More Dead, Does It Ever Stop?

[kidjatt]

Tank size: 60 x 18 x 15 80 gallon
pH: 7.0
ammonia: 0.6
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 10
kH:
gH:
tank temp: 26

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): Some of the fish are hiding, changed the layout of tank yesterday after water change.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 75lt weekly

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank:

Tank inhabitants: 1 Rtbs, 1 blue lobster, 3 tiger barbs, 2 moillies, 2 angels, 2 sucking loach, 2 common plec, 1 silver garfish, 2 golden danio's

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):

Exposure to chemicals: have builders working at home, or did have last week, alot of dust about, but the tank was sealed/ covered. There is alot of banging going on and alot of drill usage, not directly by the tank, but an hammer drill can be felt and heard from most rooms in the house.

Fish that have died in last few days, 1 Silver shark, 1 angel fish, 2 Tiger barb (green barb had lost its colouration) 2 golden danios. Today, after the water change lst night, found 1 Guorami, 1 green tiger barb and just now the bigger gourami it had been swimming towards the top of the tank and generally lathagic

 

[-germ-]

First thing in my mind would be hypoxia (lack of oxygen) does your filter disturb your waters surface?
I would have thought however your tank is a little large for that....
Do you dose CO2 for plants?
Edited to add; is it cycled? you shouldn't have any ammonia at all if it is, when was the tank set-up?

 

[Lynda B]

How old is your tank? I'm surprised you have an ammonia reading.

Ahhhhh Germ, great minds think alike.....

 

[-germ-]

Very great minds

 

[kidjatt]

its been set up for 2 months, yes it is cycled, maybe i read it wrong, im late for work so did a quick test, the water may have been clear, didnt have lenses in. Also i have no living plants in there. Ive got a air pump thats got 2 outlets, i have a bubble wall and 2 round air stones(using a t piece).

 

[-germ-]

You need to re-check the ammonia, if there is some present then for some reason you are undergoing a mini cycle, have you added any of the fish recently?

 

[kidjatt]

just did the test again, yep its clear so its a 0. I tested one tube and then filled the other tube with tank water, just to see if the colour was clear and that my eyes were not playing tricks.

last addition was a silver garfish 2 and a 1/2 weeks ago

 

[-germ-]

How bigs the gar? Aren't they fish eaters?

 

[Lynda B]

Gars are, indeed, carnivores. They will eat fish, crayfish, crabs, insects and frogs.

Compatibility:
Gar/Pike is best kept in a group of three or more Gar/Pike. They can be kept with most fish that are too big for a Gar/Pike to swallow. Good TankMates for Gar/Pike: Archer Fish, Monos, Puffers, White Tip Shark Cats, and the Fan Dancer Goby.

Gar/Pike Species: Key Points, Tips & Tricks - Gar/Pike Q/A

Most Gar are a slender piscivorous fish that stalks and eats small fish about the size of a guppy.
Gar can be feed your usual Feeder prey, Goldfish and such, Goldfish though should never be the only thing fed.
Gar need a lot of room to move, I would not recommend keeping them in anything under a 50 gallon tank.
Gar are more or less an ambush predators, they do stalk their prey.
Gar Prefer that their food comes to them, they can be lightning fast in the presence of food if hungry though, they are NOT aggressive fish at all.

Gar/Pike Species: DO'S - Gar/Pike Q/A

Of all gar that are available only the Spotted, Florida, and Shortnose should be considered for aquarium care, Longnosed gar grow entirely to large for the average hobbyist

Gar/Pike Species: DONT'S - Gar/Pike Q/A

Gars are very sensitive to most medications and should never be given any in a full dose.
Avoid keeping Gars with any type of Pleco as they will suck on the sides of the fish and cause all sorts of infections.

 

[kidjatt]

B)-->QUOTE(Lynda B @ Jul 9 2007, 06:52 PM) [snapback]1684743[/snapback]
Gars are, indeed, carnivores. They will eat fish, crayfish, crabs, insects and frogs.

Compatibility:
Gar/Pike is best kept in a group of three or more Gar/Pike. They can be kept with most fish that are too big for a Gar/Pike to swallow. Good TankMates for Gar/Pike: Archer Fish, Monos, Puffers, White Tip Shark Cats, and the Fan Dancer Goby.

Gar/Pike Species: Key Points, Tips & Tricks - Gar/Pike Q/A

Most Gar are a slender piscivorous fish that stalks and eats small fish about the size of a guppy.
Gar can be feed your usual Feeder prey, Goldfish and such, Goldfish though should never be the only thing fed.
Gar need a lot of room to move, I would not recommend keeping them in anything under a 50 gallon tank.
Gar are more or less an ambush predators, they do stalk their prey.
Gar Prefer that their food comes to them, they can be lightning fast in the presence of food if hungry though, they are NOT aggressive fish at all.

Gar/Pike Species: DO'S - Gar/Pike Q/A

Of all gar that are available only the Spotted, Florida, and Shortnose should be considered for aquarium care, Longnosed gar grow entirely to large for the average hobbyist

Gar/Pike Species: DONT'S - Gar/Pike Q/A

Gars are very sensitive to most medications and should never be given any in a full dose.
Avoid keeping Gars with any type of Pleco as they will suck on the sides of the fish and cause all sorts of infections.[/quote]

the fish isnt that big, maybe 3 1/2" or so, i doubt that has eaten any fish

 

[vinylman]

Apologies in advance for two blindingly obvious questions:
Do you remember to use a dechlorinator at every water change ?

Has something died in the tank that you've missed - that could account for the ammonia reading.

 

[Lynda B]

the fish isnt that big, maybe 3 1/2" or so, i doubt that has eaten any fish

Well..... knowing what you know now, and perhaps you knew of its personality and requirements before, are you still planning on keeping it with all of the remaining fish? They will all become feeder fish for your gar.

And, sometimes, size just doesn't matter. Aggression is aggression. Carnivores are carnivores. It doesn't mean that the gar hasn't been attacking your fish and weakening them, even if it isn't yet of a size to swallow them whole.

 

[kidjatt]

yeh i think so, some golden danio's, well i had 4, 2 left and i didnt remove them, but i did have a major kinda incident when i was removing half eaten/rotten fish out of the water.

Found the RTBS dead today, was whitish in colour, also found a tiger barb and golden danio dead. Ive removed the blue lobster to another tank, along with a common plec and my 2 angels. Will they be ok with the red siamese fighting fish?

Yep i do add dechlorinator aswell as cycle.

 

[Lynda B]

Do not put angels in a tank with bettas (siamese fighting). The bettas will tear their fins off.

 

[kidjatt]

B)-->QUOTE(Lynda B @ Jul 10 2007, 10:35 AM) [snapback]1685487[/snapback]

the fish isnt that big, maybe 3 1/2" or so, i doubt that has eaten any fish

Well..... knowing what you know now, and perhaps you knew of its personality and requirements before, are you still planning on keeping it with all of the remaining fish? They will all become feeder fish for your gar.

And, sometimes, size just doesn't matter. Aggression is aggression. Carnivores are carnivores. It doesn't mean that the gar hasn't been attacking your fish and weakening them, even if it isn't yet of a size to swallow them whole.
[/quote]

Yeh i am planning on keeping him, hopefully if he survives, at this rate i dont think i will have any fish left!!!! Also always good to know size doesnt matter lol