Is there any cure for Multiple Tank Syndrome? I think I have it!?

Question

My first try with a Eclipse 12 gallon tank killed 5 goldfish. My second attempt went much better. I started with a male betta and about 2-3 weeks later, I added a male red wag platy and two female red wag platies.
One female has given birth twice in the past 3 months. The other only once. The male is a "sex machine" from day one!
A few weeks ago, I got a 10 gallon tank with filter and lid for only $10 at a garage sale. With gravel, heater, decor, I only have about $30 invested in my 2nd tank. It uses the incandescent bulbs, which I plan to upgrade soon.
This is now home to my youngest platies, about 18. The best of the oldest platies live in the 12 gallon with their parents and the betta. I have no doubt more are on the way...
I'm having a hard time culling the less than perfect specimens, but I know I have to do it. They get too big for their parents to eat them in about 2-3 weeks. For some reason, the betta doesn't want them, or I haven't seen it. Is there a cure for this?

Answer 1

The only known cure is death. The best way to handle this syndrome is to set aside one room of the house as a fish room and add as many tanks as your carefully researched home made stands will support and grow as many fish as possible. Breeding of multiple species at once will also help with the symptoms.

Generally speaking, once you exceed 50 tanks and over 8 hours a day in tank time, the itch to purchaser more and larger tanks diminishes.

MM

Answer 2

haha. As mentioned, welcome to the sickness.

QUOTE:
You definitely have it. It may be in the early stage, but more likely than not, the syndrome will increase over time. There is no approved cure as of yet. Scientists are working hard on this. Perhaps we need to do some sort of telethon or fish auction to raise money for more research.
Without your help, we can't find a cure.
QUOTE

Hahaha, not sure if that would work, knowing the community, they would use the earned money to build a 20k aquarium haha.

I started out like you, I had a 2 gallon with about 10 guppies, killed 7 and gave the rest away. I quit for a year, then later got a 10 gallon, then a 15 another 15, and then jumped up to a 55 gallon. I've had lots of species, usually tropicals but the past two years have been cichlids, 55 gallon full of Demasoni and Yellow labs, the 15 has some S.A's. and so on and so fourth.

My only advice to you is to find a good woman who supports this, or you will find having a love life will be difficult haha.

Answer 3

Sounds like typical live bearing fish. They are like water dwelling rabbits. Your solution is to invest in a fish that will act as population control. Your Betta would make a good population control fish. Otherwise you will need more tanks and larger tanks as the babies keep coming. The cure for you is going to be running out of space. I had a similar experience with Black Mollies. I have a 10 gal and a 20 gal tank with only the 20 operating at the moment. To solve the baby fish situation I just had to not keep live bearing fish any more.

Answer 4

You definitely have it. It may be in the early stage, but more likely than not, the syndrome will increase over time. There is no approved cure as of yet. Scientists are working hard on this. Perhaps we need to do some sort of telethon or fish auction to raise money for more research.
Without your help, we can't find a cure.

Answer 5

It only gets worse with time. The only cure I've found is turn your passion into your profession. Once you take on the headaches and problems of your customers for a while, the disease tends to take care of itself.

Answer 6

live bearers are great arent' they? i don't keep them.

bettas are picky eaters. they wouldn't want something common and like platy fry.

you can get a culling assistant. they like having tanks to themselves and go by names like "oscar" and "jack dempsey".

Answer 7

Welcome to the hobby!