New to this, new tank, Ich, fish dying...

16 years ago

I've had it all...

We have a 10 gallon tank that we've had for about 8 years. We had one ferocious goldfish in it that finally died at 6" in length in November. I changed the water, rinsed it out well, including the rocks and filter, set it up again and let it run for 48 hours (this was with well water, non chlorinated, and we did add water conditioner).

My neighbor gave me some Neons... and they died within about two hours.

A week later, we bought a pleco and shrimp. They did just fine. So another week later, we got two mollies and decided to upgrade to a bigger tank (28 gallons).

We set it up, let it run 48 hours with the well water and water conditioner, filter, etc, put the shrimp and pleco in and they did just fine, so we transferred the mollies. Within three days, one mollie died. The other mollie seemed to have developed Ich, I quarantined it back to the other tank on Saturday, turned up the temp as high as it would go and added aquarium salt (about a Tbsp) and this malachite green Ich treament stuff, removed the filter even.

this morning the mollie is dead, and now the pleco has the ich (I also turned the temp up in the 28 gallon tank and added a bit of salt to treat the water). There is also these balls of snot looking stuff in both tanks, stuck to the rocks and walls. This was NOT there yesterday.

Obviously we are doing something wrong! What is it???

At least my 25 cent shrimp seem totally unphased by all this. LOL

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

dobesrule
16 years ago
Check your ph, ammonia and nitrite to be sure there are no problems there. Check the ph of your water straight out of the tap also. I have well water and the ph is low so when I do maintenace I just add a dash of baking soda. I also keep a couple small pieces of coral hidden in the tank to help keep the ph up. If you do find problems that could be hindering the effectiveness of your ick treatment if that is what it really is. Sometimes bad water conditions car "burn" the slime coat on fish and it looks a little like ick.

Lisa
petiolaris
16 years ago
What temperatur is the tank and does it fluctuate significantly? Also too many fish can stress that fish out, making them more susceptible to bacterial and free-swimming parasitic attacks. Warmer, stable temps, along with mild ich medicine and increased aeration should get it under control.
Related Discussions
new stock tank pond- water lily dying
Q
Comments (4)
Need more information: Did you fertilize the lily when you planted it? Did you plant it in a pot, or is it in a mesh bag? Overfertilizing a lily can cause the leaves to die back and injure the plant. I would do a partial water change, replacing with fresh water. I don't use rain water in any of my lily containers, just fresh tap water. Likewise, not fertilizing at all might make the plant's growth slow down, the old pads might not be replaced with healthy new ones. Some people use Miracle Grow spiles or Jobs spikes, others use Osmocote pellets, others use plant tabs made for aquatics. Those mesh bags are, in my opinion, completely worthless. I have never managed to grow a healthy water lily in one. Water lilies generally do better when planted in a large container of clay-based soil. Garden soil will also work, but you'll need to hold it down with sand and gravel. Otherwise, there could be aphids on the pads or maybe a caterpillar that you haven't spotted yet. Moths will also lay their eggs on plants, and the larvae are tiny green caterpillars that easily escape notice. I don't think you need to scrub out the tank. If it was used for animals, it shouldn't have anything in it that would harm your plants.
...See More
new baby koi. (need help new at this)
Q
Comments (10)
Yes I agree with sleepless. I have a koi pond with approximately 10 large koi fish. I also have small mosquito fish swimming alongside them. Chances are, a few baby koi will survive, because koi fish do not intend on eating other fish do to their peaceful nature, BUT koi fish will mistake smaller fish as food! When I feed my koi, they oftentimes swallow mosquito fish on accident. If you have a spare tank and a proper filter, you could scoop some pond water into the tank and get it running. To get the babies out safely, I would either patiently try to scoop as many tiny fish I can with a net OR partially drain the pond to the extent where the babies are visible and easy to catch and the parental koi are not stressed about the condition. If you choose to leave the babies in the pond, their only MAIN danger would be being snacked on by their parents, but they will not starve, so feeding is not necessary. Either way, u will loose some babies, but it would be a good experience for everyone. To answer the second question, MOST likely, you will get orange and white colored fish. But if they are sun burnt or are suffering from stress or malnutrition or any other environmental factor, they may slightly change their color tone. Another possibility is that your parental koi fish is carrying a recessive trait (color in your case), and happens to pass it directly to their offspring. In that case, you may get yellow or black koi. I think this will be interesting and I, personally would like to know if they really are koi fish babies or not. Please update your findings when you get the chance to. :) Cat
...See More
Switching Betta fish to a new tank with a filter
Q
Comments (1)
You'd be better posting this on the discussion forum [this is photo gallery]. You should be ok if the water movement is not too strong. Betta's are more suited to calm waters, there not great swimmers as fish go.
...See More
New Pond Owner - Fish Dying
Q
Comments (3)
Not that anyone is listening, but I cleaned out my filter(s) and added more Nite-Out and my Nitrites are finally at zero! Checked my ammonia and that is also at zero. I picked myself up a new very small Koi this weekend. I do have a Koi with an abrasion on it's side. I believe she got it running from the males during spawning activities. The abrasion seems to be getting bigger, but the fish is acting normally. Other fish seem to be nibbling at the wound and I believe that's why it isn't healing. Any suggestions other than taking the fish out and putting it in another tank, which I don't have?
...See More
dannie
16 years ago
Read about cycling. It sounds like your tank is not cycled and most fish you put in will suffer and die from ammonia and/or nitrite poisonning. To save your fish, do 50% water changes daily at the mininum until your tank is cycled. You will know that your tank is cycled when your test results for ammonia and nitrite are both 0 and you have some nitrates showing. You do have a test kit right? If not, get one.
homegrown1
16 years ago
Ich is, from my experience, very easy to control once the tank is established. You were correct in raising temperature, but after the ich has cleared keep it at a steady level. Adding salt is also a wonderful idea. To clear the tank I would do a 20-25% water change, using distilled water bought at a grocery store or Wal Mart. Try adding a touch of Stress Zyme to the water as well as a touch of a good ich cure. I usually keep my filters running. You may also want to add a little bit of water conditioner and definately salt. This should cure the tank. Once the filter has algea developing on it your tank should be on its way. Be sure to not overclean your filter as the bacteria growing on the overflow helps purify the water. But, make sure it is creating a great deal of circulation. To keep the tank healthy add only a small amount of chemical and salt for every water change. I also always add a few drops of ich cure with every water change. I have noticed this keeps ich out of my tanks. Be sure to use a gravel vaccuum with each change. Also make sure your lights are not overpowering the tank and that the tank is not by a window. This will help keep it cleaner. And make sure the fish you are purchasing are healthy and are in healthy tanks.
james_ny
16 years ago
Yoy really should have cycled the tank first before adding all the fish. Now you have two issues; ick and the cycle. Medicate for the ick, chances are temp and salt won't cure it. Go to a good pet shop and get ick meds and a water test kit. When you medicate its really important you treat for the recommend time [plus a few days]. Stop too early, even if your fish look ok and it usually comes back. The ick meds may effect the cycle process. You should see the ammo and nitrites rise to dangerous levels then suddenly drop to zero. This could take weeks and you need to test every few days. Don't add any fish as your cycling as you may lose them. You need at least one or two to cycle. The best way to avoid ick is to quarrentine new fish for 3-4 weeks [use your 10 gal]. It's easier to prevent than cure.

New to this, new tank, Ich, fish dying...

Comments (5)

dobesrule

petiolaris

Related Discussions

dannie

homegrown1

james_ny

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US