What's wrong with my tank

[TequilaCollins]

My bala shark was lying on the bottom of the tank upside down and barely breathing. I pulled him out and put him in a bowl of water by himself and added a few drops of stress coat and a few crumbles of fresh water salt.
He may be doing a little better, but it's hard to tell.

Amonia = 1.0 (I know it's high, I'm having difficulties with it)
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0
PH = 7.2
Temp = 80
Harness = ? (Don't have a tester)
46 Gal with undergravel filter and no back filter.
Well circulated.

Tank is about 6 weeks old. I've been adding a few fish every week. Right now 4 mollies, 2 bala sharks (3"), 2 red tails sharks (3"), 1-2 kuli loaches, 1 angel (3"), 2 plecos (4"), 1 pitcus cat, & 2 blue guarmies (4").

I put some "dirty water" from the pet store in the tank when I first set it up. A couple weeks later I added Prime and Stability once.

I've been doing water changes at least once a week. Lately it's been daily.
Every time I do a water change I use Stress Coat and add salt.

2 nights ago I added Clarity by Seachem and it turned my tank amber and did not remove the particulates in the water. I've done 2 water changes since then and about to do another one. Right now it's still a bit cloudy but I think it's from the Clarity.

This morning I added Prime and Stability again.

Since I set this tank up, I've had 3 angels, a mollie, and maybe a kuli loache (missing, but may be hiding) die on me.

What am I doing wrong? I used to run 10, 20, & 30 gal tanks years ago before I knew anything about cycles and always used under gravel filters. The only problem I had back then were diseases like Ick & Cotton mouth.

It appears that I'm not getting the bacteria to develope. Nitrites & Nitrates have always been zero.

Will I have to get a back filter? I know some stores don't like the under gravel filters. I really don't like back filters since they're noisey & messy.

Update: The bala shark is doing better as I've been writing this. I'll keep him in the bowl overnight to help him de-stress. But if I don't find out what's wrong with my tank, my fish will keep dying. HELP

Thanks

 

[laboul]

undoubtedly your tank is still cycling, check the pinned threads and do a 30% water change every day to bring the ammonia down.

 

[keane]

IMHO

.....your tank will carry on cycling until you stop putting fish in your tank or until they die from the ammonia.

Each time you add fish you are increasing the waste load...poos & pees = ammonia

From what I understand of the cycle process, by not cycling properly from the start and by adding all the fish that you have as regularly as every week you are not allowing the ammonia eating bacteria, and therafter nitrite eating bacteria, a chance to build up and establish. It cannot cope with the ammonia overload and so remains at a low level.

Your ammonia will stay at a constant low"ish" level because what nitrite there is in your tank is at least killing off some of it.

Until you allow your ammonia eating bacteria to grow (by cycling with just a few hardier fish, so the poos & pees level (= ammonia don't go overload) your tank will remain uncycled .

Just a random thought on the cycling process!! )

steve 8)

 

[Raechal]

Even if your tank was cycled, it is way overstocked for a 46 gallon. Bala sharks will outgrow your tank in time, so unless you plan on upgrading to a larger tank (something like 100 gallons+) I would take them back to the LFS. I believe they can grow over a foot in length and I've heard stories of them busting tanks that are too small for them. They require a lot of swimming room as they are very active fish. They also should be kept in a larger tank, but I wouldn't add anymore fish to your tank right now.

You should also only keep one red-tailed shark in your tank as two will be too aggressive towards each other and the larger more dominat one will most likely kill the smaller weaker one. I suggest you take one back to the LFS or re-house it. I am not 100% sure of how big these can get, but I think they can get rather large.

What kind of plecos are they? IF they are common plecos, you will also need to re-home them in time. They can grow over 18 inches in length and are quite the poop machines. If you were to get rid of these two, it would help out a lot with your high ammonia problem. Then after your tank cycles, if you want to add another pleco, I would suggest a smaller type like a bristlenose or a bulldog pleco.

Pictus cats also need to be in groups as well, but I wouldn't add anymore fish to your tank as it is right now. They also will eat everything that they can fit in their mouth, like most catfish.

