Fish Attitude

[Taylor]

I've had a 2 gal tank for about 10 months now. My problem is, I think my corydora is killing everything I put in the tank. I've lost 6 tetras, as many shrimp, and three guppies. I've recently added a frog to the tank and he's lasted a week so far. Is it possible that the cory is staking a claim to the whole tank or am I just unable to keep other fish alive? the frog has made it a week to date. I ask because I'm starting a 10 gal tank and don't want to keep buying fish that will be beat up. Note: As soon as I noted the fish were dead, I removed them, so I don't think he was trying to eat them.
Thanks for any help!

Taylor

 

[madasafish]

Taylor, how were the fish dying? If they didn't look beat up (eyes removed, fins nipped etc) it's probably that they are dying from ammonia poisoning, not aggression. Do you know about tank cycling? I can send you a Personal Message about it, or post here if you don't.

Cories are sweet fish. They usually do not aggrevate other species. However, they do survive best in groups of 6 or more, since they are playful, schooling fish.

Frogs (African) are much more tolerant of ammonia levels than guppies and tetras (both notoriously sensitive to toxins). The frog may have survived this time because of his hardiness.

 

[madasafish]

Just a quick explanation of what I meant--you may have had too many fish in your tank at a time. The amount of ammonia in their waste might have been what killed them, not the cory. In a 2-gallon tank, it's best to have 2 inches of fish! The cory is probably the bio-limit for the tank. You might have been pushing it with any more fish.

But I'll still PM you a thorough explanation of cycling it you're interested.

 

[LondonGman]

I agree with everything that madasafish has said

I think my corydora is killing everything I put in the tank.

What type of corydoras do you have? I do not know of any species of corydoras being aggressive

I've lost 6 tetras, as many shrimp, and three guppies. I've recently added a frog to the tank and he's lasted a week so far.

did you have all these fishes I the 2 gal tank at the same time?

I'm starting a 10 gal tank and don't want to keep buying fish that will be beat up.

a 10 gal tank is a completely different situation from a 2 gal tank as your water condition will be more stable due to its larger amount. Also you can add more fishes.

Bottom line is; a 2 gallon tank is small and its environment very fragile. A 10 gal tank is an improvement but you still cannot added to many fishes to that sized tank at the same time .

What type of filtration are you using, have you checked your water parameters?

 

[Taylor]

I guess I need to clarify a few things here. It's awesome to see such a quick response to my question. Thanks! I'm pretty sure that it is a leopard cory. No, I didn't have all those fish at once. Two others with the cory. Except for the guppies. I had all four fish at the same time. And before they finally kicked the bucket, they were so ragged looking I felt sorry for them. I think I'm going to leave that tank to the cory and the frog and start fresh in the 10 gal.

 

[cdawson]

Good idea, however I'd return the cory as it definately can't be happy by itself. This is a very inhumane thing to do just for your own enjoyment. Cory cats require a group of at least 3-4 or more of their own kind to feel comfortable and safe. Also that 2 gal is still not big enough for the cory anyways, I think you better do some more research before getting more fish. It's harsh but you have to be careful what you put in anything less than 30 gallons. The less the water the harder the tank is to keep.

Try reading this article.
http://fishgeeks.com/modules.php?op...e=article&sid=326&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

 

[Capt.Gorilla]

Frayed fins can be sign of ammonia poisoning not to mention death.
Do you have any filtration on the tank?
How often do you change water and gravel vac?
If you could have a local fish store test your water and tell us the levels (try to get the numbers) we could likely be of more help.

If the problem is acctually ammonia you'll want to fix it, even though your cory is doing alright he will like it even more if there is none.

Also, if your going to setup a 10g tank you should give thought to adding a few more corys, they need company to be happiest.
Most people say 6 is best but they would out grow a 10 gallon tank so 2-3 more would be your best bet if you want more fish also (some corys can get up to 3").

 

[madasafish]

He he. OK, so everyone here has come down pretty hard on you, Taylor. Don't despair!

