Inherited Aquarium Care

[jkrale]

I just took over the care of two 140 gallon tanks. One has eight or ten Oscars and the other has a mix - a couple of palm sized Angel Fish and and others.

I am not entirely new - I had a 60 gallon tank and a few 30 gallon tanks years ago with oscars and angel fish and other tropical fish years ago.

I have to do a complete invitory of supplies etc. yet but I noticed today that they had a pH test kit, an Amonia test kit and a Nitrate test kit. Can I consider these the most important or should I look at other test kits?

I noticed one of the Angel fish is in a bad way right now. (It was leaning against the side at the bottom of the tank this morning) The tanks are pretty dirty so I'll start by vacuuming and cleaning to see if that helps and check the chemistry. Is there anything else I should look at right away to try to save the angel fish?

 

[Tom]

Was it like that as soon as you turned on the lights?
Tom

 

[jkrale]

Tom - When I checked this morning, before the lights were off, it was upright but nosed into a corner at the bottom of the tank and virtually imobile - I had to look closely for a while before I saw any gill movement at all. Then, with the lights on, it was slightly more active, but it would struggle to swim up for a few seconds and then would sink and lay flat on its side at the bottom for a bit.

I also checked the chemistry and the pH value was on the high end of the scale but amonia and nitrite levels were at 0.

 

[jkrale]

Another possible symptom - one of the previous care-givers told me that this particular fish's colour changed recently too - it used to be more pale but it has more defined and darker colouring

 

[Tom]

If it was in the early moning, it could have been asleep. Mine sits on the bottom at night and tries to keep it self hiden by hiding in the foliage and also hiding in a corner.
Tom

 

[Stradius011]

I think 8-10 oscars in a 140 gallon aquarium will be a little overcrowded when they grow up to adult size.