55 gal tank doesn't support life.

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ewurm

ewurm

Aimara
MFK Member
Jan 27, 2006
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Ok, I watch over the tank at the local library. It has Tetras, Platys, Mollies, Danios, and a big pleco. The tetras and platys don't do too well. They have had die offs one at a time every couple weeks for a while. Nitrate is low, medium hardness, no ammonia or nitrate. pH is 7.2

Amazon sword plants also die within a few weeks. Any ideas? There are only about a dozen small fish and the 5 inch pleco. Filtration is undergravel only. 20% water change every other week.
 
The local library here had a similar problem until it was found out that the cleaning staff was wiping the tank down with windex.
 
Why are the plants dying? Do I need to fertilize? I'll ask about cleaning. Nice idea.
 
You are in Minnesota. It's gotta be freezing there right? When the library closes, do they turn the heat down or off? Might want to put another heater in there to support the other one when things cool down in the building.
 
ewurm said:
Ok, I watch over the tank at the local library. It has Tetras, Platys, Mollies, Danios, and a big pleco. The tetras and platys don't do too well. They have had die offs one at a time every couple weeks for a while. Nitrate is low, medium hardness, no ammonia or nitrate. pH is 7.2

Amazon sword plants also die within a few weeks. Any ideas? There are only about a dozen small fish and the 5 inch pleco. Filtration is undergravel only. 20% water change every other week.
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Undergravel filters suck, especially in bigger tanks. I would get them to at least buy a decent HOB like an emperor 400 or Aquaclear 500. Better still would be a cannister, Eheim or Fluval. You may also consider doing the 20% once a week or increase the percentage to 50% every other week. Also make sure to vacuum the gravel as well.

I don't know much about the live plants though. Tried them once, grew so much brown hair algae, I wanted to kill the LFS that sold me the plants and not telling me this would happen. I'm sure I did something wrong, or didn't do something that caused this. The LFS told me to add a certain type of fish that would eat it. I added 5 of them (can't remember what they were now) and they wouldn't touch it. Oh well...live and learn.

Good luck. And when or if you change to HOB or cannister, put a good quality charcoal in it. That will filter out any other toxins. If it is windex or some other cleaner like someone suggested, then the only way to fix that is a complete cleaning, drain it, scrub it down with fresh water and probably should replace the substrate.
 
Tank is well aerated. I will check on temps, thanks.
 
was it a new tank when it was bought , or was it second hand? i have had similar problems in the past with second hand tanks that have housed iguanas or rodents. no matter how much you clean them they just won't support fish anymore.
 
my first question is about lighting? what do you have?
IF you go with a HOB....I wouldnt go with carbon. from my experience it wont help plants, and the only thing its really good for is removing meds.
 
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