My algae eater died.

[AKelly]

Hi,

Last night, I was about to do a water change and found my lil sucker fish floating... he had red on his underbelly.

Can anyone tell me why he perished.

I added aquarium salt the other day, do you think this did him in???

 

[FawnN]

It more then likely had something to do with your water conditions. What are your water parameters?

Bottom dwellers are scaleless and are unable to tolerate salt. How much did you put in?

 

[AKelly]

not that much, but everyone kept saying salt is good for freshwater tank. are the bottom feeders considered to be inbertbrate or whatever...

the water conditions are fine last time i tested last week. how often does one need to test water conditions?

 

[rubysoho]

they aren't inverts, they just have a different kind of skin/scales that can't tolerate the salt. As for water conditions, it is good to check every week if the tank is established, but if it is new or a fish dies, then the tank needs to be tested much more frequently. Anytime you loose a fish, check your water perams ASAP to make sure water conditions are good and if they aren't you can prevent more deaths.

 

[FishLover14]

What Are The Water Parameters?

Dan

 

[AKelly]

okay,

will check it when i get home.

I did a 25% water change lastnight too... so yeah, i had better test it....

thanks!

 

[FishLover14]

Dont add much salt next time most catfish cant tolerate much.

Dan

 

[AKelly]

last time i tested they were

ph: 7.6
nitrate: between 40 and 80
nitrite:0
ammonia: ideal

 

[FishLover14]

HMMMM Nitrate might be a little high is ammonio at 0?

Dan

 

[FawnN]

ammonia: ideal

Ammonia should be 0. And your nitrates are definitely too high. When was the last time you vacummed your gravel and did a water change?

 

[FishLover14]

FawnN Do your Kribs bother your plecos when they spawn?

Dan

 

[AKelly]

actuall i just vacumed last night. but didn't test water yet, so will do so when i get home.

on the amonia tester, it comes up yellow which on the box it only gives option words and not numbers.

yellow is the lowest and is called ideal. the next one up is safe, etc, etc....

i got the amonia test at petsmart, so it has to be a good one.

 

[AKelly]

What are these python things i keep hearing about how do they work? if it means no more gravel vac, the I am for it. Could some please explain this to me.

Thanks!!

 

[FawnN]

I really recommend that you get your own testing kits for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.

Get the Aquarium Pharmacueticals testing kits. I think they are the best.

FawnN Do your Kribs bother your plecos when they spawn?

When I had my pair in my 45 gallon with my cories and bristlenose plecos, they got beat up during spawning.

They are currently in my 26 gallon and during my last spawning, noone got hurt, but then again, I have a lot less fish in the 26 gallon.

I personally feel they are unpredictable.

 

[AKelly]

I have a tester kit for each kind of test. they are all separate kits that I spent a lot of money on. The amonia kit only has words, i don't know why this seems so unheard of. It came out ideal, which to me means there is little or no ammonia. also i do not have goldfish as i know those are the best ammonial producers...

i will see about getting another amonia kit.. thanks for the advice.

what about the nitrate, they only have ranges of what it could be and it was really hard to tell, the water in the test tube came out pretty red.....

 

[Psyhampster]

ammonia: ideal

On my test strip ideal=0 i'd imagine its the same for yours.

 

[AKelly]

thank you Psyhampster...