What am I doing wrong??

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amysangels2

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Nov 27, 2011
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I really need some advice/input. I have 2 29g tanks that have been established since July of this year. I currently have 8 neon tetra's, 6 cories, and a dwarf gourami in one and 5 and 1/2 mollies (one baby survived) in the other. I've tried repeatedly to keep angels in both tanks, and every single one of them have died except one, which I've only had for a week. Granted, all of them were the size of a nickel when I bought them, so I wonder if that is the problem. I was able to keep 2 alive for about 8 weeks, then they mysteriously died too. My parameters are fine: ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 10-20, ph is 7.6 to 7.4. I haven't lost any other fish, just my angels. None of them displayed any symptoms of illness at all. :confused: I've heard it's difficult to keep babies alive, is this true?
 

BettaFishMommy

finkids make me happy :-)
Mar 17, 2008
5,354
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Deadmonton, lol, Canada
Real Name
Sherry N.
have all these angels come from the same place? if so, i would suspect weak stock as the reason they aren't making it.

mind you, that wouldn't account for the ones that made it the 8 weeks, IMO. usually weak fish don't last that long.
 

amysangels2

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Nov 27, 2011
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I got them all from Petsmart. Unfortunately I don't have the privilage of a nearby privately owned fish store, and I have to travel at least 40 miles to get to the big box pet stores.

The last one I lost could have been the result of an ammonia spike from adding the mollies. That tank is in my classroom and we were on Thanksgiving break for 5 days. When I returned to school I tested and there was a trace of ammonia, and my angelfish was dead. I didn't know that mollies would add too much to my bioload. All of the mollies survived, even the tiny baby. I was heartbroken about my angel. I still have the little one in my home tank. I wonder if I have too much current. Don't they require calm, still water? I have an Aquaclear 70 and a marineland penguin 50 running. There is a lot of current at the front of the tank, but there are calm spots too. Also, could my ph be too high? I do weekly water changes, and I test frequently using the API master kit. I just can't figure it out.
 

BettaFishMommy

finkids make me happy :-)
Mar 17, 2008
5,354
2
62
Deadmonton, lol, Canada
Real Name
Sherry N.
i very rarely trust fish from any big box store to be healthy. always good to quarantine all new fish for at least a month before adding them to your main tank, to avoid disease and parasites from infecting everything in your main tank.

mollies are pigs! lol. so IMO they add a good bit to the bioload of a tank. but that trace of ammonia was most likely from the dead angel decomposing. what was the time frame between adding the mollies and finding the angel dead?

as for filter current, i've had two angels do just fine when i first got them, in a 20 gallon with a rena xp2 canister on it. i was using the spray bar, so that did cut down on filter flow a bit, but the tank only had a couple small calm areas which i rarely saw the angels swimming in. both these angels were quite small, but were a bit bigger than nickel size when i got them.

your ph is just fine. if the fish were bought locally at a big box store then they were most likely in water very much the same as your tank (if you don't do anything to buffer or adjust the water in your tanks), as big box stores don't take a whole lot of time or effort to make changes to the water to soften or harden it any. my ph is 7.8/7.9 constantly out of the tap, and for some reason doesn't change at all in my tanks. my two angels were thriving, grew huge, and were full of attitude, lol.

perhaps set up a separate quarantine tank at home, a 10 or 20 gallon would work, and grow out an angel in there until they are a bit bigger and hardier, then move them to the school tank? IMO a 29 gallon tank is just big enough for one angel to be a centrepiece if the rest of the stocking is light.
 

amysangels2

AC Members
Nov 27, 2011
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i very rarely trust fish from any big box store to be healthy. always good to quarantine all new fish for at least a month before adding them to your main tank, to avoid disease and parasites from infecting everything in your main tank.

mollies are pigs! lol. so IMO they add a good bit to the bioload of a tank. but that trace of ammonia was most likely from the dead angel decomposing. what was the time frame between adding the mollies and finding the angel dead?

as for filter current, i've had two angels do just fine when i first got them, in a 20 gallon with a rena xp2 canister on it. i was using the spray bar, so that did cut down on filter flow a bit, but the tank only had a couple small calm areas which i rarely saw the angels swimming in. both these angels were quite small, but were a bit bigger than nickel size when i got them.

your ph is just fine. if the fish were bought locally at a big box store then they were most likely in water very much the same as your tank (if you don't do anything to buffer or adjust the water in your tanks), as big box stores don't take a whole lot of time or effort to make changes to the water to soften or harden it any. my ph is 7.8/7.9 constantly out of the tap, and for some reason doesn't change at all in my tanks. my two angels were thriving, grew huge, and were full of attitude, lol.

perhaps set up a separate quarantine tank at home, a 10 or 20 gallon would work, and grow out an angel in there until they are a bit bigger and hardier, then move them to the school tank? IMO a 29 gallon tank is just big enough for one angel to be a centrepiece if the rest of the stocking is light.
I've been planning on getting a 10g anyway. What did you feed your little ones?

I didn't think that 2 angels would be comfy in a 29g, but I have a 75g in my future!:dance: I'm sooo addicted.
Thank you for responding.
 

BettaFishMommy

finkids make me happy :-)
Mar 17, 2008
5,354
2
62
Deadmonton, lol, Canada
Real Name
Sherry N.
my angels ate whatever i was feeding the tank - flake, pellets, frozen, etc. my larger of the two angels would pick bits of market shrimp from my fingers when i offered :)

whenever i have juvenile fish, i always feed twice a day until they are close to 2/3 their adult size.
 

finsNfur

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May 29, 2008
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Connecticut
The last one I lost could have been the result of an ammonia spike from adding the mollies. That tank is in my classroom and we were on Thanksgiving break for 5 days. When I returned to school I tested and there was a trace of ammonia, and my angelfish was dead.
How often are you feeding your fish? Young angels need to be fed more than the average tropical fish. I've seen some people say as often as 4-5 times a day, although I've always fed mine twice a day from when they were both babies and adults. I do feed generously though, and watch to be sure the angel is getting food. Also, angels are slow-moving, and other fish could be eating the food before they get a chance to eat much. But you did say you were on a 5 day break, if your young angelfish went 5 days without eating it might have starved.
 

stephcps

AC Members
Jun 2, 2009
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Agree with fins...I was gonna ask the same questions. The smaller the fish, the more time consuming and sometimes difficult to raise. I feed my baby angels at least 3 times a day. What this also means is more water changes as well. Try to find at least quarter size. I think you would have more luck.
 

amysangels2

AC Members
Nov 27, 2011
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OMG!! I can't believe I could have starved my baby angel! I've always heard that fish can easily go for a couple of days without food, I had my principal to feed the fish on Thursday, so they went 3 days without food. I never considered that the baby would need more feedings:duh:. Wow, I feel really ignorant right now. I've only fed flakes up until last week. I bought freeze dried blood worms the other day and started offering them every other day. I also give my cories bottom feeder wafers, and the angel always has some of that. He stays near the front and top of the tank when I open the lid, so I can easily offer him food without overfeeding the others. Thanks so much for the advice. Hopefully this angel will make it. I will get the other foods betta suggested.
 
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