I Just Want To Give Up

[karmagl]

We have been at fish keeping for over a year now. I feel like I just bring new fish home to die. I loved my fire eel he just disappeared with the gourami and the frog. I came home the other day, my red tail shark was see through my bala sharks were floating around and loaches were white. Next day their fine. They have no real symtoms, my water levels are awsome my tank is beautiful but yet we have lost around 40 fish in the last year. I really don't know what I am doing wrong anymore. Last night I came in and my twig cat looked dead. I put him in the hospital tank and treated with anti biotic he seems to be doing better. Now the fish in my tanks gills are a little red, I'm sure it won't be long. Their always fine as long as I am treating with antibiotic or other meds. A week later it starts all over again. When I take my dying fish to the fish store I am told they look fine (as no visible symtoms) Sometimes they are sick and floating for a day the next they are fine, but in the end I am losing them fast. I only have 14 fish left in my 75 gal. I don't want to bring more home because they just die after about 3 or 4 months. Someone told me my nitrates shouldn't be 0. They are 0 out of the tap and I have never had nitrates maybe thats the problem. I even add bacteria to my tank like the fish store said with every water change. Shouldn't that raise my nitrates. Yes I know I am feeling sorry it's just that I am supposed to enjoy this, I don't even want to turn the light on in the morning all I can think is who is dead now. Has anyone ever been through this I just want to break it all down, it's depressing.
temp 74F
Nitrates0
nitrites0
amonia0
ph7.4

 

[Fighterfish]

Woops i didn't read your signature properly. MOD please remove this post.

 

[celaeno]

that's right. nitrates reading 0 is a big problem, unless you have plants in there. if you have no plants, that means you probably added some ammonia absorbant in the tank (assuming your ammonia reading is accurate), preventing the tank from ever cycling.

also read your sig, and some fish (like the bala sharks) don't belong in there. temp should also be around 78F.

 

[Don Trinko]

After your tank has cycled you will have almost no amonia,almost no nitrites and some nitrates. Plants or water changes will remove nitrates but nitrates are not dangerous untill you get very high levels.
Try to stabalize what you have before you buy more fish and make sure that your water is suitable for the fish you buy. Some fish are hardier than others. Work with these fish first.
Compare your PH with the PH of the store you buy from. If there is much difference in PH you have to acclimate them to your water slowly when you transfer them to your water. Don T.

 

[karmagl]

ok I ws at 79 then everyone told me that was too high so I just turned it down. I have had my tank for over a year how could it not have cycled. No I don't have live plants I tried it and they died. I know none of my fish go together thank you pets mart I am trying to sort out what I have so I will have a compatable tank. The bacteria I put in says it eats amonia nitrates and nitrites. Fish guy said to use with every water change to increase good bacteria. Should I stop using it? Maybe this is my problem

 

[AndyOleszczuk]

I added bacteria the first time I started up my filters and have never bothered since as once a filter has established you shouldnt need to add anything. Try not adding it for a while and see what happens.

 

[Squid]

ok I ws at 79 then everyone told me that was too high so I just turned it down. I have had my tank for over a year how could it not have cycled. No I don't have live plants I tried it and they died. I know none of my fish go together thank you pets mart I am trying to sort out what I have so I will have a compatable tank. The bacteria I put in says it eats amonia nitrates and nitrites. Fish guy said to use with every water change to increase good bacteria. Should I stop using it? Maybe this is my problem

My tank has been running for a year, and i have had no problems for months now. I never add bacteria to the tank, it should be fine as it is. However, when i my tank was newer, i felt exactly the same as you. I just wanted to pack it all in. Stick with it and lets try to find the problem and right balance.

Few questions and things to check:

Do you have any dead spots in the tank (places where water circulation may be an issue?

What is your maintenance regime? water changes, filter cleaning, substrate, rocks etc.

What test kit do you use and how old is it?

Do you have any dodgy rocks ;-)

What filter do you have?

Squid

 

[karmagl]

I guess I could have a dead spot it's about 4 ft long and the tube for filter on far side. I was doing a 20 gallon water change once a week but heard that was too much so now I do 10-15 a week. Filters I change every three months like it says. I use prime to dechlorinate, and add some of the bacteria with each change. I have a giant piece of drift wood that I have had a lot of trouble with. Turned my tank red 7 months ago and is still leaking a bit of tannins. I have a lot of fake plants and gravel in the bottom. My test kit is Freshwater master test kit I bought it about 6 months ago. My filter is a millinium 3000 hang on the back with two filters. I don't allow any cleaners in the living room I bought an air filter and put next to the tank. I am starting to get some algea now on the back of the driftwood it's green, the only algea eater I had was my twig cat but as of 5 minutes ago he passed away.

My tank has been running for a year, and i have had no problems for months now. I never add bacteria to the tank, it should be fine as it is. However, when i my tank was newer, i felt exactly the same as you. I just wanted to pack it all in. Stick with it and lets try to find the problem and right balance.

Few questions and things to check:

Do you have any dead spots in the tank (places where water circulation may be an issue?

What is your maintenance regime? water changes, filter cleaning, substrate, rocks etc.

What test kit do you use and how old is it?

Do you have any dodgy rocks ;-)

What filter do you have?

Squid
[/quote]

 

[WILDER]

Red gills and being pale or opaque can be signs of gill flukes.
Any flicking and rubbing or gasping.
Do the fish twitch or swim in a jerky movement.
Do the fish shy at objects in the tank.

 

[Darkehorse]

There's something weird going on. If your tank wasn't cycled, you would have hi levels of ammonia and nitrite. If it is cycled, you should have measurable amounts (at least 5 PPM) of nitrate. I want to guess that your test kit is bad. Is it the kind that uses strips or is it liquid based? The first thing I would do if I were you is to take a water sample to your LFS and have them test it . You might want to put some activated charcoal in your tank for a bit to try and remove any toxic nasties that may be lingering. I'm still not sure why your Nitrate is reading zero.

Just remembered, when using a lot of liquid Nitrate tests, you must prepare the solutions a certain way.

Read this thread and see if you don't get a different result after retesting:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...p;#entry1495530

-Darke

 

[WILDER]

Whats your tap nitrate reading.

 

[karmagl]

Tap nitrate is 0 and it's the liquid test with the test tubes. I take a sample to my lfs every other week always 0 nitrates he said that was a good thing. Maybe a little jerky the loaches are very high strung no flicking or rubbing but they mostly always look like they are breathing heavy and my bala's like to breath from the top of the water.

 

[WILDER]

I think you have flukes to be honest.
I will get you some info.

http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...products_id=138
Red inflamed gills are a sign of gill flukes.

 

[aquaticadmirer]

karma, I don't think the tap lacking nitrates is the problem since nitrates come about from the bacteria converting ammonia into nitrites and then nitrites into nitrates. My tap tests 0 as well, but I usually have around 10ppm of nitrates in the tank. I would think that your problem with nitrates is either the nitrate tester is malfunctioning or your tank has not cycled yet for some odd reason.

Breathing heavily and gasping at the surface is a big indicator that the water is possibly not oxygenated enough. What other kind of equipment do you have on the tank? If you have a 75 gallon tank with only the filter for water circulation, you definitely need something more. Powerheads work well for circulation and aeration, much better than air pumps.

 

[WILDER]

You can have a nitrate reading of 0 if your tap nitrate reading is 0 and she has live plants.

Young fish are most prone to gill flukes.
http/www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm