fish dying, seem sick

[cjnygaard]

History:
I inherited my tank last Dec with 2 goldfish....they got stressed and died of ich in April. I had added anther goldfish and a weather loach, also a snail (non-reproducing). The weather loach and snail were the only survivors. Afterthe meds had been cleared from the tank for about 2 months I got 3 neon tetras, 2 albino catfish, 2 red platys, and 2 ghost glass cats (you can see through them), all added slowly over a month time frame.
Problems:
First off, I have brown stuff growing in my tank. The fish store says I am overfeeding, but I am feeding the fish less than what the directions say, and the devour the food within 2 minutes. I live in a rural area with well water (nothing added) with a high iron content. Some people around me think the brown is from the iron. Could this be the problem?
Second, last week my snail died. I have no clue why. One day it was fine, the next it was laying on the bottom of the tank and on the 3rd day the fish had eaten poor Slowpoke.
Third: Around this time one red platy seemed to have gotten a bit out of him, and he was missing some of one of his gills. He lasted aweek and then died. Then a neon tetra seemed to be a bit "off" and died. Before he started floating the others ate him. The other 2 neon tetras seem a bit "off" now. One seems almost bloated. They and the loach seem to be a little grayish/brownish on the scales (though maybe I am parinoid).
Tonight the loach was hiding (unusualy behavior for him, if he doesn't get fed on time he swims fast, up and down-once he jumped out of the tank, I got a different lid since then-until he sees/feels the lid open and gets his food) and as he was eating the food he took into his mouth came out his gills! I have never seen this happen before and we watch him eat all the time!
Can anyone help me?

[Hurley]

Welcome to the forum!

First: The brown stuff is algae. It is common in new tanks as they cycle.

Second: What were you feeding your snail. They need veggies to supplement their diet bacause they can't live off of algae.

Third: These deaths could be from many different sources. Do you know your water parameters (Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate)? Also, what does your tank maintence schedual look like? How often are you changing the water and vaccuming your gravel? Once we know these things we can better help you out.

If you are buying new fish I suggest setting up a seperate tank for them. This way, if they have any diseases you can treat them in a smaller tank and your other fish will not get sick from them.

[cjnygaard]

The fish store said that the snail would eat the leftover food the fish did not eat and that it did not eat plants, only algea. Already I have a bunh of green stuff growing since it died
I do a partial water change every 1 to 2 weeks depending on my business and how the tank looks. All the test are normal, ph at 7 (I have to add sodium nitrate because our water is a 9) no ammonia. i have a test kit (adding drops, not strips of paper) and I test it before and after a water change. I vaccum the gravel each time I change the water (only a quarter of the tank at a time). Oh, and my tank is 25 gal.

[cjnygaard]

oops, I meant that I do the water change according to how busy I get (forgetfulness)

[WrittenLyric]

Hrmm, transitioning from a coldwater set up to a tropical set up makes me wonder: Did you change the temp on the tank when you began stocking the tropical fish as opposed to the goldfish?

[cjnygaard]

Yes, i bought a heater and have the temp set at about 82

[Hurley]

Water changes every week are good. Are you using any type of water conditioner? Also, what is your nitrate level?


You will discover that fish store employees are not always the best at giving good information. Often they just don't know or they are trying to sell you something. Snails need extra veggies to survive. There have been accounts that snails have starved to death in a completely planted tank because there was no supply of veggies for them to eat.

[cjnygaard]

What type of vegies do you feed a snail? I will go do water tests this morning to recheck levels because I cannot rremember the nitrite or nitrate levels.

[cjnygaard]

Nitrite is below 0.3
ph is at 7.0
ammonia is at 0.0
I do not have a nitrate test. I guess I have to get one tomorrow. Trouble is I live 1 hour from fish store. What do nitrates do?
Oh, on water conditioner:
I use Cycle and Stress Coat. Because I have well water (no chlorine or anything else added) I don't have to get the stuff to take chlorine out. Should I use something else?

[Rbishop]

I would do a water change to get the nitrites at zero.

Nitrates can be harmful at high levels, strive to keep them 20 or below.

No need to use the "Cycle".

[cjnygaard]

The test I use only goes to < 0.3 the next up is 0.3. so I assume that it is almost at 0 but I have no way of checking
What are some good tests to buy (brands) ?

[Rbishop]

I use the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals master liquid test kits. Do not rely on the test strips.

[cjnygaard]

I notice that a lot of you who give the advice have real plants. My tank does not have any real plants and does not look nice at all. It has this really ugly big thing in the center that the ghost glass cats hide in all the time and 2 little ones on each side that the fish don't really go to at all. I am thinking that if no more die and my nitrate levels are fine and they start acting normal again that maybe I should plant some real plants. What would be good to plant?
I just have gravel on the bottom. My surviving fish are as follows:
2 ghost glass cats
1 weather loach
1 red platy
2 neon tetras
2 alino catfish
My tank is a 25 gal. and I was told I could get more neon tetras, platys,a nd maybe another type.
Any advice on whether I should get more fish eventually and what type of real plant life to get? I checked out 20 books from the library and drove the fish store people crazy asking all types of questions when I first got the tank and when the goldfish got ich (we left on vacation and the food that the store people said would be fine for 7 days--a pyramid that disolved slowly and said it would feed a tank of 20 fish for 10 days--for my 4 fish (2 3 inch goldfish, 1 1 inch goldfish, and 1 weather loach, and 1 snail) was not enough. They got stressed, got ich and we came back on a Sat and the store didn't open until Mon, so even though I really tried, they all died, except the snail and the loach.) so I have done a lot of research, but most people and the store people say that real plants are not worth the hassle, but they look so inviting and the fish might like them better. Thanks for your help so far.

[cjnygaard]

Also, how many bottom feeders should I have for a 25 gal?

[cjnygaard]

Stillwondering about loach. When he eats it goes in his mouth an dout his gills. Any ideas on why?