Water parameters= Ammo>0 Nitrite>0 Nitrate>5 PH> 6.8

-Oscar behavior= First lying down, lethargic, then going "gills up"

-Injures= color a little dull. No other injuries

-Tankmates. 2 Red Oscars@ 2.5", 1 Pleco@ 3", 1 Irridescent Shark@ 3.5", 1 Pictus@ 3" and 1 Angelfish@ 5"

-Tank size= 55 gallons

-Equipment= 2 Marineland Penguin 200 w/ biowheel

-Are you using any medications? Algeafix and water clarifier

This is the stroy. I've been fighting an algea bloom for 2 months. I've cut feedings to very little, I've limited light, I've been vaccuming gravel and changing 25% weekly. The pet store guy said I can clear it up with Algeafix (to kill the algea) and Accuclear (to help filter out the dead bloom) I did this. Within hours, I lost an albino Tiger.The next day I lost a tiger. Both were 2.5 - 4".

I waited a few days. None of the other fish showed any change in behavior or health. I bought 2 baby reds. I continued using the algeafix every 3rd day as recommended. 2 weeks later (I waited so that I didn't stress the fish), I treated for algea, the same way I did before with the algeafix and accuclear. That was yesterday. I lost one red last night and the other is acting ill.

The algea problem seems under control ( thus I don't think I need to keep treating) I just don't want to lose this fish. Any thoiughts? Has anyone seen this before?

firstly welcome to the site.

from your description of events i would say the algea treatment might be your culprit. on the rare occasions that i have had an algea problem i never used and meds to treat it. however since the rest of your fish were unaffected by the meds im at a loss here. my recommendation would be to stop using the algeafix (should be easy since your alges prob is gone now) and keep an eye on the surviving members in your tank.

now hopefully you are aware that a 55 gallon tank is not large enough for your fish stock. plecs can grow to monsterous size( up to 2 feet for a common pleco) and id sharks even bigger. throw a couple of oscars into the mix and you should be looking for a tank in the 180 gallon range. also the 2 penguins wont be able to keep up with the bioload generated by these fish in the long run. in this department you should look towards a canister that is big enough to filter a tank twice the volume of the tank you eventually get.

hope things work out for you

I appreciate the advice. I do understand that I will need to upgrade as they grow. My next step is likely 150gal and ending at 250gal. I'm trying to maintaing more than 3 gallons per inch of fish but at 2 gallons, I'll be moving up and making this tank a fry tank.

As for the oscar... is there anything I could do right now to better his chances? I've had this tank for about 4 months. Prior to this, all I ever had were your avarage, non-exciting, docile schooling type fish. I love my ciclids and hope to add more as I upsize my tank.

DO NOT use algeafix in an aquarium of your size. Two things will happen when you use this chemical. Firstly, the dying algae will cause huge oxygen depletion in your tank, dying algae will also create ammonia. So I would tend to agree with necro, these chemicals are the source of your problem.

OFL wrote:



X2..............

Ok. Oscars seem to be ok right now. Swimming and darting, no lethargy.... now my pleco is acting up. I found him lying on his back a while ago. I was going to net him and put him in the hospital when he shot up and found a piece of tank to suck onto. I decided to leave him be for a while and watch. I cut filter size pieces of that cut-to-fit carbon impregnated filter material and put it into the second media slots on both filters. Hopefully, that will help remove any latent toxins. Unless it won't make a difference. Will it make a difference?

Hopefully the carbon will remove any unwanted medications in the water, just leave it in there for a couple of days.

Personally I would prefer to do a water change over a few days to remove meds. as ofl pointed out your problem could well be lack of oxygen. fresh water will help in 2 ways, the meds will be removed and the disturbance will help produce oxygen. you could leave the carbon in to pick up what it can but remove within a few wks.

The carbon should help. Just don't leave it in any longer than you have to...

sorry for the late inter-action.

i prefer to have algae for a while as long as the ammonia and
nitrite is under control. algae would not pose danger for the
fish but the chemical for removing it will.

lately, my 110 gal tank had a green algae since it is directly
under the sunlight over my garden. my children did not put the
cover while i am away for 2 days. the algae is so deep that i
could not see the two 19 inches pangasius inside. same is true
with my new 2 x 4" oscar (the new one) i had tested the water
that gives me 0:0 ammonia, nitrite result and 20 nitrate, so i
did not worry. i just increase the flow rate of my filtration
by using peripheral 1/2HP pump to remove the algae. last night,
it is already clearing well. i could see my oscars from the far end.

i totally agree with the group that the chemical in removing the
algae as the culprit.

Update:

Everyone seems to be doing well. 2 25% water changes and all feeding has been cut back to once every 3 days for the time being. Oscars are frolicking much like any other baby oscar. My pleco is no longer lying on its back and is doing pretty much what they do.... nothing. Thanks again for the help. I'm counting on the cut back feeding to complete the algea abatement.

im pleased to hear that the deaths have stopped in your tank. but since your oscars are still kinda young maybe you can increase the feedings a little to help in their growth. not much but maybe every second day until your algea problem is totally gone.
jsut a thought