Mixed Tank

[jester4666]

ok, well i've had my 55 gal tank going for a little while now and all inhabitants seem to be doing ok....except i found my dinosaur bichir dead today.

here is what i have living together:
1 angelfish
3 dalmatian sailfin mollys
1 cremecicle lyretail molly
1 common pleco
1 gold twin-barred platy
1 red mickey mouse platy
1 bumblebee catfish
1 upside-down catfish
2 sliver dollars
2 african dwarf frogs


all seem to be getting along well and thriving. i have no idea what killed my bichir. no evidence of any type of ich or disease of any sort. i have a tank heater and it's set around 75*F. anyway, this isn't really about the dead fish but as to what suggestions for other fish i could add. all fish, including the pleco, are less than 4" currently.

 

[jester4666]

well the roster has changed a little bit. seems my ammonia was too high and i guess, that killed my pleco. i'm on my 2nd rainbow shark since the first one jumped out of the tank one night. i've also added another angelfish.

sorry for blurry pics, my phone doesn't seem to do well with water.

 

[fishnovice]

URGENT Sorry to bring bad news.You need to act fast to save your fish,
Sounds like you tank has not been properly cycled and you are experiencing a "fish in" cycle-that's why all your fish are dying. You should
1.REDUCE the number of fish in there not keep adding more fish as it's likely your filter can't cope with the existing bioload.Can you take the latest additions back to the fish shop and ask them to keep them for a month or until the tank is fully cycled? Or sell them?
2. You need to test for ammmonia and nitrite and do big waterchanges 50%+ EVERY day till the levels of both are 0-0.25
3. Read the fish in cycling advice posted in My First Tank section

Fish in cycle is a hassle because of the frequent big water changes but it can and does work if you do it properly. I did it when I started and my first fish are still alive after almost 3 years

 

[jester4666]

i only lost the 2 in tank and 1 that jumped out. everyone else is just fine. i got my ammonia level under control. got a happy little community again.

 

[adzilla88]

I would also think about rehoming/taking back the Common Plec as they will quickly grow massive and your tank will be far too small for one. If you wait until it grows, some LFS may refuse to take them back due to the difficulty of reselling them once they are so big. They're also "poo" machines which ultimately will be adding to the high ammonia readings your experiencing.


Sorry.

 

[Proxo]

I would also think about rehoming/taking back the Common Plec as they will quickly grow massive and your tank will be far too small for one. If you wait until it grows, some LFS may refuse to take them back due to the difficulty of reselling them once they are so big. They're also "poo" machines which ultimately will be adding to the high ammonia readings your experiencing.


Sorry.

I've got a common plec in a 55g and it hasnt grown that quick (yet), i've had it for about 2year now too .
I agree with the LFS refusing to take them back when they're big though & the poo machines bit

 

[jester4666]

well, the pleco is no longer an issue. it was one of the 2 fish that died.

 

[karin]

Hi Jester.

Sounds like you have the ammonia and nitrite under control? Alot of folks here, including myself, will encourage you to always test your own water with a good liquid test kit. Anytime there are issues the first thing to consider is the water condition. I always like to think we are water managers first and fish keepers second. So if you are not testing your own water the first thing is to get the kit and get set up to do so.

Fish death. It happens. Sorry but it just does. So if you are sure your water is okay, and that there are no diseases (carefully observing for a week or two) then you can think about your stocking.

I would consider 1 or 2 bristlenose plecos. They max about 5-6 inches so are much better suited to a 55 gallon. That will help with clean up. The other thing you seem to be missing is a large school of small fish. 10 Rummynose tetras, cardinal tetras, or harlequin raspora? You could also do a pair of bolivian rams or apistogramma cichlids for bottom dwellers.

Just some thoughts.

 

[jester4666]

i've looked at rasporas, but still haven't made a decision on them. probably just gonna leave things as they are for a little while.