New User

[exley1]

Hi, i'm after some advice as a novice tropical fish keeper. We have a cold water tank that is getting too small for our common plec. We bought a 4ft tank and have a siamese fighter, 3 zebra danios, pearl danio, 2 mountain minnows, 1 mickey mouse platy, 1 coral platy, 1 sucking loach and 3 guppies in it. We are having a problem with the water levels. Our ph is 7.5 we are in a hard area but it is the nitrite level that is concerning us, it is on the limit 5! My husband does weekly 25% water changes and vacuums the water. The tank has been set up for 3-4 weeks now. Our common plec is still in our old tank. The fish were all fine until 2 days ago when I noticed that a coral platy and 2 zebra danios had vanished. Concerned I did some research online with a community tank website. I had trouble finding any information on my blue catfish and was shocked to discover that he might be a blue channel catfish! He is already 9" long and nearly as big as our 5 year old common plec. We were not told he would be this big (ignorant I know). My research has also told me that I might need a licence for him. I'm concerned as we put him in the new tank a week ago and the fish started to vanish a couple of days ago. My husband thinks that the catfish has ate them and has now moved him back to the old tank. I'm not sure as he was completely placid in the other tank previously with the sucking loach, rosy barb, plec, danios, ruby shark and snails. We are taking a photo back to the fish shop to get a correct id on him. If it is a blue channel catfish, how big will he grow and what fish can he be housed with? Also, is there any advice on how to get this new tank at correct water levels. The fish don't show any signs of ill health. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

What kind of tests are you using? Liquid or paper? Are the fishes gills discolored (i.e. turning brown)? ...that would be an indication of nitrIte poisoning.

If your nitrite levels are indeed that high...(which is possible in an uncycled tank with high bioload fish like the catfish)...
NitrItes are toxic to fish, and should be kept below 0.25 ppm. The tank should hopefully be done cycling soon (1-2 more weeks), but in the meantime it would be a good idea to start doing daily water changes to keep the nitrItes level as low as possible.

Sorry I don't know anything about blue channel catfish, but you may want to return it if it is growing too large/preying on your other fish.