And guys, go easy on Taylor... He's asking the right questions.

So, you've learned a few new things. Do you know about cycling, though? That's the most important thing to establish.

Also, yes, get the 10 gallon and at least 5 cories in it. They'll be happier. But, if you don't know about cycling, PM me and ask. Your fish will certainly die in the 10 G if you haven't cycled it. Also, if you're not sure which filter to get for the 10 G I have some good suggestions.

HTH.

 

[Allivymar]

*nods and agrees with madasa*

Welcome to Aquariumadvice Taylor! Looks like you have a big learning curve ahead of you *grin*

Do PM madasa for info on the nitrogen cycle. You can also read about it here: http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html . Understanding the cycle is the key to happy healthy fish. I will just about guarantee ammonia and nitrite levels are the root cause of your fish deaths; good water parameters are EXTREMELY difficult to keep in such a small tank, especially since its so overstocked (generally, a 2g tank is about the right size for one betta).

 

[Taylor]

Thanks everyone for all the info. WOW! I guess I do have some learning ahead of me. I've just about decided to let go of the 2 gal. I want to move the fish into the 10 gal once it's established. I set it up and put water in it. (Saturday 11-1) Now I'm getting the water temp up to 76*. When I filled it, I added a water conditioner because we have hard water. I tested the pH and it was 7.8 or higher (that's the end of my chart) and added the stuff to lower it. (That was last night. 11-3) I don't want to add the fish (cory and frog) until the water is good. Then, I will take yall's advice and get a few more corys, so he's happy. Anything else I should consider before I move the fish? (How should I do that, seeing as how we can assume the water in teh 2 gal is nasty?)
(madasafish: why do I feel as if I just stepped in front of a firing line?

 

[dralarms]

Put them in a ziplock bag, and float them for 30 min. and then dip them out of the bag and throw ther old water away.

why do I feel as if I just stepped in front of a firing line? Been there done that. lol

 

[cdawson]

Test it with a test kit, you can buy them anywhere aquarium supplies are available.
Get the red sea FW test lab.
Or just get nitrate, nitrite and ammonia test kits.

nobody is comming down on you hard it's just that we're all pretty serious about our fish and when we have problems we fix them . Fast. Some of the people here probably take more care of their fish than most people do their dogs.

 

[wendy]

..

If you're just starting on the 10g, it may be best to just keep the cory and frog in there until it's cycled as additional fish will only produce excess ammonia and this can be dangerous to everyone in the tank if it gets too high. You generally want just enough fish in there to produce enough ammonia to start the process without spiking and killing them. After it's cycled(a few weeks), you can safely add more fish following the 1inch of fish per gallon rule.

If you ever need to cycle another aquarium try using Danios as they are more tolerant to bad water conditons than tetras and guppies.

 

[Taylor]

So, just to be clear, the fact that the water has been sitting for about five days with no fish, added to my newfound knowledge about cycling, tells me that any of those bacteria that were in the water have probably died and I should do a partial water change and immediately introduce the cory and frog after that. Correct? Then add no fish for about 2-3 weeks? knowing what I know now, I'm amazed that any of the fish survived in the 2 gal. thanks again for all the info from everyone.

 

[AtodaJ]

Cory's are pretty sensitive... I'm surprised that little dude outlasted all the other fish imho.

*Taylor* You mentioned you are putting something into the water to lower the PH. Can you expand on that? If you have hard water with a high KH then that could be part of the problem. If your buffering capacity is high and the natural PH is 7.8 then using PH adjusters/regulators aren't a good idea as they will cause PH swings. PH swings are much more deadly than just having a high PH. I recommend using PH regulators only with soft KH water.

Good luck!

 

[Taylor]

Buffering capacity?? I really don't know what that is. We continually tested the water in the 2 gal and I finally gave up trying to lower it because I figured that so much chemicals in the water would be bad for the fish. What I used is the chemical included in the pH kit to lower it. It never showed anything lower than 7.8.