Was I Careless

[godzuki]

I beautiful plec died yesterday.

im starting to think it might have been my fault...

1st it took me 3 days to remove the f***ing CSL which seemed to be premantly attatched to him
2nd my tank has "NO" algee.
3rd my local petshop had run out of algee wafers and didnt get any in till yesterday
4th he didnt seem to touch the cucumber that I put into the tank as, as soon as he came out he was sucked upon.
5th my tank's ph suddenly shot sky high, although it was fine a day or two ago.

from what I've rad on the internet a high ph isnt a major problem it does need lowering but I dont know how to I've turned down the new bubble cutain so im hopeing this helps. and there have been no more casualties, I'm gutted and can't help but think it was my fault there was bogwood in the tank and he did seem to be sucking on the gravel alot but with out the algee wafers could the poor thing have starved???

I feel so sad, i really dont know what happened.

 

[big mick]

It wont have starved, you say you ph is high, what is it along with your other water stats, that will help shed a bit of light on why he died.

Sorry you lost him though.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Though most fish can cope with a high ph, a rapidly changing ph can cause problems.

 

[godzuki]

i went to my local "aquatics" centre and he said the area I live in's water is far too soft for my big guy and with the water change... the shop owner said the ph was too high for him, he sadi the same thing about the feeding and that unfortunatly due to the area there wasnt a lot I could do.... thanks for the help. I have been informed that I'mm need to stick to tetras and as there is a very large selection i shouldnt have a problem with findingfish I like. he also said the water type was what was most likely killing off all my live bearers......

kiss kiss
godzuki

 

[morgan]

Hi, I looked in your profile to see what size tank you have, but it doesn't say. If you have a large enough tank a Common Pleco might do well. They are not too fussy about conditions (not saying that any fish shouldn't be looked after properly). They are hardy, my ph is round about the 7 mark. They are a very nice entertaining pleco. It just depends if your tank is big enough as they can grow to anything between 1foot - 2 feet, and they grow very quickly in their first year. Mine is currently in a 65 UK gallon but it might need a bigger tank if it grows very much bigger.

 

[overboard]

Hi, I looked in your profile to see what size tank you have, but it doesn't say. If you have a large enough tank a Common Pleco might do well. They are not too fussy about conditions (not saying that any fish shouldn't be looked after properly). They are hardy, my ph is round about the 7 mark. They are a very nice entertaining pleco. It just depends if your tank is big enough as they can grow to anything between 1foot - 2 feet, and they grow very quickly in their first year. Mine is currently in a 65 UK gallon but it might need a bigger tank if it grows very much bigger.

This might be stupid but I thought fish would only grow as big as your tank would allow. I've had a pleco for over 2 years and he is only 6 or 7 inches long. How long does it take them to reach the 1 foot mark?

 

[adam98150]

If its a common plec, youve stunted its growth. How big is your tank?

 

[overboard]

If its a common plec, youve stunted its growth. How big is your tank?

It's a 25 gallon I think.

 

[morgan]

Hi, it's an often told myth that fish only grow to the size of the tank. I am afraid they actually get stunted, which is a different thing. My Pleco was 2-3" when I bought it in May 2005 and it is now about 11-12". He has a slightly red outline to his pectoral fins so I think he might well be a sailfin crossed with a common so he could reach 2ft quite easily. They do most of their growing in their first year and usually grow about 1" per month.

 

[overboard]

Hi, it's an often told myth that fish only grow to the size of the tank. I am afraid they actually get stunted, which is a different thing. My Pleco was 2-3" when I bought it in May 2005 and it is now about 11-12". He has a slightly red outline to his pectoral fins so I think he might well be a sailfin crossed with a common so he could reach 2ft quite easily. They do most of their growing in their first year and usually grow about 1" per month.

Well since I've stunted my pleco, is this such a bad thing, now he fits in the tank? He seems happy in there.

 

[morgan]

I don't know if he would grow anymore in a larger tank. It isn't your fault if you were told the wrong thing. I was told only recently at a lfs that fish only grow to the size of the tank so it is a popularly held wrong opinion. If you post in the Catfish section somebody who knows more might be able to answer your question.