Bala sharks and Silver dollars looking BAD =(

How long has your tank been set up? (meaning how long have fish been living in it?) what size is it? How many fish and what kinds do you have? THe ammonia is not good to be in there, so I'd do a water change of about 30%. The fact that you have no nitrates leads me to believe that your tank hasn't cycled yet, and is just starting it's ammonia spike. Be prepared for a Nitrite spike and finally some nitrates. Keep up with water changes to minimize these spikes and hopefully keep the fish healthy, but it may be affecting them already. Once the cycle is done, you will have no ammonia, no nitrite and with regular water changes should aim for 20ppm or less nitrate. Oh, and what sort of filtration are you running on your tank? I would reccomend getting some biospira (available in the refridgerator section of good independent LFS), to help speed up the cycle and minimize the spikes as well. Good luck.

Emily

You will probably want to consider a tank larger than a 75 if you want to keep all of those fish. It will be cheaper than having to upgrade every year as they outgrow the tanks!! You're looking at 6 fish that can get over a foot long, and the silver dollars around 6 inches or so. Ideally your amonia and nitrite should always be 0. It sounds like the fish might have either cotton mouth or mouth rot, both can be a sign of poor water conditions, so just keep up on the water changes, until both are at 0

O.k., so you have a slightly overstocked tank, but are aware of it, and are plannign to upgrade. Thats good. I'd go higher than 75g though... (like HOlly said). I'd do a 120 at least, and then add some more clown loaches so they'll be happy. If you could go higher (lke a 225) you could also flesh out the bala and silver dollar schools and have an impressive tank!

Right now, Holly is right that it is likely the water conditions causing the issue (though it is likely some illness brought on by stress). The best thing to do is regular water changes until the readings are better. In fact, it will be ultra important to keep up with water changes on your tank. (Though you do have a good ammountof filtration). I would make sure however that nothing gross (extra food, dead fish) is trapped in the ugf. Often lots of gunk sits down there and causes tank problems. I personally am not fond of UGF's for that reason. THere are some medicines that can treat illnesses, but I don't use them in the main tank (they cause too much problems for the good biobugs). Rather, in ahospital tank is better. Once you upgrade, I'd keep the 29g as a quarrantine/hospital tank. (if you go way big on your tank after the 75g, then I'd do that as a hospital tank, you will have some large fish!). If I'm not using a hospital tank, I will dose with tonic salts (unless you already add them regularly, I only use them regularly, in non-planted tanks, and only in certain live-bearer tanks....none of which I have right now) I also will use melafix (at the reccomended dosage or less), in a regular tank. BUt, first I'd get the water quality back to perfect.

Emily

Newbiefishluvr said:

i wasnt aware that the clown loaches grew to be over a foot, everything i have read says 6 or 7 inches. thats just wonderful (sarcasm) as they are my favorites, as far as those extremely huge tanks you mentioned, i live in a 2nd floor apt. I don't have any difinitive information, but im betting that a 120gal or 225 gal as you suggested will go crasing thru the floor. I was gonna try to push it with a 90 gallon, till i realised that the stores here sell 90 gallon tanks that are only higher rather than longer, and its length that i want, not height.

the tank im thinking of buying
75gallon tank -
http://www.elmersaquarium.com/h109masterkit75gal.htm
or (like i said only 3 inches higher not longer
90gallon tank-
http://www.elmersaquarium.com/h109masterkit90gal.htm

Click to expand...

Yup, clowns get big, but boy are they fun to watch! As for 75 vs. 90, I"d do the 90. While length is generally better than hieight, with the silver dollars, height will be a plus (they grow like a dinner plate). But a 120 is longer than a 90, and wider too, so its weight is spread out over a larger area, and thus would put less strain on the floor... (well the same strain if it's as tall, less if it's shorter...) So, I'd go for it... (If you can). YEah, the 225 would probably be pushing it on the second floor, but then so might a 90g or 75g. Depending on what the rules are for fish, I'd ask the landlord or maintenance person what they thought about the strenght of the floor.

Emily

Yeah, your neighbors below you might not want to have a fish tank yet, especially one that comes crashing through the floor. But you should check with the landlord, I've read some other posts that have said waterbeds are ok, and a tank is somewhat similar, so it might be worth asking. I would just say "what if I bought this size tank", in case you're not supposed to have any at all!!!

Uh-Oh, good luck with that, My friend has the same problem, but hers is a cat she is not supposed to have. Shes screwed when she moves out anyway, the place reaks of cat pee, very unpleasant. Maybe you can argue that angle, at least they don't smell!!!