i have 2 tanks a 40 gal and a 55 gal. my 40 gal is great but my 55 seems to be crap because when it was first set up it was cycled and water stats were always great BUT out of 6 fish only 1 survive what seemed to start out as ich but then later around time of death they looked like they were losing their slime coat and becoming much more aggressive with one another until they were unable to move and died. so i tore down the tank washed everything with cold water and bought new substrate the tank is used but was a successful fish tank. i have no idea what the problem is the only thing i can think of is that the filter may be too loud because it even keeps me up at night but they do not act crazy until just before they die. pls help i love my fish and dont want to lose anymore..
major tank issues
- Thread starter Dtonk
- Start date
the fish tht died were 2 tinfoil barbs, (3" each before everyone loses their minds and in process of cycling 110 gal for my fish tht are big) a columbian shark, a red pacu, a clown loach, and a pleco all died of the same symptoms the tank cycled for a week with a established filter from a perfectly clean tank and i do weekly tank maintenance with usually 25% - 30% water changes same day my filter is a penguin bio wheel 350 sorry i didnt add this stuff in the 1st post.
Well basically your overstocked or soon will be. And underfiltered by my standards although I way over filter. How big is the pacu now?
all of those i named are dead. i plan on switching the two filters i have now but im scared the 350 is my problem. btw my other filter is via aqua 750. right now in the 55 are 2 gourami 5 black skirt tetra 2 american flag fish and a pleco some of which are beginning to develop same symptoms as the fish before them. oh ya the survivor of the last group is a 5" green terror who has a grey film over one eye maybe a very minor case of pop eye?
Fish don't care how loud the filter is. I promise. Yes, Penguin Biowheel filters can be loud, but the filter had nothing to do with your fish dieing apart from possibly that it wasn't sufficient for your stocking even along with the other one.
Test your tank water. Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates. Also test your tap water. What water conditioner are you using? Get these test results and post them here please. Use a liquid test kit (like API or Tetra brand) not test strips. The strips are very inaccurate.
How large are the fish in the 40 gallon? How larger were the ones in the 55, apart from the 5" green terror?
After you do the test and post them, do at least a 50% water change on both tanks (if I'm understanding right, both still have fish in them). I suspect the biofilter just isn't well developed enough to keep up with the load.
Need more information before we can help.
Test your tank water. Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates. Also test your tap water. What water conditioner are you using? Get these test results and post them here please. Use a liquid test kit (like API or Tetra brand) not test strips. The strips are very inaccurate.
How large are the fish in the 40 gallon? How larger were the ones in the 55, apart from the 5" green terror?
After you do the test and post them, do at least a 50% water change on both tanks (if I'm understanding right, both still have fish in them). I suspect the biofilter just isn't well developed enough to keep up with the load.
Need more information before we can help.
No, silica doesn't hurt fish. Some people claim it causes diatom blooms. I question if that's the case, even. Regardless, it wouldn't hurt anything.