From: erik@marge.phys.washington.edu (Erik D. Olson)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria
Subject: Re: some beginner's problems
Date: 29 Jul 92 01:05:21 GMT
Organization: Cosmic Ray Labratory, University of Washington

OK, I'll try this one.

In article <3879@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP> tmkst6@pitt.edu (Theodore M Kostek) writes:
>From: tmkst6@pitt.edu (Theodore M Kostek)
>Subject: some beginner's problems

>For Christmas I got a 10 gallon aquarium, and since then I have
>had almost no end of problems.  The averages lifespan of my fish 
>is about 2 mos, and I really am getting frustrated.  I've read a 
>couple start up books, but this doesn't seem to help all that much.
>I'm on the verge of filling it with goldfish just to stop the killing.

>The tank has an undergravel filter, a hood with two 15 watt incadescent
>lights; I feed them once a day.  I've been having trouble with the temp
>since I am on the 3rd floor w/o air but it's between 72-88.  

First observation:  72-88 is probably too warm for guppies (and goldfish if 
you scrap everything!).  Also you should be able to at least get it to a 
range of 78-88 with a heater.  The incandescent lights contribute to the 
heat fluctuation, so it would be less if you replace it with a fluorescent 
strip.

>My first additions were 1 female swordtail and 2 male, fancy guppies 2 male/
1>female.  The fancy guppies died within like 2 weeks.  I think this was 
>because I added too many fish to start with - is that right?

Doesn't seem like too many fish.  You didn't say how long you waited 
before adding the fish, or if you treated the water to remove chlorine 
or chloramines.  It also might have been stress, especially with the 
guppies.  FYI, Guppies and Swords and other livebearers like a slightly 
alkaline pH (7.0 - 7.2).

>A couple weeks later, I got a fiddler crab and 3 silver tipped tetras.
>I think that the crab died because he couldn't get enough air - contrary to
>what the fish store told me. >:-(  Then one of the swordtails got sick 
>inexplicablly.  I tried a variety of treatements, but he died anyway.  

Tetras like more acidic water (pH 6.5-7.0).  I try and keep them separated 
from livebearers like the swords.  No comment on the crab, having never kept 
one.  Many tetras are mean little fish and will nip at anything they can.

>In the process of moving, I killed another.  I then tried to added 
>4 neon tetras.  They all got abused pretty badly.  At least I guess, since
>several quickly lacked tails.  Two died.  Then my roommate gave me 6 guppies
>from his father's tank.  The neons stopped getting abused, and I thought 
>everything was happy, but suddenly, in the last week, all the guppies and
>the swordtail died.  Now the Silver Tipped Tetras are back to abusing
>and chasing the poor neons, and I kinda think that the Silver tipped are
>sick looking, too.  

Right.  The neons are fairly peaceful and easily abused by the other tetras.
The guppies probably offered them another target temporarily.  Again, neons 
like lower pH water.  They also stress easily on their own (I expect about a 
30-50% attrition rate when I buy a bunch of little ones) but should be 
healthy and settled after the first week or two.

>I'm tempted to just flush all of them, wash the tank, and start completely
>over.  Does this sound like a good idea?  My roomate said he thinks that
>since I don't ahve any algae growing, he thinks my tank is not healthy.
>Could this be?  The tank doesn't get direct sunlight, and due to the heat
>output I haven't been using the lamps much; I thought this would explain the 
>lack of algae.  

Yes, the two incandescents aren't going to give you much plant/algae growth.
Interestingly, this is almost identical to my story when I was starting out 
a year ago;  I managed to kill off everything in a two month cycle except 
for 4 "Head and Tail Light" tetras (Hemigrammus sp.)  who bullied everyone 
else in the tank to death, including (OK, don't laugh everyone)  4 gouramis, 
2 Angelfish, ~6 otocinclus, ~6 corys and innumerable neon tetras.  But the 
bullies are still alive! (Except for the ones that got impelled by my 
powerhead, but we won't talk about that).  So I'd suggest that you let the 
neons fulfill their destiny and enjoy keeping the silver-tipped tetras, and 
if they survive, try adding some more of the same, or similar-requirement, 
ie:  Serpae tetras, Flame tetras, or even Head& Tail Light tetras.

Alternatively, you could let everyone die and start over with either 
neons (with more peaceful fish) or the Sword/Platty/Molly route.

>I just found this group and was reading some stuff about pH.  Could 
>this be my problem?  Also, I've heard that some cities put copper in 
>their water to combat algae - does Pittsburgh do this (any 'Burghers out
>there?)  If there are any Burgh types around, where is a good place to 
>get fish locally?

Yes, you should be checking the pH, if only to determine what sort of fish 
you are BEST keeping based on the water.  Also, you really should know what 
is in your local water and counteracting it with some chemical.  Any good 
local fish store should know the details of that.

Also check the FAQ here!  (I won't bug you about reading a book because you 
said you already did.  Read MORE books!)

>Any help you can give an aspiring aquarist is greatly appreciated.

Good luck.
---
Erik D. Olson				erik@marge.phys.washington.edu
UW Cosmic Ray Laboratory		     olson@phys.washington.edu

       "This is the spawning of the cage and aquarium" - TMBG
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria