Help me please (long post)

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jwong1024

Fire Eel
MFK Member
May 19, 2008
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Chicago
I am not a newbie to having and maintaining aquariums. But I have only experience with smaller thanks. The 125gl I just setup has been nothing but heartache. I bought a used 125gl tank off craigslist. The tank was used for turtles for about 5 years. When I bought it, it was empty but pretty clean. It had alittle bit of algae spots and the glass had hard water stains. I clean the tank with only hot water and a scrub pad. I got some of the water stains out I did not use any chemicals. I run 3 emperor 400 and I cycled the tank with goldfish for 3 weeks.

But here is my problem, every fish I have put in this tank since has either gotten sick or ahs died. Water parameters are normal, water temp was raised to 86F and I added extra salt. Fish that have died so far Gold Severum, Blue Acara, BGK, JD, Turquoise Severum. The current fish that are sick Sliver Aro, BGK. Curent fish that have not gotten sick at all. Green Terror and Plecos.

I do 25% water change a week, I maintain salt levels, I used Melafix and Pimafix. I have change the filter pads once a month and cleaned the bio media. But my fish always seem to get sick, and it is like ICK that grow on them. I have gotten fish at 3 different LFS and they all seem very heathy at first then a week or 2 later boom they are sick and have white sopts growing.

Can anyone please help me with any info as far as to what I maybe doing wrong? Can ICK live in a tank that long, 2 weeks before it infects other fish?

I am getting really frustrated and it hurts me to know that the fish that bring me joy and happyness are suffering.
 
jwong1024;2472565; said:
But here is my problem, every fish I have put in this tank since has either gotten sick or ahs died. Water parameters are normal, water temp was raised to 86F and I added extra salt. Fish that have died so far Gold Severum, Blue Acara, BGK, JD, Turquoise Severum. The current fish that are sick Sliver Aro, BGK. Curent fish that have not gotten sick at all. Green Terror and Plecos.
Click to expand...
What exactly are your water parameters?
How did you acclimate your fish?
Do you quarantine your new fish? How long?
How much salt did you add right now?

I do 25% water change a week, I maintain salt levels, I used Melafix and Pimafix. I have change the filter pads once a month and cleaned the bio media. But my fish always seem to get sick, and it is like ICK that grow on them. I have gotten fish at 3 different LFS and they all seem very heathy at first then a week or 2 later boom they are sick and have white sopts growing.
Click to expand...
What normally are your water parameters?
Why are you adding salt? For what purpose? How much salt are you adding? What salt?
Why did you add Melafix and Pimafix? For what?
Why are you changing your filter pads once a month? Do they wear out quite quickly?
How do you clean your media?

First of all, stop adding salt. Using salt on permanent basis will not only harm your fish in the long run by the added electrolytes which their osmoregulatory system is unable to cope,but you run the risk producing strains of pathogens resistant to salt. You have no reason to continue using salt unless you are treating for ich.

Secondly, your filter media do not need to be changed. Use tank water when cleaning off the muck that clogs your filter. Do not use soap or hot water. Your beneficial bacteria must be kept alive with dechlorinated tapwater or tank water.

Thirdly, quarantine every new fish you get regardless of your reasons. There is no reason why you cannot quarantine a new fish if you want to protect your current livestocks from introduction of diseases that will likely kill them. Get a 15g from hereon and use it as a quarantine tank. It can serve a dual purpose as a hospital tank but with ich right now, treat your main tank for 14 days with heat and salt. Read my sticky thread for freshwater diseases.

Can anyone please help me with any info as far as to what I maybe doing wrong? Can ICK live in a tank that long, 2 weeks before it infects other fish?
Click to expand...
Yes, they can. They will reside in the gill tissues and will appear as outbreaks once they sense their hosts are weakening. Treat for 14 days and no skipping on the treatment. Be consistent with what you are doing during the process.
 
nice reply. . once your fish are showing signs of ich id move them .. the fact your plecos and terrors dont get it could be a sign of bad care from lfs. how long u had them .
bump temps to at least 85 for ich treatments and ONLY SEA SALT.
i had ich on 2 of my clownknifes from my bad clown loaches. cured in one week. hope you are as lucky
 
A buddy of mine had the same problem. There is something with turtles that don't mix well with fish. He cleaned his entire tank with sea salt several times and cleaned all his filters. Apparently there is bacteria that is good for turtles that are not so good for fish that can stay in the tank or filters. He also let the tank and filter completly dry out for two days. He started over with new fish and all things are fine.
 
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