Why did my fish get sick & one died?

Question

Ok, Im baffled.....
I have a 10 gallon tank with freshwater Shark fish. Fish that look like miniture sharks. Well my tank started growing algea, I bought a pocotumous bottom feeder, he died the next day. A few days later, one of my black finned shark fish started growing some weird skin disease. Whats going on. The disease, covered my fishes head, fins and eyes. He couldnt eat, and I had to flush him down the toilet before he got worse. I dont what this to happen again. Was it the Algea?? Whats going on??

Answer 1

It probably was the algea. I'm not an expert on this kind of things but the problem is with your filtering in your tank I think. Or perhaps your tank needs a good clean-up. Or both. Sorry about your fish. I love them too. You showed compassion in flushing him before it got worse.

Answer 2

Flushing a live fish - no matter how ill it is - is quite possibly one of the cruelest things that can be done to these animals.

Your fish are dying because the tank is overstocked, and it doesn't sound like you cycled the tank or even did regular tank maintenance. Red-Tailed Black Sharks (which is probably what you are referring to as "shark fish"), particularly multiple specimens, are completely inappropriate fish for a 10 gallon tank. The person who sold them to you should be fired.

Please, please, please return your remaining fish to the fish store, and read a couple books on fishkeeping before you attempt to add anymore fish to the tank. This is for the sake of the fish. Or go to one of the many online fishkeeping forums and ask for some advice as to how you should set up your tank.

On second thought, it sounds like you might have had the Shadowfin Shark Catfish, which is an EVEN MORE inappropriate fish for a 10 gallon tank. Not only to they grow to more than a foot in length, but they are also brackish fish as juveniles. This means they need water that is half freshwater and half saltwater, with a specific gravity of about 1.005 - 1.015. Once they reach about eight inches in length, the salinity needs to be increased until it is full-strength seawater. That's right, you're going to need a huge (90+ gallons), marine tank for these guys.

Your tank setup is simply not going to work. None of the fish commonly called "sharks" in the hobby are suitable for a 10 gallon tank, and neither are common plecos (which grow to a whopping two feet in length). Please return the fish you have now and do some research on aquariums. There are many very good books and websites out there that can help you with your next attempt.

Answer 3

The pleco probably died because your tank is overstocked and putting him in an unhealthy tank was just too much for him. Look up what kind of shark you have and the minimum size tank they need. The shark probably got sick because you didn't quarantine the pleco before you added him and he was diseased. Flushing any living thing is horrible, next time look up a humane way to put a fish down or better yet try to cure it first.

Answer 4

A swift hard blow to the top of the head or sever the spinalcord with a sharp knife, freezing is kinda cruel because the cold makes the fishes blood cells swell up and burst, thats gotta be pretty painful!

Answer 5

You need to keep the water and the tank blood-warm with some heating mechanism... one of the basic mistakes with such fish tanks.

Answer 6

Clean the tank more often for God's Sake!!!!!!

Answer 7

onviously you didn't do the smart thing and clean your tank often enough. When algae appears its time to clean the tank.

Answer 8

You need to check and treat the water very often and also the water ph...

Answer 9

well mayb it's because of the dirty tank.... i guess so