Why are my fish dying?

Question

I have a 10 gallon tank and all my goldfish that I have get stuck around my filter. Then last night the alge eater that I had died. These gold fish are pretty small.. why are they getting caught around the filter thingy that sucks the water out???

Answer 1

Have you checked your levels? You can go to walmart and get some test strips. I had this problem and it was nitrite poisoning. The filter was just so strong that it sucked them up after they died instead of letting them float. (Go look at your local walmart, almost all of their tanks have dead fish stuck to filters!) Just check the levels of your tank then buy the appropriate meds to take care of it. I use AmQuel+. I get it at petco and it is in a little white bottle with a red label. It takes care of nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, chlorine, and chloramines. These are some of the most common problems that will arise in your tank and it's only like $3 or so. It takes care of just about everything you will need it to and it works in seconds! (you can also use it to condition tap water)

Good luck with remaining fishies!

Answer 2

How many fish? Gold fish require a few things, NO heater if you have one turn it off. High filtratration, pleanty of water and high Dissolved Oxygen levels.

Being cold water fish - Just because you see 50 gold fish in a 10 gallon aquarium at the store does not mean this is the way it is supposed to be. These are more than likely feeders which do not remain in the tank for long periods of time, as well the tank being connected to a much larger unit which you do not see.

I don't think they are getting caught around the filter as much as they are being stressed and weakened by the poor water quality in your tank. Has your tank fully cycled? (Up and running for more than 2-3 weeks with no fish?) If not your tank has not cycled.

Here is a link to help you understand the cycling process of your tank, and once you add fish what happens.
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/biologicalcycle/a/nitrogencycle.htm

Also, this overcrowding, even though you don't feel it is overcrowded, it is. More than 2 goldfish in a tank can reak havock on the biofilter.

Dissolved Oxygen is one of the main concerns for gold fish. Dissolved Oxygen can only enter the water by movement. Filters, powerheads, waves, waterfalls etc. Air stones do little to nothing to replace this in your tank. You may want to lower your water level 1/2 - 1 inch to allow the filter to dump water into the tank creating much needed dissolved Oxygen.

Gold fish do not stop growing. They require 1 sq foot of Surface water per inch of fish. That is a lot of water

Also, ammonia poisoning risk is very high in a new or overstocked tank. Water changes are the only way to properly remove ammonia from the tank. 20-25% changes.

You need to test your water. Whenever your ammonia starts to climb above 1 you need to do a water change. Your temperature should be around 60-65 for this tank.

If you are still having problems feel free to email or im me.

Answer 3

you probably need a smaller filter for a 10 gallon tank maby like a small one that sets in the bottom i have aquariums from 10 gallon up to 150 gallon also they might be dying and then getting sucked up to the filter the water temp and ph level could be way off the bigger the tank the better the fish live 1 fish per gallon of water is best but invest in a water test kit and bigger aquarium 15 gal and up save fish and money keep water around 80 degrees

Answer 4

How big is your filter. If you have a ten gallon tank then you don't need a filter made for a thirty or sixty gallon tank. A smaller one should do just fine. You should also be able to trun down the filter flow so that there is not as much water coming out and as much suction going in. Is there a knob on the top that you can turn?

If your fish are stressed ( improper light times or transitions), poor feeding, pH levels off, etc, their immune systems are down and they don't have the strngth to keep fighting the suction.

Another possibility is that they are sickly to begin with. Have you checked all your levels? nitrates? ph? ammonia, temp, etc.

Answer 5

They could be, there is a small piece, im not sure what it is called but it fits around most pumps to stop the fish from going into it, but other then that it sounds like you may have a "sick" tank....Im not for sure how to fix this problem, ive never had it but i know a friend of mine who did, and every fish they put in that tank died, so it that is the case dont put any more fish in that tank, or put those fish into another tank, because you can spread the "sickness" to other tanks

Answer 6

Most probably they died from overcrowding and maybe overfeeding. !0 gallons is small for a goldfish tank. Water quality goes bad very quickly,even if it looks clean. Ammonia is produced by the fish's natural bodily functions very quickly. Water changes must be done at least every week.It could be too warm in the tank. The filters may have to be maintained better.
Don't overcrowd.

Answer 7

3 adult goldfish require a 55-gallon tank to be healthy. They are large cold-water fish that require 3 times as much surface area per cm of fish length as tropicals do. Also, a 10-gallon tank is not a beginner tank. Anything smaller than 20 gallons is very difficult to keep water temperature, pH, German degrees hardness, and nitrate/nitrite balance in. If all you can have is a 10-gallon tank, first get rid of your sick fish. Clean it thoroughly with aquarium salt and replace the gravel. Set up a clean filter and fill the tank with water. Put in a biological starter liquid or a few pinches of clean potting soil under the gravel to start the bacterial culture. Let it run for at least 10 days. Then put in just a few small hardy fishes. I recommend White Cloud Mountain Minnows. They are colorful, lively, inexpensive, readily available and feed at all levels in the tank. They are also comfortable in temperatures easily maintainable in the average living room. No more than 6, which you can increase to 12 maximum after about 3 months of good aquarium maintenance.. No Chinese algae eaters--they're big fish that suck scales off other fishes when they get big enough. Get a good test kit and test the water for nitrate/nitrite levels and ammonia levels until they stabilize. Also, get yourself a good aquarium book from the library and read, read, read. I recommend Dr. Axelrod's Mini Freshwater Fish Atlas, especially the rear section about aquarium maintenance. No Chinese algae eaters--they're big fish that suck scales off other fishes when they get big enough. Good luck.

Answer 8

The aquarium store you bought you fish and set up from should be very happy to help you figure this out. It could be from many causes.
You mentioned you have goldfish. Goldfish don't generally do well indoors, but they can. They prefer colder water than many other fish. Discuss this thoroughly with the aquarium store and they can help you start over again with better fish.
Also, be sure the store is holding their fish for at least 7 days before selling them. Even in today's pet-sensitive market, the fishermen that catch the fish for pet stores often use dynomite to blow up a section of water, then collect and sell the fish that float to the top. They may seem okay at first, but many have been permanently harmed and will never recover. The best fish stores keep their new stock for at least 7 days to see how the fish are. Fish diseases also show up in the first week, so they can be treated, then sold to the public. Do not buy from any store that scoffs at the waiting period.

Answer 9

4 gallon of water in line with inch of fish is the rule of thumb for installation a tank this helps area for them to discover there own territory and room to strengthen also en ought oxygen as they ex hail carbon witch continues to be in the water for alongside time actually have an below gravel filter out this makes pleasant bacteria to digest waste you ought firstly a twenty gallon tank in case you want to save fish don't be fobbed off with cheep novelty tanks you should have a heater this keeps the water consistent tropicals like 80 to 80 3 levels & gold fish dont options

Answer 10

They either died before they hit the filter or the filter is too big for the tank and is killing your fish.