Squareheads
Aquarium Advice Activist
The best advice I was given about aquariums in particular is "You never know what'll happen." I've been having this mindset throughout my almost 3 years of having my aquarium. But the problem still persists... my fish keep dying. dozens of fishes who, in my hands, met their fate way too soon. What really blows my mind, is that I got my cousins into this hobby as well, their setup is a 10 gallon tank, yet they have 5x the fish that I have, and their all still fine and well.
In the beginning of this year, I made it a new year's resolution to take better care of my tank. My brother was kind enough to buy me 4 gouramies. 2 were Pearl gouramies and 2 were Opaline/Blue gouramies for my 20 gallon. Half the year has gone and I'm left with one of each.
I am starting to speculate if it is:
-How I clean my tank
What I most often do is change my water from around 25-30% give or take. However, I sometimes get carried away because there is more to clean than what I would expect. I then add half a bottle cap of Seachem prime conditioner. A little less than a table spoon of API aquarium salt and a dab of API proper pH 7.5.
-My filter/Heater
They're the stock filter and heater that came with the aquarium set. The heater doesn't seem like the best quality but it probably does the job. The filter has an indicator to when it needs "cleaning." But from my experience, I've been reading the forums of advice not to clean your filter because that's where all the GOOD bacteria are for the nitrate cycles and all that. Not sure if it is normal, but when I began adding the API aquarium salt. Theres these white solid-like residue that starts forming around the exteriors of my aquarium where air can escape through, such as the filters and where the wires are located. I'm thinking my filter does a really poor job of doing its purpose.
-the gravel
I'm thinking this is the culprit. All the fishes that have passed away haven't exactly all been extracted from the aquarium. There was times where there was NOTHING at all, the bodies just disappear. It led me to believe that the other fishes just ate the body but didn't exactly finish it. Every now and then when I clean my tank, I even see fins being sucked out by the siphon. I really don't know what is in my gravel anymore and I am willing to change it if I have too. The only thing holding me back as well, is that I've read in the forums that the gravel also contain GOOD bacteria. However, what about the BAD bacteria?
*Sorry for such a long post, it just really shows how desperate I am for advice.
In the beginning of this year, I made it a new year's resolution to take better care of my tank. My brother was kind enough to buy me 4 gouramies. 2 were Pearl gouramies and 2 were Opaline/Blue gouramies for my 20 gallon. Half the year has gone and I'm left with one of each.
I am starting to speculate if it is:
-How I clean my tank
What I most often do is change my water from around 25-30% give or take. However, I sometimes get carried away because there is more to clean than what I would expect. I then add half a bottle cap of Seachem prime conditioner. A little less than a table spoon of API aquarium salt and a dab of API proper pH 7.5.
-My filter/Heater
They're the stock filter and heater that came with the aquarium set. The heater doesn't seem like the best quality but it probably does the job. The filter has an indicator to when it needs "cleaning." But from my experience, I've been reading the forums of advice not to clean your filter because that's where all the GOOD bacteria are for the nitrate cycles and all that. Not sure if it is normal, but when I began adding the API aquarium salt. Theres these white solid-like residue that starts forming around the exteriors of my aquarium where air can escape through, such as the filters and where the wires are located. I'm thinking my filter does a really poor job of doing its purpose.
-the gravel
I'm thinking this is the culprit. All the fishes that have passed away haven't exactly all been extracted from the aquarium. There was times where there was NOTHING at all, the bodies just disappear. It led me to believe that the other fishes just ate the body but didn't exactly finish it. Every now and then when I clean my tank, I even see fins being sucked out by the siphon. I really don't know what is in my gravel anymore and I am willing to change it if I have too. The only thing holding me back as well, is that I've read in the forums that the gravel also contain GOOD bacteria. However, what about the BAD bacteria?
*Sorry for such a long post, it just really shows how desperate I am for advice.