I got a tall 10 gallon tank, Top Fin with lid, filter, bubbler and heater. Temp is about 76°. Let the water cycle for a few weeks before adding any fish. Added an aquatic frog that disappeared the first day. Got the water tested, they said it was absolutely perfect. Added 1 molly, 1 pleco and 2 guppies and 3 shrimp. All fish died within 2 weeks. Shrimp are great. Did have a blob with eyeballs, that I suspect was a baby, and did a celebration dance. That poor thing got stuck on my filter. I since added a sponge, to it. All fish died by laying on the bottom. Tested the water again. All good. Waited to add fish. A coworker gave me a small catfish, 1 platy and 1 guppy. They died the same way in about 2 weeks. Catfish is suspect still alive, but very elusive. Shrimp are doing great and had babies! Happy dance!
Changed 20% water and cleaned. Got the water tested again. Good.
Waited 1 month. Water tested again. Ph was tiny elevated, Added tank starter. Added 3 guppies and a platy, 3 days ago. Everyone looked great. Today, 1 guppy is laying on the bottom. I am heartbroken. I feel so defeated. I read everything I can, follow every thread here and ask a million questions at 4 different aquarium stores.
What am I doing wrong? Sad fish mom.
Posted by kimba2roar
16 Comments
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How did you “cycle” your tank
How did you cycle the tank ?
It doesnt sound like you seeded the tank with biological matter to get the cycle started.
Your banjo catfish would need a place to bury itself comfortably also banjo catfish are very hardy fish mine survive multiple tank crashes
You’re missing the sponge and rest of the tube on your filter inflow for one. For two, describe how you cycled the tank please like others have said. For three, I’m pretty sure that’s a whiptail catfish, not a pleco and will absolutely outgrow that tank.
That filter alone isn’t sufficient, I would recommend adding some sponge filters and let it run for a week or two and you should see an improvement in you water quality and the fish should be happier. For the hang on back filter use a coarse sponge on the intake and lower as much as you can.
Tall tanks are hard to stock and you already over stocked. I would make it a shrimp tank or maybe have a trio of guppies.
you need a sponge on ur filter, your tank cannot possibly be cycled. did you add food or an ammonia source whilst cycling? please invest in a water testing kit (ideally liquid one)
Your filter is entirely missing the intake tube and the sponge filter on the end of it. I would by fixing that. How did you cycle your tank? Also I would recommend a softer substrate and real plants.
1. Get your own liquid test kit, that way you can accurately check the water each day while getting established.
2. Maybe don’t listen to the people at the store, the fish they’ve been selling you are not good stock. A pleco will wreck a 10g and most the other fish need to be in groups of around 6.
3. You said you cleaned the tank, how did you clean it? It’s possible the cycle got messed up from this.
4. I’m honestly just impressed the shrimp have lived through all this, usually they’re the first to go.
Weird question but is your filter even on? It looks like the spillway is dry in addition to missing half your intake.
Haven’t had aquariums for a few years but I still remember some stuff, however correct me if I’m wrong. Shrimp are usually the first to die off in bad water quality situations. I want to believe something might be leaching a chemical which the shrimp can handle but the fish can’t. I’d say get some aqua soil, put the gravel above it some fast growing live plants and try make the aquarium as close to nature as possible, which is the best environment for them to live in since plants will remove toxins and nitrates, and the fish like them.
First stop adding fish until you fix the tank. Is that filter missing parts of it?
Lots of experts in this thread that have no clue where to even start with this.
If you want some actual advice feel free to message me. I’ve helped a lot of people in your shoes get their tanks sorted out as someone who works at a fish store.
Your filter is fine. It sounds like you’ve given the tank time to cycle. The first thing I’d need to know is what your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are testing at.
One way to to cycle your tank is to add straight ammonia and wait for it to test at zero (and pickup the new nitrites that should have emerged)
You can’t do it with anything living in the water, tho (not sure about plants)