Mass Casualties - Frustrated Newbie Needs Help

[mako22]

Hello - beginner here, very distressed after losing 5 of my 8 fish over the last few weeks. I have a 55 gl tank with all "semi-aggressive" fish: 3 bala sharks, 2 spotted catfish, 2 "regular" catfish and 1 needlenose guy. (Please refrain from mocking those names, I forget the real ones). I've only had the tank a few months, and I've almost always had issues with ICK.. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong - I do 25% water change each week, the filter is working properly, the temp is right at 80 and all my water quality readings are dead on, every time I test! Can someone educate me? I keep getting attached to these guys and feel terrible I can't save them when they get sick (the Super-Ick cure I've used doesn't seem to work so well).

Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge with me

 

[Ally555]

Did you cycle the tank when you got it?

 

[mako22]

Did you cycle the tank when you got it?

After reading more about the cycling process, I probably did not cycle properly. The folks at PetSmart didn't really explain it too well. That being said - wouldn't the ammonia and nitrite readings be off if I hadn't cycled properly? Any time I test the water everything is in the "safe" zone (testing with quick strips)

 

[lyotim88]

use liquid tests

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, agree. You may find this hard to accept at first but the strips are worse than useless, they are misleading and often lead to wrong conclusions about very important things.

While your problem may hinge around both disease and stocking problems, I'd still suggest as a first measure that you invest in a good liquid-reagent-based test kit. Many here, including myself, use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit and another popular one is the Nutrafin Mini-Master Test Kit, if you can't find the API one.

Meanwhile, if you are still having current problems with white spot or other disease symptoms, it would be wise to post in the emergencies section to hopefully catch the attention of some of the folks that are really up on that side of things, although I believe member oldman47 has a good link in his signature if you can find one of his posts here.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[mako22]

Yes, agree. You may find this hard to accept at first but the strips are worse than useless, they are misleading and often lead to wrong conclusions about very important things.

While your problem may hinge around both disease and stocking problems, I'd still suggest as a first measure that you invest in a good liquid-reagent-based test kit. Many here, including myself, use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit and another popular one is the Nutrafin Mini-Master Test Kit, if you can't find the API one.

Meanwhile, if you are still having current problems with white spot or other disease symptoms, it would be wise to post in the emergencies section to hopefully catch the attention of some of the folks that are really up on that side of things, although I believe member oldman47 has a good link in his signature if you can find one of his posts here.

~~waterdrop~~

thanks waterdrop will do - would explain a lot if they are indeed inaccurate.

 

[waterdrop]

Don't forget, the kit is only one thing. I still think you will have to have further discussion with the members about any diseases and also members (not my thing) may need to advise you about the compatibility of those particular fish!

Good luck,
~~waterdrop~~

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome Mako. I would have thought that after several months you would have a completed cycle, even if fish died along the way. Unless you have been sucked in by the recommendation to change the filter every few weeks, you will probably discover the problem is not your cycle.
I will assume that is true because WD has given good advice if you are still in the cycle.
The subject of freshwater ich seems to come up more than most others. It should never get into your tank if you quarantine fish properly. Since you have experienced it in your tank, try reading up on the disease itself. It is easily treated with ordinary table salt if you know how and you will seldom lose fish doing the treatment. There is a link to a very thorough discussion of ich and its treatment in my signature area that should make you almost an expert on it if you read through it. The life cycle of the parasite is discussed in some detail along with how we treat it and why the particular treatment should work. I seldom see ich in my tanks even though my fish experience many of the same stresses that are often blamed for bringing it out. The point is not that I never encounter ich but that once the parasite is gone, the problems stop forever. If I keep it from getting into my tank, my fish can't ever get it on them.