# Water Changes



## Skyeli (Feb 22, 2012)

Hi Guys its been a while...
Have Upgraded my tank to 100l tank.

4 mollies, 1 platy, 1 algea eater, 1 unidentified fish , 1 golden gourami & 1 rope fish.

So i wanted to find out if doing a water change every 2 weeks is adequate for a tank this size and the amount of fish. Last being Sunday the 16th.

I had 2 sudden fish deaths that i have no idea what happened. 
1 female guppy laying dead on the ground no signs of any illness (she was the size of my thumb so im sure it wasnt the rope fish), and 1 dwarf gourami a few days ago i found sluggish and being attacked by the golden goruami as well as the unidentified fish. I put him in a fry cage but he didnt make it till the morning. The one side by his fin seems darker in colour as if it were burnt? 

So i guess that is the reason i ask, was it the water quality? I notice the one fish itches himself against the gravel.
The fish seem very content and happy so im not sure what happened.


----------



## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

Hi,

Do you have a test kit? If so, could you post your water parameters? If not, I'd recommend getting a liquid test kit.

It sounds like you're pretty heavily stocked (depending on the ID of the mystery fish - maybe you could post a pic?), so I'd recommend weekly water changes at least, if not more, depending on your water test results and other factors such as live plants.

What type of algae eater is it? Some can be aggressive and may suck on other fish during the night when you're not watching.

Also the rope fish can grow to 12 inches and may eat the smaller fish when it gets big, so you may need to consider rehoming it I'm afraid  Sorry!


----------



## Skyeli (Feb 22, 2012)

Hi NamomiM,
Thanks for your reply.

I should definatly get the test kit.

I didnt realise that the tank could of been over stocked. I have fake plants in the tank.

When i spoke to the lady at the shop she said the size tank was fine :frown2:

I have attached the pic of the unnamed fish.

The algea eater is a Pleco, why would it suck on other fish? 
Thanks again for the advice!


----------



## SammyJo (Oct 22, 2012)

your unidentified fish looks like a ram


----------



## Skyeli (Feb 22, 2012)

Thanks for that, googled now. The ram is rather shy but actually will fight with a fish if it bothered him to much. Its quite an interesting fish as it changes its stripes and i notice this while i clean the tank.

It makes sense now why the guppy and dwarf died as i clicked now i noticed the algea eater sucking on the Rope fish. But at the same time the Baloon mollies like to peck on the rope fish too.

The rope fish is already quite a big one, is rather shy, allows me to touch it but no fast movements. He isnt interested in the other fish, and just likes to swim and hide out in his cave or behind its boat. Here is a pic.


----------



## Peapet (Feb 8, 2013)

How long has the tank been set up?
Have you recently added anything new?

Unfortunately when fish get weak the others finish them off. A lot of people accuse fish of killing other fish, but most of the time a fish has died and the others eat it!


----------



## Skyeli (Feb 22, 2012)

Hi Peapet,
I've had this tank for 7 months.
The latest addition was the Rope fish, Pleco and Golden Gourami.

I was wondering if it was the water change because i had cleaned on the 16th and on Monday found the guppy dead and on Tuesday night saw that the others were attacking the Dwarf and it is when i noticed that his once side looked bruised and pink, the next day he didnt make it.


----------



## Peapet (Feb 8, 2013)

When you say water change, how much are you changing?

I take it you've been using dechlorinator and water is similar temperature?


----------



## Skyeli (Feb 22, 2012)

I do about about a bucket worth, i use a syphon and quickly suck up the gravel.
I clean the filter in the bucket where the water i just took out of the tank is, and place it back in.

I then fill up the bucket again and put the dechlorinator in and let it sit for around 30 minutes or longer.

We are having summer days, i live in Cape Town, South Africa. So i also turn off everything in the tank for 30 minutes before taking out the water.


----------



## SammyJo (Oct 22, 2012)

Skyeli said:


> Thanks for that, googled now. *The ram is rather shy but actually will fight with a fish if it bothered him to much.* Its quite an interesting fish as it changes its stripes and i notice this while i clean the tank.
> 
> It makes sense now why the guppy and dwarf died as i clicked now i noticed the algea eater sucking on the Rope fish. But at the same time the Baloon mollies like to peck on the rope fish too.
> 
> The rope fish is already quite a big one, is rather shy, allows me to touch it but no fast movements. He isnt interested in the other fish, and just likes to swim and hide out in his cave or behind its boat. Here is a pic.


