Having Major fish issues

[BKGarrison]

Hey guys, I started doing fish before I researched them, or knew what I was supposed to do

After readin on here for a bit, I've notcied that I'm doing many things wrong, and now I need advice on how to fix everything.

First of all, there are 2 tanks, one 5 gallon hex tank (built in filter and bio wheel) and 10 gallon With a Penguin 125 filter and bio wheel

I know for sure that there is too much fish here for the 2 aquariums, and I am bringing in a 55 gallon next week to start cycling. (This wont be a permanent home, but good for now)

I bought 3 fish 6 weeks ago, 1 red oscar(2.5 maybe 3"), 1 commen pleco (1-1.5"), and i dragon goby (4"), all three of these are living in the 5 gallon. I just purchased the 10 gallon to transfer them to, and was cycling it using feeder goldfish.

All of the feeders in the 10 gallon died of Ich, and rather rapidly, but I was feeding the feeders to the oscar, and now the oscar has come down with ich. I stopped feeding them to him as soon as I saw the spots. I have the temp in the 5 gal at 80*(there is no heater, I adjust it using the lamp and watching it closely), but I'm affraid thats too much for the goby, and it's fresh not brackish water. I'm treating with malachite green (Ick Away from Wardley) I just gave the first treatment today.

All of the fish seem active enough and healthy except for the spots on the oscar, neither the goby nor the plec have any spots.

5 gal
Amonia .25ppm
Nitrate ~25ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
PH 7.2

10 gal
Amonia 0
Nitrate 40ppm
Nitrite 0
PH 7.6

fish in 10 gal have been gone for 2-3 days

I have a heater on the 10 gal set to about 75, but it's empty right now

what should i do guys, And I'm sorry for being ignorant

Brandon

 

[Ddraig Goch]

I have never used malachite green so I can't tell you if it will work, but I presume you can't use any other treatments with it.

I'm sorry to tell you that you will need a far bigger tank for those fish though.

 

[tttnjfttt]

I'm still waking up this morning, so I really hope this is coherent.

The first thing I think needs to be adressed is the ammonia and nitrire levels in your tank. Ammonia and nitrIte are both very toxic to fish, and also very stressful to them. Since you have the empty 10 gal, why not clean it and move some of the fish over into it? This will slow how fast the ammonia is added into the tank. Possibly move the pleco and the goby to the bigger tank. Both will still need daily water changes to keep the ammonia in check. Also, both will need to be treated with ich meds.

Malachite green is one of the common ich meds, and is effective against ich. Scaleless fish are very sensitive to some meds, so make sure you follow the directions exactly as they are written. Here is an article on ich if you would like to learn more. http/badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article2.html

I don't know much about oscars, but if I am remembering correctly, they grow too big for a 55 gallon tank. I think the minimum recomended tank size is 75 gallons. Go into the New World Cichlids section and ask in there. Also, feeder fish are a very poor source of nutrition. Also, you want to quarentine every feeder fish for 2 weeks before feeding them. Again, go ask about this in the new world section.

 

[WILDER]

Yes hurry up with the big tank, as those fish need it, you have an ammonia reading in your 5gal thats want's a water change, just add the correct amount of med back to the water removed, the med is fine what you are using, good luck.

Malachite Green (zinc free) 100% Cures Ich, fungus, oodinium (velvet) mouth fungus, and prevents fungus on some eggs, most effective when used with salt. 28.4 grams make 1 gallon. Then use 1 drop per gallon.

 

[KeddyPie]

I suggest taking the oscar back where you got it. I know little about them, but I don't think they are a beginners fish. Unless you are willing to do a LOT of learning and invest in a very large tank, it probably is not the best choice to keep him.

I think Gobies need salty water, i'm not so sure... So he's probably not a good guy to have either.

And I am not sure if a pleco can stay in a 55 gallon, sounds alright to me.

What I would do, personally, if I was in your situation, is rehome the oscar and the goby, set up the 55 gallon for th pleco, and buy a new set of fish with the research you are doing, to be sure you know that it is acceptable. A lot of u s have probably made huge mistakes when fish keeping, the important thing is that we learn and correct our mistakes

If you really don't want a large tank, which is why you bought the 5 gallon, I suggest taking ALL your fish back, and purchasing new fish, such as a betta, or maybe a few small neons.

 

[hello kitty]

yeah im pretty cetain gobeys do need brackish water

 

[BKGarrison]

yeah im pretty cetain gobeys do need brackish water

[snapback]862187[/snapback]​

Yeah, reading on here the goby needs brackish water

I'm willing to learn about the Oscar, and to invest in something bigger than a 55 when the time comes, He is the most intelligent and entertaining fish I have ever seen.

I did a 25% water change on both tanks today, and I moved the goby and pleco to the 10 gal for now, and I'm treating both tanks with meds.

the 55 still isn't here, but should be tomoorow or Sat

I should have starrted reading this board more when I first got the fish.

Everyone still looks pretty healthy except the spots on the oscar.

I was feeding rosey feeder fish and comet feeder fish along with blood worms and also Flakes

I appreciate all the help guys, Last thing I want to do is hurt these guys, so I'll get them in bigger water as soon as possible

originally I bought the 5 gal for a couple of carnival fish that didn't live the night anyway, so I went to *coughwalmartcough* and they had the oscar and the plec, but they didn't say anything about it. I then found this place and started looking for a larger tank, I figured the 55 would probably last at least 6 months or so, due to their small size now.

This is the best pic I could get of the oscar, he likes to get too close to the camera

 

[BKGarrison]

and here is the goby and the plec

I'll start looking for a 100 gal or so tank as soon as possible for the Oscar and plec to live in, and hopefully the goby should be ok in a 55, or else I'll need to give him to a brackish home, I don't think I can keep keeping him in fresh water with the plec

 

[clunkster]

you definatly need a bigger tank your plec looks as thoug it is a sailfin cant tell for sure but if it is then it has the potential to reach 18" oscars reach 12" the dragon goby also known as violet goby & eel goby is indeed a brackish fish & has the potential to reach 25"