I don't know what to do

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Boogety48

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Dec 11, 2011
Messages
336
Location
Memphis,TN
I apologize for this being so long but I have a problem with my tank and I can't seem to identify it. I had ick but treated my tank with heat and air stones and it seems to be gone.
Now all of my fish have something coming up on their eyes. One looks like popeye but the rest of my fish have something else. The best way I can describe it would be a clear cone shape over the whole eye that is cloudy at the tip.
I also have little white worms in my substrate that I can't get rid of. They don't seem to be doing anything to the fish. When I clean my tank I notice they land on the fish but then fall off after a little while.
Also my tetras keep losing all of their color and start having what looks like shimmy.
When I take them out of the tank and put them in QT everything seems to go away. When I put them back in the tank it all comes back in a few days, so I know it has something to do with my water. I have checked my water conditions and everything reads fine, water temp is about 82. I'm in process of moving everything over to QT. I'm thinking about just starting my tank over completely. Would that be my best option since I can't figure this out? I'm just so frustrated at this point I want to give up.
 
Everybody's going to ask the exact numbers for your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, how long tank has been set up, size and stock, water change schedule, etc. more details needed to be able to help.
 
Tank is a 10 gal, setup since August, did a fish in cycle. All of the outbreaks started about two months ago. I did a water change two days ago. I usually do pwc every Saturday but since the outbreak its been every 2-3 days. Right now it has 4 cories(that were getting moved to a 20 gal when I had it set up), 2 tetra (my other one died during all this), 2 dwarf frogs (also were going to get moved) and 3 snails. I know its a little overstocked but that is because of Christmas, everyone thought it would be nice to give me things not knowing I didn't have my 20 gal setup yet, lfs wouldn't take them back.

Ammonia is between 0 and .10
Nitrate is about 8 ppm
Nitrite is between 0 and .25
pH is a little over 7
 
I've got a plan. Someone please tell me if this is horrible. I'm going to keep all my media filter but change out the substrate. I'm changing from gravel to PFS.
 
Since you have a bit if ammonia and nitrite your tank is still cycling. You haven't been changing out the filter have you? It's good you are testing and doing water changes. If you are using test strips, I strongly recommend getting the API master test kit. It's way more accurate. I'm betting the eye cloudiness was just a water quality issue. Are they active and eating?
 
Since you have a bit if ammonia and nitrite your tank is still cycling. You haven't been changing out the filter have you? It's good you are testing and doing water changes. If you are using test strips, I strongly recommend getting the API master test kit. It's way more accurate. I'm betting the eye cloudiness was just a water quality issue. Are they active and eating?

I use liquid tests, those strips suck lol. I don't know the eye issues never go away till I take them out of the tank. Everyone is eating and acting normal. I had one cory that his eye turned blood red but I qt him and it went away and he got better and started acting normal but then he died yesterday after looking like he pulled through. I'm just fed up with this 10 gallon tank. I've had nothing but problems with it. I know the smaller the tank, the more care it takes.
 
I bet once it's finished cycling things will get better. Keep up the daily water changes until ammonia and nitrites are zero.
 
First thing do not change out your substrate yet. Your tank is mostly but not fully cycled. Do extra water changes and add only dechlorinator and be patient.

Ease up a bit on the feeding, the worms sound like planaria, which is caused by overfeeding. Overfeeding can also cause problems with water conditions.

What exactly do you have for fish and how many? You say the tank is slightly overdstocked. How much overstocked? What filter are you using?
 
First thing do not change out your substrate yet. Your tank is mostly but not fully cycled. Do extra water changes and add only dechlorinator and be patient.

Ease up a bit on the feeding, the worms sound like planaria, which is caused by overfeeding. Overfeeding can also cause problems with water conditions.

What exactly do you have for fish and how many? You say the tank is slightly overdstocked. How much overstocked? What filter are you using?

Right now in the tank is 2 pepper corys (one other in QT), 1 emerald green cory (my other 2 have died during all this), 2 african dwarf frogs, 3 mystery snails, and I think I have 2 ghost shrimp left. I had the thrid pepper cory in there and 2 tetras but they are in QT and when they come out they will be going into my 20 gallon that is currently empty. I plan on putting everything in QT then putting them in the 20. I can starve off the worms after that. I only feed my fish once every other day. All I place in there is one algae tab, 2 flakes for the tetras and a few blood worms(that come in gel form) for my frogs. The worms are the size of hairs. They are so small I can't get a pic of them.
 
I drew a pic because I can't get one but they look like this but they are tiny, about as thin as hairs and maybe half a centimeter long.
 

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They're probably planaria. If so,they're harmless. Some fish eat them. They usually appear when the tank is over fed.
 
You should be good getting the fish into the 20 gal. I assume it is cycled? It does sound like planaria. I feed every day but only feed as much as the fish can consume in a few minutes.
 
I've been cycling it since early January. All readings have looked good. I've been testing everyday to get it ready for the big move. I stuck some of my media from this tank in there to get it going.
 
Try putting in 2tsp of API Stress Zyme+. This helped my 10 gal clear up. Also im not an expert by any means but i think you temp is a bit high causing things to run wild. I have only 4 peppered corys and my tank is set at 78.
 
What kind of Tetras ?
Neons don't like high heat, unless they have Ick, I recommend keeping them at 74-76f. Cardinals like 80-82.

Mine currently are at 70-72 which is low, but I've had mine over 2 years without heat.

The higher the heat, the less oxygen also.
 
Sorry I haven't been updating, my mother passed away so I've been a little busy. I had my heat up so high because I was treating the tank for ich. I have everything out of the 10 gal now and in process of putting it in the 20 gal. I've got one fish left to put in once it gets better. I have the heat set at 73-75.

Oh and I have neon teras Coursair.
 
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