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Well if you replaced the filter a couple of weeks ago perhaps it could be that the bacteria have all been removed with the old filter sponge? Although, in these circumstances you'd obviously expect to see an ammonia reading. Who do you have left? If they are fish that like hard alkaline...

What substrate do you have in there? Have you added anything new to the tank eg- PLants plastic or real, new ornaments, bogwood? Do any sprays get used in the room? Are there big fluctuations in the temperature?

Bloozoo2 I was simply trying to find a practical solution to this problem, it's all very well saying the tank is probably 'cycling', but we've already been told the readings on the tank are fine, so this clearly isn't the problem. Most of the queries on this forum unfortunately end with the...

This sounds really weird, almost like the fish are being poisoned or something. Do they not have any symptoms at all? It might be that they have internal parasites, in which case i would treat with Waterlife Sterazin, but you'll have to read the directions on the treatment you've been using to...

I think i'm right in saying that the molly is in a hospital tank now, so it's not in with the catfish. I agree with what someone else said Mollies do like hard, alkaline water, so if you think the water could do with being freshened up a bit, i would take a third out and replace with new...

I imagine your tank is suffering from new tank syndrome, it sounds as though you rescued the fish first and then set the tank up, which is perhaps the only way you could do it, but really the tank needs to be set up a good while before adding anyone. What are the dimensions of the tank? What...

Oh, that is a problem if you need to take the old stuff out. Well if you've got a Fluval 3 now (I think that's what you said), and you've got a 30" tank, there's no need to have any more than that anyway as those are designed for tanks upto 3ft I think, so you may not want to bother with the...

You should have the bottom of the tank clear, then the filter plates, then 2"inches deep of gravel. Yes, i'm pretty sure that finer gravel is better than the coarse stuff, but you might want to check just in case.

Oh dear that really isn't deep enough, it does need to be 2" deep. That means your tank is deficient in the bacteria needed to keep toxins down, it won't be helping matters. The Fluval will help this as its sponge will contain some bacteria, but you really need to sort the gravel out as the...

This does sound odd, if the fish have been healthy for a while and are now ill again, it really does sound like a water problem. As you have an undergravel filter, you really need 2" of gravel for it to work properly, the gravel should also be cleaned less often than a tank without undergravel...

First things first, what are your readings now? Who is left in the tank? How long has the tank been running? Are there still disease symptoms in the tank?

Were the fish not acting oddly in the pet shop? It seems strange that one died on the way home even. You say your tank is 6 weeks old, what are the dimensions? You did seem to put rather a lot of fish in at once, especially for a relatively new tank. What are the readings for the tank now...

By Jove, i think she's got it! The gap should be on top of the 2 fine blues though, so that the 2nd basket starts right on top of the gap. what the others are saying is that you could do away with the green nitrate sponge and put a 2nd coarse blue in. And yes the white ones go on the very top.

Yes. It's 2 fine and a gap in bottom basket, 2 coarse, 1 carbon and 1 white in the top, in that order, or there could be the green nitrate sponge instead of one of the coarse blue ones. Good luck! ps doesn't matter about the hose.

Not recommendable. Red-finned black sharks are not very aggressive in my experience, not like the Red-tailed black sharks, they wouldn't fight back. As mentioned Oscars will eat anything they can fit in!

If it's a new tank set up that you've just done, there really isn't any need to be doing water changes already, unless the sand wasn't rinsed enough, which i am a little worried about. Although it was supposedly already clean, it's always best to clean it thoroughly just in case. The best...

well a good one that doesn't normally get eaten is Java Fern as it's quite tough. it's best planted on something, eg bogwood, which is essential for the plec's diet anyway. i feed mine cucumber and lettuce weighted down, every 3-4 days, they don't seem to touch my plants, so it's worth a go!

I'm after some information on Silver Dollars as i'm thinking of picking some up in the morning. I realise they get to a fair size but that isn't a problem. I'm wondering how long they live and how fast they grow. Also, what's the average going rate?

It sounds like something's happened to your filter, has it been switched off by mistake or has someone rinsed the sponge under tap water? i would take a third of the water out, vacuuming the gravel at the same time, it is so important to get rid of all the ammonia that's appeared. Make sure you...

oh dear, i hope the pearlscale is still around. unfortunately it's a common misconception that the smaller the tank, the easier it is to look after, in fact it's the opposite. Because it's such a small volume of water there is less water to dilute any problems, pollution etc take over much...

