Fish tank has Ich

[JxsPxxle]

so my water parameters are reading:

Ammonia:0.25ppm
PH: 7.6
PH High Range:7.4
Nitrate(NO2-):0ppm
Nitrate(NO3-):5ppm

You should do your best to reduce your ammonia levels. Do this by doing a fairly large water change (maybe 50%) and also using a gravel vacuum to get rid of any waste or left over food in your fish tank. Also make sure any dead plants are removed from the tank too. Try to cut down on how much you are feeding if left over food is a problem.

 

[Rhys19]

I'm going back to the petstore later to get my hardness tested & to pick up a few things i'm buying a background for my tank and a new light that makes the fish colors pop (When I get new fish )

I don't think I have ever been upset about fish like this before

 

[Rhys19]

You should do your best to reduce your ammonia levels. Do this by doing a fairly large water change (maybe 50%) and also using a gravel vacuum to get rid of any waste or left over food in your fish tank. Also make sure any dead plants are removed from the tank too. Try to cut down on how much you are feeding if left over food is a problem.

left over food will now be a problem without my clown loach but I lost basically all my fish except for 1 Chinese Algae eater 1 guppie and 1 common pleco. lost all my tiger barbs loaches, etc

also those parameters are old now I redid my tank after they died I wanted to change out the gravel for the more pretty gravel anyways

tank params are up to norms again I guess my already cycled filter helped along with api quickstart

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

...also I have one of those Ammonia alerts how accurate are these? I'm trying to think whether to buy another one since it's been a year and they say they only last a year and buy a ph version too or just stick with manually checking them

If you're serious about taking up this hobby, with the welfare of your charges foremost, you need a proper test kit and to get into the habit of using it. There are no real short-cuts and that 'ammonia alert' is a short-cut. If you've got ammonia in your tank, you need to act fast to get rid of it, totally. Habitual testing would've warned you that your water was going 'bad' before the ammonia arrived.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I'm going back to the petstore later to get my hardness tested & to pick up a few things i'm buying a background for my tank and a new light that makes the fish colors pop (When I get new fish )

Perhaps rather than spend money on a background, get yourself a decent test kit.
Please hold off from getting new fish until your tank is properly cycled, or you'll just repeat what you've gone through.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

left over food will now be a problem without my clown loach but I lost basically all my fish except for 1 Chinese Algae eater 1 guppie and 1 common pleco. lost all my tiger barbs loaches, etc

You should never have 'left over food'. If you do, you're over-feeding, which is a source of most major tank and fish health issues. Rather than spend your money on some 'pretty gravel'...etc..
EDIT: 'majot' to 'major'.

 

[Rhys19]

You should never have 'left over food'. If you do, you're over-feeding, which is a source of most major tank and fish health issues. Rather than spend your money on some 'pretty gravel'...etc..
EDIT: 'majot' to 'major'.

wow thats the most informative information i've received from NOT A PETSTORE. this is actually helpful will wait until my tank is 100% cycled just out of curiosity I don't remember how I know when it's cycled

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

wow thats the most informative information i've received from NOT A PETSTORE. this is actually helpful will wait until my tank is 100% cycled just out of curiosity I don't remember how I know when it's cycled

Read this article on Cycling.

 

[Rhys19]

Read this article on Cycling.

right so I got another question if my algae eaters have no algae should I buy some algae wafers? because my CAE was big but now he's like 5x smaller than he was before idk if I should be worried because I haven't seen algae at all.

 

[Byron]

right so I got another question if my algae eaters have no algae should I buy some algae wafers? because my CAE was big but now he's like 5x smaller than he was before idk if I should be worried because I haven't seen algae at all.

First, all algae-eating fish that really are algae-eating fish should always be fed a quality algae/kelp/veggie based sinking food. I prefer Omega One Veggie Rounds or Kelp Rounds. These contain whole fish and shrimp too, but they are primarily vegetarian. My otos, whiptails and Farlowella fish have all readily grazed on these, and it is the only way to ensure a wholesome diet.

Second, presumably you mean Chinese Algae Eater by CAE...this fish is a problem waiting to happen. As it matures, it eats less and less (if any) algae, and it is know for harming other fish. It gets 5-6 inches and often becomes quite aggressive and mean. Might be best to rehome it before something happens.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

right so I got another question if my algae eaters have no algae should I buy some algae wafers? because my CAE was big but now he's like 5x smaller than he was before idk if I should be worried because I haven't seen algae at all.

He needs to eat to survive.
He eats algae.
There's no algae in the tank...can you guess where I'm headed here?

