filter killing my fish?

bigvince

my canister type filter killed my placo , and a Convict Cichlid i had the type of filter looks like H.O.T. Magnum Compact Hang-On Tank Filter by Marineland - Filters - Fish - PetSmart

i have woken up twice this week and found a fish stuck to it i have it inside a 55 gal tank any thing i can do to prevent this?

jaysee

The filter is not killing the fish - the fish are dying and the filter is collecting them. You need to figure out why your fish are dying.

bigvince

i have no clue would my female jack demp kill them she is bout 4 in i figured she would of ate the gold fish ? i see her mess with the placo some times i had 2 the larger one is 4 in the other was like 2 to 3 ? i have a 55 gal tank divided i have my female and large placo on one side and 7 other fish ( 2 cichlids, 1 jack,2 mollys , a puffer , and a gold fish no problems or issues with them the funny part is the fish get along well alot of hideing places for them all and water test show no problems?

Byron

I see you joined us in April, and I don't recall welcoming you yet, so first off, welcome to Tropical Fish Keeping forum.

Now to the bad news. You have a mix of fish that should never be put together in the same tank. The two named cichlids, Jack Dempsey and Convict Cichlid, are not community fish in a tank as small (to the fish) as a 55g. You can read more in the profile, click the shaded names. [Profiles are under the second tab from the left in the blue bar across the top of the page, and the minimum tank size, water parameters, compatibility issues, etc are included for each species.]

There are problems with the other fish too. Goldfish should not be in with tropicals. A puffer depending upon the species may be brackish water, and regardless of that is best on its/their own in a smaller tank. And if the pleco was the Common Pleco, it attains well over a foot in length and has a significant impact on the tank's biology due to its waste.

I realize you may thing they are getting along now, but they may well not be. Inappropriate spaces [and dividing up the tank is making this even worse] and inappropriate tankmates will stress fish considerably, and this causes health issues and a shorter lifespan. You can read about stress here:
Stress and Freshwater Aquarium Fish

I would strongly suggest re-homing some of the fish before more die. These issues I've mentioned can contribute to "unexplained" deaths.

Hope this is of some help.

Byron.

kitten_penang

another thing is i don't believe you have a aerator in the tank from what i read.that's bad news.when using canisters presuming you tank is without a lot of plants you'll need an aerator.

jaysee

I exclusively use canisters and I don't own an aerator. They really aren't necessary.

kitten_penang

where does the o2 come from then.from what i've learned we use canisters for planted tanks because we don't want to lose the co2 in the tank.

jaysee

The gas exchange occurs at the surface - the air bubbles don't directly put any oxygen in the water. The bubbles burst at the surface, breaking the surface tension of the water which allows for the gas exchange. The spraybar from a canister creates more than enough surface disturbance to facilitate this, assuming it's properly angled.

bigvince

aerator? if your talking bout the air-stone then yes i have 2 a tiny one in a decoration i have which is on 1 side of the tank and a 4 inch round stone on opposite end now about the size i am getting a 125 gallon next weekend i got fish earlier then i did tank was anxious but i do plan on putting them in a bigger tank

now the mysterious deaths my 4 inch female jack was killing the fish she nipped at them till they basically died

kitten_penang

well i'm glad you found out who was killing off the fishes in your tank.good luck with the new 125 =) pls posts pics when it's ready thanks