Getting Fed Up And Put Off The Hobby Of Fish Keeping!

[locust267]

OK first I would just like to add if you are likely to go off on one in this topic as I have seen so many times before on here and other topics please juct leave now as from my point of view and any other new member it just puts us off coming back and therefore leads to lack of knowledge and the animals in question not benefiting from a full life.

Right now thats sorted I am really upset at the fact that I keep losing fish.

I first came on here because my guppies kept dying which we later put down to them being a really poor quality and the fact most people have this problem.

Within the 5 guppies dying my panda corydoras went missing - Never to return. So assuming he got eaten, dead or alive!

Since then I bought an algea eater who died a few days after buying him - so the shop refunded me as water para's were all good.

Then I lost 3 neons within the space of 24 hours (last week), all were dead next to the filter - One looked like it may of been half eaten but it may of just started to decompose??

Then today I came downstairs to find one of my mollies (presumed pregnant as she only recently gave birth to 5 fry after being bought home from shop only 2 weeks ago).

Now the guppies had a bent back, the cory went missing and one neon looked half eaten other than that none of them showed any signs of disease/injury.

I now have one 54L tank with 3 Zebra danio's, 1 black molly, 3 neon tetra's, 4 molly fry in breeder net (soon so be moved across to 35l tank) and 1 red tailed shark who is only 2" at present and very calm and keeps himself to himself.

So at present I feel the BRTS is causing no harm and I do have plans to get a 300l tank within the next year not only for him but other community fish, for this reason I dont want to get rid of him as there is no proof he is causing any trouble.

Now moving onto water Para's the tank has been set up for almost 6 months, danio's added after the tank had cycled at 6 weeks then gradually stocked from there. Temp is at 26 degrees and no salt for mollies as I have neons and wasn't told they needed salt when I bought them (typical LFS)! The Nitrite is at 0 Ammonia is at 0 and pH is 8.

My concern for the molly was having no salt and the fact she was most likely pregnant and stressed from that and moving just over 2 weeks ago. However I feel it's all too much of a coincidence after the bad luck of the other fish.

I currently do not have any air pumps/stone in the 54l tank, could this be killing them? The molly did sit at the top doing not alot since I bought her. How can I test for oxygen and what air pump/stone should I buy and add to the tank?

The last 3 cases of fish loss has happened in the space of about 2 weeks and although it may just be very poor fish quality having so many fish die on me is really upsetting me and I just want to get it right before I'm put off the hobby for good.

Thanks in advance to those of you who will help me and not put me down for individual choices on tank sizes and inhabitants - Friendly advice is always welcome.

 

[snoopyfrench87]

get a pump and and air stone asap.

 

[gowing238]

Yeh id also say getta an airstone in there quick! Also did you give the tank a good clean out with just clean water before you filled it and are all of your buckets etc used for water changes all only used for this purpose? Sounds like you could have some kind of contamination problem?

 

[Faythee]

I don't believe airstones are completely necessary. I do not have one, however I use a powerfilter with a good current that does produce some bubbles.

Some of those fish are rather sensitive and dying within 2 weeks sounds like they were not in the greatest of health when buying them.

Maybe try some fish that are more hardy ? Are all the fish you bought from the same LFS ?

I had 5 out of 6 six Gourami's, all different from different stores die on me. So, I don't buy them anymore

 

[locust267]

Ok if you think I should get an air pump/stone could you say why and what one should I get?

Also I always use the same bucket and it is just for the fish tank, water changes done every week using dechlor.

The fish come from a total of 2 fish stores but all the guppies were from one store and now I dont go there after reading advice on what to expect from LFS and the 2 who recently died i.e algea eater and the molly were from a different shop but bought together but was since told that LFS is rubbish too so will no longer go there. Both the cory and the 3 neons were bought from the first shop and the cory lasted about a month and the neons lasted about 2.5 months but the other 3 neons were from the same batch and they are all doing fine.

None of them sit at the top of the water gasping (apart from the molly who died who just seemed to do nothing).

