I'm not exactly a beginner, ive had my fish for almost exactly 3 years. Started with a fish bowl and 1moor, 1 fantail, and 1comet . Yup. All sold to me by my LFS. Despite daily water changes, the water was always murky, stank and fish were always gasping at surface. I then bought a 15uk gal tank and plonked the fish in. I didnt realise at the time but i was still massively overstocked, had not cycled etc...it's a miracle they survived. They even grew but i had trouble with algae so i was advised (by LFS) to get a common plec. They've all live happily ever after.
Until a month ago.
Then they all mysteriously died within the last month except the plec. Ive become quite good at spotting when they are sick just coz i know them quite well so i was surprised they died. I've been reading up and there seems to be indications that UGF pack up after a while, no matter how much you vacuum the gravel, with a resulting deterioration of water quality. Admittedly, I was very tardy with testing the water toward the end so i'll never know for sure.
Aaaaaanyway, so last week i aquired a slightly larger tank free from work (20gal) and gave away my smaller tank. With it came one large fancy goldfish (one of a pair - we lost the other one to dropsy) and it and the plec seemed happy for all of 2 days (i have to say, there was a little bullying by the goldfish during meal times as he would always try to eat the plecs wafers) then he suddenly died right before my eyes after only two days!!! (PS, ive never watched a fish die, thot they always went at night).
So now i wonder if the plec had some sort of disease or something that killed him.
Ive treated the tank (with the plec still in it) and ive been testing the water every other day. Tomorrow i do a massive water change and carbon goes back in to remove medicine.
But now im wondering what fish (if any) to put in the tank. I realise now it is a small tank for a common plec and i have been crusing ebay for a large second-hand in my area (im in sheffield if anyone is selling, will collect within a reasonable distance afield) but until then, i also bought a golden apple snail off ebay this week. Expecting it this coming week. I have also been looking at african dwarf frogs (2- only as of last night - i am very impulsive but i cant find anywhere that sells them) but id quite like to have another fish if poss.
Any suggestions?
also, my plec is still very small and ive had him 2 years almost. i thought they grow massive?
Sorry, long rambling post i know.
Until a month ago.
Then they all mysteriously died within the last month except the plec. Ive become quite good at spotting when they are sick just coz i know them quite well so i was surprised they died. I've been reading up and there seems to be indications that UGF pack up after a while, no matter how much you vacuum the gravel, with a resulting deterioration of water quality. Admittedly, I was very tardy with testing the water toward the end so i'll never know for sure.
Aaaaaanyway, so last week i aquired a slightly larger tank free from work (20gal) and gave away my smaller tank. With it came one large fancy goldfish (one of a pair - we lost the other one to dropsy) and it and the plec seemed happy for all of 2 days (i have to say, there was a little bullying by the goldfish during meal times as he would always try to eat the plecs wafers) then he suddenly died right before my eyes after only two days!!! (PS, ive never watched a fish die, thot they always went at night).
So now i wonder if the plec had some sort of disease or something that killed him.
Ive treated the tank (with the plec still in it) and ive been testing the water every other day. Tomorrow i do a massive water change and carbon goes back in to remove medicine.
But now im wondering what fish (if any) to put in the tank. I realise now it is a small tank for a common plec and i have been crusing ebay for a large second-hand in my area (im in sheffield if anyone is selling, will collect within a reasonable distance afield) but until then, i also bought a golden apple snail off ebay this week. Expecting it this coming week. I have also been looking at african dwarf frogs (2- only as of last night - i am very impulsive but i cant find anywhere that sells them) but id quite like to have another fish if poss.
Any suggestions?
also, my plec is still very small and ive had him 2 years almost. i thought they grow massive?
Sorry, long rambling post i know.
