joanofsnark
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2015
- Messages
- 8
Hi, all.. this is my first post, but I've been lurking here a while for all the great aquarium advice.
Four years ago, I inherited an established 65 gal tank with lights, Eheim canister filter, heater, and airstone. At my friend's, this was the most low-maintenance tank you have ever seen. They did a water/filter change once every 6 months, the water was crystal clear and the fish were happy.
At my place, the tank location gets more daylight (which I can't help, small apartment), so the tank has had some troubles (mainly algae and water turning green), but everything was fine. I had my friend's fish and I didn't lose a single one until I got Ich and lost a couple of favorites while dosing with Rid-Ich. The tank is prone to get low in pH, but I think that is due to the piece of wood and I monitor and buffer to compensate. All to say, everything was running pretty smoothly, other than the algae issue.
Now, my current issues. I was gone for 8 months and I'd walked my friend through the filter/water change; she said she would take care of that for me. My roommate fed them and topped up the water as needed. My friend did not do a single change the entire time (don't get me started on how bad I feel for the fish), so when I got home, the tank was overrun with algae and the water was tinged green. I did a water/filter change right away and scrubbed as much algae off as I could.
Got new fish to restock and all was good until the 3 tiger barbs I'd just bought were dead three days later, all at once. I exchanged them, put the new ones in about a week ago and all seemed well.
BUT THEN.. I noticed that my new snakeskin gourami had a white spot and then that the other snakeskin had a bigger infestation. I really wanted to never use Rid-Ich again after last time, so I tried to play it safe by doing half-doses (and not over-medicating, by dosing only for the replaced water).
Even so, I have just lost so many fish.. Two tetras, two of the new little tiger barbs, pictus cats, a cory, and one was a pleco that came with the tank (sad. ). Additionally, my goldfish looks a hot mess. It's white, but is now pink and blood-red around its fins. It's gone from being chill and foraging leisurely to swimming constantly and seeming agitated.
Most of my test kit has expired, but I was able to test the pH, which is fine. I just did a 50% water change yesterday after finding dead fish and I'm going to do another 50% change today. Other than buying a new test kit, do you all have any advice or ideas on what's going on?
Four years ago, I inherited an established 65 gal tank with lights, Eheim canister filter, heater, and airstone. At my friend's, this was the most low-maintenance tank you have ever seen. They did a water/filter change once every 6 months, the water was crystal clear and the fish were happy.
At my place, the tank location gets more daylight (which I can't help, small apartment), so the tank has had some troubles (mainly algae and water turning green), but everything was fine. I had my friend's fish and I didn't lose a single one until I got Ich and lost a couple of favorites while dosing with Rid-Ich. The tank is prone to get low in pH, but I think that is due to the piece of wood and I monitor and buffer to compensate. All to say, everything was running pretty smoothly, other than the algae issue.
Now, my current issues. I was gone for 8 months and I'd walked my friend through the filter/water change; she said she would take care of that for me. My roommate fed them and topped up the water as needed. My friend did not do a single change the entire time (don't get me started on how bad I feel for the fish), so when I got home, the tank was overrun with algae and the water was tinged green. I did a water/filter change right away and scrubbed as much algae off as I could.
Got new fish to restock and all was good until the 3 tiger barbs I'd just bought were dead three days later, all at once. I exchanged them, put the new ones in about a week ago and all seemed well.
BUT THEN.. I noticed that my new snakeskin gourami had a white spot and then that the other snakeskin had a bigger infestation. I really wanted to never use Rid-Ich again after last time, so I tried to play it safe by doing half-doses (and not over-medicating, by dosing only for the replaced water).
Even so, I have just lost so many fish.. Two tetras, two of the new little tiger barbs, pictus cats, a cory, and one was a pleco that came with the tank (sad. ). Additionally, my goldfish looks a hot mess. It's white, but is now pink and blood-red around its fins. It's gone from being chill and foraging leisurely to swimming constantly and seeming agitated.
Most of my test kit has expired, but I was able to test the pH, which is fine. I just did a 50% water change yesterday after finding dead fish and I'm going to do another 50% change today. Other than buying a new test kit, do you all have any advice or ideas on what's going on?