Red Tail Shark Losing Color

[Chelle Belle]

I recently purchased a fish tank this past summer which included fish. The man I purchased the fish from had the tank so clear, clean and cold (around 65-70 degrees), however, when he broke the tank downand I set it back up I have not been able to get it how he had it. It always seems to be a bit cloudy and the temp rises to 78-80 degrees and it also always has a funny mildew smell to it. I used all of the products he used, but still nothing. Yesterday I changed out the filter and 50% of the water.... after that the filter quit working, its a Marineland Penguin Bio Wheel Power, I think I broke it. From yesterday to today my gold algae eater died and my red tail shark completely lost its color. A couple of days ago I noticed the Fancy goldfish has something white on top of it's head, but nowhere else. This morning I took all of the fish out of the tank and quarantined each one of them in separate buckets until I am able to clean out the tank and get a new filter.
I feel horrible the Gold algae eater died, the red tail shark and the yoyo loach wouldn't leave its side. They are normally at the bottom of the tank, but I also noticed the snails climbed to the top of the tank. My only guess is that maybe there was an ammonia spike or something.
My question is what should I do to get my fish back to their normal health?
What is that white stuff growing on my fancy goldie's head? Why is my black red tail shark light grey and pink tailed now?
I don't know what to do and I don't want any more of my fish to die. PLEASE help. I am a beginner and I didn't think it would be this hard keeping a fish tank, I am up for the challenge, but I need help.

The list of fish: YoYo Loach, cory cat, Red Tail Shark, Gold Algae eater, 3 snails, 2 black loach, I think (They are charcoal grey looking mini snakes), 1 fish that I cannot remember the name of, but is yellowish and has some sort of stripes, and one fancy goldfish.

 

[sinibotia]

Ok, I can help you. I need to know how big this tank is. I also need to know what the water parameters are- especially ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Do you have test kits for those?

What did you do about your broken filter? Do you still have the filter cartridges?

Your stock list has some major problems. Fancy goldfish don't belong with tropical fish- they need very different temperatures. Yoyo loaches, black kuhli loaches, and corydoras catfish need to be kept in groups of at least 5. And golden algae eaters are aggressive as adults and will attack other fish, often eating their slime and leaving them open to infection.

What products are you using?

 

[Chelle Belle]

When I purchased the tank all the fish came with the tank. I believe the fish have been together for 2 years....they all seem to get along just fine, but if I have to separate some of them I will. I am not familiar with how fish should be grouped together, I am a beginner. I may have the name wrong for the algae eater. The filter broke yesterday, this morning when I saw the condition of the water and the algae eater dead I took all of the fish out of the tank and placed them all in separate buckets. I am going to purchase a new filter after work today. The tank is a 30 gallon tank. I am using the products the tank came with, which is prime, and two others I can't remember at the moment, but one is for cloudy water, and the other is to promote healthy bacteria.
So the cory cat, Yoyo loaches, black kuhli loaches need four more of the same kind?

 

[Chelle Belle]

My take from what you are saying about my stock is that I should separate the Fancy goldie. Do not replace the algae eater that died and maybe purchase 4 more corys, 4 more black loachs, and 4 more yoyo loachs?
Please tell me if this is correct. The tank is a 30 gallon tank which now I am thinking this may be why the man I purchased the entire tank from may have had the stock selected this way.

 

[sinibotia]

So, in a 30 gallon tank, golden algae eaters, yoyo loaches and red tail sharks will get too big to be happy. I would try to find another home for the algae eaters and yoyo loaches and red-tailed shark and goldfish. I would add 4 more corydoras and 4 more kuhli loaches. After that, depending on what the fish you don't know the name of is, you have a LOT of room for all kinds of fish that will be very happy in that tank size!

As far as products- prime is the only one you should need. Your water will stay clear without any products if you keep up with tank maintenance.

Without the filter cartridges from the old filter, you don't have any bacteria to break down fish waste, so you most likely have an ammonia spike. Are you familiar with the nitrogen cycle? And do you have test kits for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

 

[Chelle Belle]

Ok sounds good.
No I don't know anything about the nitrogen cycle and no I don't have test kits. I will make sure to purchase that today and do a bit of research on the nitrogen cycle.


When I was changing out the water and replacing the filter cartridge I ended up having to take the entire filter out. I couldn't reach it or see what I was doing. Upon taking it out I noticed it was full of brown slimy gunk. I cleaned out the entire filter and removed the slim that was in it which is probably how I broke it. Is this brown slimy gunk a must have? I thought that's why the water wasn't as clear as it was when I purchased it. Also after I set up the tank it always had a mildew smell to it. Is this normal? I see now I should have done a lot more research before purchasing the setup. Well better later than never I suppose. I am just hoping I don't lose anymore fish.

 

[sinibotia]

I wouldn't say the brown slimy gunk itself is a must-have, but the filter cartridge itself is a medium for growing a special kind of bacteria that makes fish waste safe and non-toxic. When you throw away the cartridge, you throw all that bacteria away, so always save filter cartridges. You can clean all the gunk off of them and most of the bacteria will stay. But treat them like you would treat a fish- keep them in clean oxygenated water as much as possible.

The nitrogen cycle is where bacteria in a fish tank convert ammonia (which is from fish waste and is very toxic) to nitrite (which is also very toxic) and then another kind of bacteria converts nitrite into nitrate (mostly non-toxic). When your filter broke, the bacteria in your filter were no longer able to do this, so ammonia likely built up in your tank, leading to your current problems.

When you get a test kit, make sure to get the API freshwater master test kit. Don't get test strips or an electronic meter.

And don't get too down about your mistakes. I made plenty too. We all start somewhere- the important thing is that you're learning and you'll get better.

 

[Chelle Belle]

Thanks so much for your help. I really do appreciate it!! I will get on this as soon as I get out of work.

 

[Potluck]

I would get a aqua clear 50 for your 30 gallon it comes with media rocks that holds your beneficial bacteria, a sponge for filtration and an carbon bag (i replaced my carbon bag with bio Chem sorb in my aqua clear 110).

When you do a 25% water change or any water change you have to temperature match the water you put back in, if the tank is 78 degrees temperature match to 78 or go 1 degree higher, so say you do 25% on 30 gallons which means you would remove 7.5 gallons of water you also have to add .75 ml or 1 ml of prime (great product).

With the filter i recommended there is no cartridge so you don't have to change anything and only clean the sponge and filter media in the fish water you previously vacced out of the tank only swishing the media rocks lightly and the swishing and squeezing sponge thoroughly again this is important "only clean the filter sponge and media in the fish water you take out, never ever from the Sink cause you're washing away/ killing your good bacteria, and don't clean the filter until itseems like it's not flowing i usually have to clean mine every couple months and replace bio Chem bag every month to 2 months.


From my best guess you caused a complete cycle on the tank which as mentioned before the nitrogen cycle. You need to get some start smart to add to the tank or some other product for a new tank setup with live bacteria cause that's what you're experiencing "new tank syndrome"