Problems In My Community Tank!

HI it’s my first time posting after lurking around for quite a while; but recently my 38 gallon tank has crashing down!! At first my stocking was 6 neon tetra, 6 rummynose tetra, 2 CPO crayfish, one guppy, one juvenile albino bristlenose pleco, and 2 cherry barbs (they were the only ones left in my LFS and was planning on increasing the stock). I had this stocking successfully for a few months until I added more fish a couple of days ago. I went out and bought 6 Congo tetra from one pet store and 9 long-fin zebra danios from other store. Then I floated their bags and acclimated them to my 38 gallon. (I didn’t have a spare tank to quarantine them and I figured that these fish were both from reputable sellers) Knowing that I was adding a lot of fish at once, I made sure to put half a bottle of Tetra AquaSafe plus (treating up to 100 gallons) after putting my fish in. However, other the course of the past days my old fish started dropping like flies!! I was finding half eaten fish bodies everywhere!! (I suspect my bristlenose pleco has been eating the dead bodies) Of the original fish, I’m down to my albino bristlenose pleco, one VERY lethargic cherry barb, 2 HEAVILY breathing neon tetra ((((( All my oldfish we’re wiped away . Meanwhile all my other new fish are all very active and eating hungrily. Please help!

Filtration: AquaClear 50, Aqueon QuietFlow 30

Miscellaneous: Moderately-Heavily planted tank, medium light(8hrs), no CO2

Temp: 76-77 degrees
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 10 ppm
Ph: 7.2
(Don’t have a Gh/Kh test kit)

(Sorry for the long post)

 

Have you tested your water after the deaths?

 

Oh my goodness, That has to be so heartbreaking

I don't have an answer as to what actually happened but it is possible that the original fish were comfortable the way they were and the stress of adding extra bacteria and so many new neighbors was just to much of a change for them.

 

Have you tested your water after the deaths?

Those are the test results after the deaths

 

Your tank may have went into a minI cycle due to the bacteria not being able to support the amount of fish added. It is best to usually stick to 3-5 a week.

 

Greetings and welcome to Fishlore

I am sorry you are having such a bad time.

I will try to get back to you today. But I am working on the plants in the 150, general maintenance on the 55 and the 37,and trying to set up the 44 pent again. Those five gallon buckets from the basement sure were easier to bring upstairs 20 years ago

 

Keep an eye on the new fish you bought. They could have brought a disease into the tank.
Healthy looking fish can be sick or turn sick. Even from a reputable store.

 

Greetings and welcome to Fishlore

Thank you! But if ur having troubles with your buckets, I would highly suggest using the python no spill, no mess kit. It cuts all the headache of carrying buckets around and saves A LOT of time

Keep an eye on the new fish you bought. They could have brought a disease into the tank.
Healthy looking fish can be sick or turn sick. Even from a reputable store.

Thanks for the advice, so far the fish have been in my tank for three days and are still VERY hungry and EXTREMELY active. They were bumping and nipping my hand when I was doing a weekly water change.

 

Thank you! But if ur having troubles with your buckets, I would highly suggest using the python no spill, no mess kit. It cuts all the headache of carrying buckets around and saves A LOT of time

Thank you but I use a 5 stage RO/DI Unit with 90 gallons of storage in the basement. I bought everything I need to run a pressure line to the aquariums last year. I just have not had the time to install it.

 

FreshestFreshwater. I had 5 Panda cories in Quarantine for 4 weeks before they showed signs of sickness. Cycled tank, nitrates were fine. I have 2 Pandas left