pleco is alone in the tank now not sure what to do

[kev]

im sure that's what my stingray's dream about , that tsnk of goldfish

Kev

[Iporangensis Headach]

Decided to re do my tank again
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 859#104859

[cf2]

Well, I didn't post for a few days, because my husband had somehow missed the message about the water not being good for the fish somehow and came home with two more fantail goldfish. The last one just passed away last night.
So we decided that since we can't afford a bigger tank right now to take the pleco back and maybe just try with goldfish alone in the little tank until later in the year when we can get the bigger one.
I took him in to a different fish store (the old one would not take him back!) The guy tested the water. The Ph was good, all was good except the Ammonia level was through the roof. The tube should have stayed yellow, but it turned dark green. He said that's probably what killed them, and it was amazing that the pleco was still alive.
He said the water around here has a lot of ammonia and chlorine, unless you use bottled water, also that I had overfed the pleco. The pleco actually changed to a lighter color as I was there talking to him. He was gradually introducing the new water, taking out his old water. Hopefully he will live and be happier there at the new store.
He said to get rid of all the old water, rinse the rocks with spring water (though I wonder if I should just replace all the rocks- they were not all that expensive- and they smelled really bad when we got the water out and got down to them.)
Also, is the bacteria in the sponge filter any good since it was trying to survive all the ammonia?
ANy thoughts on what happened to my water. We did let it set for a few days before adding it. He said that tapsafe does not do anything for the ammonia level, but there is a product called "prime" that does. This seems to be a much better store. Their fish looked healthy and all the waters looked clean.
Maybe we should start a new thread about the water problem. Let me know.
Thanks for all your help,. I will plan my next tank with advice from you guys.
We do like those fantail goldfish. Maybe a pleco that would stay small, and maybe a 55 gallon, if we save our pennies.

[racoll]

all was good except the Ammonia level was through the roof. The tube should have stayed yellow, but it turned dark green. He said that's probably what killed them, and it was amazing that the pl*co was still alive.

There is no probably about it, the ammonia definitely killed your fish.


This is what we have been trying to tell you all along. Perhaps I should have been more specific.

He said the water around here has a lot of ammonia and chlorine, unless you use bottled water, also that I had overfed the pl*co

Ammonia can be present in tapwater in very small quantities, but the ammonia that killed your fish came from the fish themselves, and all the food that went into the tank.

Ammonia is a by-product of the body when we eat food. Humans get rid of ammonia though their urine, fish excrete ammonia through their gills. Any traces of uneaten food also turn into ammonia very quickly.

Also, is the bacteria in the sponge filter any good since it was trying to survive all the ammonia?

The bacteria in the filter eat the ammonia! In a tank that is functioning properly, the ammonia gets consumed by the bacteria in the filter the moment it is excreted by the fish.

Unfortunately your tank and filter are too small, and they will never be able to support the numbers of bacteria that are required to clean the water for your fish, especially goldfish as they are messy eaters and produce huge amounts of ammonia. You should have a filter that is 2 gallons, rather than a tank!

When we talk about "cycling", this is the term for when the bacteria are building up in the tank.

This should be done with no fish in the tank.

As you have noticed, ammonia kills fish. A tank should be left for at least a month to mature before any fish are added.

I don't want to labor the point, but the tank you have is not suitable for keeping fish.

The kindest thing to do with the last fish is take it back to the store before it dies.

I would then save up for a suitable tank and test kits.


I hope this hasn't sounded too harsh, but I think you will have much happier fish with a proper set-up.

[kcmt01]

I wouldn't go back to the first fish store, if I were you.