What can I do to keep from killing fish!?
Had a fish tank since this summer and had some issues killing fish it was small so we got a 10 gallon tank in August. Currently we have a Betta, green Corey, and a Pleco. We had an upside down catfish and an albino Corey that unfortunately passed a few months ago. They had fin rot issues and the upside down guy was bloated.
Tonight we found the Pleco dead inside the little house. We’ve had issues with ammonia levels and this is my ‘first’ tank that i’m responsible for the water levels etc. I’ve begun twice a month partial water changes (taking about a gallon out) and was using Tetra Water Safe but now I just use Aqueon Ammonia Neutralizer as my conditioner(it suggests use as such on the label) I’m not the one that does their feeding though another household member does that (we’ve discussed not feeding them daily, everyone says not to but it’s unclear how many times a week?) Been changing the filters 1-2 times a month (I think it’s an Aqueon filter as well) Used a Jungle Fungus Clear fizzing tablet earlier this month after realizing the Fin problems may not be behind us.
How can I keep these water levels stable??
Thank you for reading.
For starters I would suggest moving your fish to a separate bowl or bag and take out the water of your old tank and clean the gravel. Once that is done get some water conditioner and make sure it also says on the bottle that it controls ammonia. Add water to the tank and add conditioner required and then give it about 3-6 extra drops. Let it cycle for about 5 hours and then slowly put water from tank into the bowl with your fish so they can get used to the chemicals of the new water. Add about 1/2 a cup every 5 minutes for about 15 minutes and then once that is done net the fish out and put them in the tank. Make sure to keep tank MAINTAINED or the ammonia level will rise again. I suggest weekly gravel cleaning which you can get things at petsmart or petco to help with that.
Switch the filter every month and make sure you dont over feed them. Other than that good luck =)
Your having issues with the water quality because your tank is poorly stocked and overstocked.
You should rehome all of the fish you still have except the betta. None of those fish should be in the 10 gallon except the betta. It’s always a good idea to research fish BEFORE you buy them.
You should be doing water changes once a week. You change 25-35% of the water during a water change. Also STOP changing out the filter cartridges. Those have all your good bacteria on them that you need to keep the tank cycled. You only need to change the charcoal inside and rinse off the cartridge in old tank water. If I were you I would suggest buying a book on fish keeping.
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do larger water changes, dont change the filter so often. i dont schedule filter changes, i just do it when it has so much gunk it blocks water from passing through.
i kind of neglect my tank in a way. i dont test water or do any of that junk. the less you mess with the tank the better. i dont think ive ever had fin rot. maybe ich many years ago. but thats about it. i dont medicate or anything. i think people mess with their tank too much and it ends up causing more problems. but i will say i do have lots of live plants so maybe that helps in cleaning the water
also, dont get another pleco because most of them grow to enormous size
Well, the first thing I noticed about this was that you had a betta fish with other fish. I assume that he is a male. You should never ever ever put a betta fish with any other fish because they have bad reputations of fighting with the other fish in the tank, especially those with long, flowing fins. You need to move him out…and then move him in to a separate 5 gallon tank. I think part of your problem with the ammonia and the water and everything is that you probably didn’t cycle your tank long enough before you put your fish in. You should cycle your tank (in case you didn’t know, cycle means to let your tank sit with the water in it and the filter running) about two weeks before you put any fish in it. This helps to lower levels of ammonia in your tank. The other thing I observed was that you had two coreys, a pleco, an upside down catfish, and a betta (which, as I mentioned earlier, brings about problems of its own) in the same tank. That tank was way way way way WAY too crowded. Once you move your betta out though I think you will be okay with the corey and maybe you could get another corey too. Also, you should do 10% water changes every week, any you should get a mystery snail to eat the algae in the tank. One more thing: only change the filter cartridge once every month.
Good luck!!!!!
Wow…let’s break this down:
1. Your tank has an exceptionally odd and incompatible assortment of fish. Corys should be kept in groups of the same type (i.e. five peppered corys or five albino corys, etc.). Bettas don’t do well with non-aggressive fish, or even aggressive fish, and generally do better by themselves. Plecos, depending on the type, can get humongous. 24 inches is nothing for a pleco.
2. The fact that you have fin rot is probably due to disease, as you suspected, and it’s good that you are acting on that. It’s also good that you are using an ammonia neutralizer. I would also recommend live plants to balance out your water. Do frequent tests as well. There could be other problems. Honestly, I have a very well established tank and have not had disease or fish loss due to stress in years, and I only do water changes as needed, so about once a month or two, and I vacuum out about 50% of my water and use conditioner plus aquarium salt. Water changes stress out your fish and doing it too much gets rid of too much good bacteria. But, since you are trying to get your levels right, you may be required to do it more.
3. Feed daily, but only as much as your fish eat, so not too much, considering bettas eat minimally and you only have a cory left. This could be contributing highly to your ammonia problem, as uneaten food is a poison to your water. I can’t imagine, especially if they are sick, that your fish eat that much. But definitely at least try to feed daily if they seem interested in eating.
4. For God’s sakes, stop changing the filter! That, more than anything, stresses your tank. I only change my cartridge every few months, when it gets too gunked up. Even on the package it says not to change it often. This is getting rid of all the bacteria your tank needs to establish itself.
Your tank is new, and it will take time to build up to the point where you rarely lose fish and your ecosystem can sustain itself with minimal intervention on your part. You will lose many fish. However, if you are patient (and smart about what you put in the tank), you will prevail. Good luck!
http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php
The Cory may have issues but the beta will survive the cycle process.
Read the link. Follow instructions!