So discouraged

[lyquidphyre]

Hi all.. it's been a while. School is killing me.. but only five more months until I am finished with college! Wahoo! But that is besides the point.

My tanks are not looking too well.

My 29gal has been deemed the tank of death. No matter what I put in there, it dies. I finally went back to goldfish, and one of my goldies died the other day. Granted, he always had a funny shaped stomach, so it could have been my fish and not the tank. Either way, I have one lone goldfish, and Im just not happy with that tank.

And then there is my 75gal "planted tank." I have a 5lb CO2 canister and it runs out after like, 3 days after I fill it. I can't find any leaks, and I don't know whats wrong. Im wondering if the place I go to isn't filling it all the way. And on top of that, my tank is getting bad algae even tho I don't keep the lights on all that often (Im going to get a timer soon). Some of my plants look great, others not so much but they have REALLY thinned out since I purchased them a few months ago (some species have completly died out).

I just don't know what to do. Im not happy with my tanks and I don't know what to do to spruce them out w/o dropping $100. I would love some rams in my 75gal and more plants but that = dropping $100

BLAH. What do you do when you are in an "aquarium rut"?

 

[hc8719]

BLAH. What do you do when you are in an "aquarium rut"?

umm buy more fish? one you really like

once i got a black ghost knife, no fish can realy top it, so im happy

 

[Sicklid]

Maybe your CO2 is the problem? Your algae bloom may be because your plants arent getting the CO2 they usually get, and they can't use up the nutrients before the algae can? Just my guess... That CO2 system has gotta have a leak somewhere to empty that fast. Have you tried the suds test on the joints/connections?

I wouldn't get another fish to feel better until you get those problems sorted!

 

[lyquidphyre]

My dad used that sort of test on all the connections, and added that tape stuff to reinforce all my connections as well and he found no detectable leak so I have no clue.

The only fish I want right now is an albino krib, and some GBRs but I can never find them for a decent price.

 

[Sicklid]

I can tell you this and you probably will hate me for it but... I have kept rams before, and they are SENSITIVE to water quality for sure. If they don't have the optimal, best maintained, or more importantly CONSISTENT, UN-CHANGING conditions, they will die off. It happened to me when a hurricane knocked out the power for 12 days and I tried to keep up, but they were the only fish I lost... The last one died from head and lateral line disease. Again, don't get them until you sort out your water issues and stabilize everything, or you'll just be upset when the little guys kick the bucket on you. (They are my favorite fish tho!)

 

[lyquidphyre]

Oh I totally understand, sicklid! I would like to hold off until my tank is how I want it (and stable) before I get them.

My tank always tests pretty well and I would probably get older rams (which are harder to find) because if they are old enough, they are more likely to be better off when moving to a new tank.

 

[Sicklid]

Did you check with the guys in the "Hardware" forum for help with the CO2 system? That is a bummer... I really think that is a big chunk of your prob.

 

[BrianNY]

The "aquarium rut" happens to everyone at some time Katy. I think it's just human nature as our enthusiasm will ebb and flow with most things in our lives. AA is pretty good at keeping me stimulated.

A 5 lb cylander lasts me 4-5 months on my 125g. Something is definitely rotten in Denmark. Did you use teflon tape on the valve stems? How about the washer that seats in the regulator connection? CO2 loss will be fairly quick if that washer is improperly seated.

 

[lyquidphyre]

I might take it to Lowes or Home Depot and see if someone could help me make sure everything is where it should be hardware wise.

I've decided to set my tank back up to the timer, and set up my auto feeder so my fish are happy and the tank can run on it's own when I get busy with school. I found a nice large rock on ebay that I can pick up for a dollar. I just really, really want my CO2 canister to work the way it should so my plants can grow and all that.

EDIT-
here is a picture of my CO2 tank-

I feel as if I could fix mym CO2 canister, my (major) problems would be over... with my tank at least

 

[Zagz]

Try taking it to a different place to get it filled and see if that makes a difference. Sorry about your aquarium rut. School is a pain but it will be worth it in the end.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I would agree, have it filled somewhere else. My 5lb bottle lasted me 6 months on a 75G tank. Now I have it on a 29G tank and bought a new 10lb for my 75G.

 

[Buffalo Bill]

Maybe you could do a leakdown test to see if the regulator isn't bleeding off your CO2. With your regulator turned all the way down try closing the main valve on the CO2 tank. The pressure should stay constant (say 800 psi) for 5 minutes. If the pressure drops the regulator is leaking and may need a new gasket or tightening.

I

 

[lyquidphyre]

The guages are all messed up, so it's difficult to see what is what.

I usually fill up my CO2 tank at the local Beer Barn.. so maybe that's my problem =oP

I'll refill it elsewhere and report back!

Also, I found a UV sterilizer that I can afford... so if I can get my algae under control, my plants growing... and I just now hooked up all my automatic stuff (lights and feeder), I might get my tank back!

 

[Menagerie]

Glad to see you're back, Katy! I was having problems with a 29 gal tank and finally said "enough!" Focusing on fewer fish may be the answer, or the beer barn doesn't know how to properly fill CO2 tanks!