Well i now pronounce shark bait dead :(

[Mjnorcal922]

wow this really sucks at 9:20 my fish shark bait passed away and left i hope hes in fish heaven now and has no more pain i dont know what to do with my alage eater i dont want him to end up like shark bait....i feel so bad he circling under the skull and hitting his head and then i looked again when he stoped moving and then i lifted up the skull and he wasnt moving and his mouth was full wide open....i just began to start crying because i feel so bad that i caused this....... my life sucks i put him in the bag that he came in but i dont know what to do with him
any suggestions?

 

[aakaakaak]

Is your tank cycled yet?

 

[Mjnorcal922]

Is your tank cycled yet?

i dont know im gonna hope and keep doing water changes daily too keep the pleco alive and then im going to get a water test kit and try to decide if i want to get another fish or not...i noticed that the oscar was slimy on the outside kinda much idk if thats normal or what

 

[brian1973]

do some research and get fish that can be in a 15G tank, there are numerous options. But first make sure the tank is cycled. The pleco is going to need a larger tank, with 55G with heavy filtration being minimum so if you still plan on getting the 55 I would keep it.

 

[ryanoh]

I'm sorry. Losing your first few fish is extra tough.

I think it is normal for fish to be slimy though. Fish have a protective mucus called a 'slime coat' that helps protect them from bacteria and such, so that's probably what you felt. Keep at it and don't get discouraged though. Plecos are pretty hardy so just keep doing your best and hope he makes it.

 

[Mjnorcal922]

well i talked to the guy at pets mart he said that shark bait was constipated thats why he had the white string comming out of him and he says since he was constipated so bad that the pellets in his stomach could of caused him to get a stomach infection and thats why he was spinning in fast circles

 

[FroggyFox]

I think you should probably refrain from talking to the people at petsmart for suggestions. White stringy poo can be indicative of a parasite or infection and fish get stressed out and sick VERY easily. You should definitely err on the side of caution and feed your pleco VERY sparingly until your tank is cycled.

Have you read through all of the stickies on this site? There are a ton of them about cycling a tank and things you should know when starting a tank. Doing a water change every day (making sure to turn your filer off while doing the change, adding dechlorinator/water conditioner and not putting water in the tank that is a drastically different temperature...) will be a great start for keeping your algae eater as comfortable as possible. When you get the money together, you should buy the ammonia test kit, then the nitrite test kit, then the nitrate test kit. Those three are REALLY the only ones you need to make sure your water is safe for your fish.

Don't feel like a failure or get down on yourself, most of us (if not all of us) have trusted what a fish store employee said to us, only to find out it wasn't even close to true and definitely not helpful. Finding people who are passionate about fishkeeping like the people on this board is a step in the right direction

Once you get your tank cycled you should look up harlequin rasboras...they are one of my favorite smaller fish

 

[nellykast1219]

Dont trust petsmart people i overheard one employee telling a customer it takes 4 days to cycle a tank.

 

[Mjnorcal922]

yeah this guy though was the head department guy for fish care. he seemed like he knew what he was talking about but yeah i really didnt know i just hated to see the oscar in pain i feel better that hes gone atleast now hes not in pain. i have been watching the temps for water changes and i dont move things to rapidly but as soon as i put my hand to take out 1 ornament out to clean the alage eater BOLTS around the tank like a nascar racer when im not no were close to him

 

[brian1973]

Remember fish are not dogs or cats, when you invade there space they go with instinct and try to flee. Once you have had the fish for a while and once they get used to tank maintenance it may calm down but it may not.

 

[Mjnorcal922]

oh ok i see

 

[littletankbigworld]

Re-home the pleco as soon as possible, as it will outgrow even a 55 gallon. It's obvious that you've learned the hard way that your fish need a bigger tank. Then, buy liquid test kits and do a fishless cycle.

 

[ValRasbora]

that's too bad. I've seen my fish with "stringy poo" and it doesn't necessarily mean they're constipated. Sometimes it just happens.
Get your tank all cycled up and we can help you try some fish suitable for a 15 gallon

 

[aakaakaak]

Mollies are notorious for poo strings. I'm quickly discovering that plecos are too. Even though they're as thin as pencil lead some of them are about as long as my hand.

 

[Mjnorcal922]

dang well im i have been doing my fish tank water changes but i HAVE to leave tommorrow and wont be back till sunday because like i said my grandmother is in the hospital and needs help and nobody can do a water change my mom isnt strong enough and doesnt really know how so idk what im supposed to do....

 

[Newman]

just do a big water change before you leave. feed your pleco very well right before you do that water change, then when you get back do another water change.

 

[aakaakaak]

I hear plecos love feeder blocks. I'm not sure if they'll dirty your tank though.

 

[Mjnorcal922]

i have alage wafers but does anybody know how i should do them?

 

[aakaakaak]

If you have wood in the tank then lippy has food. I'd drop one algae wafer in the tank right before you go.

 

[Mjnorcal922]

If you have wood in the tank then lippy has food. I'd drop one algae wafer in the tank right before you go.

i have cucumber in the tank thats what he he loves a few days ago i woke up and seen him upside down going crazy on the cucumber lol