New Member

[Kiwi2016]

Hello, I'm new to your group and I'm joining so that I can get help.
I've had my 26 gallon tank for a year that I bought used.
These are the fish that I have:
6 penguin tetras males
1 dwarf pleco
2 guppies females
4 mollies females
 
The plants are real and I have gravel. The filter uses AquaClear 50 carbon, stones and sponge. I keep the temperature within the green area of the thermometer.
 
I usually change the water every two weeks, about 1/3 and I use tap water conditioner, aquarium salts and a plant supplement.
 
The tetras and the pleco came with the tank and are the only original survivors.
I have bought various fish over the year and they have all eventually died as well as some of the fish that came with the tank. This is very distressing to me and I'm wondering if I should stop keeping fish, since I can't seem to get it right.
 
Each time a fish dies, I take a water sample to Big Al's and if the water quality is not good I do more frequent water changes until it's good then I get new fish. I always follow their instructions and do my best to do the right thing for the fish.
 
I generally feed then every other day plus 1/2 a spirulina wafer. Sometimes I feed a bit more frequently, say when I get new fish.
 
A few days ago I had the water tested and it was good so I bought 1 guppy and 2 mollies. Everything seemed A-OK, then today I see that my largest Molly is in distress. She's now at the bottom of the tank and her body is bent. As soon as I saw this I did a water change of about 20%. I realise it's unlikely that I can save her but would like to know if it's at all possible? Also is it normal that I have lost a total of about 9 fish in one year?
 
Thank you for any help you can offer.

 

[ginaekdal]

Hi .

 
First, I would recommend that you invest in a proper test kit if possible (drops, not strips as these are unreliable) instead of relying on a store to test the water for you. That way you can monitor and pick up on changes before they become a big problem leading to the loss of fish. Having exact numbers will help immensely.
 
Second, different fish prefer different water parameters (pH, hardness, temperature) and depending on your exact parameters some species might struggle with your water. I see you mainly have hard water species; what are your exact water parameters?
 
Be sure to always research species, species' requirements, and their compatibility (seriouslyfish.com is excellent for this) before adding them in the tank together. Some fish stores (not saying this is the case here) will give very bad advice indeed simply to sell fish without regard for their wellbeing.
 
Third, 1/3 water change every two weeks sounds a little on the small side to me. I would bump it up to 1/2 every week.
 
As far as I know, you do not strictly need to have carbon in your filter unless you want to remove traces of a medication from your water. If you need to medicate the tank, be sure to remove the carbon prior to doing so to make sure it is effective.
 
I believe the first port of call when you notice signs of trouble would be to 1. test the water, and 2. do an immediate BIG water change as water conditions will be a likely suspect.
 
For the struggling Molly, perhaps a thread in the emergency section of the forum would be more likely to be seen quickly.

 

[HarpyFishLover]

I'm not sure if mollies can have the same thing as my guppy... but here's what happened to my guppy, and your position sounds similar.

A few weeks ago my guppy was lethargic and had a bent back. One week ago he was laying on the bottom, motionless, unable to swim. I took him to my LFS, and they told me that it was a genetic disorder caused by inbreeding with no regard to the fish's lineage. Sadly, if your molly has the same disorder, she will have to be euthanized. Ask some other forum members for advice in different euthanization techniques. Sorry to be the bearer of possibly-bad news...

 

[Kiwi2016]

Many thanks to both of you for you advice. The aquarium store do use drop to test the water but regardless, you still think I should buy my own. What brand and could I get this at the aquarium store such as Big Al's?
 
Each time I buy fish I ask the people at the store if these fish are very compatible and I even get similar colours so that it helps them to recognise each other as friends.
 
You mentioned that I have hard water species and what are the parameters? I don't know, how do I find out?
 
Sadly, my fish died i the night.
 
Thank you.

 

[ginaekdal]

So sorry about your fish.
 
Yes, I would definitely get a test kit (containing pH, gH, KH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate) you can monitor the tank effectively that way and over time you get a feel for where the norm is for your tank, meaning any changes can be taken care of before they cause problems. I believe the API brand is well recommended as far as tests go. I use JBL which is also good, but then I am in Europe.
 
To find your exact parameters you need to test your source water for pH and hardness (gH and KH). This will let you know what kind of water you should choose your fish based on (you will either have soft water, hard water, or lie somewhere between). Ideally you will then choose fish that thrive in your parameters. I believe, based on your water supplier, you might be able to find these values online. You will still need to test your tank regularly for nitrate, and upon observing a problem the ammonia and nitrite tests are very good to have (these should not be present in a cycled tank and can explain many a problem if you get readings for them). Based on these test results you can then take preventive measures in the form of water changes.
 
Guppies and mollies are livebearers, which is a group of fish that thrive in hard water. If your water is very soft, these would not do too well. Tetras typically prefer soft water; the opposite of guppies and mollies which is why these are not typically combined; however the species you have is one of the tetras that do alright in harder water. Without knowing the exact species of pleco you have it is hard to comment on the exact requirements. The site mentioned previously, seriouslyfish.com, does detailed fish profiles which very helpfully list the requirements of each species. It is a very handy tool to use to look up species you like before acquiring them, to make sure they will fit your water.

 

[Kiwi2016]

Great advice, thank you ginaekdal.

 

[Kiwi2016]

ginaekdalhttp://www.fishforums.net/index.php?/user/123349-ginaekdal/ I checked the water source and we have very soft water 30 mg/L (ppm). The PH is 8.4 to 8.8. Based on what you've told me the guppies and mollies shouldn't do well in this?

 

[Kiwi2016]

I have read about the recommended GH.
Mollies GH over 250 ppm
Guppies GH min 200 ppm,
Plattes GH min 200 ppm
 
Our city water's GH is 30 mg/L ppm
 
30 vs 200+ is a huge difference, no wonder my fish are dying. I do ad API Aquarium Salt. Does that do anything to help? Or do I get another type of additive or should I trade these fish in and get ones that are suited to my GH of 30 ppm?
 
Many thanks.