Fish from Meath

Hello

Nice forum & local also! great help so far over last 8 weeks.
New tank and fresh to all this so learning lots of new stuff.
all my initial research was done online (mostly here).

Type: Tropical
Tank: Juwel rio 240 lts, Internal Juwel 200w heater, standard filter
Installed: July 26th 08
tank up and running now 5 weeks (with fish).
2 weeks cycling before that from scratch.
Nutrafin mini test kit has helped keep the water levels accurate.
feed: once a day in evening time
lighting: T5, on from 6pm to midnight.tank not in direct sunlight.
water change: every two weeks, 60lts (25%).

Fish: - from start
(not sure proper name)
7x spotted silver tetra
7x blue back columbian tetra

(1week later)
6x orange mollies
5x red tuxedo guppies

4 weeks into tank, lots of algae started forming very rapidly,
so added 2x pleco, thought they would have a very hard time to catch up, but 5 days after introducing to tank, algae levels have returned to minimal!

Casualties to date:
lost 1 to 2 spotted tetra a week, now all gone by week 5.
lost 4 blue back tetra over 4 weeks, (3 remaining doing very well).
lost 1 guppy week 3.
lost 1 mollie week 4.

Not sure why they didn't survive, all factors seem within acceptable levels. I know there are going to be startup mishaps.

Will introduce more variety over the coming weeks, still have lots of room to spare.Tank probably only stabilizing around now (week 4-6).

Thats where I am!

Brian

Brian,
Welcome to the forum, bit of a concern that you are losing the many fish to be honest, I wonder if was down to the fact it may not of been cycled fully when you introduced fish. Also you are going to have a population boom if those mollies and guppys are male & female!
What type plecs did you get, some pic would be great.

Gavin

Here is a picture of my Juwel Rio 240.lots of empty space for more fish to go in over the coming months.



Full Photo Link:
i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr256/meathfish/FishTank5.jpg

Brian

Hey Brian,

Welcome to the forum. Nice size tank you have there. I'm from meath also so know your pain with getting to the good fish shops. Its most likely high ammonia or nitrites causing the fish losses. It could be poor quality fish too, quite a few shops with tanks full of dead / diseased fish near me. I have a full fresh water test kit if you want to do a full test on your readings. Otherwise just add a small amount of fish at a time and wait a few weeks for the bacteria to catch up on the increased bio load and the deaths should stop. Also try to get your stock from one of the sponsors. nearest to us are aquarium solutions and petstop whih both have very good fish.

Paul

Looks like the Meath contingent is getting bigger by the day !

meath.fish/Brian, Welcome to the forum. Nice set up you have and a great big tank to fill!
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask as you already have.

With regards your issue : as paulbohs mentions, it could either be water or fish quality. You don't mention the readings of your water parameters. Don't forget that Ammonia and Nitrite must be both at zero, otherwise it puts the fish under pressure and might lead to their early demise.

Valerie

Thanks, I've been checking for the 4 main water items already
with the reagents,(weekly).

PH
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate

All results within acceptable limits (ammonia very very low and Nitrite zero).

Sourcing them from AS in ashbourne.

Brian

Nice tank and welcome, wish I had a tank that size!

Sorry about your fish loss. I'm also new to this and have lost fish as well, some from disease (mollies with anchor worm), some from bad luck (pregnant guppy that could not give birth, a Siamese that got stuck in the filter), and most from my own lack of understanding or impatience (adding to many at a time, or not reading up before I buy).

Most fish I've bought are also from Aquarium Solutions, I drive there from Donabate! It’s important to feel happy about where you buy your fish from. Remember to listen, most fish shops are there for the long term, and want to see you coming back, espically when you decide to upgrade to a marine set up!