Not Sure If Anything Is Going On...

[a_w_jr]

Hi everybody,

We've had our 100 gal. tank running for 6 months now and everything was going smoothly. One of our Balloon Mollies died and the other went soon after, so vacuumed the bottom and did a 1/3 water change (which took forever) Suddenly i've just started noticing the Fish Poop floating along the top of the tank. One of Micky Mouse fish has a ulcer looking thing on the side of its body.(this may be due to a run in the my pleco, he devoured a very large catfish without a trace, i didn't see this happen, but no one else could be big enough to have taken him down). Is it possible the stirring up the bottom and the water change could have activated something dormant, like ich, i'm still new please forgive me.

We feed them flakes and cucumbers from time to time any suggestions would help me, I want to replace the 2 mollys, 2 guppies, and one catfish that have died, but not put them in a tainted tank. The water reading prior to water change were all within recommended parameters... Sorry for being so long, but i'm trying to be as detailed as possible

Thanks again..

Allan

 

[a_w_jr]

Ok, Just noticed the other platy has a ulcer looking thing by its face. its a big red hole eating away at them...please help

 

[WILDER]

Need to no how many fish and which kind are in there, plus water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate, and ph, ulcer are a bacterial infection, any chance of issolating the sick fish.

http/www.fbas.co.uk/Ulcers.html

 

[a_w_jr]

My PH is almost off the chart meaning my water is too acidic and the Nirate is at 100 way too high. My water was so good before the water change....grrr.

2 plecs
2 platys
1 guppy
2 catfish
5 neons
3 tetras
1 columbian

I'm off to work, I should be back in about 12 hours...thanks....that ulcers link is very helpful.

Do you think that the acididy of the water could have triggered this ulcer?

 

[Waterloo Kid]

I don't want to sound negative but you're doing things wrong.
If you have a nirate reading of over 100 then you are not performing your required maintenance. Either that or you have very high tapwater levels. Test it to find out.
The acidity factor will affect some of your fish. You are keeping fish together that come from completely different waters. The tetras and plecs etc will thrive in water with a pH of about 6-7 while the platies and guppies prefer higher pH levels.
You have to do something about those nitrates. Water changes are the key. Replacing about 20% of the water a week (2 weeks at most) should sort this. Your fish are being poisoned by the nitrate and as such are being weakened to the point where infections are more easily able to get at the fish.
The best thing you can do for your fish now is to get cleaver! Read the pinned topics at the top of some of these forums such as the ones in the beginner's forum. Here's a link to the useful one

Useful Link

Once you've decided what you are doing wrong then start adjusting things slowly. A sudden change can cause a fish that's just about hanging on to go into shock and die. in fact, that's what might have happened to your fish this time.

Anyway, hope that's helped. Keep things in perspective and things will quickly come right.

WK

 

[WILDER]

Yes bad water quality can cause ulcers, how often do you maintain the gravel.

 

[Saedcantas]

Floating, stringy or white poo is a good sign of internal bacterial infection, again this is encouraged by the poor water conditions which also cause Ulcers.

 

[a_w_jr]

Your all right about me screwing things up. So here's what i found out replacing 1/3 of a 100 gal tank too much and plus i've vacuumed too well so now the tank in essence is currently recycling. The acididy pretty much has brought the brunt of my problems.

So now onto repairing the beast. Thanks all for your help, i'll keep you posted when all is back to normal



Allan

 

[WILDER]

Good luck.