Hey gang...I'm relatively new to the forum as I don't post much, but I need some help...I've just about HAD IT with the tank lately...I have no idea whats going on...and its to the point where I'm frustrated and just flat out upset over it...so here it goes...
BACKGROUND:
I currently run a 55 gallon freshwater aquarium, it has a 65 gallon rated heater, two penguin bio wheel filters running purigen, along with "bio balls" and "filter floss" for debris. There is also a air "bubbler" for added O2 exchange. The tank itself features 3 large pieces of drift wood, broken clay pots, and fake "giant" plants...plenty of cover, with a standard 50/50 bulb and an actinic blue light for fun at night. This tank was an upgrade over my 29 gallon a little over 2 years ago.
READINGS:
as recently as yesterday I've had 0 nitrates, 0 nitrites, and 0 ammonia...PH floats at about 6.0-6.5 (I assume due to the drift wood) which has never been a problem. I do 20-30% water changes every week to 10 days (usually every sunday during football) Also, I do add a bit of salt every now and again to keep a *slight* salt level (not sea salt, aquarium salt...tonic salt)
STOCK:
Currently...one african brown knife fish approx 6" in length...one "rocket" (hujeta) gar...approx. 4" long (juvenille)...one fatty loach, one smaller...fatty...loach standard varieties...4 mollies.
PROBLEM:
I went on a short trip to connecticut to visit relatives (about a 5 day trip, I live in PA) and when I came home one of my gouramis was dead (floating)...the other was beat up pretty bad...at that time the stock was this:
2 large adult angelfish (4 years old, raised since babies)
3 spotted climbing perch (kept for about 1 year at this time)
african knife fish (see above)
3 dwarf gouramis
1 electric blue crayfish
2 fat panda loaches
1 fatter "other" loach
various "left overs"...small tetras, mollies, etc.
I thought, eh...the angelfish probably beat him up...I did a few water changes that week and hoped for the best as I assumed leaving a dying/dead fish in the water for awhile would have a negative effect on the condition of the water...
about a week later, my angelfish developed large sores on thier eyes...I QT'd them and unfortunately they perished...they seemed to heal up, then just dive bombed...I then noticed "red open sores" on the knifefish...I freaked. I did a 50% water change, replaced filter media (with purigen) monitored status. 2 weeks passed...everybody was hanging in there (minus 2 gouramis and 2 angelfish)...I had a gourami die suddenly...then a small loach...then my crayfish decided to molt (horrible timing dude), while he was molting the spotted climbing perch all passed away in a matter of days...looked like ich, but wiped them out so fast I just flat out don't know...the crayfish molted...then died shortly after the molt. I now currently have the knifefish, hujeta gar, 4 mollies and 2 loaches left (1 panda, the other super fatty). In the course of 2 months, I've lost almost all of my fish....I just don't know what to do now. The water is SPARKLING CLEAR, and I've NEVER had an ammonia or nitrate spike in the last year or two (really, since starting the tank!)...I even "recycled" the water from the 29 gallon for the 55 gallon so the bacteria had a good foot hold.
I NEED HELP:
I've kept fish for basically all my life...age 12 and on...I've never really had this much failure all at once...its very frustrating...I don't like losing fish...I don't buy fish for them to die off in a matter of months...I try and give them a quality of life that I myself would want as a fish (OK, shut up people, I like fish...sue me)...I'm just lost right now...the tank is so empty...the other fish are noticeably concerned with the lack of activity in the tank...does anyone have ANY idea? It seems like I've just had a rampant streak of bacterial and parasite infections, which I'm sure is caused by "fish stress"...but my water parameters aren't out of whack...I'm not sure why this would happen??? It all has stemmed from this trip...I want to add more fish, but I'm not going to do so until I have all of this in check and Im' confident that its past...ungh...help...
BACKGROUND:
I currently run a 55 gallon freshwater aquarium, it has a 65 gallon rated heater, two penguin bio wheel filters running purigen, along with "bio balls" and "filter floss" for debris. There is also a air "bubbler" for added O2 exchange. The tank itself features 3 large pieces of drift wood, broken clay pots, and fake "giant" plants...plenty of cover, with a standard 50/50 bulb and an actinic blue light for fun at night. This tank was an upgrade over my 29 gallon a little over 2 years ago.
READINGS:
as recently as yesterday I've had 0 nitrates, 0 nitrites, and 0 ammonia...PH floats at about 6.0-6.5 (I assume due to the drift wood) which has never been a problem. I do 20-30% water changes every week to 10 days (usually every sunday during football) Also, I do add a bit of salt every now and again to keep a *slight* salt level (not sea salt, aquarium salt...tonic salt)
STOCK:
Currently...one african brown knife fish approx 6" in length...one "rocket" (hujeta) gar...approx. 4" long (juvenille)...one fatty loach, one smaller...fatty...loach standard varieties...4 mollies.
PROBLEM:
I went on a short trip to connecticut to visit relatives (about a 5 day trip, I live in PA) and when I came home one of my gouramis was dead (floating)...the other was beat up pretty bad...at that time the stock was this:
2 large adult angelfish (4 years old, raised since babies)
3 spotted climbing perch (kept for about 1 year at this time)
african knife fish (see above)
3 dwarf gouramis
1 electric blue crayfish
2 fat panda loaches
1 fatter "other" loach
various "left overs"...small tetras, mollies, etc.
I thought, eh...the angelfish probably beat him up...I did a few water changes that week and hoped for the best as I assumed leaving a dying/dead fish in the water for awhile would have a negative effect on the condition of the water...
about a week later, my angelfish developed large sores on thier eyes...I QT'd them and unfortunately they perished...they seemed to heal up, then just dive bombed...I then noticed "red open sores" on the knifefish...I freaked. I did a 50% water change, replaced filter media (with purigen) monitored status. 2 weeks passed...everybody was hanging in there (minus 2 gouramis and 2 angelfish)...I had a gourami die suddenly...then a small loach...then my crayfish decided to molt (horrible timing dude), while he was molting the spotted climbing perch all passed away in a matter of days...looked like ich, but wiped them out so fast I just flat out don't know...the crayfish molted...then died shortly after the molt. I now currently have the knifefish, hujeta gar, 4 mollies and 2 loaches left (1 panda, the other super fatty). In the course of 2 months, I've lost almost all of my fish....I just don't know what to do now. The water is SPARKLING CLEAR, and I've NEVER had an ammonia or nitrate spike in the last year or two (really, since starting the tank!)...I even "recycled" the water from the 29 gallon for the 55 gallon so the bacteria had a good foot hold.
I NEED HELP:
I've kept fish for basically all my life...age 12 and on...I've never really had this much failure all at once...its very frustrating...I don't like losing fish...I don't buy fish for them to die off in a matter of months...I try and give them a quality of life that I myself would want as a fish (OK, shut up people, I like fish...sue me)...I'm just lost right now...the tank is so empty...the other fish are noticeably concerned with the lack of activity in the tank...does anyone have ANY idea? It seems like I've just had a rampant streak of bacterial and parasite infections, which I'm sure is caused by "fish stress"...but my water parameters aren't out of whack...I'm not sure why this would happen??? It all has stemmed from this trip...I want to add more fish, but I'm not going to do so until I have all of this in check and Im' confident that its past...ungh...help...
