Big problem!

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LeighSBrown

Small Fish
#1
Mar 2, 2010
11
0
0
UK
#1
Hi all...i have come here to ask for your advice...i have rang and visited various LFS's and have had multiple answers.
I have a 180 litre tank...i have 2 silver sharks, 4 (small bonny fish forgot their name) 4 black widow tetras, 4 small angel fish and a plec. Well the tank has been running around 4 weeks and didnt put the fish in untill a week after setting it up. So everything was going well untill i noticed white spot on a few fish...then tattered fins...then all my black phantoms tetras died within hours...followed by my loach. I took a water sample to my LFS and they say my nitrate and nitrite levels were high...ive tried adding aquarium salt...made the fish slightly happier for a while. Then I added some Nutrafin Cycle today which doesnt seem to have done anything.
Most of my fish are just layin on the bottom and looking a bit sad...please help...:(:(
 

bassbonediva

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
#2
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#2
Your tank is still cycling (read up on the nitrogen) and it's probably the high nitrite/nitrate levels that led to what sounds like ick (were the white spots like tiny little white balls?). Did they tell you exactly how high your levels were? You really should buy your own liquid test kit so you can test your water whenever you need to and not have to rely on the LFS telling you your water is "ok" or not and so that you know when your tank is fully cycled. You're tank is doing what's called a fish-in cycle now.

That being said, if what your fish have is ick, it is very treatable (but I'm not sure how treatable it is during a cycle). Raise the temperature on the tank to about 82F and leave it there for a week or so. The microrganisms that cause ick can't tolerate the heat and aquarium salt (which you've already added) and will die off.
 

L

LeighSBrown

Small Fish
#3
Mar 2, 2010
11
0
0
UK
#3
Thanks for that! Well...ive had another death..one of my beloved Silver Sharks :( , Im definately going to get my own testing kit. My heater is turned up...i added the aquarium salt yesterday dinner time...when should i add more...if i should??? Sorry for all the questions but Im gettin stressed over them! *ALL*
 

bassbonediva

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
#4
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#4
I wouldn't add any more salt. None of the fish you have are considered "brackish" (meaning not quite saltwater, but not quite freshwater either...brackish fish tolerate more salt than freshwater do) and adding more salt would do more harm than good at this point. It'll take a week or so for the ick to go away, even if the spots disappear in the next couple of days. I'm treating two of my male bettas for ick right now and just discovered it on Saturday night. I've had the temp turned up on their tanks and one of the boys is looking great (spots are almost all gone), but just to be safe I'm leaving their temp up (not that it hurts them since they like warm water).
 

L

LeighSBrown

Small Fish
#5
Mar 2, 2010
11
0
0
UK
#5
Well I'll leave mine turned up...i forgot to mention the 4 bonny fish that i have forgot the name of have swollen gills...which are really red too and also just before one of my silver died it got like a grey coating on its face and eyes?!?!?!. Sorry im being a pain but your the only person to give me straight forward and honest advice.

:) Thank you
 

bassbonediva

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
#6
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#6
From what I've heard, swollen gills is a sign of ammonia poisoning. Not sure about the grey coating on the shark, though.

The best advice I can give you at this point is to get a liquid test kit and do frequent water changes (maybe 20% twice a week...someone else might have a better idea) until your readings look like this:

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 10-30ppm (you can have your nitrates as high as 40ppm and still be okay, but between 10 and 20 is optimal once the tank is established)

Unfortunately, the most of the fish you have are relatively sensitive to water parameters, so (and this is going to sound mean, but I don't mean it that way) don't be surprised if you lose more fish before your tank is completely cycled. How are your angels doing?
 

L

LeighSBrown

Small Fish
#9
Mar 2, 2010
11
0
0
UK
#9
Its an External Etheim Cannister, can you make sense of this...my big silver..."Bruce" looks astho his scales are stickin out..like pertruding. Goes through me. He is my fave fish.

I have just googled it's symptoms and it is apparently a bacterial disease...
 

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L

LeighSBrown

Small Fish
#11
Mar 2, 2010
11
0
0
UK
#11
Well i assumed 180 litre tank would be ok for them...until they grew of course. So is there any way i can treat it? Hes kind of spending alot of time vertical...he seems to get little boosts of energy now ang again.
 

Newman

Newman

Elite Fish
#12
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
0
0
Northern NJ
#12
he is struggling to survive, but is likely not gonna last. quarantine him if you can. otherwise there is really no treatment other than raising the temp to 80F and adding a tiny amount of salt (if you haven't already)
 

Newman

Newman

Elite Fish
#14
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
0
0
Northern NJ
#14
not really, but thats 95% of all of us, that start exactly as you have LOL!
very unfortunate that the fish must pay for our mistakes with their lives...glad you found this site! it should really help you out :)
 

L

LeighSBrown

Small Fish
#15
Mar 2, 2010
11
0
0
UK
#15
Yea im glad i found it too. It is a shame...i didnt think it was going to be this difficult...or draining lol. I find myself get very attached to a few of mine, i suppose everyone has their fave fish. Just happends to be mine thats knockin on deaths door :S
Thanks for your help...both of you :) I will post and let you know the outcome.
 

bassbonediva

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
#16
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#16
Oh, I'm sorry about Bruce! I just lost one of my male bettas to dropsy and it was hard to watch, but there was nothing I could do for him as the symptoms didn't show up until it was too late (he was literally fine in the morning and then I went to check on him in the afternoon and he was laying on his side at the bottom of the tank gasping...he ended up dying a few hours later). *hugs*
 

L

LeighSBrown

Small Fish
#17
Mar 2, 2010
11
0
0
UK
#17
:( Sorry to hear about your Betta!!! It is horrible to watch....just hope he makes a miracle recovery overnight which is highly unlikely. Bruce and my smaller silver (that died tea time) have both been hiding at the back of the tank for a few days. I didnt think anything of it as they usually do hang around together..but now when i think...he didnt entertain the bloodworm i put in yesterday (he is usually nudging all the other fish out of the way to get to them first). So sad :( x
 

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Doomhed

Doomhed

Large Fish
#18
Feb 11, 2003
687
0
0
41
Rhode Island
Visit site
#18
bassbonediva said:
Oh, I'm sorry about Bruce! I just lost one of my male bettas to dropsy and it was hard to watch, but there was nothing I could do for him as the symptoms didn't show up until it was too late (he was literally fine in the morning and then I went to check on him in the afternoon and he was laying on his side at the bottom of the tank gasping...he ended up dying a few hours later). *hugs*
Click to expand...
Wayne Shmidtt has a webpage on curing bettas of dropsy and popeye, a totally invaluable piece of information.
Wayne Schmidt's Betta Pages

always run fish stocking ideas by www.aqadvisor.com
 

bassbonediva

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
#20
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#20
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