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A mickey mouse platy is so adorable!!! She looks just like other platys, only she is a bright orange and at her tail, she has 3 black spots in the shape of mickey's head! Out of the newest batch of fish I adopted, I ended up with 2 baby platys, 1 tuxedo platy, and another just plain platy. I would have to say that the platys are my favorites. They are so cute! It's not that I don't appreciate the help, it's just that I don't appreciate people with bad attitudes, regardless of the kind of help they provide.

I am just going to wait and see who gets the special ask on this one.

First off, what size tank is this?
Do you know the nitrogen cycle? If so what are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels?
What is the temperature and pH of the water?

2 plecos, 1 irridescent shark, 1 bala shark, 4 male guppies, 1 little chinese algea eater

If it is common Plecos, they reach 2' in length, Iridescent "Sharks" are really catfish that grow to over 3' in length and Bala Sharks grow to 14". Chinese algae eaters grow to about 10" or so and are aggressive...
When you thoguht it was dropsy, are you sure they weren;t jsut pregnant females?

Well, its a 75 gallon tank. The chinese algea eater is only about 1" long right now. The plecos are maybe 5" and 3", and the irridescent shark is also about 4" in length. All are still very young. I knew that the irridescent shark was a catfish before I bought him. I thought that he was cute. And don't worry, they have a pond that they can go to when they get too big. We are thinking about getting another bala shark when we get our tanks sorted out, as far as fish illnesses are concernded.

All of my levels are within good levels. I had the water tested yesterday. The temp is about 78 to 80 degrees, and they seem to be more active. I had the temp lower at one time, and the fish didn't really swim around a whole lot. They seem happier. I just wish that I knew what was causing them to get this brownish coloring at their dorsal fins. I'm hoping that I have figured out most of the problems with the 2 tanks. I am going to break down my 2 gallon tank, and start it over. Almost every fish that I have put in that tank has died. Well, I shouldn't say that, because that was where they would go so that I could treat them. I love my fishies and I hate it when they die. Any help that you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Are you using the one supplier?

How do you introduce the fish?

Do you use a quarrantine tank?

When you say brownish colour WHERE on the fins is it?
look at the fish with something bright (torch, desklamp, etc) and look for signs of parasites or rough-looking scales.

What filter are you running?

How old is the tank?





For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

The tank is 2 and a half months old, or that's how long I've had it. I'm running a Top Fin filter system, it's the one with the 2 returns. I have introduced every fish that I have gotten the same way. I float the bag on top of the water for 20 to 30 minutes, then I scoop the fish out and add them to the tank. Then, after the fish have been added, I add stress coat to them. I've not lost a fish yet by doing this. It took almost a month for me to loose my first fish, and he was my catfish. The one that was supposed to be aggressive. Something attacked him, snipped off his long whiskers, peeled off his skin, and started picking at his flesh.

The dark coloring is along their dorsal fin, you know the one on top. Down the sides of their bodies...

One piece of info:...

There is no treatment for Dropsy. By the time it's noticed it's already too late.

Ammonia. No doubt it's present in your tank in abnormal concentrations. The reason, at least one reason, for the spots.

The other reason could be the med reaction used for the non-treatable Dropsy or high nitrates in the tank water.

My "guru" advice would be to purchase a test kit and do your own testing. And soon.

Monthly water changes of 35% would be in order along with good surface movement to increase gas exchange.

--garyroland.



[span class="edited"][Edited by garyroland 2004-07-29 12:52][/span]

I did buy the test kits, and since I know that my amonia level is usually too high, about every 5 days I add a neutralizer, which keeps it within good levels. And that's also how I know that all my other levels were also within good fishie levels. And I know that my guppy had dropsy and not pregnant, because she looked like someone had brushed her scales backwards. One day she looked good, and the next morning, she looked like that. But for the most part, other than my guppies and my mickey platys, my catfish and my one black and white molly, everyone else is doing great!

Ask me why I've never used an ammonia neutralizer...

What would be my answer??

They're not needed when a tank is bacterially balanced and functioning the way a good healthy tank should function.

Since I tend to be a purist when it comes to good water quality, never adding anything to my tanks that would not be in the fish's natural habitat, I would suggest you do the same.

I suspect you have a tank that is not properly cycled, a remedy for disaster.

