Tank Mates Eating Each Other Alive!

[bikerchick032]

I am new to this, so i will explain the best i can and hopefully someone can anwer.

as with everything in life i wish that i had researched this hobby a little better.

i have a tropical tank (approx 120 litres). i regularly change the water (i.e 10-20 % weekly). I have/had gouramis (dwarf, honey, red flame, silver and a blue that died to today). The problem seems to be from reading the number of topics that are posted throughout this website that these are a pain in the neck to say the least.

My problem is that 1 of the honey gouramis has a swollen belly. 1 of the red flame has a wound/sore/no scales just above his lower fin. 1 has no scales along his/her right side (which i have treated). 1 looks like it is starting to develop a fungus type growth on him too. Now the honey that isn't swollen keeps picking on all that are ill/poorly. Why?

I also have 1 red finned shark (little bossy), 1 silver shark (laid back), 1 albino shark (hides), 1 male sail fin molly and 2 females (which I think are pregnant)(i know now after reading this web site they don't get on with gouramis), 3 guppies, 3 kribs, 2 plecs and several neon's/tetra's.

Again after reading this web site it's too many fish, but i don't know what to do. My fish are trying to eat each other alive and the gouramis keep getting ill. is it too much for them?

any advice is welcome as there's only so many fish you can take dying before you want to give up. By the way, running for 2 mths and heavly planted with false caves and bog wood.

 

[jollysue]

I am in the States and can never remember what ltrs are off hand. I have to start by imagining a 2 ltre soda.

Frankly reading your stocking list, it sounds like a nightmare. Your fish store will probably take the healthy fish back. I don't recognise some of them or have experience, but they need separating right away. The sick fish need to come out to a hospital tank, the aggressive fish need separating from each other and the passive ones.

Pick a tank stocking from your research and take the others to your lps. I can't even begin to sort the trouble in the tank.

Maybe someone else can.

 

[AwesomeBean]

Ok, I have a few questions about your tank & your fish I need to know to see if I know what's wrong with your fish.

Do you have a filter?
Do you have a light?
Do you have a thermomiter?
Did the people at the store where you bought the fish tell you anything about the fish?
If yes to the question above, What did they tell you?
Did you treat the water before putting the fish in?
Did you lay the bag with the fish inside it in the water for at least 15 minutes before puttting them in the tank for the first time ?
Are there white or green things around the wound on the sick Red Flame fish?
Is the fungus around the mouth or the body?
What does the fungus look like?

Here are some suggestions that could help your fish:
1. Go to Wal-Mart (Or another store) and buy Mela Fix. It's a medicine for fish that helps them get rid of bacteria and sicknesses.
2. Do what jollysue said and quarintine the fish who are sick.
3. Add some Aquarium Salt to the tank.

Some other somewhat important information:
The Honey Gourami that has a swollen belly may have Dropsy. I will give you a link a website that says things about some diseases and treatments. The Red Flame fish may have Anchor Worm. My Goldfish that I had got that disease but Tropical Fish can get it too.

Here are the links:
A link for the Dropsy disease:
http/www.petlibrary.com/goldfish/dropsy.htm
A link for the Anchor Worm disease:
http/www.petlibrary.com/goldfish/anchor.htm

I hope I helped and I hope you find out what's wrong with your fish!

 

[jollysue]

She does have some aggressive fish in her tank that I know of and fish that aren't recommended usually together. The only Gourami I have kept are honeys and they are sensitive. The other gouramis are all aggressive, I believe, and need balanced stocking, and I assume not together. If the kribs are male and female and breeding they can kill a tank off by themselves. Like I said .... Oh well. You have done some research so start getting homes for the fish you don't want or can't keep and get the sick ones separated and treat them. Personally I would go with a Maroxy/Maradel Trisulfa combination. It will kill plants. But your tank bacteria will survive and not cycle.

Another Oops! I suppose since your tank is ltrs, you are in the UK or Europe, so Mardel products may be a no go.

 

[tttnjfttt]

The red finned shark and the albino can also be very aggressive. The open sore is most likely bacterial, and can be difficult to treat. Because you are referring to tank size in Liters, I am assuming you are from the UK. Unfortunately, the antibacterial meds over there are no where near as good as the ones available in the US. If you search for ulcers, you will probably find some meds recommended by Wilder, who is good with meds in the UK. I will tell you that melafix will not cure your fish.

Also, contact a local fish store, many around me will take fish from overstocked tanks, but please let them know of the illnesses they have been exposed to. While you can often find good deals on tanks on ebay or craigslist, you have many very incompatible fish, so i definitely recommend you re-home or separate some fish.

 

[bikerchick032]

Many thanks to everyone with your suggestions.

Yes I am in UK, i have now seperated them and treated the sick ones with metaflix blue. yes i have filter fluvual 240 and thermo and light, and yes and no to the fish some anwering some questions or telling me a little about the fish. I am going to seperate so all the gouramis are in one tank and leave the others/find homes.

Many thanks again to everyone.

 

[scooterchick]

Hi there,Try interpret anti internal bacteria med, you'll be able to get it at your lfs. I'm not quite sure what you're planning with your stocking, but the most obvious things would be to sex your gourami;s (you can't keep males together) and rehome the males, your silver shark is way too big for your tank, perhaps not now but he'll grow too big or he'll be stunted. You can't keep multiple sharks, one only per tank, so I would also suggest you rehome the silver shark and one of the others asap. Actually I would recommend you get rid of all the sharks, if you keep one they'll worry your guppies to death. What kind of plecs do you have? Most likely they are also too big for your tank, if they're common you also have to get them out of there asap.I'm afraid your fish are suffering from an overloaded bio system, there's too much waste and faeces for the filter to cope with which makes conditions similar to living in a sewer. If you rehome as many fish as you can then do regular water changes and treat with the med hopefully you'll soon have a nice healthy tank,Please stick around and welcome!P.S I found this forum when I was in a similiar situation with my fish, wish I'd found it much sooner!BTW, to answer your question about whyt he healthy one's pick on the sick one's, I'm afraid it's survival of the fittest. They know whe they have a weak sick fish around and it starts to get attacked. Best thing to do if you can't quarantine a sick one is to put the light out so it gets some peace to either recover or die.

 

[jollysue]

You are getting some really good information, bikerchick. And congratulations on your good attitude--not getting defensive.

The others are confirming in particular what I thought in general about the species you have. And I agree wholey with scooterchick. Get the best broad spectrum antibiotic/antifungal combination you can get in the UK--most likely Interpret. Change out the MelaFix and start an antibiotic treatment. If the treatment includes an antifungal all the better. At this point you most likely have fairly virulent infections (primary and secondary) in your tank. Do what you can to keep the water clean.