I have a 60 gallon fresh water tank and my fish are getting slimy and dying?

Question

I recently bought 2 guami's and 8 tiger barbs and 1 red tailed shark I also had a sucker fish all have died except the guami's . When the others died i noticed they were covered in a clear slime .they didn't all die at the same time it's been over two weeks. I added water softener to protect their scales and cleaned the filter. I also replaced 25% of the water. I don't want my two remaining fish to die but I'm afraid to do anything to the water for fear that I will kill them. does anyone have any ideas as to what this could be and how I can fix it. P.S I bought the fish from petco and they told me to add their water to mine when I transfered the fish. I never had these problems before. I'm going to get the water tested today. I also want to move my tank witch would mean draining it but I know that that can shock the fish any ideas on how to do it.

Answer 1

Did you cycle your water before adding fish? Do you test your water? 95% of all problems with fish, diseases and death are a result of poor water quality. Fish do not just up and die. We kill them with our neglect and ignorance. While buying sick fish is always an option, especially when you buy them from the chain stores, which you should never do, it is usually a greater likelihood that it is the home tanks' water quality that killed them.

Changing the water right now would be the best thing you can do and you must do a 50% water change immediately. You must test your water every day while cycling and do 20-30% water changes, very possibly every day, to keep your water parameters in a safer reading until the water cycles.

But, the problem is, you are in a very difficult place. Your fish are sick because of bad water and you need to get rid of the bad water, but you also need to medicate your fish. Medicating your fish will stop the tank from cycling, because it kills all of the good bacteria along with the bad, but you do need to medicate first. After you medicate, you will then need to start your cycle.

Your fish has Slime Disease. Various types of parasites like Costia (Ichtybodo), Cyclochaeta (Trichodina), and Chilodonella can cause these symptoms, but they are treated in a similar way. Once the disease has spread to the gills, it is at its most deadly, and could prove fatal to the affected fish. You need to medicate with a formalin based product.

I suggest doing some research and reading on the nitrogen cycle, how to properly cycle a tank, how to do proper water changes and how to properly clean a tank, proper filtration and proper feeding techniques. Do not buy anymore fish until you get your water stabilized and know that it is safe.

There is a saying, "take care of the water and the fish take care of themselves." It's true.

Do not move your tank at this time. Get the fish treated and back to good health and have the water fully cycled, or, sadly, wait until they die, before moving the tank. Save as much of the old, cycled water in buckets and put all of your plants, gravel, filter and decorations in this saved water, along with your fish. Keeping the old water and all of these things wet will keep the beneficial bacteria alive so you don't need to recycle. Move the tank, put everything back in, and you have a tank fully cycled and ready to go with very little stress to the fish.

Answer 2

Never ever ever mix water ! Ever.
Petco has no idea what they're talking about, you don't know the balance in their aquariums and it could upset the balance in yours.

If the fish has been dead awhile it'll go white and it's slim coat will start to come off, that is normal.
To be honest you shouldn't have barbs and gourami's together, gourami's tend to be a more aggressive fish and barbs, although hardy are very aggressive. Gourami's also grow larger, if your going to have a nice mix make sure they're all compatible, that they'll all get to be about the same size.

I hope you're using a dechlorinator in your water, and getting your water tested is a good way to determine what's wrong.

If it's a newer tan you could have NTS (New Tank Syndrome)
When you first get a tank it's best to leave it running for a few weeks to let bacteria build up, a new tank contains no bacteria and will kill your fish.

As for moving the tank, opt for a fish bag or a bucket to put them in, keep as much of the water in a spare clean bucket you have never used before, move your tank, fill it back up and put Cycle and the dechlorinator into the water.

Answer 3

They were producing excess slime coat due to poor water quality, parasites or bacterial infection. Do not ever put pet store water into the home tank. Anything a pet store clerk tells you needs to be followed up on before attempting. They often don't have a clue. I would not take their advice, and Petco is the worst of all.

Answer 4

You need to put methylene Blue into the tank it will prevent and get rid of any types dieses or anything that is bad in your tank, go to this website: drsfostersmith.com
then go the fish part and type in the methylene blue and it works great, and for the future don't add the water from any pet store that you get your fish at. The water could have dieses and all kinds of junk in it, Its best to just add your own water that you have treated and thats to be on the safe side.

Answer 5

the likely reason that your fish have been given ich is in view which you're way overcrowded. the rule of thumb for tropical fish (i'm assuming that's what you have. If it relatively is goldfish, you're in even worse shape....) is a million inch in line with a million gallon of water. And that has to permit for the fish to mature and get better. So, taking into consideration an person fish of three inches, you could truly in basic terms bypass with the three fish you have now, at maximum, you may desire to in basic terms upload one greater, and that relies upon on what type of fish you have, and don't try this till you have thoroughly cleared up the ich. Ich lives in a 4-point cycle, so in spite of in case you do no longer see it on your fish on the 2nd, it would desire to nonetheless be hatching on your substrate, so which you may desire to permit for a whole-cycle, it is approximately 2 weeks, after no longer seeing any ich on any of your fish in the past you could choose it relatively is been cured. you're able to do a salt scientific care by skill of including a scant a million tsp of aquarium salt (do no longer use table salt) on your 10 gallon tank. or you may desire to do a chemical scientific care (do no longer do salt and chemical at the same time) including Coppersafe, Aquari-Sol or rapid-treatment. The energetic chemical in that's malachite eco-friendly and could be deadly to 3 tropical fish, pretty plecos, so be attentive to what fish you have and be careful with regard to the style you utilize this scientific care.

Answer 6

lol...NEVER trust petco.... and never put in water that u brought the fish in to your tank...its and easy way to pass in problems to your tank... now i would suggest starting over... i did that with my 100 gallon tank and it worked..now make sure u have fish that are hardy since i can see your starting to be into the fish world and not alot of experience is necessary for some fish. and one you got the water right let it cycle for about a week (that just mean monitor it for a week with out fish) and then add your fish.. make sure u keep an eye open for the temps, ph, ammonia, and the hardness of the water.. and since you want to move your tank its a good idea to move it and start over...

Answer 7

well getting your water checked is the first step. fish natraly do have a slime coat, but your fish may have had something other then that on them. as far as moving your tank wait for the water test if your water is fine save as much of the orgional water as you can.