ill pleco!

[blue eyes]

hi, i do hope someone can help me here.

I've had my pleco for a few weeks now and he has been fine up until this morning, he is now ill. He keeps floating at the top of the tank but does move a little now and again his movement is very slow and short distance which is very unusual.

He is a common pleco about 2-3inch big, he is in a 20 gallon tank with a couple of tiger barbs, 2 cherry barbs, 3 danios and an apple snail.

 

[blue eyes]

I forgot to mention the plec has got white spot and has been treated correctly for this.
please help any advice or ideas would be much apprieciated.

 

[OrangeCones]

They are huge waste producers. What is your waterchange schedule like?

What are the current levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

A common pleco needs a much larger tank than a 20gallon.

 

[blue eyes]

He was only around 3inches big, was gna keep him til he grows a bit more then get a bigger tank for him, i say he was as he passed away a few hours ago absoulutely gutted he was my favourite fish. 1 of the tiger barbs died about an hour ago aswell not a good day.

not tested the levels yet shall be doing it tomorrow after picking up a new testing kit will let u know what they are once i've done that. he had been having algae wafers to just to be sure he had enough to eat but he didn't eat last nights 1.

 

[blue eyes]

Oh ye water change 1/3 of it weekly.

 

[blue eyes]

the nitrate is 25, nitrite is 1,gh 8, kh6, ph 7.5,cl2 0. the test i got dont do ammonia. any ideas?

 

[OrangeCones]

Nitrite and/or ammonia poisoning likely is killing your fish. At 0.25ppm, nitrite is deadly to some fish very quickly.

Ammonia and nitrite should be zero, and nitrates under 20. I'd get a test for ammonia if I were you. Also do more frequent water changes until the bacteria cycle is established. You've fallen victim to 'new tank syndrome' I fear.

Make sure your dechlorinator also removes ammonia and heavy metals.

 

[blue eyes]

i changed water again tonight and all tests were coming up as being ok, will get test for ammonia 2moz. thank you for your help its much apprieciated.

 

[blue eyes]

All tests ok again but ammonia is very high, added ammo chips yesterday but the level does not seem to be dropping. any ideas?

 

[Sharkee]

You're saying your ammo has spiked up. What are your other readings? Maybe your tank is cycling still or having a mini-cycle... how old is your tank?

 

[OrangeCones]

All tests ok again but ammonia is very high, added ammo chips yesterday but the level does not seem to be dropping. any ideas?

If the level for ammonia is at 1 or higher, do water changes until it gets back to 0.5, would be my recommendation.

Doing a 'fish-in' cycle is very stressful and sometimes deadly to fish.

What dechlorinator are you using? Make sure it also detoxifies ammonia and heavy metals.

 

[Doomhed]

Doing a 'fish-in' cycle is very stressful and sometimes deadly to fish

thats why I only do it with 5 cent minnows from the pet store....

little does my stepmother know I am gonna ninja them into her 29gal fish tank that currently only houses a single black skirt tetra and single albino cory (both over 6 years old). I will have my little sister let me in when my parents aren't home and drop them in there.

 

[OrangeCones]

thats why I only do it with 5 cent minnows from the pet store....

What do you do only with 5 cent minnows? I don't understand.

 

[Sharkee]

If I can understand correctly the minnows are the fishes in his fish-in cycle.

 

[OrangeCones]

So basicly its OK to use a fish for fish-in cycle and if it dies, it only cost 5cents, so it doesn't matter? How does the cost of the fish mean its ok to have it suffer through ammonia/nitrite poisoning?

Yikes....

 

[Sharkee]

not me. I'm against fish in cycle. I'd rather drop in grocery shrimps, possible phosphate problem and all. I'll just have plants in there to suck the phosphate in and whatever else and oxygenate the tank while doing it. *thumbsups

 

[blue eyes]

All tests are still reading fine except ammonia which is still up high though droping very slowly, i use the tertra aquasafe in the water and easybalance. I have live plants in there and have been doing 25% water changes every other day to try bring the ammonia down. This tank has been set up for about a month and a half now, and the fish that are left are doing fine and seem rather happy.