Rocket Girl
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
About a year and a half ago I decided to start a freshwater tank, I had always wanted fish. I went and bought a 20 gallon tank, set it up and let it cycle as recommended and started it with guppies.
Since then I have tried guppies, platies, neons, dwarf gouramis, australian rainbows and one bristlenose pleco. The only fish I've kept longer than 3 months is the bristlenose.
My fish always die. Some of them, especially the livebearers (particularly females) tend to waste away. I have also had neon tetra disease, finrot and ick. Worms have been suggested for the livebearers and I have treated them with several different dewormers. I have tried many remedies for the other disease including salt and malachite green/formalin. Sometimes things seem to be going well but it never lasts. I have tried many different pet stores. I live in a small area and so do not have all that many to choose from but I have tried all the ones within a reasonable distance.
My water quality is an issue but as long as I adapt them slowly at the onset they will seemingly do okay. I kind of thought if they couldn't handle the water, they would die sooner. Some take months.
My tank water pH is quite high 7.8 and moderately hard. The tap water alone is unsuitable, so I mix 50:50 tap water with RO water. I dechlorinate by leaving the water in jugs exposed to air for 48 hours, I don't ever use dechlorinator. I have no plants, everything is artificial. I feed regular flake food once daily except Sundays. I have no ammonia or nitrate or nitrites. I have one power filter as well as a quickfilter attached to a powerhead for aeration.
I currently only have 4 fish in the tank. One is the bristlenose. I have one dwarf rainbow left who so far is well. I have one male guppy whose tail is being eaten I think by the rainbow. I have one female guppy who is currently dying.
I don't know what to do anymore. Do I scrap everything? Start again? I am toying with that idea more and more lately and as I just bought a new fish stand and will have to empty the tank anyways this seems somewhat logical at the time. I am thinking new gravel, plants, filters, etc, new fish, new water - perhaps I should look at trying a further dilution combination (I don't know if I can change/lower the pH/hardness anymore, it is stubborn to move even a small amount). The only thing is if I do that I will have to get rid of my bristlenose and since he was so hard to find initially I don't want to do that, as well the store I got him from is the one that gave me neon tetra disease so I don't want to go back there.
Does anyone have any advice??? TIA.
Since then I have tried guppies, platies, neons, dwarf gouramis, australian rainbows and one bristlenose pleco. The only fish I've kept longer than 3 months is the bristlenose.
My fish always die. Some of them, especially the livebearers (particularly females) tend to waste away. I have also had neon tetra disease, finrot and ick. Worms have been suggested for the livebearers and I have treated them with several different dewormers. I have tried many remedies for the other disease including salt and malachite green/formalin. Sometimes things seem to be going well but it never lasts. I have tried many different pet stores. I live in a small area and so do not have all that many to choose from but I have tried all the ones within a reasonable distance.
My water quality is an issue but as long as I adapt them slowly at the onset they will seemingly do okay. I kind of thought if they couldn't handle the water, they would die sooner. Some take months.
My tank water pH is quite high 7.8 and moderately hard. The tap water alone is unsuitable, so I mix 50:50 tap water with RO water. I dechlorinate by leaving the water in jugs exposed to air for 48 hours, I don't ever use dechlorinator. I have no plants, everything is artificial. I feed regular flake food once daily except Sundays. I have no ammonia or nitrate or nitrites. I have one power filter as well as a quickfilter attached to a powerhead for aeration.
I currently only have 4 fish in the tank. One is the bristlenose. I have one dwarf rainbow left who so far is well. I have one male guppy whose tail is being eaten I think by the rainbow. I have one female guppy who is currently dying.
I don't know what to do anymore. Do I scrap everything? Start again? I am toying with that idea more and more lately and as I just bought a new fish stand and will have to empty the tank anyways this seems somewhat logical at the time. I am thinking new gravel, plants, filters, etc, new fish, new water - perhaps I should look at trying a further dilution combination (I don't know if I can change/lower the pH/hardness anymore, it is stubborn to move even a small amount). The only thing is if I do that I will have to get rid of my bristlenose and since he was so hard to find initially I don't want to do that, as well the store I got him from is the one that gave me neon tetra disease so I don't want to go back there.
Does anyone have any advice??? TIA.