What am I doing wrong?

[Stuart911]

BACKGROUND: I purchased a male and a female Agassizii a few months back. The female died very quickly, I got another male and then both males died over the next few weeks. My LFS was having a hard time with this group of Agassizii as they lost four fish one night and had to medicate their tank. That said, I still lost three agassizii in about six weeks and since I love this breed of fish I changed my tank conditions and purchased another fish yesterday. So I'm wondering if my changes are going to help. If you can weigh in on the changes, it'll be greatly appreciated.

Old tank -
20 long w a couple of tetras as tank mates,
no live vegetation but lots of driftwood, oak leaves, and caves.
fluval aquarium safe peat balls as my substrate to keep the Ph down
Parameters were 6.7 Ph, 5.6 dh, 81F.
Nitrates were consistently below 20.

New tank
20 long w a couple of tetras as tank mates,
Moss ball and about 10 bacopa stems creating a little "forest" AND lots of driftwood, oak leaves, and caves.
Removed the peat substrate and am using aquarium sand instead. (Higher Ph, but a lot cleaner)
Put the peat in a diffuser floating in the tank rather than as substrate.
Parameters are 7.0 Ph, 8.7 dh, 81F.
Nitrates below 20.

My questions:
Was peat a bad idea as substrate?
Is 7.0 Ph, too high for long-term agassizii success? What about breeding?
Is 8.7 dh too high for long-term agassizii success? What about breeding?
Is my temperature too high? too low?
Will plants make a difference?
Is a 20 long big enough for one Agassizzi?

Advice welcome...

 

[Mike Wise]

Was peat a bad idea as substrate?

IMHO yes, sand substrate is more natural and easier to clean.

Is 7.0 Ph, too high for long-term agassizii success? What about breeding?

For long-term keeping it is fine. Aggies are fairly adaptable to pH values. That's why they have been seen in the hobby for over a century. As for breeding success, a slightly lower value, ~pH 6.0 - 6.5 would make it easier for you and your aggies. Successful spawns are possible at neutral values, but it take more care from the aquarist.

Is 8.7 dh too high for long-term agassizii success? What about breeding

Is this dGH or dKH? For long-term keeping it is fine. For breeding, if KH, it is on the high side, but possible.

Is my temperature too high? too low

81°F/27.5°C is a bit high but not bad either. Successful spawns at this temperature will probably result in a majority of the fry being males. 79°F/26°C would be better for breeding and 77°F/25°C for everyday maintenance.

Will plants make a difference?

No, but they won't hurt either. Most populations of A. agassizii occur in biotope with few, if any, aquatic plants.

Is a 20 long big enough for one Agassizzi

A 5 gallon tank is large enough for 1 aggie. A pair will do better in a larger tank, at least a 15/20H or 20Long.

I think your problems stem from getting poor fish from the beginning. Try again, but if the fish don't look happy and healthy don't buy them. Once you get a pair (or preferably a trio) make sure you quarantine them for several weeks before adding to an established tank. Good luck.

 

[chris1805]

I think mike just said it all however I always like to keep floating plants, they are good at removing excess nutritions and they provide some cover so the light won’t be to bright for your fish

 

[Stuart911]

Mike I really appreciate such a detailed reply. It really helps me and the fish, so thank you.
My new guy is doing well and he's showing no signs of illness at this point which is heartening.
The water hardness was dGH so I assume it's okay at the parameters I gave you. And I'll take your advice and lower the temperature slightly for now and lower the Ph a little when I decide to breed.

Again, thanks so much for the help.

 

[3ze]

Sand, wood,leaves, KH 0-3, pH 6,5, temp. 23°C (not constantly), drift plants, peated water is how I keep all of them. Bit like said above, except temp maybe hehe
Breeding conditions variable sp. to sp.
Healthy fish is and a healthy tank (stable) are goo starters.