faewin

Hi all,

Just getting into this hobby and have found this site an invaluable help. However I'm starting to run into some problems and am hoping for some advice. I'm not sure if all that I'm about to say is related or just weird coincidence.

My tank has been set up for a number of months now and is (I think) fully cycled.

It's a 125 litre with black sand substrate and a few live plants (don't remember which ones, just some easy to grow ones for now)

In it were 7 Tetras, 2 SAE, 2 YoYo loaches, a Red Tailed Black shark and 2 Corys. Well a few days ago we bought a few more fish to finish off, 4 corys (we had 4 before but 2 died and I wanted a few more) and a betta. I put them in and all seemed well the new corys got on well with the existing 2 and the swam around in a shoal as they should.

A few days later we noticed the betta was looking a bit "off" a day later he was at the bottom of the tank with half his fins missing (fin rot Im guessing). I quarantined him but he didn't make it .

Also I noticed that my RTBS has what looks like a cut on his side, just behind his fin, t looks like a white hole, with a bit of red in it. I watched him for a day or 2 and it seems to be healing now.

But last night I lost one of my original 2 corys, we think it may have been an accident, my daughter was playing with the algae magnet and noticed him floating, we think she may have pulled it off and the inside bit dropped on him (regardless to say its now not in the tanka t all) but now 2 of the new corys have also died... it's seeming like this is too much for coincidence and I'm worried theres something majorly wrong in my tank

Oh one other thing, when the betta died I took a water sample to the shop (Pets @ home) as advised, they said everyhtings fine except my PH was low (around 6 I think) but I chekced it again when I got home and it was around 7.2-7.4 as it always has been. Could it be that my PH test is broken and thats whats killing off my fish

Sorry for such a long post. I'm thinking I'll do a big (50%) water change tonight and watch closely. Any advice will be much appreciated

Regards,
Gareth

Barbrella

Sorry about your fish.

You really need to get a test kit and find out exactly what your readings are. Corys are very sensitive to nitrates. Higher levels might be fine for many fish, but not for them.

Please don't ever put a betta in with tetras (or most other fish for that matter). Their long flowing fins are great targets for other fish to attack, which is what probably happened with yours. They are defenseless against fast fin-nippers.

faewin

I have an API test kit, ammonia and nitrite 0, nitrate 20. (our tap water seems to come in at around 10 aswell which is weird) and ph is 7.2 (by my test). The store insisted on doing there own test and said my ph was out... not sure if I believe them though as ive tested it a few times and its about 7.2.

Yeah I thought that about bettas but the people at the fish store said he should be fine, and I had a sepertate tank ready if there were problems.

goggles

having a betta in your tank can cause some fish to become fin nippers but it also depends on the individual personality of the fish , i have a betta in with tetras swordtails gourami and a rainbow shark, he is left well alone and actualy commands his own teritory in the tank.
but yeah sorry to hear about your fish. if you have water problems then a big water change could cause more damage than good, you may have tap water with a high chlorine content or very hard water, you will need to find this out first.

COBettaCouple

Welcome to Fishlore and sorry to hear of the troubles in your tank and your lost fish.

I'd trust your own test results over the shops any day. Your test kit bottles should have expiration dates and as long as they're not expired, then tests done at home according to the directions will be more accurate than the shop results

faewin

Well only one of my corys was dead, wife said it was 2 but only 1, but my RTBS was dead today, he was the one with the cut on his side

The waters all cloudy (whitish) and theres bits of white mould looking stuff floating around now and over most surfaces. All my parameters are fine 0/0/10 Amm/Nitrite/Nitrate. Any idea whats going on and how to fix it?

capekate

Hi Faewin
Do you vacuum the gravel of your tank? The white mould is possibly old food and waste that has decayed. I have seen it in my tank when I have been not been able to keep up the vacuuming. Especially when my back was bothering me.

COBettaCouple

It's possible that a bacterial bloom has been triggered too. Does the water feel sort of slick between your fingers?

faewin

I have sand but I mdo vacuumn the top regularly, at least once a week

Think it may be food mould or something. I tried them with some courgette the other day, thought they'd eaten it all but found 3 cubes that theyd managed to push under my bogwood that were festering.... d'oh.

Everything felt slimy, glass, filter, plants.

However, I did another small water change last night, wanted to clean the filter as the fine pad ive got in it has been getting dirty and slimy very quickly. I also put a second filter in with a charcoal filter in it This morning it looked much clearer, im in work now though and didnt have chance to get a proper look.

Also the bogwood really stank when I took it out, bit like methane or gas and was all slimey. Ive taken it out now, but I'd like to put it back but am not sure If i should put the same bit back or just chuck it and get some new. Gotta wait weeks for it to soak then though.

Lucy

Hi faewin,
Welcome to FishLore.
Sorry about the loss of your fish. Did you quarantine the new fish before adding them to your tank?
It could be one was sick and that was passed to your other fish.

faewin

Yeah this is what I'm thinking, I didnt quarantine them, but certainly will be from now on. The betta I added came down with some form of fin rot within days of getting him so im thinking thats maybe what started it all off

lalynya

I don't think the betta would have brought in something from fin rot..He would have had to been getting his fins niped at in order to have gotten fin rot...in most cases...so it shouldn't have been a preeqsisting condition. If he had it before you added him I would think you would have noticed it first..how do the rest of your fish look?? any bulging or skinnyness "freckels" any description of how they look might help to diagnose the problem.