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I have just recently set up a new 55 gallon tank. I have already lost 6 fish and have replaced them. I am now looking at 2 additional fish being sick. I have attached a photo of each.

The levels in the tank are as follows:
Amonia 1.0
Ph 7.2
Nitrite 0


Please help me and I will be forever grateful.

Thanks, Dana

Sorry about that the pictures didn't work.

I have a Bala Shark and it looks like he has white blisters all over him.

If I can get the pictures to work I will post a message.

Welcome...

The ammonia is pretty high. Are you dosing the tank with something like Ammolock and/or New Improved Cycle?

I think the problem with your tank is that it isn't cycled. Have a read of this link: http://www.fishprofiles.net/faq/begin-cycling.asp.

What you need to do is get your cycle going. Increase water changes to 20% every 2 days, and treat the new water with ammolock. This will convert the ammonia that hurts the fish into an ionised form that doesn't hurt the fish. It wont help your cycle start, but it will reduce the fish waste in the water and help control the immediate Ammonia problem. Try and get some New Improved Cycle or a similar product to add the 'good bacteria' needed to start your tank cycling. Using ammolock will not effect your cycle, as it doesn't remove the ammonia the 'good bacteria' use to eat and breed. It just changes it's form to one that is less harmful for your fish. Keep testing the water every time you do a water change, but i might take 2-3 weeks for the cycle to start working unless you get something to kick start it.

Keep us posted... and add any more questions as you have them!

It sounds like you might also have Ick. Are they little white spots over his and the other fishes bodies? Have a look at this link: http://www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/disease/ich.asp

Can you give us a list of every fish in the tank, please? I might be able to recommend a medicine to use if you can tell me what else is in the tank.

We are currently using ProQuatics Bacteria Starter for Aquariums.

Since the tank has only been set up for about 2 1/2 weeks we have changed the water up to 20% for the past week since the pet store seems to think that we might have ICK?

What sounds likely?

2 Bala Sharks
3 Tiger Barbs
2 red fin tailed barbs
2 sucker fish (placostomus?)
2 red fin tailed sharks

Sounds like you have Ich. This is a thread about a week ago i participated in with similar Ich problem to yours... http://www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/thread.asp?id=42874

You're sucking fish are scale less... so you'd be best to seperate them and treat them at a reduced dose of medication. Your other fish will be fine at full strength meds. Put your sucker's in a plastic tub that has been rinsed, with fresh ammo-lock treated water and an air stone. Add somewhere for them to hide, so they feel more at home. I've heard you can get this cheap from 'rubber maid' in the US. I'd suggest using something like Wardleys Ick-Away or Tri-Sulfur on the main tank. DO NOT USE the Ick-Away or anything with Methyl-Blue or Malachite-Green in it on your suckers. It's very likely you will kill them. Treat the suckers with the Tri-sulfur or Coppersafe (also recommended by some US forum memebrs.. i can't get it in Australia). While treating both the tanks, do 30% water changes every three days, remove your active carbon and monitor closely your Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite levels. All of these medications destroy your cycle... so you need to be even more careful with your tank parameters. Ich can be stubborn... so you may need to swap between medications.

Read the thread link i posted, and also have a look at the link to the FP page on ich. Both are quite helpful. Again, any more questions... just add another post. I'm at work (it's about 1pm in Australia) so i'll answer any question you have as quickly as my boss leaves the room !