I've had my 28 gallon fresh water aquarium which I keep at 86 degrees for several months now. Up until recently, I only lost one aquarium frog and one guppy. I recently got a pleco algae eater because my tank had some algae built up. Up until I got the pleco, I had 4 guppies, 1 red wag platty, 1 raphael catfish, 3 diamond tetra's, one bala shark, and 2 glowfish. Then I added the pleco, 5 neon tetra's, and a ghost shrimp. Now my fish are dropping like flies!!!! I lost all my neon tetra's (they looked eaten at!!), 3 guppies, and one bala shark!!! Does anyone know the problem? I"m thinking maybe the pleco is eating them?
Please Help!!!Fish are dying!!!
- Thread starter jonny1982
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
superpeytonm
Aquarium Advice Freak
Woah, all this in a 28 gallon? That's pretty overstocked.
What's your parameters?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but 86 degrees is pretty warm for those fish.
Sent via Impala
What's your parameters?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but 86 degrees is pretty warm for those fish.
Sent via Impala
sinibotia
Aquarium Advice Addict
So here's my theory. You added a whole bunch of fish at once, including a common? pleco. Common plecos have a huge bioload and your tank was already ludicrously overstocked. Your beneficial bacteria couldn't keep up which likely caused an ammonia spike. This was likely made worse by the pleco presumably eating the algae, which was likely feeding on nitrates, causing nitrates to spike as well.
Of course that is entirely conjecture. We need to know your water parameters. And if they look "eaten at", a better discription could help. None of the fish you list is likely to eat your other fish so it's probably some kind of microbe eating at it. The question to be answered is, was it doing that pre- or post-mortem?
Looking at your stock, to paraphrase one of my favorite fish related movies.... "You're gonna need a bigger tank."
Of course that is entirely conjecture. We need to know your water parameters. And if they look "eaten at", a better discription could help. None of the fish you list is likely to eat your other fish so it's probably some kind of microbe eating at it. The question to be answered is, was it doing that pre- or post-mortem?
Looking at your stock, to paraphrase one of my favorite fish related movies.... "You're gonna need a bigger tank."
Tigerbarb12
Aquarium Advice Freak
Too many fish and a couple species that get huge. Common plecos get over 18 inches and bala sharks get about 12 inches. Balas need to be in no smaller than a 90 gallon in my opinion. Common plecos need larger homes every few months, ending at about 125 gallon or larger. Also some of your fish like large schools of 6+ individuals. Seems like you should choose maybe 2 schooling species and maybe one larger centerpiece like a gourami. Water parameters are required or theres no telling what killed them. Im also assuming your bioload was too much for your BB to handle. What we are looking for is
-ammonia
-nitrite
-nitrate
-pH
-temp (which you have provided)
-filter(s)
-kh (if possible)
-partial water change schedule and percentage
-location of tank(algae may be caused by sunlight if its near window)
Sent from my SM-G900P using Aquarium Advice mobile app
-ammonia
-nitrite
-nitrate
-pH
-temp (which you have provided)
-filter(s)
-kh (if possible)
-partial water change schedule and percentage
-location of tank(algae may be caused by sunlight if its near window)
Sent from my SM-G900P using Aquarium Advice mobile app
Fish_lord
Aquarium Advice Regular
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2015
- Messages
- 64
Keep doing regular daily water changes until you can find homes for some of the fish as sadly you are over stocked and your filter can't keep up with your bioload.fresh water changes will really help for now.
Common pleco can be known to take the slime coat of fish and small fish can be killed by them.also if your tank is over stocked it may cause aggression in otherwise passive fish
20 gallon fancy goldfish tank
150 gallon koi tank
60 gallon cichlid tank
2 gallon neon tetra tank
Common pleco can be known to take the slime coat of fish and small fish can be killed by them.also if your tank is over stocked it may cause aggression in otherwise passive fish
20 gallon fancy goldfish tank
150 gallon koi tank
60 gallon cichlid tank
2 gallon neon tetra tank
trennamw
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yup probably what they said.
We are all saying it (probably a little too smugly) because most of us did it too at some point. Whether through overstocking, mismatched stocking, or not understanding water chemistry.
It's good that you're here, I hope you stay and learn and keep up the hobby!
(My name is Trenna and it's been 14 months since I last lost a fish to poor water parameters).
Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.
We are all saying it (probably a little too smugly) because most of us did it too at some point. Whether through overstocking, mismatched stocking, or not understanding water chemistry.
It's good that you're here, I hope you stay and learn and keep up the hobby!
(My name is Trenna and it's been 14 months since I last lost a fish to poor water parameters).
Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.
Similar threads