If all of your fish don't die from ammonia poisoning, I would set your tank up something like this, with these fish:

2 angelfish
1 red tailed shark
3 pictus cats
your mollies
your gouramis
your kuhli loaches

And that still is kind of overstocked. I would maybe lose the angels as well.

Hope your fish pull through. All I can say is goodluck and keep up with the daily water changes.

 

[TequilaCollins]

I'll stop adding fish. The LFS said I could add a few each week as that's how long it takes for the tank to catch up with them. It's also a real LFS and not a LPS. They have however just hired someone (suposedly well experienced) to set up the fresh water section. Previously they were only marine.

I know some of them get quite big. I wasn't planning on getting a larger tank. I was planning on reselling them to the LFS when they got big. I like plecos because they clean my tank for me. Although a couple of them that maxed at 4" would be nice.

Now what's a good rule of thumb? I've heard 1" per gal. I've also heard you can double that if the water is well circulated. I'd certainly like to max it out once I get the cycle done.

One more question: Gravel cleaning. I read in the pins that you shouldn't clean it too hard or you'll suck up the bacteria. I read somewhere else that that isn't true that the bacteria cling very tightly to the gravel. Does the majority here lean one way or another, or it is quite mixed?

Thanks for your quick response!

 

[Raechal]

I'll stop adding fish. The LFS said I could add a few each week as that's how long it takes for the tank to catch up with them. It's also a real LFS and not a LPS. They have however just hired someone (suposedly well experienced) to set up the fresh water section. Previously they were only marine.

I know some of them get quite big. I wasn't planning on getting a larger tank. I was planning on reselling them to the LFS when they got big. I like plecos because they clean my tank for me. Although a couple of them that maxed at 4" would be nice.

Now what's a good rule of thumb? I've heard 1" per gal. I've also heard you can double that if the water is well circulated. I'd certainly like to max it out once I get the cycle done.

One more question: Gravel cleaning. I read in the pins that you shouldn't clean it too hard or you'll suck up the bacteria. I read somewhere else that that isn't true that the bacteria cling very tightly to the gravel. Does the majority here lean one way or another, or it is quite mixed?

Thanks for your quick response!

Well for a tank that has a hang-on filter, most of the bacteria is in the filter, but I believe you said you had an underground filter, which would make most of the bacteria in the gravel. I don't know how vaccuuming the gravel would disturb that. Hope someone can come along to help you out.

The 1 inch per gallon rule is usually used for smaller community fish, like mollies, platies, guppies, neons etc. Like it would make sense to put 5 2" fish in a 10 gallon, rather than a 10 inch cichlid in a 10 gallon. The same amount of inches per gallon, but one fish is extremely larger than the rest and would need more room than just a 10 gallon to survive in.

If you have a cycled tank, have great filtration, and keep up with water changes then I guess you could overstock the tank a little, but I never overstock any of my tanks, even if I have great filtration. With the exception of my 2 goldfish in a 10 gallon which will be moved into a 29 or 55 gallon soon.

If you don't plan on upgrading to a larger tank, I seriously suggest to take back the fish that will get too big. You should make sure your LFS will 100% buy your fish when they are larger, or atleast take them in. Some LFS don't like taking in larger fish as they don't have anywhere to house them. IMO it would be easier to get rid of them when they were smaller.

You should look at a bulldog plec or a bristlenose plec. They will clean the tank nicely and I think they get about 5-6 inches max.

 

[rrdrummer5]

I would say if you can throw a bio-wheel 330 at least in there it should be fine. UGF's arent really the greatest and I havent used one since my very first tank when I was a kid. I know you dont like back filters but just get a bio-wheel that is recommended for double your tank size. So get one that is rated for up to 80 gallons and ull be set. But, since you have the UGF in there already dont bother taking it out as it wont hurt anything staying in there. With a biowheel your water quality will be much more consistent.

I would also definately stop adding fish as you are definately over your limit, especially with having only a UGF.

For your ammonia problem, I would go get Ammo-Lock from your LFS. That product will change the ammonia into a non toxic form but without actually removing it. You still need to do 15% water changes every couple of days until the ammonia is gone to catch up.

Hope that helps.