Why?!?!?!:(:(

[greytgrey]

This morning I found my blue gourami DEAD! Stuck in the filter tube . She wasn't swimming around as much yesterday but I thought that it was just because I got a new platy. ABout a week ago I got a new platy and put it in the tank. Two days later my black molly died(she looked sick before that because her top and bottom areas were looking like they were peeling away;disenigrating;don't know why!) then my blue gourami died!!!!!!!!1 They show NO signs of sickness whatsoever. Now all I have in my 29 gal. is 3 platys and a molly! My dad won't let me buy more either because we MIGHT move in the next few months. Maybe they are dying so I don't have to give them away! I don't know. Any ideas on why they are dying?

 

[FMJnaX]

You may want to post this in the Unhealthy section. When you do, be sure to answer these questions to the best of your ability:

1~What type of fish is afflicted? In addition, please describe what is wrong with the fish to the best of your ability (i.e. cotton like growth, bloated, etc.).
2~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp, pH)? Please give exact values.
3~ How large is the tank? How long has the tank been set up?
4~What type of filtration are you using? Please give the name and number (i.e. Fluval 304) and amount of gph if known.
5~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are their current sizes?
6~When is the last time you did a water change and vacuum the gravel? How often do you do this? How much water do you remove at a time?
7~How long have you had the fish? If the fish is new, how did you acclimate it/them?
8~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlorinator, new substrate, etc.?
9A~What kind of food have you been feeding your fish, have you changed their diet recently?

 

[greytgrey]

thank you! I WILL!

 

[greytgrey]

Why?!?!

This morning I found my blue gourami stuck in the filter tube(all my fish do this when they die). I have NO clue why she died! Yesterday she was perfectly fine!

Three days ago my black molly also died. The top of her in front of her fin seemed like it was deteriating. Like the scales were being eat away. I've had her since the beginning of the summer and she was fine before. She was going to have some fry (never had them because she was sick). She started to look nasty then.


I dont test my water( I know that I should). I know that I have some salt in my water though because I got it tested at Petsmart. They said everything else was ok.

I have a 29 gallon tank. Now I only have 3 mickey mouse platys(about 1.5 in. and 2 are only 1 inch. and a female molly( 2-2.5 in.) I just bought one platy last week.(my molly looked weird before I got the new fish).

I don't know what kind of filter I use but I know that it's for a 40 gallon tank. It has the tube, and lets the water back out if that's any help.

I changed the water out about 3-4 weeks ago. I change about 25% of the water out( I say to do 50 but parents won't let me because they don't think that it needs it). I gravel vacuum everytime. It usually isn't that dirty.

Oh I am writing this all by a list of things to ask. Someone told me to ask these questions here.

I got my new platy at Walmart(yes Walmart even though I don't like to buy fish there) about a week ago.

I feed them flake food, freezedried blood worms, and aquatic frog food(they love it; had a ADF a while ago). I feed one type each day.

 

[Toirtis]

You really need to get a test kit and not rely on (or necessarily trust) the shops to do your water testing. If PetsMart was able to easily test and see an amount of salt in your water, it must be quite a lot (possibly enough to harm your FW fish), as I suspect that they do not use a refractometer or particularly sensitive hydrometer.

That aside, it is possible that your new fish brought something in with it....and signs of lesions or damage on the gourami?

 

[greytgrey]

the gourami acted like normal, looked like normal. The new fish didn't appear to have anything wrong. Test kits are so expensive!

 

[Toirtis]

Test kits are so expensive!

But worth every penny...an investment you really cannot afford to not make.

 

[greytgrey]

I'm gonna try to buy one soon. I think my dalmation molly is going to die tonight. She isn't acting normal

 

[Menagerie]

I changed the water out about 3-4 weeks ago. I change about 25% of the water out( I say to do 50 but parents won't let me because they don't think that it needs it). I gravel vacuum everytime. It usually isn't that dirty.

You need to increase the PWC to 25% every week. My guess right now is poor water quality. This is why tests are so important. The amount of money you save in replacement fish will surely pay for the kit. Right now, do a 25% PWC and do another one tomorrow. ASAP get a sample of water to the LFS and get the readings--exact readings, not just "it's fine" or "it's high." You need to know exactly where the problem is--ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. Your fish will thank you for it.

BTW~I mergered your two threads.

 

[greytgrey]

ok thanks. I am going to try to do a water change today. I don't think it's from dirty water because every time I clean it out with my gravel vac I hardly get any debris. I clean the decor and the rocks and glass. Maybe it's because my other fish died?

