Can't keep bottom feeders

[DuoofDeath1]

Hello,

I have quite a problem. I am having a problem keeping bottom feeders alive. i have a 55 gallon and i have gone through probably 5 clown loaches, 6 julii cory, and now a pleco. the clown loaches lasted the longest at about 3 weeks(2 of them after 1 died within 1 week). It is a community tank including some platies, 7 giant danio, 1 molly, 1 dwarf gourami, and a red-tail shark. I just got home today to find my pleco eaten from the bottom, his entire insides were gone. He looked fine yesterday. i never saw him move but he was in different places everyday. I got a pleco because i was starting to have an algae problem.

Any advice?

*another note:* i had a molly that was freaking out about a week ago. She was swimming up and down and looked like she was trying to scratch her face and there was like a white flaky area on her head. So i took her out and put her into a 10 gallon. she started to calm down and them 2 days later, there were almost 30 baby fry and she is acting fine now but the area is still flaky but i don't think it bothers her anymore.

 

[krytan]

:welcome: to AC, sorry to hear about your problems you have been having with your fish.
What are your water parameters?
How often do you do water changes and how much?
How long has the tank been set up for?
Do you QT new fish before adding them to your tank?
You should always research fish before adding them to your tank

 

[DuoofDeath1]

Temp: about 82
Ph: 8.4 on the test strip
no ammonia or nitrates last time i checked it about 2 weeks ago

I do a 25% water change about once a month

the tank has been set up for about 4 months

I don't quantine the fish before i add them but i do make sure to not use the water they come in.

I do normally research the type of fish i am getting to make sure they will get along, won't need any other type of food, tank size, adult size, that kind of stuff. I had a clown loach in a 20 gallon that lasted 6 months and then when i decided to get him a friend and the original one died.

 

[smartdog126]

uhh i think not enough WC and a QT should be in thought..

 

[coach_z]

a quick google search on your red tailed shark turned up this:

Temperament / Behavior : These fish can be hostile and are not recommended for community fish tanks with smaller tropical fish. They seem to behave when kept with larger fish.

^^that could be your problem.

or, your water parameters may be off ...you should give us results that have been taken in the past day or so

 

[Wycco]

no ammonia or nitrates last time i checked it about 2 weeks ago

I assume you mean no nitRITES. Unless you have a heavily planted tank- if you're doing only monthly water changes (even if you do weekly water changes) - you should have some NitrATES. Nitrates build up and are only removed via plant growth OR water changes.

Amonia from fish water turned into Nitrite by bacteria.
Bacteria turn nitrite into Nitrate.
Nitrate removed via plants or water chance.





Could be a combination of things... red tail sharks are aggressive- had one as a kid that would be a real terror. Bottom feeders: Pleco & Cory may be too slow to get out his way. Shark is going to bother bottom feeders more as they're in "his area". Providing plants (real or fake), caves and hiding spots will help... give fish places they can go to get out of the shark's line of sight.



I think a combination of factors may be at play:

Temperature is higher than most of those fish like. (I'm plagued with high temps too- in the same boat with you). Loaches like the warmer waters and are faster- so were fitter (and could get out the sharks way better).

Cory/Loaches/Pleco all like low nitrates- if you're only doing 25% wc once a month that may be not enough. I do about 33% each week. 8.4ph probably won't kill a Cory or Pleco- but it is rather on the high end for those kind of fish which come from slightly acidic waters... combined with all the other factors at play.

Your Danios and Mollies are tolerant fish and can take higher nitrates/less water changes.

Incidentally- are you adding salt? Mollies like a little salt (don't know that they need it though)- but salt will kill your Cory/Plecos.



If you have an algae problem- getting a Pleco won't be as effective as doing weekly water changes would be. You're treating the symptoms rather than the cause. (not that that is the only thing that can cause algae).

 

[krytan]

Temp: about 82
Ph: 8.4 on the test strip
no ammonia or nitrates last time i checked it about 2 weeks ago
Test strips are very inaccurate, i would invest in a good liquid test kit.

I do a 25% water change about once a month
IMO that's not enough, i would increase it to 25-50% every week.

the tank has been set up for about 4 months
How did you cycle the tank?

I don't quantine the fish before i add them but i do make sure to not use the water they come in.
New fish could be carrying any type of parasite or illness.

I do normally research the type of fish i am getting to make sure they will get along, won't need any other type of food, tank size, adult size, that kind of stuff. I had a clown loach in a 20 gallon that lasted 6 months and then when i decided to get him a friend and the original one died.
If you had researched your fish you should of learned that clown loaches need a 150g tank, red tail sharks are not a community fish and depending what pleco you had it would get very large (24" if it was a common pleco) and that they are not good at getting rid of algae.

My comments are in red.

 

[GEV83]

:iagree:

Test strips are very inacurrate at times (forgive my spellin im sleepy) and a liquid test kit like one made by API is recommended. Weekly water changes are needed to keep the fish healthy and replace trace elements that become depleated over time which are needed by both fish and plants. I would suggest doing some more research before your next purchase.

I have been in the same boat as you before. We all got to start somewhere and most fumble things up at the begining I know I did.

 

[excuzzzeme]

With all the fish listed your tank is too small to handle the bio-load. The only time a common pleco eats algae is while they are very young. They then become an omnivore. They are also known for being a waste factory.

Your algae problems are better controlled by tank maintenance and lighting discipline. As already stated, weekly water changes are an essential part of necessary tank maintenance along with vacuuming the substrate unless you have none. Either way you still need to vacuum the mulm and detritus out of the tank. If bottom fish are dying and the rest seem to be ok, it is possibly a sign of ammonia/nitrite problem at the lower tank level. Fish on the bottom are the first to suffer from it. Once one has died it will escalate the problem.

White flakey head may indicate a bacterial problem that can be corrected by keeping the water cleaner. If it is severe, she may need medication.