MickieFish
Aquarium Advice Regular
Ok,, here is my tank history. It is a 29 gallon. It came with a filter (black corner type) and a heater. We got it about 6 weeks ago, knowing nothing of cycles and ammonia, etc. Set it up and put 4 goldfish (which were actually koi, thanks alot WalMart!) in it. One died the next day, the others were fine. About 2 weeks later we got a few more fish. 2 of them died, the female betta and the the 3 albino gold tetras are still fine after almost a month. I know now that they died probably b/c of the cycling, etc.. When we found out the fish we had were koi, we gave them to a friend that has a koi pond.
That's when I got online and started researching. So we waited 2 more weeks, and bought a few more fish. We got 3 neon tetras, one dwarf frog, and a male and female fancy guppy. All very small fish. The tetras were all dead within 2 days, as was the female guppy. The male is still doing fine. After that I bought an ammonia test and ph test kits.
When I got the kits, the ammonia test was 0 and the pH was 6.8. Thought it was ok, so we got another female guppy to replace the one that died. Also got 3 painted glass tetras. The guppy died within 48 hours, 2 of the tetras died with 48 hrs of the guppy. So at that point, we had 3 albino tetras, 1 painted glass tetras, one dwarf frog, and one male guppy. waited another week (last week), and got 5 more painted glass tetras, to make a school. One died within 24 hrs, which I attributed to the LFS. I don't bother taking them back b/c it is almost an hour away. Had the other 5 for a week, no problems. So yesterday I bought 2 dwarf gouramis and 2 corys (they are spotted). Got up this morning to find one painted tetra dead. Then, 2nite when I got home, another was dead.
So now in the tank I have:
3 albino gold tetras (1.5 inches)
3 painted glass tetras (1.5 inches)
2 dwarf gourami (almost 2 inches)
2 corys (2 inches)
1 male fancy guppy (1.25 inches)
1 african dwarf frog (1 inch)
Last night I did 25% PWC. I always add AquaSafe and StressZyme to the water. I actually had to take all of the ornaments out last night and rinse them b/c of brown algae. I also cleaned the glass with clean paper towels to get the algae off, and did a good gravel vac. I do the PWC and vac once a week. I test ammonia and pH every 3 days. The fish are eating fine. They get flake food I still have from my koi twice daily, and frozen mysis worms once a week. The frog gets frog pellets daily, and the worms when the fish do.
In the 10 gallon tank we have,
1 female betta
3 adult guppies given by a friend, and one baby guppy. They are all doing fine.
Ammonia is always 0. pH is always 6.8. The fish are all growing well. Heater is set at 78 degrees. The male fancy guppy in the 29 gallon tank has just today stopped swimming at the very top of the tank, and is now swimming all over, for the first time since we got him. I have lots of ornaments in the tank.. 6 plastic plants, and a big rock with holes in it. Aquarium gravel substrate. Just got a bubbler wand, too, set up along the back of the tank. The painted glass tetras always stay near the bottom, hiding under plants, unless it's feeding time. The rest of the fish swim happily all over the tank, except the corys, which stay on the bottom. Well.. that's everything I know. It kills me that these fish keep dying. I know it's got to be may fault somehow,, but I am doing everything I know to do!! I clean the water, don't overfeed, get compatible fish, give them planty of places to hide, test the water. man, I even TALK to the darn fish!!! Can someone PLEASE help?!?!?!?
That's when I got online and started researching. So we waited 2 more weeks, and bought a few more fish. We got 3 neon tetras, one dwarf frog, and a male and female fancy guppy. All very small fish. The tetras were all dead within 2 days, as was the female guppy. The male is still doing fine. After that I bought an ammonia test and ph test kits.
When I got the kits, the ammonia test was 0 and the pH was 6.8. Thought it was ok, so we got another female guppy to replace the one that died. Also got 3 painted glass tetras. The guppy died within 48 hours, 2 of the tetras died with 48 hrs of the guppy. So at that point, we had 3 albino tetras, 1 painted glass tetras, one dwarf frog, and one male guppy. waited another week (last week), and got 5 more painted glass tetras, to make a school. One died within 24 hrs, which I attributed to the LFS. I don't bother taking them back b/c it is almost an hour away. Had the other 5 for a week, no problems. So yesterday I bought 2 dwarf gouramis and 2 corys (they are spotted). Got up this morning to find one painted tetra dead. Then, 2nite when I got home, another was dead.
So now in the tank I have:
3 albino gold tetras (1.5 inches)
3 painted glass tetras (1.5 inches)
2 dwarf gourami (almost 2 inches)
2 corys (2 inches)
1 male fancy guppy (1.25 inches)
1 african dwarf frog (1 inch)
Last night I did 25% PWC. I always add AquaSafe and StressZyme to the water. I actually had to take all of the ornaments out last night and rinse them b/c of brown algae. I also cleaned the glass with clean paper towels to get the algae off, and did a good gravel vac. I do the PWC and vac once a week. I test ammonia and pH every 3 days. The fish are eating fine. They get flake food I still have from my koi twice daily, and frozen mysis worms once a week. The frog gets frog pellets daily, and the worms when the fish do.
In the 10 gallon tank we have,
1 female betta
3 adult guppies given by a friend, and one baby guppy. They are all doing fine.
Ammonia is always 0. pH is always 6.8. The fish are all growing well. Heater is set at 78 degrees. The male fancy guppy in the 29 gallon tank has just today stopped swimming at the very top of the tank, and is now swimming all over, for the first time since we got him. I have lots of ornaments in the tank.. 6 plastic plants, and a big rock with holes in it. Aquarium gravel substrate. Just got a bubbler wand, too, set up along the back of the tank. The painted glass tetras always stay near the bottom, hiding under plants, unless it's feeding time. The rest of the fish swim happily all over the tank, except the corys, which stay on the bottom. Well.. that's everything I know. It kills me that these fish keep dying. I know it's got to be may fault somehow,, but I am doing everything I know to do!! I clean the water, don't overfeed, get compatible fish, give them planty of places to hide, test the water. man, I even TALK to the darn fish!!! Can someone PLEASE help?!?!?!?
