Why did my turtle die, and now my fish?

[mandy2936]

Hi there,
Hasnt been that long since I've checked this thread, and things are a lot different then I had expected after my first post.

First off, thank you Jason for the kind words
As for the OP, I am of course sorry for any offense I have caused you, I was only trying to help. Perhaps instead of saying "this is what caused the death" I should have added the word "might" in there.
Nevertheless, I was not in any way trying to be offensive, as I mentioned at the bottom of my post something about how Im sure you care for your pet and meant no harm. I understand what it's like to lose a dearly loved pet, and
I apologize for offending you... That was not at all expected.

Moving on, I agree with Jason, the 1 inch per gallon rule is not very accurate. You also need to take into account the bioload of the fish and the fish's adult size, not current size. As mentioned before, GF can reach lengths of 6-12" inches, depending on the species. So, they shouldn't stay 2-3 inches for long.

As for IDing your catfish, sorry I can't be much help there. I'm not sure what exactly you had, but I know that it's not a type of Corydoras which would stay at around 2-4 inches.

In conclusion, I read your post, honestly felt bad for loss (which I'm sure I states somewhere in my post?) and really just wanted to help. Without having much knowledge on turtles I provided some possible causes that have to do with fish stocking and bioload, something I know
more about. I never thought you would find it
insulting, and I was surprised because I didn't mean to. I hope you now realize that I only meant to help.

I hope everyone can carry on now and get back to helping instead of the little disagreement that has been going on.

Good night!

 

[Kyler Skipper]

Your cat is bullhead btw

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

Wow... so many people have been having arguments on this forum lately! It's just a forum and really no need for disagreement. It's all just peoples two cents and you shouldn't chastise them for it. Obviously this was a well loved animal and she deserves kudos for her treatment of him. Honestly, he probably lived a much better life with her than in the wild. Most people who remove things from the wild do not treat the animal well enough that it lives for TEN YEARS.

 

[mandy2936]

I agree with you, CrazyFishLady, I too have noticed that.
I had just wanted to apologize because I would never want someone to be offended accidentally by one of my posts, so that was the reason for my earlier post.

Back to you, Montana: Anyway, as long as you have cleaned everything
out, and killed of any bad germs, which it sounds like you did, then you're good to go. Cycling is your next step, which you've already
started, and you can monitor your progress now that you have a test kit. I'm assuming you know that you need to add a source of Ammonia to start it?
Good luck!

 

[melosu58]

I too am tired of the arguing. Just state your opinion and move on. I have deleted post that were flaming and deleted references to calling people names. Please remain civil and help the OP out. Most of you are but some are not.

 

[Zagz]

The op is requesting real help and I give kudos to the members that have offered their advice and helpfulness.

I will issue a further warning that anymore comments off topic or of a personal nature will result the offending posts being removed further action will be taken against the poster(s). It's too bad that the fighting can not remain off the forums. Please keep it on topic and allow the op a chance to get advice and information.

 

[MontanaDolphin]

I had just wanted to apologize because I would never want someone to be offended accidentally by one of my posts, so that was the reason for my earlier post.

Amanda,
Thanks for the apology in your other post. It is accepted with gratitude. I guess this is what happens through written words with no tone of voice or facial expressions...things can be taken the wrong way. Please accept my apology as well for misunderstanding.

Back to you, Montana: Anyway, as long as you have cleaned everything
out, and killed of any bad germs, which it sounds like you did, then you're good to go. Cycling is your next step, which you've already
started, and you can monitor your progress now that you have a test kit. I'm assuming you know that you need to add a source of Ammonia to start it?
Good luck!

No, I did not know I needed to add a source of ammonia. Could you please explain what that means, and what I need to do that? The only chemical-type thing I have (which I bought yesterday in case I needed it, but didn't after I tested the water before I revamped the who tank) is pH balancing fizzing tablets by Jungle Labs. The label on the box says "Correct pH for Community Tanks 7.0 Tank Buddies". Thank you!

 

[jenatron]

No, I did not know I needed to add a source of ammonia. Could you please explain what that means, and what I need to do that? The only chemical-type thing I have (which I bought yesterday in case I needed it, but didn't after I tested the water before I revamped the who tank) is pH balancing fizzing tablets by Jungle Labs. The label on the box says "Correct pH for Community Tanks 7.0 Tank Buddies". Thank you!

This is a very good resource explaining everything about cycling.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/fishless-cycling-for-dummies-103339.html

 

[mandy2936]

Amanda,
Thanks for the apology in your other post. It is accepted with gratitude. I guess this is what happens through written words with no tone of voice or facial expressions...things can be taken the wrong way. Please accept my apology as well for misunderstanding.

It's all good. I'm glad that's sorted out. Now to answer your question.

No, I did not know I needed to add a source of ammonia. Could you please explain what that means, and what I need to do that? The only chemical-type thing I have (which I bought yesterday in case I needed it, but didn't after I tested the water before I revamped the who tank) is pH balancing fizzing tablets by Jungle Labs. The label on the box says "Correct pH for Community Tanks 7.0 Tank Buddies". Thank you!