If you'll purchase a bottle of the "New Improved Cycle" and dose according to product directions, your tank will take on a new and healthy attitude and promote a smile on every fish's face.

--garyroland.

Well, try this on for size. First, it isn't nice to get ignorant, beligerant, or rude to someone who is asking for help. If you don't have anything nice to say, or a nice way to say it, then leave it alone. People who are rude make it so that others will just muddle through. You really should check your attitude at the door pal, cuz I don't appreciate it. I'm sure that you're fish are just peachy dandy, and are just SWELL. My fish are well taken care of, and I enjoy their beauty. I've made sure that everything was perfect before I added my fish. Water conditions were better than perfect. I must be doing something right, because the ones that were sick were taken care of. I did everything that I could to help them. I qt'd them, I bought the meds that they needed, and I tried to help them get better. So unless someone specifically askes you for help, namely me, then back off. Oh and by the way, have a great day.

Ok one thing lilbabe99, do yuo know what the nitrogen cycle is???

lilbabe, gary's just being very blunt with his advice, he's not trying to lord his info over you. He has some good things to say.

On a different note, be careful that you don't jump on the medication merry-go-round. I'm not implying that you are likely to or anything like that, but often some of the very medications and treatments that you use to aid your fish are weakening their immune systems. Take Rid-Ich for example: it's simply a poison that's just strong enough to kill the ich and not the fish, but any stronger and it would have the potential to kill your fish. However, the Rid-Ich still does leave your fish a little queasy. It's kind of akin to you feeling nauseous from living in smog a few days. It (might) explain at least part of the various epidemics that are running through your tank.

lilbabe99, Gary wasn't trying to be rude, that's just the way he gives people his (most of the time ) usefull information...

heres the faq nitro cycle(which kills many fish )

http://www.fishprofiles.net/faq/begin-cycling.asp

Edit: if you have anymore questions ask, but bsides that I would listen to gary

[span class="edited"][Edited by 2004-07-30 00:51][/span]

While I don't know exactly what the nitrogen cycle is, I do have a good idea of what it is. I know that my tank has been going for 2 months or so, and it's just now starting affect the fishies...wouldn't it have affected them almost instantly? I appologize for being abrupt, but I don't klike it when people who know stuff about tanks, act like they know it all and cut down the ones that don't, or make them feel inadaquate for not knowing more info.

A lot of studying is in the cards for you...

There's a right way and a wrong way to maintain tanks. I suspect you may have started out without the proper knowledge of fishkeeping.

The result?? Dead fish.

--garyroland.

Again, back off. If I wanted your opinion, I'd give it to you. But I don't, so stop. I'm sure that you think that you are trying to be helpful, but all you are doing is irritating me. I would really hate to have to just start ignoring you, because I'm sure that you mean well, but you're irritating. If you thin that you know so much, why don't you try helping someone else...maybe someone that will appreciate your help, so in the mean time, leave me alone. I wonder what it's like to be perfect like you. Beginners make mistakes, so let me make mine. And BACK OFF!

A more scientific comment on ammonia neutralizer: using a neutralizer to remove ammonia will starve the beneficial bacteria that normally clean up the ammonia of their food and they will die off. The ammonia neutralizer will artificially take the place of those bacteria and they won't have a chance to grow. So every time you add the neutraliser you will start going through a cycle again. Please stop using the ammonia neutraliser. Invest in some New Improved Cycle (regardless of anyone here's suggestions, NIC has the bacteria in it to replace the ones you've starved), treat the tank with that, hold off on water changes until the ammonia has stabilised (may take up to a month), then do a small water change weekly (about 20%).

EDIT: The ammonia neutralizer may explain why after two months the cycle is now affecting your fish.

[span class="edited"][Edited by superlion 2004-07-30 13:44][/span]

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I am pretty new to fishkeeping also, (so correct me if I'm wrong guys) but I think that since your tank is large, it is taking a long time for it to cycle. You can find out by either buying ammonia and nitrite test kits, or going to the fish store with a sample of water. Their usually more than happy to give you free tests. I know my first 10 gallon took a month with 2 dojo loaches, so I imagine the larger the tank, the longer it takes. Good luck!

Ok, so where do I get this NIC? Or New Imporved Cycle?