Hello
Im really hoping someone can help me out.
Im new to having an Aquarium and I have hit a serious snag. I attmpted a water only cycle for approx 6 weeks. I then purchased 12 cardinal tetra. After another 6 weeks to my delight all 12 were still with me. I'm religious on my weekly water changes of roughly 20%. All my numbers have been looking as expected with slight ammonia build up which quickly corrected it self. My latest figures show PH=8 NH3=0.2 NO2= 0 NO3=0 ALKALINE = NORMAL AND GH= NORMAL. Temp 77-78
Then 10 days ago I added a red tailed shark and a pleco to my little community . Two days later my shark dies, I assume this just bad luck and the stress of the move. But since that day I have been losing my cardinals rapidly. One or two per day. 4 of which I haven't been able to locate the bodies.
Today I have 2 cardinals left and haven't seen my pleco for 24hrs.
None of the fish have shown any illness or signs of disease. They simple turn up on the gravel dead. One cardinal had a red bruise on its body. Some of the cardinals had lost some colour after dying which assume is normal.
I have researched if the pleco is attacking them but I read it is extremely unlikely and followed advice of pet store on which fish to place with my cardinals.so now with only 3 fish left I have no idea what to do.
Any help would go a long way I love having the fish as my children do and need to understand where I have gone so wrong after what seemed a happy start!
Im really hoping someone can help me out.
Im new to having an Aquarium and I have hit a serious snag. I attmpted a water only cycle for approx 6 weeks. I then purchased 12 cardinal tetra. After another 6 weeks to my delight all 12 were still with me. I'm religious on my weekly water changes of roughly 20%. All my numbers have been looking as expected with slight ammonia build up which quickly corrected it self. My latest figures show PH=8 NH3=0.2 NO2= 0 NO3=0 ALKALINE = NORMAL AND GH= NORMAL. Temp 77-78
Then 10 days ago I added a red tailed shark and a pleco to my little community . Two days later my shark dies, I assume this just bad luck and the stress of the move. But since that day I have been losing my cardinals rapidly. One or two per day. 4 of which I haven't been able to locate the bodies.
Today I have 2 cardinals left and haven't seen my pleco for 24hrs.
None of the fish have shown any illness or signs of disease. They simple turn up on the gravel dead. One cardinal had a red bruise on its body. Some of the cardinals had lost some colour after dying which assume is normal.
I have researched if the pleco is attacking them but I read it is extremely unlikely and followed advice of pet store on which fish to place with my cardinals.so now with only 3 fish left I have no idea what to do.
Any help would go a long way I love having the fish as my children do and need to understand where I have gone so wrong after what seemed a happy start!
