle you really have to give it a fantastic shake, I've given what I thought was a good shake only to get a 0 reading then when I've given it an almghty shake I've finally got a correct reading.

So, you have a molly and a fighter left, is that right? Did the plec die too? Is the poo white or brown? White is usually an internal bacterial problem, there's medication avaible for it.

What are the measurements of your tank? Length x Depth x Height.

 

[Treacle27]

Ok - shall i just do the one again or the whole lot??

I'll find the measurements

How could i forget my plec - he's still alive and kicking! so three fishies left!

Back in a mo with the readings