I am so bad at this...

[jrd77]

I have come to the conclusion that there is way too much conflicting information out there and that no matter what I do, any new fish I add will die. No matter how much research I do, there will always be someone or something that directly conflicts my last hours of research...

I've had 3 bengal loaches, 1 ropefish and 6 red eye tetras in a 45 US gallon tank for a while now without problems.

I tried adding another ropefish...he died (a few months ago).
I added some more tetras...the power went out for a day, the heater on the tank thus did not work (not to mention the damn filter) and they died (about a month ago).
I tried adding a south american puffer...it died (last week).
I tried adding a figure 8 puffer...it died (this morning).

In regards to the puffers, I was told by experienced fish keepers at a fish store, not a pet store but an aquarium store, that they would work well.......nope.

My main tank is 45 US gallons. It uses a pengiun double chamber biowheel external filter. I do a 25% water change once a week where I vaccum some of the gravel as well. My water pH is neutral. My temp is 78F. My ammonia nad nitrites are 0. My nitrates are 12.5-25. My water is quite soft. My phosphates run about 5-7 mg/L. What am I doing wrong? Why can't I add fish?

I asked a stocing question yesterday and got a couple of ideas but nothing earth shattering...I am afraid to try again and I have room left in the tank for more...What is my problem?

 

[Ben]

well you stated why your previous fish died,
but correct me if im wrong but arnt those puffers brakish water fish?

DD

 

[jrd77]

According to about 60% of the websites I saw yes, the rest maintain they were both freshwater species.

The man at my LFS said they were keeping their puffers and dragonfish in a half strength tank so for every 10 gallons, one tablespoon salt (instead of 1 for every five gallons). The water parameters at the store were almost the same as my tank and the fish seemed wonderful. Once I got them home....no good.

Yeah, No puffers for me. I'm really sad. And my dragonfish (that I got the same day) had ich and has had to go to the hospital. These two fish were my birthday present and one's dead and the other's sick.

I feel like I don't know what I'm doing (even though I've been doing this for 2 years) and I feel very guilty for killing these poor little fish.

 

[AlexsDaddy]

Yea, fig 8 puffers are brackish. The salt needed for them is sea salt, not aquarium salt. Different nutrients and stuff. From my research on them they are extremly territorrial(sp), grow up to 6-8 inches, and are best in a species only tank.

 

[BettaMomma]

HEY!
Keep your chin up - you're not bad at this.
You obviously are doing what you can and going about things the right way.

i don't have advice on you for your tank, but just wanted to make you feel better by telling you that I simply have 3 bettas boys - all in separate tanks and I thought I'd been doing everything by the book.
Now, it turns out, each of them has the beginning stages of finrot, and it seems like Harvey at home has some symptoms of dropsy. I've been doing everything I can to get them all back to health, even though they all seem to be really happy and healthy (flaring, bubble nests, etc.)...

so it's not that you're not doing things right, you just haven't figured out a good combo of fish and routine that work for you.