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-----Question-----
hi since all my fishes keep dieing of disases like finrot or other disases. All my fishes i keep introducing in my tank keep dieing of disases within 2 weeks or so on.
1..Iam thinking of recying my tank. Iam thinking of getting a under gravel filter. i heard that these disases occur when i have a bad water quality. i heard that undergravel filter cleans all gravel and remove all the waste. I  don't know if something wrong with my filter.

2..what does water control do, can i add it with carbon in to and also can it mix with other water medication like aqua plus, cycle.

3.. if i want to keep a gold fish tank in a 25 gallon how may gold fish can i add in in a 25 gallon.
-----Answer-----
Dear Jeev,
Sorry you are having so many problems. Undergravel filters won't solve all your problems.  Sometimes fish waste and old food particles can even become trapped under the filter area and cause your tank to become toxic. Any filter that hangs on the back of the tank that is the correct size for your tank should be easier to maintain and keep your water in better condition.  What may be happening to your fish is that your tank may not be cycled when you add them.  Buy some benificial bacteria at the fish store to help your tank cycle.  There is one brand that is called "Cycle". If you can't find that brand use any other reliable type.  You need to build up the population of benificial bacteria in your tank so it can handle the fish waste. If your tank isn't cycled then it quickly becomes toxic to your fish and they will die from ammonia and nitrite poisoning.  If possible get a water test kit to test your water for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.  Anytime these get too high, do a large water change.  There are also some water conditioners that help to neutralize ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.  Add this every time you do a water change.  Be sure to do large and frequent water changes.  When water is not perfect and especially when a tank is not completely cycled, do at least 50% water changes 3 times a week.  You can use carbon to help keep your water cleaner but don't depend on it as a substitute for water changes.  It can only do so much. Nothing is better for fish than clean water since they are always swimming in their waste.  Keep your filter clean by rinsing it in a container of aquarium water.  It sounds strange but that way you won't kill any of the beneficial bacteria that have colonized in your filter.  You just want to clean any large particles off it and not totally clean all the bacteria from it.  Be sure when you stock your tank that you consider the size of the fish since some will grow very quickly and this will be a problem if your tank is too small and can't handle a large fishes' waste. Don't try to stock your tank all at once. Be patient and do it gradually over a few weeks time so you don't overload your tanks ability to handle the load. As for the stocking of the 25 gallon with goldfish--to be safe I would only put 2 since they are really big waste producers and can grow really large.  I know in the fish stores they always have alot in their aquariums, but it just wouldn't work over a long period of time without causing alot of problems.  Good luck and I hope things work out better this time.
Hope this helps!

thanks for you help, but my tank is complety cycled it's about 4 month old, I also use cyle along with my water change. All the fish i put in die within 2 weeks. they do fine for about two weeks and then they get this finrot or fungus disaese and they die within two weeks. I do maintain my tank propery. I do use godd filter which is aqua clear 50 work with carbon and bio-max. I don't know what's wrong with it. So i empty my tank and wash it. It's now seating in a coner of my room with no fish. When i look at it, it make me sad, i spent lot of money. Iam thinking of restting my tank next month and try to keep a cold water fishes like gold fishes, i heard they are hardy, because my aunt have a cold water fish tank which is about 25 gallon, she keep about 10 goldfishes and she had no problem. how many gold fishes can i keeep upto in my 25 gallon tank.

thanks

Answer
Dear Jeev,
If everytime your fish become diseased and you wash everything out in the tank..then likely you are destroying the beneficial bacterial colonies who grow on your gravel bed and filter. If you wash the gravel or filter in tap water, the chlorine and Chloramines will destroy these bacteria. So then Ammonia problems would be constant in your aquarium and would be the source of the fish loss and disease.

What needs to be done is setup your aquarium again thoroughly--if you need help visit this webpage-
"www.fishtanksandponds.info/setting-up/basics/index.htm"

~*Properly cycle your aquarium..If you need more help on that feel free to write or visit this link-
"www.fishtanksandponds.info/setting-up/cycling/cycling.htm"

~*I would keep a different fish that doesn't have so much space demands. Goldfish aren't very suitable. Please get easier and smaller fish species such as Platies, Tetras, or danios. I feel goldfish may not be good because they produce a huge amount of waste and are actually more difficult to care for than simple little tropial fish. Goldfish aren't very hardy either. Unless you get the comet-tailed variety. There is no way 10 goldfish of any type could live in a 25 gallon aquarium and actually be growing and thriving. Goldfish can endure the worst circumstances, but they certainly won't thrive in it.

~*If your fish get sick. Research or ask about the proper diagnosis and make sure to get the proper medications and know exactly how to treat that illness before starting. It is very rare for fish to become as sick as yours have and as harsh as it sounds, there is something you are doing wrong that is causing it.

Not to sound mean. ((I am only trying to help)) but please carefully follow information provided by reliable sources about fish care. If you like you can visit these reliable and good fish websites for more info-
"www.fishtanksandponds.net"
"aquariumfish.net"

I'm sorry again about the bad start you've had in your fishkeeping hobby. Every new fishkeeper tends to go through alot with their first few fishkeeping experiences. But with help and plenty of research, you can overcome these problems and be granted a enjoyable and interesting fishkeeping hobby from then on.

Best wishes,
Karen~