I think I'm going to give up on tetras.
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Which tetras have you tried? In my experience many tetras and cichlids are very hardy, but of course it all depends on the health of the fish when bought, an appropriate size and setup of tank, water parameters, tank mates, good maintenance etc. what is your current setup?
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I started keeping tropical fish with a pair of platies. I didn't over reach my capabilities. A cautious and patient approach brought success. There was little information on how to keep an aquarium back then (1970s) so my approach (everything in moderation) worked even though nobody knew how or why. I wanted to create a more natural environment (not so much dayglo gravel and plastic animals/plants) so I asked myself what would happen in nature. Plus I enjoyed these fish very much.
Catfish seem pretty tough fish to me including the common types of large Corydoras and Bristlenose Catfish.
Catfish seem pretty tough fish to me including the common types of large Corydoras and Bristlenose Catfish.
Same could be said for tetra species.
Best place to start is your current tanks water parameters. Soft/medium/hard water (GH/KH)? PH? TDS? Phospate, nitrate levels?
What tetra species are you having problems with? Tetra are a very wide aquarium demographic consisting of some that prefer mind boggling soft/low KH/PH environments to med hard environments.
Do you add leaves/blackwater extract to add tannins to soften water (usually the answer for people having problems with most common tetra species along with stopping water changes over 15-20% weekly( unless tank is grossly over fed/over stocked)?
Use crushed coral to add hardnesses (KH)?
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Well there are ?1000's? of tetra and ?1000's? of cichild but there is only 40 mollies so try mollies. Also unlike cichild from many different parts of the world with different temperature and water requirements for the most part mollies (at least those commonly available) want the same type of liquid hard water.
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Zebra danios are very hardy
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If I'm reading those right, your water seems slightly soft. That's great for a lot of species.
Here's some non-tetra species I've kept that should like your water and have been hardy for me:
Here's some non-tetra species I've kept that should like your water and have been hardy for me:
- Harlequin Rasbora
- Cherry Barb
- Bronze Cory
- Zebra Danio
- Kuhli Loach
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Thnx for your test results. I see your GH is good, but having 0 KH for most people (incl me) is not ideal/safe imho. Your pH may be bouncing around causing issues with the fish. I would encourage you to raise your KH to 3-5 to stabilize your pH. If your pH goes up some, that’s fine as long as you keep your GH lower for the tetras.
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Ok, your eyes must be better than mine. That is another reason why I prefer the liquid test……just count the drops to color change. 40ppm is equal to 2.3 degrees KH which is low. Your parameters seem overall pretty good and I thought you wanted to find a potential reason for your tetra troubles. That difference in test strip color (yellow and yellowish green) is extremely minute and hard to ascertain……..and after again looking at your pic….….as I see it, it appears more yellow (0 KH) than it does yellowish green (40KH). But ok…..you’ve called your results and I’ll politely bow out.
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I see 6.5ph or less on strips but a PH of 7.5 or higher on liquid test. I don’t think those strips are worth using, I certainly wouldn’t trust their GH/KH readings either. Probably expired.
Get you a liquid GH/KH test kit or some better test strips. The API GH/KH test kit not that expensive.
I have been keeping tetras for over 65 years. While I have had mixed results with the slender bodied tetras such as neons and cardinals, large bodied tetras have always been a staple in any community aquarium I had owned. My favorites are the Jewel tetra, Bleeding Heart tetra, Diamond tetra, Silver Dollar fish/tetra, Buenos Aires tetra, and Columbian tetra. However, I had kept many other tetras over the years.
Tetras are shoaling fish. They always need to be kept in small groups aof six or more.
While the use of test strips is convenient, the test results are not very accurate. Get liquid test kits such as API. If you get the API freshwater test kit, you will also need to get the GH/KH test kit as well.
Tetras are shoaling fish. They always need to be kept in small groups aof six or more.
While the use of test strips is convenient, the test results are not very accurate. Get liquid test kits such as API. If you get the API freshwater test kit, you will also need to get the GH/KH test kit as well.
