Jump to content

Greetings from Timaru...


TropicalThunder

Recommended Posts

Hi guys I'm Josh,

I'm a relatively new hobbyist, keeping tropicals for almost a year. i currently have two tanks, one 45l and a new 70l one just established. Unfortunately my experience is limited which is why I have come here. since i have been keeping i've had neons, danios, fighter, upside down cat fish, platys and at the moment penguin tetras. of all the above fish, only my original platy and upside down cat fish have survived. I also have 4 remaining penguins.

Two days ago i notice my smallest platy didn't seem to happy. as it turns out i lost him yesterday. Unsure of why it happened i did a water change to reduce ammonia levels etc. today i found i lost another penguin. How do i go about fixing this problem??? I perform a water change at least once a week but still i seem to be losing fish. That is the 45l tank.

In my 70l tank i currently keep 2x Opaline Gouramis, 2x veil-tail marbled Angelfish, 2x Golden Rams, 1x Bristlenose Catfish and 1x Upside Down Catfish (previously transferred from the 45l). I'm thinking about adding a couple of Swordtails, khuli loaches and a school of smaller fish... maybe some more Penguins, or Zebra Danios. Any advice on how to stock this tank and prevent any further deaths??

In the mid term I'd like to go up to 100+ litres. In the long term even bigger still as well as getting in to live plants. A marine tank would be super cool (perhaps something like you see on the show Tanked!) but lots of things to learn before hand. I'm really looking forward to learning from other enthusiasts, via posts or meeting anybody locally.

thanks for the advice in advance :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the fishroom Josh.

Sorry to hear about your loss of fish, do you have any idea of the water quality? Did the fish show any signs of illness before they died?

As far as your 70L tank goes, it sounds fairly full at the moment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi and welcome. There used to be a fish club in Timaru and I assume it is still going. Perhaps your local Citizens' Advice Bureau could help you, or you library may have a database of local clubs (I know ours does).

Since you say you did a water change to reduce ammonia levels, does this mean you tested the water and the ammonia was high?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi and welcome. There used to be a fish club in Timaru and I assume it is still going. Perhaps your local Citizens' Advice Bureau could help you, or you library may have a database of local clubs (I know ours does).

Since you say you did a water change to reduce ammonia levels, does this mean you tested the water and the ammonia was high?

i don't have a water testing kit, but could smell ammonia in the water.

with the latest deaths i had noticed my Platy was very lathargic hanging at the top hiding from the others. With the Penguin today i am unsure. but the last couple of days i have noticed that they all seem to be hiding... as if something spooks them. Its quite strange as there were only 3 platys and 5 penguins in the 45l after i transferred the Upside Down Catfish the other day, so it's not as if i have any agressors in the tank.

previous deaths i have found red spots on the fish (a sign of Ammonia poisoning) and my fighter died after having heating issues which i have since resolved.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Welcome :wave:

Your 75L sounds over stocked.

Angels need a tank that is a minimum of 45cm high, most 75L aren't that big. It may be best if you rehome the Angels :(

Sorry to hear about the loss of your fish.

Was your tank cycled?

What is currently in your 45L?

Hi blondfish :)

currently in my 45l are 4x Penguin Tetra and 2x Platy.

The 70l are the 2x angels 2x gourami 2x golden ram 2x kuhli loaches the bristlenose and the upside down cat :)

they all seem quite happy at the moment and they all seem to have plenty of room. but i am hoping to have a bigger tank in the next wee while.

Speaking of which, does anybody have a larger tank for sale on here??? preferably near to or in Timaru.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

gidday and welcome :wave:

what sort of filter systems are you using, do you understand the cycling process?, how long have the tanks been running? can you get your water tested, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate being the biggies. how many fish do you add at once?

hopefully we can find out where the problem lies so you can enjoy the hobby instead of being stressed out :wink: once you get it down it is a VERY relaxing hobby.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...