This is a long one, but I need help!

[Jennilynn5883]

I'm brand new to keeping fish and I have had so many problems the last 2 weeks that I am about to give up and start all over. I've had my tank for about 2 1/2 months total now.

I cycled my tank for about a month with danios, everything was beautiful and I got a gourami, an angel fish, and a couple of threadfin rainbows. The angel fish was obviously sick when I got him. I never saw it eat once, so I was about to take it back, but he died before I got home from work. I had the water tested to make sure everything was still okay, and it was.

After that I noticed a few of the other fish had signs of ich, so I got rid-ich, followed the directions and raised the temp. a little bit since the fish store guy suggested that. I still lost the smallest two fish to ich, had the water tested again, everything was still okay.

I never found one of the fish though, I'm assuming someone ate him becuase I took apart the filter, searched the rocks, he is nowhere to be found. I am hoping that the water quality wont go down the tubes if he is still somewhere in the tank though.

I just put the carbon filters back into the filter system today to get rid of the medicine. I am hoping that some of my problems are due to the stress of the medicine and everything will be a-okay in a day or two!

Now one of my danios looks extra fat and is hanging out on the bottom when he used to be the most active fish. I'm thinking maybe he's the one that ate the threadfin since his stomach is so huge and he isn't eating very much.

Another danio has red spots on his gills and I can't tell from pictures if he's sick again or if maybe its from the ich?

And my gourami is floating on the top with his nose straight up and his tail straight down. He hasn't been eating the last two days. I read that he might not be getting enough oxygen, but there are plenty of holes in the cover. I keep thinking he is dead but if you try to touch him with the net he starts swimming around like normal.

So does anybody have any suggestions? Thanks for reading my long post, but I really need help. Thank you!

~*Jennilynn*~

 

[kveeti]

First, I would buy my own test kits or at the very least get the actual numbers of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate – let us know what those are. Knowing the actual numbers will go a lot further in any investigation now and in the future than somebody else saying they’re “okay”. What size tank do you have and what are the exact fish left in it right now? What is your cleaning/water change schedule and when was the last time you did this? That’s just a start, probably a lot more questions but will get the ball rolling.


Edit.... and, oops, where are my manners? Welcome to Aquaria Central!!!

 

[Holly9937]

How long did you treat for the ich? Do the directions recommend a length of time specifically? Sometimes red gills can be a sign of ammonia burn, which again actual test numbers would help. Next time they test the water for you (asap!) ask for and write down the actual numbers for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate

 

[gabrielandco.]

have you done a water change since medicating? how often do you do water changes and in what quantity?

also, ime through reading my book on rainbows, specifically threadfins...threadfins are very sensitive to fluctuations in water parameters...seems to be on the shy side as well. they could have died from stress as much as anything else. i doubt that the danio ate the threadfin, not whole anyway. a dead fish lying in the tank is usually nibbled at by the others, and things tend to decompose very quickly in water.

have you researched dropsy? i am not saying that is what it is, but it is worth checking out for your danio.

sorry, i can't remember what i read about red spots on gills...or where- mag or book!

see if this helps: http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/symptoms.html

 

[Jennilynn5883]

I was treating for the ich for about a week and a half. I put a little extra rid-ich in until I couldn't see any more signs of the ich (3 days) and then I continued to put the regular dosage in for another week afterwards.

I went to get my water tested again today, and bought some test strips for myself. I had VERY little ammonia, almost none. I didn't write down the number like a dork, but I remember that the yellow color was in between no ammonia and the next step up. So I don't think this is causing the red spots on the danio

With my own test strips I got 20 ppm Nitrates and 0 Nitrites. I had kind of high PH, it was at about 8.0 so I got some neutralizing tablets and put them in, which are also supposed to he hlp with the ammonia I guess.

My water is very hard, but I don't really know what to do about that. This city has hard water and I heard it was okay for the fish? Maybe not. I don't really know.

I do water changes every 2 weeks. I did an extra one about a week early when I first put the rid-ich in, and another one today after I put the carbon filters in again. The water looks really clear and clean too.

But while I was out shopping my gourami died So now I'm back down to 4 fish. 2 white cloud danios, 1 leopard (??? I think!) danio, and one threadfin. Any more suggestions would be great. Thanks guys!
~*Jennilynn*~

 

[Pretender]

Well, within the ability of the test strips to indicate, your water parameters look good. I wouldn't mess with the pH, though, unless a particular fish you have is particularly sensitive to it (someone who knows more about your specific fish will ahve to chime in.) My community tank is fine and my pH runs about 8. You can stress the fish more with chemicals and pH changes than by having it a little less than ideal for the fish's natural environment.

As far as water looking clear, I've read someone pointing out that vodka is perfectly clear, too, but you don't want your fish in it. On the other hand, most of the things that make water not clear are not at all harmful to the fish. This is just to say that water clarity rearly tells you much.

Your fish may still be dying from the stress of the medications and disease. Continue to watch the water parameters before or after your water changes. In a cycled tank, the water changes are to primarily control the nitrate levels. You want to keep nitrates below 40-80 ppm, although many people shoot for 20.

Also, liquid test kits are considered more accurate than strips. If I don't mention that, someone else will, but your water sounds OK now.

I'd just quit treating for pH, continue your regular water changes, monitor your water parameters, don't add any fish for a few weeks and see what happens. If your nitrates get too high, you will need to increase the amount, or frequency of, your water changes.

 

[happychem]

Definitely toss the pH regulating tabs, they'll do very little for you and none of it good.

Start doing regular 50% water changes weekly, dechlorinate, and pay special heed to match the temperature of the new water with the tank water, use a thermometer until you get a 'feel' for it.

As Pretender advised, do not add any more fish for at least one week, two would be better. Give the fish a chance to heal and kick the ich and for your tank chemistry to stabilize, it's gone through a lot lately.

What sized tank is this? Since you've fishy cycled this tank you should not be adding more than a few fish at a time, depending on the size of the tank. I suspect a secondary cycle resulted in ammonia burns and susceptibility to Ich.