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Many fish stores will test your water for you (for free) if you bring in a sample. While you can't do this daily or weekly you can do it to get a baseline for kh/gh.
As for ph difference - ph can change for a lot of reasons unrelated to kh.
As for ph difference - ph can change for a lot of reasons unrelated to kh.
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You can build a test solution to check the strips if you got some baking soda. 250ml water tap water + 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda should raise the kh 75ppm on test strips. Test tap water before and then 5min after dissolving baking soda in water, make sure water is at room temp before running test.
Always check expiration date on any test (liquid or strips) you buy so you know how long it’s been setting on store shelf.
Always check expiration date on any test (liquid or strips) you buy so you know how long it’s been setting on store shelf.
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I don't know about the "tropical" part, since they happen to be coldwater fish....
But White Cloud Mountain Minnows. Seriously, can't express enough how great these fish are.
Get 10-20 of them and you'll be in love.
But White Cloud Mountain Minnows. Seriously, can't express enough how great these fish are.
Get 10-20 of them and you'll be in love.
Teach701, are there any fish you have had success with? That may give some clues to which fish would be best for you to try.
I seem to remember that we have similar water, but I may be misremembering. My tap water is pH 7.5, GH 3ish and KH between -0- and 1. With KH at near zero my pH remains stable in all tanks. Some fish that have done well for me without ammending the water are White Cloud Mountain minnows, Pristella tetras (x-ray tetras), Bristlenose plecos, Barbs, Apistgramma, Danios, Beckford's Pencilfish, Hill Stream Loach, Hatchetfish.
Of course snails and shrimp either can't live or they barely survive in this water. For hard water species like Rift Lake or Central American Cichlids I have to amend the water.
I seem to remember that we have similar water, but I may be misremembering. My tap water is pH 7.5, GH 3ish and KH between -0- and 1. With KH at near zero my pH remains stable in all tanks. Some fish that have done well for me without ammending the water are White Cloud Mountain minnows, Pristella tetras (x-ray tetras), Bristlenose plecos, Barbs, Apistgramma, Danios, Beckford's Pencilfish, Hill Stream Loach, Hatchetfish.
Of course snails and shrimp either can't live or they barely survive in this water. For hard water species like Rift Lake or Central American Cichlids I have to amend the water.
A year ago I had swordtails, mollies, Colombian tetras, candy cane tetras, bronze cories, zebra danios, and New Guinea rainbowfish. Then a disease outbreak wiped them all out. Not sure if it was ich, columnaris, or too much ammonia. I got parameters under control and had serpae, red eye, Congo, candy cane, and Colombian tetras along with julii cories and a disease took them out. I've been trying to rebuild the tank since January with no luck.
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That's tough. Maybe try a different supplier and always quarantine for several weeks when introducing fish to an existing tank. You may want to go slow. Add one type of fish and let them settle for a few weeks to be sure all is well. Meanwhile a second type is in quarantine. After several weeks and everyone is doing well you can add the QT fish to display tank and repeat with the next fish in quarantine. If you buy online it's harder to use this approach due to shipping costs.
Did it appear that the 2 different disease outbreaks were the same? Ich and Columnaris should be easy enough to diagnose from their physical presentation.
I was alluding to testing how far off your current batch of test strips may be.
How many of each of those fish in a 55g, even just give rough total of overall fish population in that 55g.
If for example you had 4x each of those species you were overpopulating tank by a vast amount.
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I think that Corydoras and Gourami are great, and maybe some rasboras too. I have seen tanks like that, and they go together SUPER well. They feel actually natural and just peaceful. I would try that. Also, I have honestly given up on tetras between the neons and GloFish, I feel Tetras have gotten horrible. I think the only good Tetras are Rummynose, but I don't even like how they look. I think Rasboras are a great way to go if you want to stick with smaller ones.
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You say natural, but Corydoras would never occur naturally with gouramis and rasboras, if you want natural with this combination then perhaps some small loaches instead of the Corydoras?
Really difficult to understand what the problem is with tetras though, and of course there are many more species than the three you mention, I have found most to be very hardy given the correct conditions.
