# TANK DISASTER! HELP! Please? Any advice is appreciated!



## pinkcupid765 (Feb 4, 2012)

THESE ARE NOT MY FISH I AM SIMPLY POSTING THIS FOR THE OWNER! 

So in this 44-50gal tank they have:
3 HIGHLY aggressive gold gouramis 
2 beaten up black lace angels
5 firehead tetras 
2 yoyo loaches 
1 bloated/pregnant green tiger bard (The rest died from ick) 
1 chubby blue fish that they have no idea what is.

The gourmis are attacking the angels left and right. The angels bodies and fins are all beaten up. The owner left it to me… (Owner being my dad) So here are some pictures. I really have no idea what to do. I'm thinking about cleaning the whole tank (Oh, yea the tank is algae and snail infested also) removing the guormis and seeing if that helps anything. I REALLY need help! 









a gold gourami with wound on back from angel









Here's one of the angels with wounds on the side and with torn fins 









Gold gourami with missing eye (most aggressive)









Angel with wounds









This lil' guy isn't very well and we have no idea what he is either









The one green tiger barb









The whole set up

Please don't freak out! This isn't my fault! I just need to know how to fix it! My dad said it was my job to fix it… So please? I don't want to do my dad's solution! My dad says just let the problem fish go in the river. but i don't want to do that so PLEASE! any advice is greatly appreciated! Aside from that, the tank is infested with hair algae some yellow-ish algae on the glass and normal algae on the glass and snails… also there was an out break of ick not too long ago that killed all the green tiger barbs except one.


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## dht (Dec 25, 2011)

i have had agressive groumis in the past ,i would just get rid of it,thats why i hate groumis.the stress they are putting on the other fish could very well bring back the ich ,wich is a night mare ,im sure u already know.for the algae i dont really know,if its hair algae and u pull it out ,dont just throw it back in the tank though because it will grow where ever it lands in your tank.


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## dht (Dec 25, 2011)

some snails are actually good ,they will eat the algae ,but some types will eat your plants,i would scrub the algea away and do water change too.


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## pinkcupid765 (Feb 4, 2012)

Thanks! I'll put the groumis in a spare 10 gal i have for now, change the water, scrape all the algae off, and let it be for a bit? Is that right? Also, any idea what that blue fish is?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I would take the gouramis to an lfs or find some one that has a big enough tank to handle 3 of them.

Don't ever release to the wild as it can cause a lot of ecological problems down the road, plus its illegal in most states with some hefty fines. 

If you google algae control you will find different types to see which you have and also ways to get rid of it.

On the blue fish you will need to get a side shot of it for anyone to be able to tell.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

I agree with susan, I would re-home the gouramis. The blue fish you have def. looks like an electric blue Ram. They are really docile cichlids(I have one and he is the sweetest thing!). As far as the algae goes, I would just do a water change after getting rid of the algae(I would research what kind you have before you do though)

Here is a pic of a healthy EBR:


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## pinkcupid765 (Feb 4, 2012)

Okay thanks! Here's the blue guy!


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## pinkcupid765 (Feb 4, 2012)

Woah! My dad's is like a baby version! He's really sweet, or docile as you say. Thank you guys so much! I really appreciate it! I'm about to move my bettas to a bookshelf so i have lots of room on my desk! I'll make them a nice little home! Thanks for all the help!


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

Yep. Thats an EBR. Also. I would get more tiger barbs(at leas 4 more) soon otherwise, your one tiger barb will possibly start nipping fins if it hasn't already. If you want the fish's wounds to heal faster, you could add a little aquarium salt(I would make sure the loaches can handle a little salt) or use melafix. It will help them heal faster


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## pinkcupid765 (Feb 4, 2012)

Ok! I'll get started now! Thanks!


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## hanky (Jan 18, 2012)

First off thats a cool looking setup, It sounds like the tank may have been neglected for a bit how are your parameters? i.e. Ammonia and such. theres a few different ways to get rid of snails use a cup or a water bottle with a piece of zucchini or cucumber then clean out trap as needed, pick off as many as you can while your in there. sounds like your already getting the gourmis out which is good, find them new home DO NOT DUMP THEM A RIVER, your blue ram is awesome looking, good luck


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## dht (Dec 25, 2011)

yea ,nice blue ram ,you really should try to keep him as long as you can.good luck!!!


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## williemcd (Jun 23, 2011)

Oh.. and ship the angels to me!...LOL.. good luck getting things back under control.. BUt,, I wonder why your dad is in the hobby in the first place?.. Bill in Va.


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## Rod4Rodger (Jan 2, 2012)

Do not over clean your tank. There is a natural cycle, the nitrogen cycle, and if you kill off the beneficial bacteria and plants you will have bigger problems. Fish waste and food decompose is a cycle of ammonia, nitrite, and finally nitrate. Nitrate is not too harmful for most fish but ammonia and nitrate can be lethal and at the best will make the sickly. For beginners overfeeding is the number one enemy of the ammonia problem.
The algae are a good thing. There are a lot of positives for the fish. It is also a big indication of high nitrogen. Think fertilizer. If you read the bags of lawn fertilizer you will see they provide nitrogen. It makes algae grow just like grass. When you remove the unwanted over-growth you remove some of the excess nitrogen.
The best way to remove the harmful ammonia and nitrite is also the best way to hold down the much less harmful nitrate, water changes. I use a new, or very clean, no soap, plastic trash can and age my water for a minimum of overnight, preferably several days. It should be near the same temperature as your tank and if you can run a bubbler in it while it ages that is better. As you get more into this you may start testing for PH, ammonia, and nitrogen, but in general you will be fine if you do not over-feed, and you do regular water changes, probably 25% once a week will be more than enough for the kind of fish you have.
Do not despair about the bacteria either. You can buy it to add to the tank to help through a rough spot or just to re-establish your filters. Google the nitrogen cycle and read up a little and you will have a lot more understanding of what is happening. Panic is a function of fear and fear a function of lack of knowledge. Educate yourself a little and you will sort through this just fine.


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