I have a 5g tank with two fish three frogs and two algae eaters I know it's over crowed but they are all happy .. Well until recently , my ph level is at a 4-5 and the water is cloudy , one algae water died Already ... How do I fix this ?!
I need advice
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aquandrew
Aquarium Advice Addict
are you using test strips? i highly doubt your ph is actually that low, unless you use rodi water only. 5.5 is way too small for those fish and there is a huge difference between looking happy, and being healthy.
aquandrew
Aquarium Advice Addict
test strips are inaccurate i would suggest getting an API master test kit. you will need to test ph, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. what is your water change schedule? do you condition the water? do you know what kind of algae eaters? the frogs could be okay in a 5 but most algae eaters need 30+ gallons, unless they are otoinculus catfish
jwh0818
Aquarium Advice Addict
What kind of fish exactly?
First off, that tank was overstocked just by you looking at it. Id rehome everything and add a betta and some snails or some nano fish. What kind of algae eaters? Pleco? Common pleco? Chinese algae eater? Golden algae eater?
First off, that tank was overstocked just by you looking at it. Id rehome everything and add a betta and some snails or some nano fish. What kind of algae eaters? Pleco? Common pleco? Chinese algae eater? Golden algae eater?
jwh0818
Aquarium Advice Addict
A common needs 125+g the Chinese algae eater get over a foot long and the only thing that eats algae that can go in a 5g is, a snail
Unless re homing is an half to in order to keep them a live I honestly don't have a choice , I live in an apartment and I'm not even entirely sure we are aloud to have fish . I mean I guess I could call and find out but then if I know we aren't aloud ill get in trouble. Plus getting a whole new tank wouldn't be an option right now I don't think so I'm scared they will die by the time I get one .
Also it's a common algae eater they are small and there's only two. The frogs are African dwarf frogs . I know one fish is a guppie I don't know what the other one is he's a little bigger and orange. (Doesn't shorten it down) .
Also I don't know any other levels then my ph. I change a small portion of the water once a week , and twice a week I vacuum the rocks. They only get fed every other day so there is no over feeding. I change the filters when it looks dirty I don't wait till I have to though I do it when it's full. I have bubbles in the take as well.
But I changed the way that the bubbles were , I had a long stick for bubbles and now I have a small one could that be effecting my fish as well.
I just need to know a short term fix until I can get a new tank or figure something out.
Well then the people at the fish store who gave me the algae eaters were wrong I'm going to assume its not them who is wrong ...
And of course I condition my water otherwise the fish would be dead ..
Cactuspixie
Aquarium Advice Addict
Short term fix is 50% water change at least twice a week (minimum, but as often as you can) and rinse the filter media in tank water, don't throw it out because you need all the good bacteria that live on it).
Add a little extra dechlorinator when doing your pwc to help make the ammonia etc less toxic.
I cant see them surviving a few months though, so the sooner you can reduce your stock the better.
Good luck.
Add a little extra dechlorinator when doing your pwc to help make the ammonia etc less toxic.
I cant see them surviving a few months though, so the sooner you can reduce your stock the better.
Good luck.
Short term fix is 50% water change at least twice a week (minimum, but as often as you can) and rinse the filter media in tank water, don't throw it out because you need all the good bacteria that live on it).
Add a little extra dechlorinator when doing your pwc to help make the ammonia etc less toxic.
I cant see them surviving a few months though, so the sooner you can reduce your stock the better.
Good luck.
Thanks ill do that
they have been alive for almost half a year so I'm sure they will be okay.
Cactuspixie
Aquarium Advice Addict
People at lfs often give wrong advice. We have a thread here about it
When you say common algae eater, that doesn't actually describe what species it is- could be a common pleco, it could be a common bristlenose, or it could be a Chinese algae eater (which are common to most lfs and the cheapest to buy).
Can you post a pic or a google image of the same type of fish?
People at lfs often give wrong advice. We have a thread here about it
When you say common algae eater, that doesn't actually describe what species it is- could be a common pleco, it could be a common bristlenose, or it could be a Chinese algae eater (which are common to most lfs and the cheapest to buy).
Can you post a pic or a google image of the same type of fish?
I'm sure it's a pleco . Yeah I can just give me a sec
Goldfish loach boy
Aquarium Advice Addict
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0-o you have a pleco in a 5 gallon tank o-0
People at lfs often give wrong advice. We have a thread here about it
When you say common algae eater, that doesn't actually describe what species it is- could be a common pleco, it could be a common bristlenose, or it could be a Chinese algae eater (which are common to most lfs and the cheapest to buy).
Can you post a pic or a google image of the same type of fish?
That's the fish
Goldfish loach boy
Aquarium Advice Addict
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That's an otocinclus catfish, the smallest algae eater, but still minimum if 10 gallons, I have to say only shrimp, small snails, and bettas can live in a 5 gallon
Cactuspixie
Aquarium Advice Addict
That's an otocinclus. They are very sensitive fish and die easily is water quality isn't top notch and if there isn't enough algae and biofilm for them to feed off, as they don't eat anything else.
How long has your tank been running?
Maybe shrimp then cause snails i can't handle lol. What do I with the algae eaters though cause I can't kill them. And my frogs won't eat them? And maybe I'll get a small tank for the frogs
Cactuspixie
Aquarium Advice Addict
The other fish is a platy.
Until I came to this forum I'd never seen an aquatic frog. It seems strange to me, seeing it on the bottom of the tank! Lol
I mean like the frogs won't eat the shrimp ? *
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