fish death-freshwater aquarium

Question
QUESTION: I have had my aquarium for 6 months. Since that time, 3 black/white "catfish cleaners"-don't know the name- 3 orange with black stripes-cleaners-, 2 silver dollars all have died. I keep the aquarium clean and temperature up to 27 C. (in winter). They get fed daily, just a few pinches. Yes, I am totally an amateur, but love my fish and take to heart each one that dies. The plants are plastic. Right now we only have 3 silver dollars, one mono and one orange and black striped cleaner. If you can advise me I'd totally appreciate it. Frustrated and upset, Shelli ps we live in Israel.

ANSWER: Hello Shelli,

I would love to help you figure this out.  Thankyou for asking me to assist you.

I will need more information about your system in order to provide you with an expert answer.  To develop the cause, I need to know more about the specifications of the system.

What size is your aquarium?
What model # filter do you use?
What kind of filter is it?
How often are water changes being done?
How often does the media in the filter get changed?

I would appreciate a followup response with this information so I can better assist you.

I'm so sorry you lost your fish.  I love mine too and I know how painful it is when one dies.  

Renee

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Renee we have a 180 liter aquarium 1meter x 50 x 40 cms. The filter Rio 180 bio flow 3.0. We changed 1/3 of the water once every 2 1/2 months. The top white filter is changed weekly and the other filters we were told in the store, should be changed at the end of one year. Once/week we add microbe lift nite out 2  1 3/4 capfulls.
On the bottom of the tank, is a layer of fine white gravel and on top of that is a layer of small pebbles (both of which were purchased at the time and place we got the Juwel aquarium. We waited over 6 weeks with the tank filled with water before we added fish (10) 5 and then 2 weeks later another 5- in order to have the natural bacteria  acclimate.  Now, there is a layer of yellow covering the white gravel which we can easily see from the front of the tank.  Our remaining mono, 3 silver dollars and one clown loach  seem to be happy. We want to introduce more fish, but think it wise to buy a test kit for nitrates first. Do you agree? We feed 3 pinches of Tetra prima fish food. Are we overfeeding? could the fish we put in originally have been too small or sick? Sorry for all the questions, but we are such novices.

Answer
The other two filters should be changed at the end of a year?!  Oh my gosh, Shelli, that is absolutely terrible, irresponsible advice.

Never go to a petstore for advice.  There is NO brand of filter which requires less cleaning than monthly.  Period.  Even canister filters (sometimes stores say they need changed every 3 months) need changed monthly and if you have saltwater, they need changed out weekly.

Never add chemicals.  Never add Microbe. Bad advice.  

If your aquarium is the Juwel 180, using the Rio, then it's got a built-in filter, correct?  If so, then the media needs changed in that filter monthly, every month.

Bioballs need washed out bi-monthly if that is what it uses.

If it goes through pads, they need cleaned monthly.

Anything that can be considered "media" needs washed and cleaned monthly.

Water needs to be changed at a rate of 25% monthly, no matter how well the filter runs or how well the aquarium runs, and no matter what the petstore salesperson selling that model aquarium says.  

So many times, fish die because of water quality issues.  It's a pet peeve of mine (pun intended) to point out to unsuspecting individuals how many times the petstore personnel do not know what they are talking about.

A lot of times, it's a new, expensive product, and they are just "selling" it according to words a manufacturer put on the box.  If the manufacturer says change it once a year, then it needs to still be maintained monthly.

The nitrates are high only because the filter is not clean and the water not changed.

Try this, cut back on feeding (yes, too much food) and to feed properly, only put enough in the water that nothing hits the bottom of the tank, and feed once a day.

I would be very surprised if your water tests turn out okay with not having done any filter maintenance.

Yellow on gravel is ammonia, formed from high nitrites/nitrates.

I certainly hope this information is helpful and gets the tank on the way to a spectacular recovery. :)

Renee