Welcome To The Jungle...

[Ny82]

Ok that's one of the platinum tetras dead. Again very washed out/white looking and swimming upside down

 

[Ps3Steveo]

How mature is your filter?

 

[Ny82]

The old filter from the old tank is now about 10/11 weeks old. I'm running that in this new tank along with the new filter which is about 2 weeks old and is 3/4 brown and I added the controversial bottled bacteria for a week.
When I first joined the forum, I had the tank a week and added platys at the advice of p@h obviously I didn't know about cycling etc and was told by forum members I was in a "fish in" cycle.
When I put the old filter into this tank and started it up and stuff then added the new filter and then added the fish I din't have any problems with ammonia until I added more fish. The little platinum tetra didn't have any red gills or any marks on the body just the belly was white instead of the silvery colour they are. It was eating fine this morning. Just so weird. Could it have been the ammonia from the past 2 days?
Edit- I am thinking of changing this new filter anyway it does this chugging thing and sometimes stops for a split second then starts again, I thought it was maybe the sand getting clogged up so I took a pair of tights, chopped a bit off, secured it round the filter and it started working properly and more powerful but it's chugging again. I seen the fluval u2 that everyone is making a fuss about so I might upgrade to that. Pets at home have it for £30. I will have a look online and see how much they go for.

 

[FishFanatic04]

The tank is so lovely with all the plants. I hope you find out whats happening with your fish so you can start to enjoy your lovely tank.

Sorry for not offering advice, I'm pretty new... Just wanted to let you know I love what you've done!

 

[Ny82]

The tank is so lovely with all the plants. I hope you find out whats happening with your fish so you can start to enjoy your lovely tank.

Sorry for not offering advice, I'm pretty new... Just wanted to let you know I love what you've done!

Thankyou. Aww it's ok. It's just so frustrating. I hope it's not the tetra disease being passed around. I'll have none left

Is that fighter in your avatar yours? It's gorgeous!

 

[FishFanatic04]

Yup Balue the crowntail. He's a mean one too, flares and seethes anytime I'm near the tank...Flips his fins all open like that to show off.

I keep reading posts like this where ppl's fish are dying off with no apparent cause. It's so nerve wracking! And scary as I've only had 5 fish so far, my platies and the betta. I'm scared for when I really start stocking.

I really hope you figure this out! Keep us updated ok?

 

[Ny82]

Yup Balue the crowntail. He's a mean one too, flares and seethes anytime I'm near the tank...Flips his fins all open like that to show off.

I keep reading posts like this where ppl's fish are dying off with no apparent cause. It's so nerve wracking! And scary as I've only had 5 fish so far, my platies and the betta. I'm scared for when I really start stocking.

I really hope you figure this out! Keep us updated ok?

awww! He's such a beautiful colour I love them. Seen some stunning ones on the betta boys website. Platys seem to be quite hardy. When I first got the old tank I had platys and even though I didn't cycle the tank, they adapted to it and were fine. The female got pregnant and my friend took them off me. I just pick the wrong fish. I went for guppies cus they were so pretty but apparently inbreeding has made them quite fragile now these tetras which are prone to tetra disease. The only ones which seem to be immune are cardinals but surprise surprise can't find any around here
The gourami and the corys are fine though I will keep you updated. Hope I don't lose anymore.

 

[Ny82]

This morning my friend took my male gold gourami. It was so heartbreaking but he was swimming up and down the tank walls and had started to get aggressive towards everything that came near him. I think he was stressed because the tank was too small for him even though I didn't want to believe it as he was just beautiful. I only noticed last night he was eating a leaf and a danio came by and he shot after it. Even though the danios are fast he caught them a few times. They have nips out their long tails. The tetra that was chased is still under the filter. I don't know if this was maybe causing it? My friend has a fancy fluval corner unit and he also has a few smaller tanks he had offered to put my tetras in, in case it was a disease wiping them out. No more have died though

I went to dobbies this afternoon, I was feeling really bad about the gourami and had a look at the livebearers and saw a tank with hi fin platys. Platys were the first ever fish I put into the old tank back in november and even though I had no heater (they were variatus, temperate platys) and I didn't know anything about cycling, and the ammonia was dark green-they survived. They are hardy so I was looking and from behind the anubias came a female, pale blue/slate grey with a mickey mouse pattern on the tail and yellow fins. I hadn't seen any that colour before so I got her and I also got a male he is dark red and his dorsal fin is very long and flowy. They are still floating in the bag, every half hour I add more water from my tank. It's been 2 and a half hours so I will release them

 

[FishFanatic04]

I love Platys. I know a lot of people aren't as fond of livebearers but I like them {I haven't had 100 fry in my tank yet though} My Platys come up to the glass anytime I walk by. Your new one sounds pretty, Take a pic soon? Sorry about your Gourami, what a bully!

