my suckerfish keep dieing

P

Petro

Registered Member
Oct 24, 2010
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hi I'm really new to this and for the life of me can't figure out why my sucker fish keep dieing I have had 5 of them die (Hypostomus plecostomus) only one has survived. I bring them home from they all energetic then by the new morning or the day after I find them dead.

I have air hoses i have a a eheim filter I feed my fish 2 times a day with TetraMin fish flakes

other then the sucker I have:
2 angelfish (the longest in the tank and the only fish not from petsmart)
2 shubunkin Goldfish (i believe)
2 koi's

if someone could help me understand i would be really grateful:help:
 
Hi and welcome. What size is your tank? I would go with a smaller pleco, like a bristlenose or a rubberlip, assuming you have the tank capacity for one. What are your water parameters like? How long has the tank been set up?
 
my tank is a 30gl i don't know what the parameters is >_< sorry like i said really new to this i have had my tank about 2-3 months
 
You'll have to give a few more specifics like...How large is the tank...how long it's been set up...do you have a test kit to check for ammonia and nitrates, nitrites and ph. What is the tank temperature? You'll definitely need a heater and if I'm not mistaken, I think the goldfish and koi are cold water and have a large bio-load, which would affect the ammonia levels in the tank.

OH and WELCOME to the forum :)
 
tonergirl said:
You'll have to give a few more specifics like...How large is the tank...how long it's been set up...do you have a test kit to check for ammonia and nitrates, nitrites and ph. What is the tank temperature? You'll definitely need a heater and if I'm not mistaken, I think the goldfish and koi are cold water and have a large bio-load, which would affect the ammonia levels in the tank.

OH and WELCOME to the forum :)
Click to expand...

my tank is 30gl up about 2-3 months
i don't have a test kit i got a heater a couple day ago have not installed it yet
(the petsmart guy said i needed one because of the koi)
i had no idea i needed to test for ammonia (thank you)

and thank you i'm glad i joined
 
first of all koi and shubunkins are cold water fish and need a vast size tank to be kept inside,.. they are pond fish

they need lots of water changes and your ammonia is probbly high,.. need api test kits,.. and you need to figure out what you going to do with the koi as they get around 24 inches in length and shubunkins get 12 inches
if they are kept in that tank they will be stunted and not live to long,.. the shubunkins need at least 30gallon each to just be healthy,.. and the koi even more,.. they both should have a very large pond to be healthy and happy,..
do some research on the fish you want and see if your tank will fit them forever for life,..

i had 3 shubunkins that were 8+ inches in a 90 gallon and it was nearly impossable to keep the water clean enough for them so i rehomed them to someone with a pond and they are happier now,..
 
dixienut said:
first of all koi and shubunkins are cold water fish and need a vast size tank to be kept inside,.. they are pond fish

they need lots of water changes and your ammonia is probbly high,.. need api test kits,.. and you need to figure out what you going to do with the koi as they get around 24 inches in length and shubunkins get 12 inches
if they are kept in that tank they will be stunted and not live to long,.. the shubunkins need at least 30gallon each to just be healthy,.. and the koi even more,.. they both should have a very large pond to be healthy and happy,..
do some research on the fish you want and see if your tank will fit them forever for life,..

i had 3 shubunkins that were 8+ inches in a 90 gallon and it was nearly impossable to keep the water clean enough for them so i rehomed them to someone with a pond and they are happier now,..
Click to expand...

wow i had no idea my father got the tank and fish then like a 2weeks later had to move so gave it all to me with kois and shununkins already in the family. tyty for the info O_O gold fish get that big :jaw-dropping:
 
I agree with what pretty much everyone else said here. The Koi and Goldfish will FAR outgrow that tank, and they are coldwater species, where as plecos are tropical. Also keep in mind that most plecos get too big for a 30g as well. There are some smaller variety though like Bristle Nose etc...

As far as testing, you should definitely get a testing kit to check for amonia, nitrites, and nitrates so that you can see if your tank has properly cycled, and also make sure that you are siphoning and changing the water often enough to keep the water params livable for the fish. Good luck, and Welcome to AC!
 
Angelfish are tropical cichlids and need temperate water. The pleco will grow to about 20" and will be far too large for a 30. 30 gallons is not enough water for your fish, you need closer to a 125 for the water volume alone. Consider rehoming all but the angelfish.
 
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