I know nothing. I suck.

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#1
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#1
Yeah, overstocking is fine if you do it right. Yeah, regular water changes take care of anything. Yeah, no major problems will happen to me.
Ok, folks, I officially suck.
Thought the problem with cardinal tetras disappearing was my big aggressive male angel. So added more when I rehomed him. Now from eleven down to five. Big angel mum is gone now - let's see if she was the culprit. I'm really wondering about my multipunctatae.
Water test before the weekly water change - nitrates almost 40ppm! Whaa? And a couple cories missing - hiding?
Nope, found one cory body in one of my mini terra-cotta pots. Found another partial skeleton behind the mossball.
So dang busy watching my angels that I didn't see what else as going on.
I feel dreadful.
But my platy that has been 'dying' for many weeks of old age just keeps trucking along. He rests at the bottom until he knows there is some food, then races to the surface to eat his fill, chases a girl or two, then huddles back at the bottom.
So ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate after two water partial water changes today is 10.
I really feel like I suck.
 

TAL

TAL

Large Fish
#3
Sep 7, 2008
588
0
0
#3
Oh Laura....sorry to hear. We were just talking about your 23,000 fish in that 39 gallon tank!!!! It really did seem like you had them balanced out pretty well though!

Ya know....stuff happens to people who 'properly' stock as well so don't be too hard on yourself. We still luv ya!

This is just the universe's way of telling you you need more tanks.

Keep on keepin' on sistah!
 

ValRasbora

ValRasbora

Superstar Fish
#5
May 2, 2009
1,202
0
0
Atlantic Canada
#5
Laura, Laura, Laura...
When I saw this thread, I was thinking it was some newbie who was wallowing in self pity for not knowing how to cycle or something dumb like that...
But when I saw it was from you, I went "what?", because, basically, you are a pro. Then I got reading.. these things happen to all of us. Ha! You should see the state my 20g is in. Ooh dear... No live plants (too salty from ich a while ago. Still need to go buy some more), My fav fishes recently decided they felt like dying- and you should see how it looks like after I vacuum the gravel! Yuck. Often tanks just crash after a while, to give you a challenge and test you to see if you're up to it. You've just gotta help the tank up.
Laura, you can do it! Sometimes we feel like we need to quit or start over, but that isn't the case. Overstocking happens. we all love fish too much and crave more tanks.

Good future luck Laura!
 

bassbonediva

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
#9
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#9
Laura, don't beat yourself up too badly over this. Remember my 55gal going Chernobyl? Yeah, that was FAR worse than what you've got going on. And I'm not sure your problems are caused by being overstocked. You test your water before (and after) every water change, correct? Could it be your CO2 is off somehow?
 

H

HEADIN

Large Fish
#11
Aug 9, 2010
178
0
0
#11
I get told off now by my other half if I sit 4 more than a few minutes in front of the tank lol says im addicted but I love just watchin them all wi the kids on my knee teachin them the names anol.
 

lauraf

lauraf

Superstar Fish
#12
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#12
Thanks for the support, guys. I really think it was the dead cories that caused the nitrate spike. And one of them was from the same batch that I got when I first set up the tank, and a couple of them recently died on me for no reason - see my thread titled something like "mysterious deaths - were they just old?"
Speaking of that thread, I have never seen a fish look so terrible but just refuse to give up as my old platy. He literally sits on the gravel all day, skinny and with raggedy fins, until I feed the tank - then he races around nom nomming like a young pup! Or water changes- he loves water changes. And nobody picks on him at all. Weird . . . .
 

exhumed07

exhumed07

Superstar Fish
#13
Apr 30, 2006
1,774
0
36
Illinois
#13
I've had a tank crash like that as well laura. It happened in my 10 gallon before it cracked. I still overstock though cause as others have said. I'm also addicted. I always see something cool and wonder hmm wonder if I can get that to work in my tank? and then I buy it and do more water changes clean filters more often and so on and so forth. then I buy another tank like I did yesturday lol.
 

misterking

misterking

Superstar Fish
#15
Aug 12, 2008
1,124
0
0
Manchester, UK
www.facebook.com
#15
Exhumed, I haven't seen you around here for ages!

And Laura, you've just got to look at what it was that died to realise it's really not your fault. Cardinals and a few species of cory are sensitive as it is and with all the mad inbreeding that happens on a mass scale with certain species such as cardinals they tend to just drop at the slightest sniff of anything wrong. Had it been something a bit tougher like your platies or angels then there'd be reason to worry - but it sounds like you've found the source of the problem and are on top of it. As everyone else has said, it's happened to all of us at some point, even seasoned pros like yourself!

Don't doubt yourself, because I think we can all agree you're one of the regulars many members of the forum really look up to :)

@Fishman, it's a very fine line - I wouldn't suggest overstocking to a beginner or someone who's still finding their feet in the hobby. Even a slightly overstocked tank takes so much more maintaining and time than one that's understocked, and when you're still unsure about certain things in the hobby a small problem like the one Laura's had can quickly turn into a full-on disaster. Luckily with Laura being the pro she is she nipped it in the bud.
 

exhumed07

exhumed07

Superstar Fish
#17
Apr 30, 2006
1,774
0
36
Illinois
#17
yeah I been busy with work and other things. but I got a new salt water tank and need help so I'm back. and well since I'm back I might as well help others with things I know.

as for u fish man, kinda. u do what u can to keep the water quality at it's best. water changes and good filtration help. but u also need to make sure all ur fish can handle being cramped up together. it's been a trial and error thing for me. but I keep my tanks overstocked and everything works out great. as for the saltwater formentioned I'm takin it slow. no overstocking since it's more involved then fresh water and slightly more expensive I've noticed lol.
 

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