Always a problem

It seems like every week something is going on in my fish world, and sadly its not bee good. I decided I was going to move some plants around today and I get to my fish room to move some plants and I see a purplish leave I thought, well I touch it lightly and its one of my kribs and it swims away kinda drunkishly like its on its death bed. This is the tank where I moved a lot of fish from. Now it just had 2 kribs and 5 buenos aires tetras. The tail was a lil beat up and the other Krib and tetras are fine but this is a mystery to me. Right now I have the hurt/sick krib in my community set up in the living room with all the old tank mates and the festivum. Hopefully she gets better, I think its the female hard to tell at the moment, but doesn't kill the festivum.

Well so far she is not being bothered and not bothering anyone either. She is very slow moving and seems weak. She did not eat when I fed everyone else. I put her in the best place I could think to and hoping she pulls through it. If she does I will have to figure out a full time residence because I don't think it would be wise to reunite the 2 of them.

Well she seems much more active today but somebody in the community tank has finished off her tail basically so now I am a bit concerned about getting an infection. Im guessing it was the Festivums or cherry barbs that did it to her.

Sorry to here the problems your having!Hopefully eveything gets better for you!

Looks like she is going to make it, she is being her bossy self. A festivum in there has ick or something... Im doing the salt and water change. Hopefully it will take care of this issue. I don't remember ever having so many things so close together. Oh cr@p, I gotta post a fish of the month also. LOL

You can also use garlic once a month in all your tanks!

Never done garlic before...

Are using the same net? Are you sterilizing in between use?

I do use the same net, and I let it dry out then rinse in tap before using it.

Try finding a net sterilizer. I never dip a net into 2 tanks without sterilizing net and handle.

Thanks Doc, will do!

Ok well now the Krib has been moved out after seeing 2 cardinals killed...this morning I see I am missing 2 more... and one of my black neons is looking quite rough also...I don't know what the cr@p is going on. I guess its the Festivums but they are small, the only other culprit could be a dwarf gourami, he is the biggest in there but I have no clue...

If you can't find a net sterilizer you can make your own with three parts water to one part household bleach. Let net and other equipment (filter parts, heaters, decorations) soak for a while and then rinse well with water (repeat as necessary) and then rinse again and let dry.

This is a recipe for cleaning tanks, decorations, etc... but will work as a dip for your net... dip net let soak for 5 minutes and then rinse and let dry and viola the net will be sterilized.

If you have a specie of shrimp or fish that is extremely sensative and hard to handle due to them being easily damaged then change the bleach out for white vinegar.

I am so pissed at myself. This week I decided I really wanted some Cardinals and went to get some. I bought 8 there. Since bringing them home nothing but trouble. I had 7 black neons 4 of them have died, and I am down to 3 cardinals. Thats what happens when you go to Petsmart...

I am at my wits end. Nothing is helping. The gourami and festivums are going strong and everyone else with the exception of one cherry barb looks fine but last night everyone seemed ok but I lost one cherry barb 3 cardinals and 2 neons. After numerous water changes I truly have no clue. I just tried my last resort and moved my aquaclear 70 to that tank to try to help. These past 2 months have about made me want to just pack it in and quit.

I hope you don't give up. Just curious do you use prime or salt in your tank? And what is your filter media?

I have city water and I do use Prime... My ammonia levels have been a little high... .25 or .5. I have used salt for ick...and I just now put media back in the pumps today... biomax and activated carbon...Aquaclear 70 and 20.

check your tap water for ammonia, if present use API Ammo Lock along with the Prime.

I use Stress Coat Plus to rid amonia, chlorine, and chloramine and let the water I am going to use to replace the water I remove from the tanks sit for a day or two to let the Stress Coat do its job (especially important for my Cardinal Shrimp tank).

Don't be affraid to double dose your water with the de-chlorinator/ amonia remover as your city may add extra chlorine/amonia to rid bacteria without telling you... this can be very troublesome with exotic shrimp as it means death to most of the colony in your tank.

Dave

My other 4 tanks havent had issues...it seems like the problems all arose in this tank after adding cardinals from petsmart...

strawman1985 wrote:

My other 4 tanks havent had issues...it seems like the problems all arose in this tank after adding cardinals from petsmart...

maybe adding extra filtration then? or putting some filter medium (like carbon pellets) designed to remove amonia in your filter bags if using a power filter or cannister filter?

something has caused an amonia spike in your tank, did you use any of the shipping water (water the fish came in) when you put your fish in the tank or did you put your fish in a net to move them from the shipping water to your tank? the shipping water could be what caused the problem.

Ammonia spikes can be handled by using Ammo lock, adding plants (convert amonia to non-toxic), adding filtration or changing your filter medium in your current filtration.

Over population can cause amonia spikes, over feeding can cause amonia spikes, adding the water the fish were shipped in if it has high amonia levels will affect your tank parameters, plant matter and uneaten food can cause amonia spikes.

Try not feeding the tank for a couple days, doing a water change and then only feeding the fish once a day (this will help get the amonia under control as well).

That's what I did today. I took out an old marineland pump and put my aquaclear 70 in there. It has been in a cycling tank for near 3 months. It's kinda the last resort...

You'll get it figured out I am sure. test your tap water for amonia.

So it looks like I may have things under control, but I saw tonight that a cardinal who may have been struggling slightly but not sure if he was get killed by the 2 festivums, which is a natural food aparently...The ammonia has been kinda high but I am wondering now how much they were involved. The festivums are small though.

Well just so you know you aren't the only one with some trouble.

I have lost 11 Angels over five days due to trauma (Albino Rainbow shark and other angels being agressive). I have removed the Albino Rainbow shark and traded it for two small Clown plecostomus (two inches or so in length).



Dave

Sorry to hear that. I know how annoying that can be. I just cant seem to my 29 gallon community tank working right. This tank has been used since last December and the ammonia is not high but the tetras I get just do not survive. I have 5 lemons that were doing great and then today 2 are doing the heavy breathing and running into walls. The catfish, platy's and festivums are great though...