Periodic Passing Away

[Kinky Boots]

I have a tank (one of those BiOrb fellas you may have seen) which holds about 30l. I've had it up and running since the beginning of October, introducing the first fish in mid-November.

I had 5 Phantom Tetra, 6 Neon Tetra and 4 mollies. However, I'm now down to 3 Phantom and 1 Neon, and I'm on to a second lot of mollies.

The fish seem happy and lively, but periodically, one will seem to develop swimbladder problems, and despite medication, eventually dies.

Now, I have never lost more than one at any one time - and the deaths are several weeks apart, so I'm guessing the water is OK. I use the Tetraqua EasyBalance once a week to keep the nasty stuff in check, and feed small amounts twice a day.

So my question is, why do they keep dying??? As I say, the last three Phantoms have been in the tank since November and seem in perfect condition...

Any help would be gratefully received.

Cheers

KB.

 

[Dragonslair]

You say you think the water is OK, have you actually tested the water.
Tetra Easybalance doesn't actually eliminate the ammonia and nitrates. It mere nutriises it to a less harmful substance, the toxins are still there.
Do you have a heater and a central uplift tube that draws the water through a filtration media and returns it back to the tank? If you do check the media regurarly. You have too many fish for the space of a Biorb. It's not the amount of water that dictates the number of fish you can keep. It's the surface area, and even the largest Biorb doesn't have a great surface area. Oxygenators, plants or bubbles increase the SA but still you need to keep a very careful eye on things.
What do you have for substrate and how deep is it?
How much SA have you left at the top?
Do you have any live plants?

 

[thecichlidaddict]

One more question: How often do you perform water changes?

 

[Kinky Boots]

I have a couple of live plants in the tank, and central uplift tube that draws the water through the media and filter. I have about 2cm of media at the bottom - although I have just taken some out as I had more than this and I figured I had too much. I didn't realise the purpose of the media when I put it in - just thought it was for decoration .

I was wondering about the number of fish - but the blurb that comes with the BiOrb shows up to 18 small fish, so I thought I was OK with the number I have. It does seem that as I introduce new ones - I occasionally lose one - so perhaps I've reached a 'critical mass' ??

I also have a heater, with the water at about 78 deg. C, and I don't fill the tank right up - I leave the water level a few inches down from the top so I get a decent surface area.

I must confess though, I don't change the water as regularly as most people I've seen on here. Again, following the instructions with the tank (its all I had to go on at the time), I change about 30% every 4 weeks - which I'm beginning to suspect will draw gasps of disgust from everyone! (and I apologise - thats why I'm using this forum!) Should I be changing it more often, even when using the EasyBalance? The girl in the LFS said I should use it instead of changing the water as its less stressful.........

Also, when I change the water, I jiggle the media around to get the solid waste loose, then just siphon the water out, and then use my net to trawl out the lumps of waste - I guess its worth investing in a decent cleaning / siphoning gadget? Any recommendations?

Thanks

KB.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Easy Balance is certainly not a replacement for water changes. Easy Balance neutralizes harmful elements that build up in the water. Water changes remove these elements completely. Not only that but w/c also replenish the good elements that have been used up. There is no product in the world that can replace water changes. I recommend not wasting your money on that stuff any more, and instead do water changes ever two weeks. Your fish will thank you for it. Water changes are not stressful on the fish. The fresh water does the exact opposite, and they do get used to the routine.

IMO neons are not the best fish for these little tanks, as they can be quite delicate and tempermental. I also found that mollies could be quite aggressive, and 4 sounds like too many as well.

 

[big_fresh]

I leave the water level a few inches down from the top so I get a decent surface area.

Unless your tank is shaped like a pyramid or the sides are more narrow at the top then the bottom, i do not see how surface area is increased by having the water level a few inches below the top of the aquarium.

Surface area is measured by the amount of area that is shared between the water and the air.

I usually try to have as much water in the tank as possible, I use a thermometer suction cap stuck near the top of my tank to guide my "absolute maximum" water level in my tanks which is a level that allows me to plunge both my arms into the tank without it overflowing. Once the water goes over this marker, i stop pouring!

 

[Captain Canuck]

I think this is his tank (picture is from Biorb.com), so he can increase the surface area by lowering the water level. Of course increasing the surface area reduces your water volume though.

 

[big_fresh]

Ah ha! now it makes sense.....That's a pretty tank however, if this is a glass tank, does the shapes inside the tank refract the light alot? e.g. fish look very large or distorted?

 

[Kinky Boots]

Ah ha! now it makes sense.....That's a pretty tank however, if this is a glass tank, does the shapes inside the tank refract the light alot? e.g. fish look very large or distorted?

They do look slightly larger - particularly when they're 'round the back' of the tank so to speak. They don't look huge though - its quite good as you can see them from quite a distance away. I have the tank in my bedroom, and I can watch them whilst I'm sat in bed.

Mrs Boots purchased the tank as a birthday present for me last year - its very good for a beginner, and it looks quite funky as well.

I reckon I'm having problems due to overstocking. Although I lost one a couple of days ago, the others in there are absolutely fine, so rather than rush to replace the ones that have died, I think I'll leave it for a while and see how the others get on.

Cheers

KB.

 

[Big_al_d]

I was wondering about the number of fish - but the blurb that comes with the BiOrb shows up to 18 small fish, so I thought I was OK with the number I have.

I don't fill the tank right up - I leave the water level a few inches down from the top so I get a decent surface area.

I must confess though, I don't change the water as regularly as most people I've seen on here. Again, following the instructions with the tank (its all I had to go on at the time), I change about 30% every 4 weeks -

I have a bi-orb too so have been through the same kind of 'learning curve'.

Mine, too, was a present, and when I first set it up I had no idea of keeping fish! The blurb which comes with it as absoloute cr*p!! (pardon my french).

The LFS I now use refuses to even stock bi-orbs.. not because they are bad tanks, but because the literature which comes with it is so wrong. It tells you that when you set it up, you should wait 24 hours before adding your first fish!!! (like a tank can cycle in that time )

I keep the water level about an inch above the centre tube, as this is the level it is at 30 litres and it provides optimum surface area

Also, it says to use the cleaning kit once every 6-8 weeks!!! Now I know what I do, I perform weekly 20% water changes and use the cleaning kit every 3-4 weeks.

And, yes, it's true, but sad, it claims you can have 18 small fish in there

Having said all that, I love my bi-orb, but have now thrown away the blurb which came with it and follow instructions on keeping a normal trop tank. And if I get stuck, the guys on this here board have been able to answer all my queries

 

[Kinky Boots]

I'm glad someone else agrees that the blurb is garbage! At least I know I didn't imagine it all!!!

So, upshot is I should change the water more frequently, and use the service kit monthly. I'm already on the monthly clean out, so I'm halfway there.

Thanks for all the help and advice - it looks like I might be spending a fair amount of time on here!! As a slight aside, I also use a forum similar to this for one of my other hobbies, and it has proved invaluable over the years. Theres' no substitute for experience!!!

Watch this space - I'm sure I'll be back.

Laters

KB.