The filter I have is cycled but other than that am not convinced, it seems to throw water out with quite some force but only spurts out bubbles occasionally. I clean the sponge in tank water about once per month. The filter is by Vita Tech and hardly anyone on here has heard of it. I dont want to buy another filter if it's the air stones I need but also dont want to buy air stones if a new filter would be better in the long run...

Cheers

 

[Davo86]

a much easier way to produce more 02 is to drop the waterline to the outlet of your filter so that a visilbe current is seen at the top of your tank,

your Ph is very high and that may be a problem, especially because guppys, neons, corydoras and mollys all come from areas with quite a low Ph, how long are you acclimatising your fish when you buy them?

 

[JJ56]

Yeah, I would try to drop the Ph a bit. I ran my old guppy tank at 7.5, which seemed perfect as I never lost an adult guppy and ended up with hundreds of fry!

A neutral Ph would be best In my opinion.

Hope this helps

Jonathan

 

[snoopyfrench87]

when you clean the filter sponge what do use?

 

[JJ56]

^^^^ Good point, I would reccomend using some tankwater in a seperate bowl.


Jonathan

 

[pastabake]

I sort of agree with Davo86 ... though your lfs should have acclimatised the fish to the local water conditions, my Guppies and Corys are happy at pH 7.8. I started off with Neons and Glowlights and after about 6 months they had all died. My mother-in-law is constantly buying cardinals and neons, she has a low pH so I'm inclined to accept the idea that neons are overly inbred and weak.

You have to be very careful with your selection of fish ... I'm now very careful to get fish that are kept in the same or very similar water conditions as mine. I also won't buy from a tank that has weak, ill looking or dead fish in it ... and I generally wont buy from a shop that has any dead fish left floating in any tank.

Only get an airstone if you like bubbles ... you don't really need one.

Your Mollies will only need salt if the lfs had them with salt, otherwise don't bother ... I've got mollies that have grown to adults in water with no salt.

Maybe you're cleaning your filter a little too thoroughly?

Perhaps the addition of a few easy to grow low light plants might help.

 

[england]

what fish shop in bmth did you get these fish from???
I also live in bmth and have no trouble with my guppys
what filter do you have in the tank, and as others say do you clean filter with tank water or tap water?

 

[Faythee]

this is what he already said:

I clean the sponge in tank water about once per month. The filter is by Vita Tech and hardly anyone on here has heard of it. I dont want to buy another filter if it's the air stones I need but also dont want to buy air stones if a new filter would be better in the long run...

 

[three-fingers]

your Ph is very high and that may be a problem, especially because guppys, neons, corydoras and mollys all come from areas with quite a low Ph, how long are you acclimatising your fish when you buy them?

Well guppies and mollies especially like a high pH, mollies really don't do well at a lower pH .
pH 8 is great for guppies and mollies, but terrible for typical poor-quality lfs neons.

Your Mollies will only need salt if the lfs had them with salt, otherwise don't bother ... I've got mollies that have grown to adults in water with no salt.

I feel I should add that IME mollies are rarely kept in proper salt or even low end brackish water at the lfs, so what water they are kept in at the lfs shouldn't be used as an indicator, often they are just very weak poor quality fish, or were bred in brackish water before they reached the lfs.

 

[england]

would help if i fully read the posts
i have a handful of pumps lying round not being used

 

[locust267]

For those who didn't notice I already posted about the filter and I do clean it in a separate bowl of tank water and not the tank itself.

I already have 4 live plants in my tank which are all healthy looking and grow like mad.

The tap water if I remember has a fairly high pH (I think 7.8), some of you mention lowering the pH but others dont seem to think it's a prob so I guess I'll leave it but just for reference what would I use to lower the pH?

As I now have two tanks running I could put fish who dont like my current set up into the other one... But that all takes time and the 35l is still cycling hence why the fry haven't moved in yet.

Thanks for advice on lowering water level, will try that and hope that improves things.

Nelly I'll send you a PM about the stores I buy from and the air pumps.