I Have Got Several Problems

[voo]

Keep the carbon out whilst you are adding medications - the carbon removes chemicals and medications from the water.

Your ammonia and nitrite will be high because you've stocked your tank too quickly. it's only 10 weeks old - did you cycle it first? it takes time for the bacteria to grow in the filter and for that reason you should add fish slowly, a few each week, to allow the bacteria to grow steadily.

Have you removed the fish waste from the gravel? Plecos are messy and the fish waste, if left in the tank for long, will increase the ammonia.

Ideally it'd be best if u could remove some of the fish, but if u cant then keep up with the regular, daily water changes. This should help to keep the ammonia down.

I dunno about doing water changes whilst adding medication. Usually i do a water change then add the next dose of medication, but i dunno if that's the correct thing to do.

 

[emma12321]

Hi,

As a general guide you should have an inch of adult size fish per gallon of water. This guide only applies to small fish under 3 inches and doesn't include territorial fish such as cichlids as they require more space to set up a territory.

What type of plecs do you have ? If they are common or sailfins you can expect them to grow between 18 and 24 inches.

Emma

 

[southyorkshireguy]

In a few months i am going to upgrade to a 400 litre tank.

 

[confusion]

I believe the two problems are feeding off of each other. Until you get the ammonia and nitrite under control, you're going to keep losing fish.

Here are two suggestions:
first, use some kind of ammonia/nitrite detoxifier. I don't recall the name of them, and they probably aren't the same on your side of the pond anyhow. That will buy you some time while you treat the ich. I would still do daily partial water changes, replacing the meds as you do.

The other is to do large and frequent water changes. I mean like 2 or 3 80% water changes back to back. That is the only way (other than above) that you're going to get the ammonia back to a safe level without the right sized bio filter. After that, you'll probably need to do 50% changes per day. Of course, you will have to replace your ich meds after the water changes, though.

 

[voo]

You should be able to find ammolock in the fish shops. That'll remove the ammonia.

 

[rob newland]

Could the safewater you are adding in be the cause - as that adds lots of bacteria to the tank you shouldn't use it every water change. Isn't it supposed to be used to convert nitrites into nitrates or something?

 

[southyorkshireguy]

My water starts are alot better today, they are

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 1mg per litre
Nitrate 10mg per litre.