AboutBenty Expertise GOT A QUESTION ABOUT:
Basic needs for specific fish, illnesses, best tankmates, breeding, water chemistry, tricks to safely cut corners, and/or “stupid” questions? Maybe I can help! :)
I like to explain why you do things in aquariums (like why to use spring instead of distilled, or what pH numbers mean, ect.) so you understand why and not just taking someone’s word for it. I also like giving answers where you have two choices so you can choose which is best for the time and money you can commit to your fish. I understand how tight money can be and how expensive fish related things get.
I will NEVER leave you with an “I don’t know.” Ever. I hate that. That would waste your time and that's just mean. :)
Puedo contestar tus preguntas en español también.
Experience I have had tropical fish since 1999. I currently have: a 55gal, ten 10gal, 3 five gallons, three 2gal, and a bunch of jars and bowls. At the time I'm typing this, I have: 14 angels, 13 goldfish, 73 bettas, 12 barbs, 5 catfish, too many guppies, 4 gouramis, 2 plecos, 10 loaches, bunch of swordtails, and probably a few others, lol.
I love to rescue fish. I've had everything from mutant danios, to one eyed goldfish, to my newest adoptee, a 2 year old betta with a MASSIVE tumor problem. He was brought to a pet shop and left there because the lady didn't know what to do with him. He's pretty scary looking. One of the guys at the store there I know let me have him. :D YAY! Elephant Man lives in a gallon bowl with pretty stones in my bathroom.
Plus!!!
I sell: veil, delta, halfmoon, plakat, and crowntail bettas as well as halfblack and blonde tuxedo fancy guppies. Ask me about it sometime.
Expert: Benty Date: 1/22/2008 Subject: Help! Fish are dying!
Question 20 gallon, freshwater tank, water temp 72'F, ammonia level 4.0, ph reading 7.0, 4 fish have died after having white spots on them after laying at the bottom of the tank gasping, no undergravel filter, just a Penguin biowheel 150 filter on the back, we have lost all types of fish in the past 4 days, any thoughts?
Answer WHOA Heath! Super high ammonia! That's the thing that's doing it! You HAVE to bring down the ammonia level. Pronto!
Ammonia burns their gills and eyes. That's why they are gasping. They are suffocating. Bad way to die. Best way to safely get rid of it is do a 30% water change and add an ammonia blocker like AmmoLock or Amquel or whatever. That will protect the fish from damage right now. Test at least an hour after changing and see how the ammonia is. Cut your feeding in half and feed every other day until it comes down. (Unless you have babies.) Once it does you can go back to normal or continue feeding like that. If the water is still high you can either add a bacteria product (like Cycle or Biozyme) or change it the next day 30% again.
What kind of fish do you have?
"4.0" doesn't sound high like 4 dollars isn't a lot but that's a LOT! There should be none-0ppm. Anything over 1.0 starts to mess up the fish. You're 4 times that right now. Not good.
Now you said white spots. Little dots? Patches? It can be burns from the ammonia or parasites. First thing first... you gotta get the ammonia down. Once you have that down you can deal with any parasites if you have them.
How old is this tank? Under 2 months? If you have any fish in there now that you really, really don't want to loose... I suggest pulling them out and putting them in bowls of spring water (not distilled though). The longer they are in that water the shorter they will live in the long run. Fish are fine in a bowl without a filter or airstone for a day or so. After that you can change the water or add an airstone.
