I Think I Give Up

[Meggie :)]

I've had a ten gallon tank for over 3 and a half years now. In the last 5 months I've had a guppy's intestines fall out, dropsy, a fish that died from pregnancy, a case of ick that wiped out my whole tank in less than a week (killing the only fish that was born in my tank that I kept and had had for more than a year...she was my favorite...so friendly) and now I think I have an internal parasite going around. And I have twelve or more adorable guppy fry less than a week old. I don't know what to do. I can't treat the tank because it will kill the babies and if I let it go, it will spread through the whole tank. Maybe this just isn't right for me...guppies and mollies. Maybe if I move on to a brand new tank with a brand new kind of fish to keep I will have better luck. Anybody know if there's anything i can do to try and save this tank, or any suggestions for a new kind of fish? I am setting up a fifty gallon soon, if that helps. With a bigger tank I'll have more options than the small and common livebearers. Even though those are my favorite.

Pls help,
Thanks

 

[coldcazzie]

It's so tough to keep going with something when you experience a series of setbacks, isn't it?

I can't advise over whether you should treat the tank or not; that's your decision, but I'm curious as to why you think you can only fit livebearers in a small tank? There are lots of options for small fish that would be content in a 10g

 

[Meggie :)]

I keep livebearers because they are my favorites ...I get really attached to them...And my tank might be getting wiped out again for the second time in 2 months. I don't know what to do anymore. A couple of days ago my guppy that had JUST given birth the day or two before started pooping white..and she had sort of a bloated "corner" to her chest if you know what I mean. Almost like a triangle. My LFS told me it was prob constipation, as that happens alot when they just have babies? (or so I was told). But she died the next day and I thought everything was okay again until I saw this guppy now with the exact same symptoms. Do you know what this is?

And also, how big of a tank do discus fish have to be kept in? Just wondering

Thanks

 

[coldcazzie]

I don't recognise the symptoms, but if you post in emergencies someone else might.

Discus need a large tank because they get very big and need to be kept in shoals. 5 foot tank, minimum, really.

 

[Meggie :)]

Thanks...and that stinks because my new tank i'm setting up is 4 feet long...50 gal...dang it

 

[KittyKat]

That *could* be feeding of wrong sorts of foods (ones which expand in water).

Meggie , I can't even start to give you advice unless you post some more information about your current setup and water parameters. Guppies are known to just keel over and die at the first sign of trouble, unless one buys well bred fish from a hobbyist/semi-professional breeder.

I would say 6*2*2 ft tank is a minimum, and in that you can probably get away with 8-10 discus.. I think 6 is a minimum number to keep.

 

[Meggie :)]

I posted all the info about what's going on in my tank under the "tropical emergencies"...Is there any way that you could take a look and see if you can place what's going on? And I feed them omega one color flakes. Very high protein.

thanks so much!

 

[coldcazzie]

Thanks...and that stinks because my new tank i'm setting up is 4 feet long...50 gal...dang it

Yeah I know its a bum isn't it?! I've a 4 foot 55g and I'd love discus but it's just not big enough. I'd be hesitant about putting them in the 5x2x2 I almost bought a couple of days ago...

 

[the_lock_man]

Maybe this just isn't right for me...guppies and mollies.

You've certainly had more than your fair share of bad luck. I had similar fortunes with my mollies, although my platies were really good. I've now moved onto some rarer livebearers, they are similarly simple to breed (just put them in water, as the saying goes), but I like having something that very few people have. Maybe an idea for you too?

 

[Meggie :)]

The main reason I buy fish is for their colors and/or big tails/fins. Do you know of any really beautiful fish that would fit in a 50 gal? (4 foot x 13 inches)

 

[Louiseness]

Rainbowfish, loads of types of cichlids, gouramis, many kinds of tetras and barbs..... you can have lots of things! Anything in particular you're looking for other than colourful? (shoals, a biotope, breeding, etc).

 

[nicolaisam]

Everbody who looks at my tank love my,Apistogramma cacatuoides

 

[Meggie :)]

Well I know I want sand, not gravel. I want live plants (maybe a few plastic ones, but I'd like most of them to be live) and i was thinking about breeding my own fish. I had one fish that was born in my tank...a balloon molly. She was my favorite and lived for over a year, until the ick attack ...but I would like to breed fish to know that the stock I have are young and healthy.

Thank you so much! and i looked up apistogramma cacatuoides and they are BEAUTIFUL!!! How big of tank do they need? and what kind of fish can they be kept with?

 

[coldcazzie]

If you're wanting colourful, you could also look at brighter tetras like cardinals/neons, or at small killifish? You could even do all of them - pair of apistos, a small shoal of neons and a pair of killis? Then you've got bottom, middle and top and lots of colour

 

[nicolaisam]

Well I know I want sand, not gravel. I want live plants (maybe a few plastic ones, but I'd like most of them to be live) and i was thinking about breeding my own fish. I had one fish that was born in my tank...a balloon molly. She was my favorite and lived for over a year, until the ick attack ...but I would like to breed fish to know that the stock I have are young and healthy.

Thank you so much! and i looked up apistogramma cacatuoides and they are BEAUTIFUL!!! How big of tank do they need? and what kind of fish can they be kept with?

I have mine in a 180 litre tank.

I have a Trio of Apistos 1M/2F
20 cardinal Tetras
12 black phantom tetras
4 otos
Lots of plants and wood,leaves,moss and moss balls

Looks like this