Picture - What does this look like to you?

[NDininno]

This clown is in REALLY bad shape. I have no idea what to do. I don't want my fish to die.


PLEASE help.

My Tank:
30 gallon tank
gravel bottom
Emporer 280 bio wheel filter
Mopani wood
Plastic Plants
Coconut hidey hole

My fish:
1 Clown Pleco
1 Chinese Algae Eater - on his way to new home soon
4 glofish (2 yellow, 2 red)
2 Clown Loaches (1 pictured above) the other is very healthy\happy

My Water:
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Hardness 120ppm
Alkalinity 80
PH 6.8
Ammonia 0

I originally thought the fish had ick, and I treated for it following the guide on these forums. I have now gone back to approximately 82 degrees and aeration is good.

Here is a pic of my entire tank.



Unfortunately I have no H tank due to money constraints.

[NDininno]

In the past few minutes the fish's condition worsened. This fish is dying in front of my eyes. It can't keep its body level and is just flopping around in the tank getting pushed around by the current. I can't bear to look at it. Someone help me. This fish needs to be euthanized.

[fish_frenzy]

I would start with a big water change (40-50%) and use a bit extra prime or aqua plus...whatever you use to dechlorinate your water. Drop your water level a few inches for extra circulation. For the next few days do a water change daily (about 25%).

It looks like he has been harassed and I would bet the Chinese Algae Eater has rasped his side. They are notoriously ill mannered. I hope this helps. Someone with more knowledge should be along shortly.

Tammy

[Mark in Vancouver]

Tammy's advice is very good, I think. A tank that size calls for much smaller fish, of course. And it's worth repeating that clowns should not be kept on their own. If he doesn't make it, do not replace him.

It's horrible to watch a fish suffer. I'm sorry you have to deal with this.

[NDininno]

It's already too late. The fish just died. I'm overwhelmed with sadness.

[NDininno]

Tammy's advice is very good, I think. A tank that size calls for much smaller fish, of course. And it's worth repeating that clowns should not be kept on their own. If he doesn't make it, do not replace him.

It's horrible to watch a fish suffer. I'm sorry you have to deal with this.

I still have 1 healthy clown. . .

[Mark in Vancouver]

Aim for a bigger tank, okay? They want to be in small groups - five or more - and they get big. What's a foot long fish going to do in a 30 gallon?

If the money is tight, maybe consider some much smaller fish like tetras or barbs for the foreseeable future. So many fish keepers arrive at LOL with clowns in a too-small tank that it's like a mantra for us. Sorry if it sounds callous or rude.

There are great fish that will thrive in a 30 - including some kuhlis and others. If you want to keep loaches, or just healthy fish, consider using some live plants at some point.

Again, sorry about your poorly clown loach.

[NDininno]

Ignorance was my issue. I bought them from Petco, and like so many other stories, the guy there said they would be fine as a pair. I bought the only two they had about 3 weeks after they came in. He told me that they would release pheremones into the tank and prevent them from growing too large for their environment, and also said that they could be kept singly. Of course now I know that was all misinformation.

P.S. If there is anyone in the New Jersey area that has a nice size tank and can fit one more clown, I'd be happy to see it in a better home.

Contact me n.dininno@gmail.com.

[NDininno]

Well here is an update for anyone that cares to know. I verified that it was in fact my chinese algae eater that caused the problems in my tank. I put a camera on the tank again and caught it attacking one of my glofish, then it attacked my one remaining clown which escaped unscathed. I wish I could say the same for the glofish. I set up a 10 gallon H tank for the glofish today and started treating it with melafix to help regen faster. (I remembered having a tank as a small child, and raided Mom's basement and found it)The algae eater is back at petco in a tank with fish far larger than it. I got a few live plants and put them in my tank. I also acquired a 120 gallon tank from my brother-in-law who works in sanitation. He comes across fishtanks all the time. Usually in perfect condition and only need a bit of cleaning\sterilizing.

[starsplitter7]

I am so sorry to hear about your Clown.

The CAE can be pretty aggressive. I know I recently posted this somewhere, but a trick I use at fish stores is to ask the clerk three easy questions. This way I can figure out if the person knows anything about fish. I'll ask questions like 1.) Are Chinese Algae Eaters aggressive when they grow up? [Yes!] 2.) Do common Plecos get big? [Yes!] 3.) Do bichirs eat fish? [Yes!] These are easy questions.

There are many very nice, small or large algae eaters. When you are ready for your new tank, just ask for opinions and people will give you the pros and cons of many fish.

Ottos are sweet algae eaters that are hardy when you acclimate them properly.

[helen nightingale]

another good question is: do chinese algae eaters get big? i have seen massive ones, and they were very destructive.

sadly, lots of shops class their fish as community if they are not hyper-agressive, especially when they are young. all community fish can go together too

you are one of many people who has had problems from bad advice, and it seems like you have done the right things to put the problems right again. thats great to see and great news about sourcing those fish tanks (i wish i had a brother-in-law like that)