Algae feeder struggling

[Jungle-mania]

My 6 month 2 feet tank has been having alot of problems of having many shrimps, snails and one whiptail dying. The other day, I bought a new whiptail and a nerite snail and they seem to staying at the top at the water surface. However, my other fishes like my coral red, dissneri and such do not show such symptoms. My tank uses ADA amazonia soil, 55W PL light, 1 cap Seachem Excel, 1/2 cap Nutrafin lushgro with Iron for every water change. I regularly add some nutrafin cycle too every 2 weeks or so.

[jhseah]

Hi

Not sure if you still require to dose the nutrafin cycle every 2 weeks if your tank is cycled. (best to confirm is to test the nitrate/nitrite content)

You didn't say about your bioload and filter, so i assume they should be fine.
Judging from the lighting and dosing of fertilizer, I don't think there is lack of algae in your tank.

I myself too bought whiptail for my tank and got casualties until recently, I bought another which able to survive and grow from 1 inch to 3 inches. Frankly I was surprised this fellow able to thrive after having no luck with previous whiptails.

What types of shrimps you gotten and died? Yamatos should be the toughest once the condition is right.

So, personally I feel that if the water conditions are ok, with proper acclimatisation, I hope your algae crews will thrive and feed in your tank.

[Jungle-mania]

Believe it or not, all my yamatoes died in 3 days, but my malayan survived for a few months, really tough when they climatise. My wood shrimps all died too after 3 months. My filter is a dolphin H-500 hanging filter with a cintered glass rings. Also my bioload might be really high as I have no time to set up my second tank.
my embarrasing load:
6 coral red
6 3 line
4 sparkling gouramis
2 betta cocina
2 chocolate gourami
4 dessnieri
5 sailfin tetra
7 clown killies
7 croaking gourami
1 whiptail
1 river nerite snail

all in a dutch style aquagarden, the tank looks like a riot of colours. Yes I confess I have a high bioload and I feed live and frozen daphnias only. Btw my tank glass is dirty with green algae so i doubt there isn't enough food.

[bryan]

Bottom dwellers hanging at the top of the tank is not a good sign. Lack of oxygen? Dodgy water conditions? Throw in an airstone or turn down the CO2, see if they go back down.

I have a 5" 'helicopter'. I throw it an algae wafer every 2-3 days.

[Jungle-mania]

Ok, going to change my water conditions tonight. Looks like its high time for a overhaul.

[Jungle-mania]

Alright, I did my water change and siphoned the bottom of my tank, have to say that it made a big difference in the condition. Unfortunately, I think my whiptail died on me. However, my river nerite snail has stop staying at the top and has moved around. I thought initially is the high bioload, now I know it is my overfeeding (there was a bad smell in the first take of siphoning).

I think I will rescape my tank now and reconsider reducing my bioload too before getting another whiptail.

[jhseah]

Yup, its seems that your bioload is way off.
And your hanging filter should not be suitable for planted tank too.

[Jungle-mania]

Unfortunately, time is not my side now, setting the new tank will have to be done later next week.