First Post questions with a 5g Tank.

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Jan 9, 2007
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Well this is my first post here, just been reading up on the forums; love the help here. :)

I recently ran into something odd and have been trying to figure it out. Wondering if anyone could help or has any ideas.

My 5g Tank currently has:
1 Red Minor Serpae Tetra (for 2 years)
2 Red Minor Serpae Tetra (1 year)

I recently added a False Julii Cory cat on Sunday (1/7/06)
The cat handled the transport pretty well, swam around. On the next day he didn't move around so much and the third found a hiding spot under the tree stump in the tank. Still swam around and ate food.
He swam a couple times upside down but not so often. This morning the 5th day I found him dead on his side. No markings, no fin damage, no discoloring on the underbelly. Really didn't look dead.. but he was :(

The other fish are fine of course, so I began to wonder. Maybe he could have died from OTS?
So I ran over and bought a new test kit.

here is the readings

pH - 6.8
hardness - 120
alkalinity - 80
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 20

they were out of the ammonia strips and so was I :(.

Any Ideas? maybe the tank seemed OS? I plan on expanding within the year.
 
I reccomend doing away with the test strips and purchasing an aquarium pharmaceuticals master freshwater test kit. Test strips are notoriously inaccurate with there readings.

How often do you do general tank maintenance, such as water changes? If your nitrate reading is anywhere close to correct, unless your tank is planted, I would say that you do not have OTS.

If the water parameters from the place of purchase were greatly different than yours, and the acclimation process wasnt slow enough, this could be why the fish died. Also among the possibilities..you had a water paramater spike. How big was the fish that you added? Keep your eye on your other fish, could have been a disease or parasite..

HTH,
Blue
 
The Three Red Minors are full grown about 2.5 inches.

The Cory was very small just about 1inch if not a little smaller.
Tank is currently not planted, water changes about 10% every week.

I did have a Cory before that was larger and older. He eventually died off to what I'm sure was old age. Haven't had a Cory in the tank for about a year.

Thanks! I'll keep a eye out for anything he might have brought into the tank.
 
Hi,

Cories need to be kept in groups, and I heard that they sometimes die if they're lonely.

I would suggest not getting anymore Cories because a five gallon is too small for them.

Happy fish keeping and good luck!

Cory Lover
 
I would suggest returning the cory. corys need shoals and your tank is almost (if not a little) overstocked already.
 
fishcatch22 said:
I would suggest returning the cory. corys need shoals and your tank is almost (if not a little) overstocked already.
Click to expand...

Ummm... *points up* If you would've read just a liiiiiittle bit further, you'd see that the fish died after 5 days. And unless this person's LFS is particularly lenient, I doubt he could get a refund for his sadly deceased lil cory.

Always good ta read before ya post... >.>
 
Kyohti said:
Ummm... *points up* If you would've read just a liiiiiittle bit further, you'd see that the fish died after 5 days. And unless this person's LFS is particularly lenient, I doubt he could get a refund for his sadly deceased lil cory.

Always good ta read before ya post... >.>
Click to expand...
I read before I post.

I did have a Cory before that was larger and older. He eventually died off to what I'm sure was old age. Haven't had a Cory in the tank for about a year.
Click to expand...

as you can see, he was reffering to a cory he had in the past. this is a new cory he just added.
 
I recently added a False Julii Cory cat on Sunday (1/7/06)
The cat handled the transport pretty well, swam around. On the next day he didn't move around so much and the third found a hiding spot under the tree stump in the tank. Still swam around and ate food.
He swam a couple times upside down but not so often. This morning the 5th day I found him dead on his side. No markings, no fin damage, no discoloring on the underbelly. Really didn't look dead.. but he was :(

Later Post: I did have a Cory before that was larger and older. He eventually died off to what I'm sure was old age. Haven't had a Cory in the tank for about a year.
Click to expand...

I'm really not trying to make a scene of this or anything... because Lord knows I've done the same thing myself... ^_^;;

I'll drop it.
 
BTW, if your LFS doesnt have a guatantee that is not at least 2 weeks, it sint advised to shop there because they are sending a message that they do not have very much faith in their fish lasting. some stores have a 24 hour guarantee, but after 24 hours a fish is not overcome its stress yet, and it could still die.

your tank was pretty much stocked with 3 minor tetras. adding a corydoras made your tank OS, and they like to be in groups, which would OS your tank even more. i think you should return the corydoras and leave the tank with only the minors and perhaps a snail.
 
Thanks Jm, thats what I thought. the Fish Came from Petsmart.

Link to the what the tank looks like:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=738402#post738402

They are full grown fish. Any ideas for any other fish I can fit in this tank. I'm looking for a bottom feeder. Something to eat up the food these fish don't eat. I've started feeding them very little as they only want to eat the food after it hits the bottom, and using a vac to get the left over.

Tank1.jpg


CloseUp.jpg
 
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