 

[Rhys19]

He needs to eat to survive.
He eats algae.
There's no algae in the tank...can you guess where I'm headed here?

Yup I know I just didint know if hed actually eat it hes only a couple months old excluding how long in petstore, also for aggressiveness what about a common pleco i got one of those in there?

I don't typically see my pleco active much on glass or decor around much even at night. unsure if this is because theres not enough algae in the tank or idk hes lonely ? or maybe my light that came with my tank kit is too bright or what. i'm perfectly fine with it I just want to make sure he/she's healthy

 

[Byron]

Yup I know I just didint know if hed actually eat it hes only a couple months old excluding how long in petstore, also for aggressiveness what about a common pleco i got one of those in there?

I don't typically see my pleco active much on glass or decor around much even at night. unsure if this is because theres not enough algae in the tank or idk hes lonely ? or maybe my light that came with my tank kit is too bright or what. i'm perfectly fine with it I just want to make sure he/she's healthy

If the pleco is really a common pleco, species is Hypostomus plecostomus, it gets huge, up to 19 inches, and has a very significant impact on the bioload. When young it naturally feeds on algae, crustaceans, insects, small worms. As it matures it eats less and less algae. In the aquarium, it accepts most prepared sinking foods; algae/spirulina/kelp foods must be included. Frozen bloodworms, shrimp; live worms, insect larvae, brine shrimp. Vegetable matter such as zucchini, yam, driftwood, cucumber may be offered.

They also need driftwood in their tanks; driftwood is something they feed on and adds to their dietary needs. Caves are also excellent as they like to hide from time to time. Having the tank light on does not hurt its eyes because the common Pleco has a protective eye lid it uses when in bright light called the Omega Iris which protects its eye from bright lights, its ok to have him in ordinary light though. It is a nocturnal feeder which means he prefers to be in the dark when feeding, but he also eats at all times with no problem. Filtration must be sufficient to handle the waste.

This fish will dig throughout the substrate and attempt to bury itself under any objects. All rock work must be secure to prevent tumbling and cracking the aquarium glass.

Here's more data:

PlanetCatfish.com - Hypostomus plecostomus (Loricariidae) Cat-eLog

Images are copyright and may not be reproduced without permission of the copyright holder.

www.planetcatfish.com

 

[Rhys19]

If the pleco is really a common pleco, species is Hypostomus plecostomus, it gets huge, up to 19 inches, and has a very significant impact on the bioload. When young it naturally feeds on algae, crustaceans, insects, small worms. As it matures it eats less and less algae. In the aquarium, it accepts most prepared sinking foods; algae/spirulina/kelp foods must be included. Frozen bloodworms, shrimp; live worms, insect larvae, brine shrimp. Vegetable matter such as zucchini, yam, driftwood, cucumber may be offered.

They also need driftwood in their tanks; driftwood is something they feed on and adds to their dietary needs. Caves are also excellent as they like to hide from time to time. Having the tank light on does not hurt its eyes because the common Pleco has a protective eye lid it uses when in bright light called the Omega Iris which protects its eye from bright lights, its ok to have him in ordinary light though. It is a nocturnal feeder which means he prefers to be in the dark when feeding, but he also eats at all times with no problem. Filtration must be sufficient to handle the waste.

This fish will dig throughout the substrate and attempt to bury itself under any objects. All rock work must be secure to prevent tumbling and cracking the aquarium glass.

Here's more data:

PlanetCatfish.com - Hypostomus plecostomus (Loricariidae) Cat-eLog

Images are copyright and may not be reproduced without permission of the copyright holder.

www.planetcatfish.com

interesting I was at the pet store earliar and looked at the fish and I went to petsmart this time but uhm I didn't see common plecos there but I saw these I think it was bristle nose pleco or rubber lip I don't remember but it said maximum size was 4 inches, eitherway after I finish my homeschool I actually am getting a bigger tank I'm thinking about a 75gal thats like wider and longer because I can't fit much decor in my 30gal neither can I have a lot of fish fish are so picky about their environments but their fun to watch so to me: money well spent!

 

[Guest14017]

If I were you, I would boot all the leftover fish back to a LFS. As other users have said, you really have all the wrong species anyway. A CAE, a common pleco, and ONE remaining guppy. CAE and common plecos are best avoided by 90% of fish keepers regardless, and guppies belong in colonies and a lone one is unlikely to thrive or be happy. I would get rid of the remaining fish and make sure my tank was properly cycled and all had all the equipment I needed to keep fish properly... And THEN work on restocking the tank. Tiger Barbs and Guppies do NOT belong together by the way. Definitely ask for some stocking advice before moving forward with this tank.