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Hi everyone
Im new here, have fish issues. Tank has been up for 6 weeks, I think cycling should be done. I am using liquid testers, in date, ammonia is registering dark green, toxic, ph 6. Used ammonia lock, no help, 50 percent water changes weekly, lost 3 fish out of 9 in 6 to 8 weeks. Others seem healthy but water is f...... out of control.
29 gallon tank
Over the tank aqua tech filter with added bio sponge 30/60
Undergravel filter with two airstones
Smaller pump to work 10 inch airstone
Heater
1 cory cat
1 pleco
2 guppies
1 swordtail
1 glo-fish
Fed once a day, eaten within two minutes, (went to everyother day feedings)
Flakes, freeze dried bllodworm, and dried shrimp.
Added bacteria supplement to get the good bacteria kicking, still no good
What else can I do?

Hi Sharkeg, sorry you're having trouble with the tank.

What are your other water readings, nitrIte and NitraAte?

When you say the tank has 'been up for 6 weeks' do you mean with fish? or just with water?


First thing in the morning, before the tank lights come on, do you see the fish gasping near the surface ? What's the water temperature?


Here's what I'd do

-Daily 50% water changes, don't touch the sponges or filters, or substrate for now. Just remove water. When you replace the water double check that the temperature is right and that you're using a dechlorinator that also does heavy metals and chloramine (a lot of water supplies add both chlorine and chloramine).

-When replacing the water, skip the last gallon, so that the water level is lower, this allows for more splash creating more surface area which allows for a better exchange of gasses.

-Continue with every other day feeding, skip bloodworm and shrimp, just stick with a pinch of flake.

-Add bacteria supplement with each water change, it will help.


It's been a while since I've last used ammoloc, it may be giving you a false reading. Daily 50% water changes with bacterial supplement should help.

Once we get the tank stabilized we can work on how you have it stocked. Personally I'm not a fan of UGF, I think they cause more trouble than they are worth.


It is always possible that the shop you got the fish from didn't have the healthiest of fish, I've had it happen before and it's why it's very important to always quarantine new fish for a few weeks before adding them to the tank.


^_^

Finally got the ammonia under control, lost two fish, red parrot cichlids, darn, so pretty, ammonia is now 0, I run a higher ph 7.6, temp is 80 to 82 in a 29 gallon sand substrate, planted tank, I now have one tetra, three catfish and a pleco, I want to add more but want to make sure all is well after my lose. I do not know what happened to the red parrots, just quit being active, layed around all day and started turning white. Today I said my good byes to them, sniff sniff, my tank is in morning for now till I figure out what to do, lower my ph, get fish that likeva higher ph? I do not have a tester for nitrate and nitrite, suppose I should get one, your thoughts.....

Hi and welcome to Fish Profiles!

I suspect that despite the time, your tank was not yet fully cycled. That was a large bioload for that tank, especially one that was undergoing an initial cycle.

Here is one of many sites that address the specific fish that you seem to really enjoy:

[link]http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/haps/malawi_parrots.htmll/link]

Your livebearers, the guppies and swordtails, prefer a pH beginning where your tank is at..7.6, while the given preference for the Red Pariot Cichlids begins much lower pH
of 6.5. This is perhaps because it it a hybred fish and not a pure Rift Lake Cichlid.

Note also, that the writer has 5 in a 55G tank and is planning on moving them to a much larger tank as they grow to 12 inches. Your tank is much too small to house them for more than a few months.

Frank

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