Help Meeee

[Loren]

Hi There, I have a normal coldwater tank with 2 Black Moor's and 2 Aquatic Frogs. The fish have been in there for 2 months and added the frogs a month later. They've been absolutely fine and happy swimming around together. The last few days the fish are just layed on the bottom of the tank. There still alive and breathing, but they just dont want to move or anything.
I cant see the frogs are the problem as they've been in there for 4 weeks now, and have been fine up until now. I did have live plants in, but got rid of them a couple of weeks ago as they were falling apart. I feed them on normal fish food and blood worms once a week. I do a 30% water change every 2-3 weeks.
Please can you help me? .
Thankyou,
Loren.

 

[fluttermoth]

What size is the tank what kind of filter does it have and how big are the fish?

The first thing to do is a massive water change; leave just enough for the fish to swim upright and make sure you dechlorinate the water.

How do you clean the filter out?

 

[Randi]

Hi, it would be helpful to know your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. Also pH and the size of the tank. I'm sure someone here will be able to help you.

 

[clivealive]

hopefully your get a more detailed reply but everything was fine, u removed the plants and added frogs.
u took out plants that help get rid of nitrate etc and added frogs adding to the waste produced, therefore it could be the extra frogs plus the taken out plants causing higher waste.
also maybe less oxygen too.
iam happy to be corrected though as i might be wrong.

 

[Loren]

My tank is 16L and the fish are an inch and a half long. Its a BioOrb from Pets at Home so has the filter in the middle which is changed every 8 weeks as the instructions say. Do I take the frogs out when I do the massive water change? Ive got the Goldfish Aquarium Cleaner and Goldfish Protect. Also., I have Melafix fish medicine stuff, do I put all of that in??

 

[fluttermoth]

Ok, your problem is that your tank is too small; I know the fish look tiny, but they need more room; goldfish, even black moors, can grow to 6 or 8 inches long.

Changing the filter media is just a ploy by the manufacturers to get more money off you There are good bacteria that eat the ammonia produced by the fish and stops it poisoning them. If you change the filter, you're throwing all those good bacteria away.

As your fish have grown, they're producing more waste and will be poisoning the water more quickly.

You need to do many more, larger water changes; in a tank that size, 50 or 60% every couple of days, and you need to sort out a decent tank; 100l is the absolute minimum size, although 120l would be preferable.

 

[Loren]

Ok thankyou, so what do I do right now? Complete water change??

 

[fluttermoth]

You're welcome; sorry I have to give you such bad news!

Leave enough water so the fish can swim upright; you don't want to take the fish out, it's too stressful for them.

 

[librarygirl]

Agree with everyone else. If you're replacing your filters you're throwing away your bacteria and effectively re-cycling your tank every two months which is very hard on the living things in the tank. Do a water change ASAP. Then get a good liquid test kit like API. Every day test for nitrites, nitrates, and ammonia. If ammonia or nitrites get over 0.25, do a water change to get them down. Also what kind of frogs do you have? If they are african dwarf frogs they need heat, preferably high 70 to low 80 degree water. This is from another forum but it's a good guide and might help you: [url="http/www.aquariuma...-now/Page2.html"]Cycling with Fish[/url]

 

[Loren]

Ok, Ive done all of that. Thankyou all of you, I did explain to the man in the fish shop how big my tank was, but I guess he just wanted to sell fish! Yes, there Africal Drawf Frogs and he said they would be fine to be in the cold water with the fish. The frogs seem fine, its just the fishies Im worried about

 

[fluttermoth]

I'd leave the frogs in the little tank when you get he larger one for the fish. I don't know that much about aquatic frogs, but I don't think they should be kept with fish, really.

 

[Loren]

Both of the fish died today . I think Im just going to keep the two frogs for now!

 

[This Old Spouse]

to your fish. So sorry they died.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Sorry... This is often the end result for a lot of fishkeepers. I wish LFS were more interested in educating folks before selling them fish.


The frogs should be fine in that tank.

 

[fluttermoth]

Sorry we didn't manage to help you save your fish, Loren