HELP!!!

[ZcarFR-S]

So in preparations for my big tank me and my wife bought a beautiful cichlid. I have no idea on the exact kind. It was black with 2 horizontal stripes going all the way down, and a bluish face. Yesterday I got home and fed the fish and she are and was swimming just fine no signs of stress. I went to dinner came home and she was dead on the bottom. I immediately checked my water. Could not get a accurate reading on ammonia as I use a liquid test kit and have used a ammonia neutralizer. Will have that tested today. I had just done a water change the day before of about 30%. My nitrite tested 0 and my nitrate tested about 3-5 ppm. Alkalinity was neutral. And ph was 6.8 . I'm pretty sure the ph was what did her in. All my other fish are real hardy fish red tail shark bristlenose placo common placo 3 Cory cats and 1 baby spotted Rafael cat. Any thoughts on this and how I can raid my ph to appropriate levels safely and naturally?


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[Brookster123]

Tell us some more about the tank? Age, size, stock? Most cichlids require specific water parameters and will not simply adjust to your community tank..

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[ZcarFR-S]

1 common placo
1 bristlenose placo
1 red tail shark
1 spotted Rafael catfish
3 Cory cats
1 ghost shrimp
1 golden mystery snail

There was 2 baby turtles but I moved then about a week ago to their own tank. The tank is a 10g tank with 40gph filtration. My water is from tap left out over night with API tap water conditioner and API stress zyme+. I do a water change every week for about 20-30% sometime it's less than a week depending on water test. The tank has been up and running for going on 2 months and is the first fish I have lost.


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[SFAquariums1]

In my opinion that seems like a large stock for only a 10 gallon tank.


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[ZcarFR-S]

Yea that's why I am moving to a large tank very soon luckily they are all very small accept for the common placo who is about 4inches long the rest are under 2 inches


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[ZcarFR-S]

That's also why I do very frequent water changes


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[Pamiam]

Sad to hear about the loss of your fish.

Like the above post said, cichlids need particular water conditions or if you just acquired her maybe the stress/shock of the move. I had a fish die once within 5 minutes of purchase on the drive home while the other 9 were fine. You just don't know.

You had mentioned you were setting up a larger tank....I hope it is at least a 55 gallon or more.

Your common pleco will be 12+ inches, your red tail shark and spotted raphael should also be in much larger tank, your corys should be in a school of 6 or more.

Actually your only stock for a 10 gallon is the shrimp, everyone else needs much, much bigger tank.

I hope this helps

 

[ZcarFR-S]

Yes I am moving to a 55g tank. The 55g will be temporary while I am still in the apartment I will be getting a house soon and plan on going to a 200 or 400g and using the 55 as a isolation tank


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[ZcarFR-S]

Well my ph was too low for a cichlid and my ammonia was spiked a bit weird as I had recently done a water change


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[Brookster123]

That tank is way to small for one of those fish let alone all of them, I'd move them to that 55 ASAP..

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[ZcarFR-S]

Yea I am stand is almost done then just have to let it cycle. My fish are all babies so pretty small my ghost shrimp is bigger than my bristlenose and about the same size as my red tail shark


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[SFAquariums1]

This is just my personal opinion here. However just remember to take into account that size doesn't always matter. Even if your red tail is no bigger thn your ghost shrimp, it still needs ample swimming room, not to mention they can be territorial. Some fish don't get more than 1" long but still need 20 gallons of open water for swimming space! Just keep that in mind as well if you consider adding more stock to the 55 gallon.


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[ZcarFR-S]

I am sure I will add more but I'm going with small species except for 1 larger "center piece" for the tank. And I will apologize my lfs told me that with how small my fish are that they would be fine in the 10g tank for now. I do have ample hiding spots the only incident was between my common pleco and the shark. Sadly the shark was eating and my pleco came down on too of him and slightly tore his dorsal fin. Will this repair as he gets older? I really wish I would have done more research before I got it.


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[SFAquariums1]

I don't know too much about that. It should be fine as he gets older. A lot of people go by the 1" a gallon rule. Which no longer works. There are so many other things that fall into play now with how active, territorial, etc fish are....... Research is the best way! For example I bought my rose line shark when he was 1.5" long..... I put him right in a 40gal long tank because they swim across the entire tank! I hope this helps


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[ZcarFR-S]

Yes it does, I was told that the shark would be ok as long as he was the only red tail in the tank and as long as the rest of the fish are non aggressive. My common pleco is a butt though.


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[SFAquariums1]

Hm. I would be more worrie about the red tail being aggressive towards other fish. They're extremely territorial.


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[ZcarFR-S]

Yea that's what I hear


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