 

[Mazdaman]

if your paying $3-6 per fish and have of them don't make it because you didn't buy a $20 test kit..... Simple math. Aside from the dollar sense of it, life is much easier and less stressful when you know the conditions of your tank and don't have to wait for a store to open to find out you should have done a huge water change last night. They last at least a year and that is money well spent. Don't get the cheapy strip test either. I made that mistake and learned a hard and somewhat costly lesson. Good luck

 

[greytgrey]

I already have a $10 test strip and I don't know how to read it! It gives the colors to follow but doesn't tell whether a certain color is bad! :x . I buy fish that are no more then $3 anyways since I'm not an expert fish keeper yet. I'm not able to go to pet stores very easily since I can't drive. I THINK we are going to Petsmart on Sat. for my dog.

 

[patagonia]

you said you change the water every 3-4 weeks and it doesnt look too dirty...well....theres a whole bunch of things that build up in the water that we cant see...thats why people are recommending you water changes every week? you need to get all that stuff out of the water in a weekly basis...even if your water looks crystal clear...HTH...

 

[greytgrey]

ok. I'm busy like everyday and I PLAN to clean the tank out but it never gets done. My parents don't think that I need to do it but once a month! ugh. I will try to at lEAST do it every 2 weeks

 

[Menagerie]

You will not see ammonia, nitrite or nitrates. However, the buildup of excess food and waste will lead to the ammonia, nitrite and/or nitrate.

Every kit I have ever seen has a code either on the back or inside which tells you wha the colors mean. If the code is lost, post the make and type of kit and someone will post their color chart, or we will help you find it on-line.

Why are your parents stopping you from taking care of your fish? If you had a dog, would they tell to you pick up only 25% of the poo in the yard monthly? If you had a cat, would you clean the liter box monthly? The same priniples that apply to other animals apply to your fish. Following our advice will save you money in the long run and show your parents how responsible you are for your pets and may allow for other pets in the future. If your fish are often belly-up, how long will your parents allow you to purchase new fish? This is not meant to be mean, but this is what you need to think about for the long term stability of your fish tank. Time is precious for everyone, but with proper planning, PWC can be accomplished weekly/bi-weekly. I will not go into how many cages/tanks/liter boxes need to be taken care of at my place, but when you walk into my apartment, you cannot smell the animals.

Back on topic--how are the fish right now?

 

[Menagerie]

Maybe it's because my other fish died?

Dead/decaying fish will release ammonia and make a tank unstable quickly.

Have you done a water change today? How large is the tank? How many fish TOTAL are in the tank?

When you buy your fish, are there floaters in the same tank? It may be that you are buying ill fish to start with, but clean water cures so much (and it's FREE!!!).

I understand that you are young and inexperienced, but you can learn--fast, without being able to drive to the LFS. You have the tools here at AA to get all the information you need and the ablity to teach your parents about fish care.

 

[greytgrey]

ok..I just went to look at my fish. They scared me! they were all laying on the bottom!!!!!!!!!! but....they FINALLY started moving .

I try to look for illness in the tank when I buy fish. My tank is a 29 gallon and now only have 3 mickey mouse platys and 1 female molly.

Menag- I DO have a dog and cat and fish. I want reptiles and rodents...lol. ok back to the point.

My parents have to help me clean out the tank(so they say) because I don't clean it good enough they say) agh..but TODAY I will try to do it by myself!

Also I did have a dead fish in my tank. It happened over-night so I don't know how long she was in there before we had to take her out

 

[Menagerie]

I don't clean it good enough they say

Yet they only want you to clean it once a month? Somethings fishy. Please explain in detail how you are cleaning the tank. Considering there are other young teens who care for their own tanks on this forum without help, I have to wonder what you are all doing monthly. When you do a weekly gravel vacuum, you will only get 25-50% of the gravel vacuumed and that's okay. If you are sitting around scrapping algea off the tank, more frequent PWC will help lessen the algea growth=less time per tank cleaning. If you are pulling out all the gravel and scrubbing it with a toothbrush STOP right away So, what are you doing?

Also I did have a dead fish in my tank. It happened over-night so I don't know how long she was in there before we had to take her out

You NEED to do a PWC TODAY!

I DO have a dog and cat

Good, I was hoping you did. Make the argument that you would not clean 25% of the cat box once a month and see what they say.

I want reptiles and rodents.

It took me years to get a menagerie together. Take things slowly and master what is needed to maintain a healthy environment before moving on to another type of animal (for super cute rodent shots, check out my gallery).

 

[greytgrey]

I use a gravel vac once a month. I get all the gravel. If any of the decor are nasty I clean them. I have live plants so I don't need to clean them just get the dead leaves off. Also I change the filter pad in the filter. Is this all I have to do?

 

[rich311k]

Dont change the filter pad just rinse it well in old tank water. You can reuse it until it falls a part. Lots of good bacteria in those pads.