Fish Sickness

[Debracordell]

GRR i cure one thing.. then something else pops up then i try to treat that thing then something else pops up !!! AHHH isnt there something else that will cure alll fish problems.. water stats..

pH 7.2
Total Alkalinity 80kh
total hardness 75
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

the glo fish (3) have ick so do the neon sunburst moon (2)
3 guppies with not problems so far
4 female swordtails 2 who had fin rot that cleared up one has a problem looks like thetail and fin are clamped up (now seems to be dying)
1 snail (differnt tank)
swordtail fry (same tank as snail)
5 ghost shrimp very small in size they eat the extra food

What i have tried so far
Melafix pima fix
coppersafe

I put the copper safe in 2 days ago i had to put back in the carbon filter because the fish looked unhappy when i put it in an hour later they looked happy so they went a day being treated with copper safe and 7 days of the melafix and pimafix

we have an eclipise 37 gal tank with the biowheel filter

Advice? im new at this its a pretty new fishtank.. like 2-3 weeks old

 

[WILDER]

Sounds like bad water quality, added to many fish to soon, the tank hasn't cycled, clamping fins are a sign of stress, plus do you have ammonia reading.
None of them fish are cycling fish so they might not make it as the nitrite reading hasn't even started yet as that goes up then comes down to 0.


http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099

 

[Debracordell]

Well the strips that i have dont test for ammonia we put that bacteria stuff in before we put the fish in.. it went all cloudy then went clear.. so what your saying is i need to go out and buy an ammonia test kit.. and follow the instructions on the link.. im sorry but im new at this..

 

[WILDER]

Can you tell me the ammonia reading, and what was the bacterial stuff called.

 

[Debracordell]

cycle by nutrafin (SP) im going to go out and get test strips fo rthe ammonia readding in a few mins.. the strips i have just list the 5 i listed

 

[WILDER]

Used that but it dosn't instantly cycle the tank takes a while, would like to no the ammonia reading.
For now i would do a water change say 20%.
Get water tested at lfs and tell them to write the readings down for you.
Best test kits are liquid ones as they are accurate, where the strips ones are not.

 

[FBF]

zero nitrates definitely shouts out from the page as an uncycled tank. (that cycle stuff is useless) id also say you have too many fish in the tank way too soon and the bacterial bloom (the white cloudiness you mention) is further proof. personally i would advise taking a few of those fish back but for now there is a treatment to help the suffering fish and a cure. (no good treating without fixing the cause)

my advice would be a 10% water change every day for the next week this will lower the ammonia content to a bearable amount for the fish (the high ammonia levels are likely poisoning your fish to death and lowering the fish immune system) and while the tank is cycling (maybe another 3-4 weeks yet) they should do much better. this is almost certainly whats given ich a chance to infect the fish.

to combat the ick you must raise the temp of the tank a few degrees but dont go above 80 and add a tablespoon of salt per every five gallons of water. the heat will induce the ich to move to its second stage where the salt will kill it. (dont forget to work out how much salt you must relpace after each water change) my advice to anyone with a fish tank is water changes not chemicals. chemicals are like a big cash machine for the local fish shop and can sometimes have dire effects on your tanks chemistry.

 

[Debracordell]

OK! well i did the ammonia test it was 1.5 (inbetween 1 and 2 in the color chart) i got the liquid drops that you mix in a tube i realize that we put too many fish in too soon.. the cloudyness happened a few days before we bought the fish

I have done the salt thing and its going already and i raised the temp.. i appreciate any more help you guys can give ill put back in the filter ( i took it out do do a ick treatment..) and stick to the salt and the water changes.

 

[Debracordell]

I just want to thank you guys for the help you both gave... I am doing what you say and it looks like things are getting better.. the ammonia is slowly going down and nitrate is going up i think nitrate is at 10 ammonia is at 1.0 though but its better then the 2 that it was at..

Im new at this and i would like it to be a hobbie for a long time. I test for ammonia 2x a day and i figure if it goes up ill do a water change + salt right then but ill do a 25% water change at night (thats when my 2 yo and 10 month old go to bed) I have this stuff by KENT that helps with ammonia know anything about it? I was also thinking about after everywater change putting more of that bacteria stuff in it.

 

[FBF]

well my advice would be to keep it natural. throw away those miracle products that claim to lock this bacteria and isperse that one, they are simply not needed. you do need the ammonia in the tank and it will disperse. i wouldnt waste your time testing the tank so often. (once a week is a lot) ive not tested my tanks for nearly a year now.

oh and another thing. removing your filter from tank water for longer than 30 mins will kill the bacteria in the filter and put you back to square one again.

can i suggest you read up on the "tank cycle"? its essential knowledge that you need when keeping fish

 

[Debracordell]

I thought thats what the BIO filter was for.. you know that spinny part the 2nd stage of the filter.. the part i took out was the carbon with the blue mesh.. i left the spinny thing in... i realize that the carbon filter also has bacteria on it most of the stuff i tried to treat the ick and fin rot said to take it out i was only following directions

Im New at this FBF.. I figure testing fequently would help me catch ammonia spikes quicker..

I have read the tank cycle several times i have to wait for the bacteria to grow.. to eat the ammonia and turn it in to nitrite then another bacteria to grow to eat the nitrite.. ..

The problems are happing now.. most people who get fish tanks know nothing about the whole process other then what they are told in the store.. i guess its a learning experence..

Kinda makes me feel like your looking down on me for asking for help on what i should do.. different things to try.. my main goal right now is keeping my fish alive so they dont suffer *sigh*

 

[FBF]

ok i take it you are over sensitive. im not sure where you are getting this feeling from me. my post is there to help you and guide you. i realise you are a beginner and my advise was to help. if you want advise and i give it then thats all there is. if you are going to be offended because i question what you may or may not know then perhaps im wasting my breath...