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You say all these fish appear to have died from disease. If I had two separate incidents of illness in the same tank after a reset, I would strip down the tank and "nuke it". That's my term for a thorough bleach cleaning of a bare tank. Toss all the decorations and substrate and start as if it were a new tank. Be extra aware of possible cross contamination via nets, hoses, etc.
Alternately, you could try setting up a completely new tank and see what happens.
Alternately, you could try setting up a completely new tank and see what happens.
Here are my current tap water parameters:
Ph: 7
High Range pH: 8.8
Ammonia: 1.0 ppm
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
KH: 50-100 ppm
GH: 100-200 ppm
Assuming I could get the ammonia down to zero, would there be some other fish that may be more ideal than trying to use reverse osmosis water?
Ph: 7
High Range pH: 8.8
Ammonia: 1.0 ppm
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
KH: 50-100 ppm
GH: 100-200 ppm
Assuming I could get the ammonia down to zero, would there be some other fish that may be more ideal than trying to use reverse osmosis water?
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The elevated PH alone is enough to lead to the early death of most South American Tetras as well as South American Cichlids.
Research Central American Cichlids & Livebearers. There are numerous small Central American species that might appeal to you.
Research Central American Cichlids & Livebearers. There are numerous small Central American species that might appeal to you.
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If you’ve got a RO unit use it and simply reconstitute the GH/KH and add some leaf litter to add tannins.
There are a great deal of other contaminants that need removing that a RO unit will take care of including all chlorine variations, forever chemicals, excess phosphates, DOC compounds.
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For a 55g tank? 8lbs a gallon for a water change to transport from store, not happening for me.
You need to get you a unit like this. 5micron non-woven pre-filter --> 1 micron carbon block. You can also use same unit for your drinking/cooking water. Standard 3/4” pipe threads on input and outputs so can be adapted to most any water source with a simple visit to hardware store.
Removes all chlorine compounds, excess organics and most of the ammonia but keeps GH/KH intact. All you need is a couple drops of prime or safe per/gal right before water change.
https://a.co/d/04OOFsrC
Where do you put that? I didn't initially fill the tank with RO water in jugs. I gradually replaced it with the water in jugs. I use those for water changes because I haven't found any adapters to fit on my sink and this actually saves time instead of filling buckets from the shower.
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You should be able to find adapters on Amazon, in your local hardware store, or from vendors like BRS. I started with an RODI unit from Amazon. It was a 50-Gallon-per-Day (GPD) unit that came with an adapter for a hose bib. I'd use it outside, hooked up to my garden hose, and fill 5-gallon plastic Jugs with RODI water for my aquariums. It took a while, maybe an hour or so, to fill a 5-gallon jug.
When I started my Marine tank, I needed a lot more RODI water, so I gave away my 50-GPD unit and upped my game by getting a 150-GPD 4-stage RODI unit. I also bought a couple of Husky plastic garbage cans with lids and rollers so I could make 60 or so gallons of RODI water at a time for making saltwater. I hooked this one up to the sink in my laundry room using an adapter.
RO/RODI units are available from Amazon, Bulk Reef Supply, and other vendors. Some come with adapters, and you should be able to purchase adapters for pretty much any type of faucet. The one I bought came with sink and hose adapters. I mounted it in the laundry room, and the sink adapter worked for me.
Filters can last up to a year, depending on how much RO/RODI water you generate and your water quality. The filters can be replaced as necessary. I use my RODI water for my aquariums and my humidifiers.
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If the PH and mineral content of the water is not within the acceptable tolerance range of the fish kept, the results can be detrimental.
The fish's immune system can be weakened making them susceptible to disease.
The fish's actual metabolic processes can be disrupted causing a shortened life, or a sudden unexpected, often unexplainable, spontaneous death.
The fish's immune system can be weakened making them susceptible to disease.
The fish's actual metabolic processes can be disrupted causing a shortened life, or a sudden unexpected, often unexplainable, spontaneous death.
Do you think it could have made them more prone to something like ich, swim bladder disease, or columnaris? Or something that would make their fins and mouths rot?
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Random Great Topic!
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