Okay, well I highly suggest that you read the article that Jenatron provided. It's a great forum explaining cycling in futher detail. Briefly, this is how it goes:
When doing a fishless cycle, the preferred method, you need to add a source of Ammonia to your tank. This is because there has to be food source for the beneficial bacteria to grow. Whether you choose to use a frozen shrimp, pure bottled Ammonia, or fish flakes. Either way, you need to add Ammonia to the tank, so that it peaks at around 4ppm, more or less. Once this happens, the Ammonia will begin to convert into Nitrites, also toxic to fish. In time, those Nitrites will eventually convert into Nitrates, which are usually harmless under 20. Again, that it just a brief explanation, I suggest that you read up on fishless cycling.

 

[Homedog98]

Just an idea

I'm so sorry about what happened to you pets!
Wal-mart tanks as I've found are not great.
I had a gold fish in a wal-mart tank, and
It was fine for about as long as yours. Then, an oily
Substance started forming on top of the water,
And the fish got sick. Every time we cleaned the tank
It came back! Our fish finally passed away, and it was
Suffering so I wasn't sad. We finally realized some chemical
Was leaking out of the glass, and wound up killing the fish.
I am DEFINETLY not an expert on fish, and the other posts
Have truthful statements... But I thought this might help!

 

[MontanaDolphin]

This is a very good resource explaining everything about cycling.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/fishless-cycling-for-dummies-103339.html

Thank you very much for the link to the article...it was a tremendous help!

Wal-mart tanks as I've found are not great.

The tank I have is not a Walmart tank...it was given to me by a friend five or six years ago. Everything inside the tank, except for the water lol, is from walmart however.

 

[maxst2]

I'm so sorry about what happened to you pets!
Wal-mart tanks as I've found are not great.
I had a gold fish in a wal-mart tank, and
It was fine for about as long as yours. Then, an oily
Substance started forming on top of the water,
And the fish got sick. Every time we cleaned the tank
It came back! Our fish finally passed away, and it was
Suffering so I wasn't sad. We finally realized some chemical
Was leaking out of the glass, and wound up killing the fish.
I am DEFINETLY not an expert on fish, and the other posts
Have truthful statements... But I thought this might help!

Oily skim on top is usually caused when you haven't rinsed and wiped off your hands and arms when you stick them in the tank....usually. As for chemicals leeching from the glass.. impossible.. glass doesn't retain anything unless it was coated with something during the manufacturing process, which doesn't happen when tanks are built. Only thing i can say is that silicone used was tainted.


To the topic. You have an insane bioload. That little filter is for like a 10gal tank with one betta. Also... you have a wild caught bullhead from what it looks like that you put in the tank with all your other animals which have been captive bred. There is the issue, what happened is that bullhead had a bunch of nasty with it and it spread to the other animals which have no defense against it and in combination water quality was prollly horrible.

What that little strip test doesn't show you is Ammonia. Which is #1 thing to watch. Even just a small amount is enough to harm anything - including humans. There is a reason why ammonia is a powerful cleaner.

 

[MontanaDolphin]

You have an insane bioload.

Had, not have. They all died, remember?

That little filter is for like a 10gal tank with one betta.

It is odd that you would say so, since the 20i is for 10-20 gallon aquariums. Said so right on the box.

Also... you have a wild caught bullhead from what it looks like that you put in the tank with all your other animals which have been captive bred. There is the issue, what happened is that bullhead had a bunch of nasty with it and it spread to the other animals which have no defense against it and in combination water quality was prollly horrible.

That makes so much sense. Although the water was clear when Sam died, who knows what invisible monsters were swimming around in the water. The catfish you refer to as a wild caught bullhead was in my mom's yard pond (black plastic lined, filled with well water), but I think she got them from the lake that her property sits against. So technically speaking, even though it wasn't "wild caught" when I took them, they probably were so when my mom added them to her pond two years ago. Regardless, it makes sense that they would carry something that may have contaminated the tank.

What that little strip test doesn't show you is Ammonia. Which is #1 thing to watch. Even just a small amount is enough to harm anything - including humans.

They did sell ammonia strips there when i bought the 5-in-1's, and since I'm going to do the cycling which can take over a month and requires you to test for ammonia, I'm going to go pick the test strips up this weekend.

 

[jenatron]

Two suggestions:
-Filters typically are labeled as being appropriate for much larger tanks than they really are. The folks on here suggest you get a filter rated for twice the size of your tank. Also, not all filters are created equal, which is why you'll see Aquaclears recommended frequently.
-Also, test strips are inferior to liquid test kits. They're known for being very, very inaccurate. If at all possible, it would be much better for you to get a liquid test kit.

 

[mandy2936]

+1 to Jenatron.

It is odd that you would say so, since the 20i is for 10-20 gallon aquariums. Said so right on the box.

A filter rated for a 10-20 gallon tank is very likely only suitable for a 10g tank.
It's better to get a filter rated for at least a 20-30, instead. However that still would not have helped enough with your bioload overload. Please don't take my advice wrong, I'm only trying to help.
Also, I agree with the brand Jenatron suggested. Aquaclears are great filters, I have one. For the future, or the next time you get one, Aquaclear is the way to go! (If possible.)