I've just been on the Waterlife website and you are using the correct treatment- Protozin. It says to do a third of a tank water change before using it. As has been mentioned, i would increase the temperature a tad and add salt a teaspoon per gallon i think is right. make sure you vacuum out...

Keep the tank running for as long as possible, now that you have no fish to house quickly, i would run it for at least 3 weeks, dechlorinate the the water, i would remove the gravel and rinse it thoroughly and i would also give the filter a good clean as it could be harbouring disease. Keep...

This does sound strange. Is it an external Eheim? As the tank is a large one with many large inhabitants. If you're cleaning it every 2 weeks, this would surely incorporate the water changes anyway, meaning you were keeping up with them too? most likely is a problem with the filter, perhaps...

I haven't ben home for a bit so i'll check on him tonight when i get in. i've been trying to feed him with vegetable flakes, freeze dried bloodworm and fresh bloodworm, wheatgerm floating balls, seaweed sheets, Tetramin-Pro etc etc, with the same response. I guess he must be eating something...

That's right, Guppies do like hard water and high pH, as do many of the live bearers, i would recommend a 10-15% water change every day, until the ammonia is zero. The fact that you have ammonia and no nitrite means that your tank is not cycling properly. I would add plenty of bacteria to your...

Yes i agree with the last person who said about judging the fish by their behaviour. If they are eating and seem happy, don't worry about doing anything, if things start changing again then take a reading and ascertain whether the ammonia is still high. If it is, water changes and using...

Well this does seem strange. When you do the water changes are you syphoning the gravel at the same time or simply taking water out? It might be that there is a lot of muck in the gravel that needs to come out. Go very steady on the feeding, if all you have is a few danios, you really only...

I sent in a message last week about my anorexic Sailfin Molly, I haven't been staying at home recently, but i checked him yesterday and he's still about, in fact he seemed quite chirpy. I thought i'd treat him to some sinking granules as he was pecking at the gravel but SURPRISE SURPRISE, he...

I'M THINKING HE PROBABLY JUMPED OUT BECAUSE OF A LACK OF OXYGEN IN THE TANK/BOWL, THIS IS NORMALLY THE CAUSE. DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF PUMP OR FILTER IN THERE? THEY WILL LAST A LONG TIME IF THEY JUMP OUT, I HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE. YOU WILL NEED TO PUT PLENTY OF SLIMY STRESS COAT OR SIMILAR IN TO...

SHIMMYING CAN BE CAUSED BY THE FISH GETTING CHILLED, SO CHECK YOUR HEATER IS WORKING PROPERLY, IT MAY JUST BE THAT THEY ARE FEELING GENERALLY CRAP IF THEY HAVE FIN ROT. FIRSTLY DO A PARTIAL WATER CHANGE OF ABOUT 10-15%, BUT BE SURE THAT YOU USE SOME BOILED WATER TO TAKE THE EDGE OFF THE...

I'M NOT SURE ABOUT YOUR TANK VOLUME, OTHER INHABITANTS ETC BUT AS SOMEONE HAS ALREADY SAID, IT'S LIKELY YOU WIPED OUT A LOT OF YOUR FRIENDLY BACTERIA WHEN YOU CHANGED THE SUBSTRATE, THIS HAS NOW CAUSED A BACTERIA BLOOM. IS THE WATER A WHITEY COLOUR? THE BEST THING TO DO IS KEEP DOING WATER...

Well i was wondering about parasites. This morning he did look as though he had a bit of a protrusion around his anus, it's not red or angry looking, just pale yellow, similar to his colour. i could try treating him, i'd need to treat the whole tank really as i don't have a second tank. Would...

sorry, i forgot to answer the rest of your questions. i haven't seen him poo for a while, presumably because he isn't eating. his appearence is thin, but apart from that normal.

well i'd say he's only just started getting thin, since he hasn't been eating. he used to be full of gusto and chasing everyone around the tank, now he just seems listless.

well maybe i have my percentages a bit wrong! i take two buckets out of 125 litres, the buckets are ordinary 'bucket size'.

i know what you mean about the other fish eating his food. i would put a chunk of cucumber in, weighted down. also i don't know if you have any bog wood in the tank as this is essential for them to eat, so they can break down the lignin in the algae they eat. i hope he's still around?!

I am having trouble with my male sailfin who is refusing to eat. The tank is a Juwel Rio 125 so it is just under 3ft in length and about 15" wide by about 18" tall. It has been running for about 6 weeks and i have been gradually adding new tank mates, these are his female partner, 4 ancistrus...