Tropical Tank Help

[2fast4u88]

Ok I have had my tropical tank running for about a 1 1/2 months. Ammonia level is .25. Nitrate 20. Nitrite.05 Hardness is a little below 1000. Total Alkalinity is 720. Ph is 8.

I know the hardness and alkalinity is high but not sure what to do about that. It is a 29 gallon tank kept at 80 degress. Has a male betta, 5 neon tetra's, 2 Dalmation Mollies, Albino rainbow shark, 2 Albino tiger barbs, Did have a silver tipped shark(First died in 3 days followed by purchasing another one to die in 2 days) Then I have 5 other fish not sure of what they are off my head. The woman got them at wally world in which two are silver with black stripes and have finned tails. Two are orange see threw looking with black tips on the fins(about 1in long). Then the other reminds of a sunfish. Orange with blue stripes.

None of the fish are over 2in's cept for the shark. I also know that once the grow the 29 gallon is to small. Which I have a 55 gallon cycling. Any way I can't figure out why the silver tipped sharks die. Along with now one of my mollies doesn't want to swim. Floating around tail up. Kind of flapping around. Looking like it is gasping for air. Which there is plenty of.

When I got them I didn't know they needed salt. Though not sure if it will hurt the rest of the fish or not. Along with need help getting the tank right for the fish. Thanks for any help.

 

[james_fish]

If they are Balantiocheilus melanopterus which you are reffering to, you are better staying away. They grow to a potential 12" which is too big, even for a 55 gallon. Unlike the other tropical sharks, this is a schooling speices meaning you need to have at least 5 of them to thrive. Like I said, you are better off steering away from these fish.

OR, if you mean the true Silver Tipped Shark, they need Brackish water. These will be double the size of silver sharks.

James.

 

[WILDER]

Fish will become stressed and ill in bad water quality.
Plenty of daily water changes and increase aeration.
Also cut down on feeding.

Research the fish for tank size, adult size, compatibility.

 

[2fast4u88]

Huh? The silver tipped sharks are the catfish ones. Not those. I know how they act. I only have the albino rainbow right now. Which I know how big they get among the rest. I only use spring water in the tank with conditioner. The town water shows up having a high amonia. But the rest reads the same when compared to the spring water. I did 25% water change every two days to cycle the tank. As I started with the 5 wallmart fish in the tank. Along with got did a 25% last night which lowered all my first three levels. The rest of the fish are fine though. The one mollie is fine the other seems to be doing better today.

That wasn't really my ? though. All my fish in the tank now get along fine. No fin nipping or anything. Heck the betta doesn't even bother one of them. My ? was what is wrong with my mollie floating tail up. After reading it seems like mollies need salt. So will it hurt the rest of the fish? Then why is it both silver tipped catfish sharks died so quick?

 

[2fast4u88]

http/www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3955256 This is one of sharks I was talking about. I have a 29, 55 and 75 gallon. In which when I finish the place for the 75 gallon they will be moved to it. As those I have heard get to 16inch's. Though what I have now as fish size are fine for the tank at the moment till they start to grow. There is also plenty of air from two 10 or 12in bubbler strips in the bottom of the tank.

I also believe the two silver and black striped fish. Are some kind of zebra fish if memory serves me well. This is the only shark in the tank right now http/www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3953754 but albino. In which he doesn't bother a thing at all.

 

[Jenste]

considering you have readings of ammonia and nitrite above 0 - - this is probably the reason of your mollies illness. any ammonia or nitrite in a tank is poisonous.

you need to do more waterchanges to get both of those numbers to 0