Bad luck or bad owners...

Hey yall, I'm new here and to the aquarium world and just got started with a tank that was gifted to me about three months ago. Now the tank I recived was an already established 29 gallon tank and came with a green tiger barb, a cory cat, and two plecos. My girlfriend and I set the tank up and had no issues for the first month of owning it so we decide to add some fish. We went to a local pet store and picked up two tiger barb because we felt having the green he would enjoy some company. Well after about a week of bullying and fin nipping the new barbs around the green became sick and died of what I now belive to be fin rot. We found one of the plecos sucking on the dead barb and within that week that same pleco passed. About another week after that the two new tiger barbs died. Throughout the whole process of owning this tank I have cycled about 25 to 35% of the water every two weeks and consisantly check the ph, ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels. Ph is generally between 7.2 to 7.6 ammonia is between 0 to 0.25 nitrate between 0 and 5 and nitrite is about always 0. We have gone about two months now with the same cyclingroutine and haven't had any issues and thought we should try again. We went to a fish specific store this time around and picked up another cory cat and a rainbow shark three days ago. The cory has done just fine but our RBS has died today. In the three days we have had it it didnt eat flake or pellet food and spent most of its time swimming vertical nose up against the glass. Now am I doing something wrong or did I end up with some bad fish. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Not sure why your showing any ammo, it should be 0. Check your tap water for ammo. Are you acclimating the fish to your tank slowly? Rainbow shark may not be a good fit for a 29 gal, I would try some tetras next, barbs can be nippy. It appears your doing everything right. The stocking gurus here will advise to get more cories, they school in nature.

 

What kind of test are you using for your water? Most of us on the forum highly recommend the API master kit.

If you're not using a dechlorinator for the water when you do a water change, then the fish could be dying from chloramines. Water changes should generally be done once a week to keep nitrates in check.

I'm thinking your tank may not be cycled if you're getting readings on your ammonia and nitrites and have nitrates that low. Ammonia and nitrites should always read 0 and nitrates should be in the 10-20 range.

What kind of filter are you running? Have you cleaned it and if so, how have you cleaned it/ changed it? Is there a heater? What is your temperature at for the tank water?

As for the fish you tried out; if you decide to go with the barbs again after your tank becomes cycled and stable, they require a group of at least 6. They're notorious for being nippy, though larger groups of them tend to help with that.

Cories should also be kept in groups of at least 6. You'll be looking for a warmer water variety if you're doing a tropical fish tank.

For a pleco, I'd look at a bristlenose. Definitely avoid common plecos as they get far too big for a 29 gallon.

That being said, a rainbow shark needs at least a 55 gallon tank.

When adding fish, be sure to add them gradually. Unless adding schooling fish which need at least 6, add fish 1-3 at a time with a week in between new additions.

 

Everything Airth said

 

Welcome to FishLore! I hope you enjoy the site.

 

We may not be acclimating the fish slow enough based on other things I have recently read. We generally let the bag sit in the tank 20 to 30 minutes and then let the fish loose.

We do have the API master kit for water testing that is the only water test I have used.

With water changes I use jacks complete water conditioner and API stress coat.

I have a fuval 305 filter that came with the tank and I have cleaned it since we have gotten it but have not changed the material. There is a water heater and the tank generally is at 78 degrees.

I was wondering about adding fish ive always read 1 to 3 at a time which made me wonder about schooling fish. So as long as they are the same type of schooling fish a bigger group like 6 would be ok?

What's the difference between a common pleco in a bottle Nose pleco ours came with the tank and I'm not sure which he is.

 

Welcome to FishLore! I hope you enjoy the site.

Thank you there seems to be lots of good info here!

 

Welcome to the forums.

Yes during your acclimation proccess you are missing a step. It's great you are floating the bag, that gets their water slowly to teh same temp as yours. However once that is done you need to acclimate them to your water parameteres as your fish stores may be different.

Here is wha tI do ((and I know some people do it other ways but mine works for me and fish seem to be happy))

I open the bag and roll down the sides. If the fish store added a LOT of water I might let e little out but usually not. I float the bag for about 20 minutes. Then take the bag and get out most of the water. But still enough that the fish are comfortable swimming ((can't say how much I leave as depends on how many fish and the size that are in the bag)) Then I put it back floating in the water and add a little bit of my water. ((I actually use a plastic shot glass because I had a lot of them around for some reason)) Then wait 5-10 minutes add another shot glass full of water and wait, do that 3 or 4 times. Then I will tilt the bag over and let them swim out themselves. that twill slowly get the fish used to your water parameters.

 

"We generally let the bag sit in the tank 20 to 30 minutes and then let the fish loose."

This is only making the tempeture the same. You need to mix water from the tank with the bag to match the ph with your tank. Add a little water 3 or 4 times and you should be good to go. I don't know if this has anything to do with your issues though.

 

Welcome to the forums.

Yes during your acclimation proccess you are missing a step. It's great you are floating the bag, that gets their water slowly to teh same temp as yours. However once that is done you need to acclimate them to your water parameteres as your fish stores may be different.

Here is wha tI do ((and I know some people do it other ways but mine works for me and fish seem to be happy))

I open the bag and roll down the sides. If the fish store added a LOT of water I might let e little out but usually not. I float the bag for about 20 minutes. Then take the bag and get out most of the water. But still enough that the fish are comfortable swimming ((can't say how much I leave as depends on how many fish and the size that are in the bag)) Then I put it back floating in the water and add a little bit of my water. ((I actually use a plastic shot glass because I had a lot of them around for some reason)) Then wait 5-10 minutes add another shot glass full of water and wait, do that 3 or 4 times. Then I will tilt the bag over and let them swim out themselves. that twill slowly get the fish used to your water parameters.

I agree with your acclimation procedure except for letting them swim out. Many hobbyists don't want to release store tank water into their tank. Therefore after adding some water every 15 minutes or so, net them out of the store bag and put them in the tank.