Hi all 
We are currently having a problem with our 6ft tank and wondered if anyone could offer any advice please?
The tank is stocked with male guppies, a couple of mollies, white clouds, bristlenose plecs and corydoras catfish. About a week ago we noticed that a bronze cory was a bit bent and swimming in circles a bit out of control. We put it down to age (have had it a good few years now) but since that time things have rapidly got worse.
In the last few days we have lost quite a few fish, the corys being the main victims at the start. The one that was swimming in circles now has what can only be described as peeling skin that has red rimmed edges. We thought it was possible that he had damaged himself as he keeps lodging himself in tight places for a while but quite a few others have small rings of white on them (not furry like fungas, more like peeling skin and some have a bit of redness. Some of the corys have torn or ragged tails although one of the corys that died had perfect fins but had a red circle around the base of the fin next to the body.
There is a bit of flicking going on and in the last hour we have fished 9-10 more dead fish out of the tank, some with peeling skin evident and some without. Most of the ones that have died tonight are baby plecos (not very tiny ones though) but 3 of the corys that died today have the peeling skin and it's like their faces have been bashed in and their top lip and barbels have gone.
There are about 5 fish that look on their last legs, one of the small plecs has started spinning round now and we have a large bristlenose plec in there which has just started to frantically dart about so it looks like that is getting whatever it is too!
Tested the water tonight and it's pH 7.2, Amm 0, Ni 0, Na between 80-160 (can't tell because it's between those two colours on the chart - very very very high I know but hubby says this is normal for our tank and is because it doesn't have enough plants in it.) The gravel is cleaned weekly with the 10-15% water changes and there is an Eheim Professional external filter, full bed undergravel with powerhead and two bubble lifts and three internal filters (we used to have 7 tanks but have recently passed alot of fish onto our LFS so had equipment going spare.
Trying to remember if I've forgotten anything, am sure I have. Sorry this is so long, just so sad.
Does this sound like a bacterial problem?
Thank you x
We are currently having a problem with our 6ft tank and wondered if anyone could offer any advice please?
The tank is stocked with male guppies, a couple of mollies, white clouds, bristlenose plecs and corydoras catfish. About a week ago we noticed that a bronze cory was a bit bent and swimming in circles a bit out of control. We put it down to age (have had it a good few years now) but since that time things have rapidly got worse.
In the last few days we have lost quite a few fish, the corys being the main victims at the start. The one that was swimming in circles now has what can only be described as peeling skin that has red rimmed edges. We thought it was possible that he had damaged himself as he keeps lodging himself in tight places for a while but quite a few others have small rings of white on them (not furry like fungas, more like peeling skin and some have a bit of redness. Some of the corys have torn or ragged tails although one of the corys that died had perfect fins but had a red circle around the base of the fin next to the body.
There is a bit of flicking going on and in the last hour we have fished 9-10 more dead fish out of the tank, some with peeling skin evident and some without. Most of the ones that have died tonight are baby plecos (not very tiny ones though) but 3 of the corys that died today have the peeling skin and it's like their faces have been bashed in and their top lip and barbels have gone.
There are about 5 fish that look on their last legs, one of the small plecs has started spinning round now and we have a large bristlenose plec in there which has just started to frantically dart about so it looks like that is getting whatever it is too!
Tested the water tonight and it's pH 7.2, Amm 0, Ni 0, Na between 80-160 (can't tell because it's between those two colours on the chart - very very very high I know but hubby says this is normal for our tank and is because it doesn't have enough plants in it.) The gravel is cleaned weekly with the 10-15% water changes and there is an Eheim Professional external filter, full bed undergravel with powerhead and two bubble lifts and three internal filters (we used to have 7 tanks but have recently passed alot of fish onto our LFS so had equipment going spare.
Trying to remember if I've forgotten anything, am sure I have. Sorry this is so long, just so sad.
Does this sound like a bacterial problem?
Thank you x