Ram's are part of the cichlid family, that will explain his bad attitude at times lol


----------



## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

Hi,

Here's a good test kit: API Master Test Kit for Freshwater 120g: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies

Odd, I've not heard of plecos sucking on other fish (the one I was thinking of that does have a reputation for it is Chinese algae eater or sucking loach). What type of pleco is it? (Or could you post a pic if you're not sure?)


----------



## Skyeli (Feb 22, 2012)

Hi,
Thanks for the Link.

He likes to suck on the rope fish, and it just swims away.
The pic is a googled one, but that is exactly what it looks like, couldn't take a pic as he is camouflaged against the black filter


----------



## Skyeli (Feb 22, 2012)

I googled a sucking loach and this is the image of a dwarf exactly the same i had with similar markings... 

Image is titled "Chinese Algae Eater (Sucking Loach) problem"


----------



## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

I just googled it, and apparently plecos can sometimes suck on other fish too. They usually do it because they're hungry and not getting enough nutrients, so he's feeding off the slime coat of your other fish.

What do you feed the pleco? They need algae wafers/pellets to supplement their diet, as they can't live solely off the natural algae in the tank. They also appreciate veg such as courgette once a week or so - blanch it in boiling water, rinse with tank water, and stick a skewer or something through it so that it sinks. Then stick it in the tank in the evening, and remove what's left of it the following morning.

Many types of plecos also need to munch on driftwood to supplement their diet - do you have any wood in the tank for him?

Apologies if you're already doing all this!

Do keep an eye on him, as apparently once they get into the habit of sucking slime coats, it can be hard to break!

I've never had plecos myself so am no expert in them, but think the one in the photo is a common pleco. They can get huge (as in 18 inches or more)! If yours is indeed a common pleco, it will need rehoming anyway due to its potential size, and it might be better to do it sooner rather than later if it's acting aggressive!


----------



## Skyeli (Feb 22, 2012)

Thank you all very much on all the advice. From reading everything and seeing what it can do im going to take him back to the shop!


----------



## Zeniliaz (Feb 22, 2013)

Something went wrong while changing water. Did you put anti chlorine after water change?


----------



## Skyeli (Feb 22, 2012)

Yes i put in the de-chlorinator when doing the water changes.


----------



## Peapet (Feb 8, 2013)

I think it's best to take it back. You could see if they have any ancistrus(bristlenose) plecs. Most grow to about 4". They look similar to a common plec.
I have one in with cardinals and rams, it's never bothered them.

Like naomiM said, plecs need wood in the tank. If you've already got some, good, if not just a small piece would be ok.


----------



## Skyeli (Feb 22, 2012)

Hi Guys,
I got the test kit and did the test the water was extremly acidic, so i added a buffer into the water, tested an hour later and it has gone back to normal. 

So i googled and it said fish waste and left over food is what is causing this so ill end up doing a quick water change when i get home from work. Test again and see how it goes from there. Thanks


----------



## Skyeli (Feb 22, 2012)

Sorry could i ask if anyone would mind telling me how their daily/weekly maintenance of the tank is like? Would give me a more informed view of things


----------



## Peapet (Feb 8, 2013)

It would be a good idea to test your tap water aswell, so you know the ph. You don't want to change the ph too quick as the fish need to adjust.

I change 30% once a week using a gravel cleaner. Clean the filter every 3/4 weeks, it's an internal power filter.


----------



## Skyeli (Feb 22, 2012)

Ok will do, thanks Peapet!


----------



## Peapet (Feb 8, 2013)

Depending on what your tap water is, you should try matching fish to your water. 
The fish you've got should be ok in acid water except the mollies. Mollies want hard alkaline water.


----------



## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

I changed from a little 30L set up to 160L last June so a big jump for me

What works for me is a weekly syphon of gravel draining off a 5L bucket of water. I let a bucket of tap water stand at least 24 hrs - giving it an occasional stir when I pass. I warm the before putting it in the tank and add a small amount of dechlorinator


----------