 

[Ny82]

Thanks, it's not his fault, it's my fault for putting him into an unsuitable tank. My friend lives about an hour away from me so I can go see him whenever really. The reason I didn't like platys was because I found them quite plain - no offence to anyone who has them. I am learning the hard way that the fanciest fish isn't always the best. What a find though at the garden centre, I haven't seen a platy that colour before
I have never had luck with livebearers apart from the very first pair I had. My guppys I was convinced were gay. They didn't go near the females
These 2 platy are loving the plants and are exploring the surroundings. I have noticed on the males big dorsal fin it's a little shredded - maybe in a fight with other males? He was the one with the female that's why I took the 2 of them. The females dorsal fin was yellow but it's now red. The males quite stressed at the moment, I put the stress coat+ in when I added them he is hiding behind the plants. The tank lights are off so just let them settle in
and typical-I go away from the tank-they come out

Here are some teasers. Not very good but get better ones tomorrow once they are settled.

The male

The female

 

[FishFanatic04]

They are gonna love it in there. We def want a bunch of the fancier fish too. Angelfish and Gouramis and others...Platys are helping me learn a lot first. Hope I'm ready when we get the others.

Are you planning to get more tetras?

 

[Ny82]

I will get gouramis again when I move and have space for a bigger tank I am put off tetras but I noticed at dobbies today they have cardinals for £1.99 each so I might consider a group of them - I read they are the only ones immune to tetra disease.
I will leave it a while until I know these ones are fine
The female platy is so pretty. She now has a neon blue sheen to her

 

[Ny82]

I thought i'd better check the water since the ammonia spiked when I added the tetras but...

i'm so relieved! I would have put the PH up for the hat trick but I can't find that test. I also seem to have one testing tube between 3 tests
I usually do my water changes every sunday. Do I still do one on sunday even though I did one sunday, tues and wed? I can't remember if I did one yesterday or not

 

[Ny82]

Ok so I know I should have stayed away from guppies as they are so fragile but I bought a male and 2 female and the female was pregnant and the next day her and the male died and the last remaining female died too. I was so distraught and angry. That's it no more guppies. Water checked out fine. Went back to pets at home today for "replacement" fish. That's when I saw a stunning green and pink fighter with no tail, motionless in the tank with another male. I couldn't believe how stupid they were. The manager who I had spoke to on the phone was walking around with me helping me pick. She removed that one.
I then saw another one-in the cold water section, no heater in a tank with-rosy barbs
He was looking scraggly too. Again up the top of the tank motionless. I had to have him I felt so sorry for him. I feared the worst as she went to get the net and thought he was dead.
She put the net in and no movement still. She put him in the bag and had to double check he was still alive. He moved-I was so relieved. I couldn't believe it. She was banging on about how you can keep them with no heater. I was like yeah he looked totally happy in there fins clamped shut, tail and fins what were left all droopy. What a shame.
I brought him home and acclimatised him and when it was time to go-he was off like a caged animal being set free for the first time. He hasn't stopped swimming around. In and out the plants, up and down, checking the wood out. It's so nice to see
I am going to name him chance. I took the chance to bring him home-it was a gamble with my danios but he swims around doing his own thing and doesn't pay attention to them and they zip about chasing each other ignoring him so it's went well. Plus he got a chance to get out of a situation which wouldn't have ended well for him

What a beauty

On another note the pink plants seem to be rooting well. So are the swords, they are getting quite tall. I will take a pic of the tanks new scape tomorrow once the sandstorm dies down. I also added an airstone which is why I needed to rescape things

 

[Ny82]

Not had an update in a while but had to rescape the tank as I didn't think the cories had enough floor space. Most of the plants are dying/wilted so I will need to get a fertilizer probably as suggested in my other thread. Here is a pic of how it looks now. I'm not completely happy with it but I am leaving it alone for the time being.

Thanks