SteveOH

Adolfos Cory – 5 years
Angelfish – 10+ years
Apistogramma – 3 to 5 years
Archer Fish – 5 years
Armored Catfish – 7 to 15 years
Bala Shark – 10 years
Bandit Cory – 5 years
Banjo Cat – 7 to 15 years
Banjo Catfish – 5 to 8 years
Black Neon Tetra – 5 years
Black Phantom Tetra – 5 years
Black Shark – 4 to 10 years
Black Tetra – 5 years
Black Widow Tetra – 5 years
Blackfin Cory – 5+ years
Bleeding Heart Tetra – 5 years
Blindcave Fish – 5+ years
Bloodfin Tetra – 10+ years
Blue Gourami – 4 years
Boesman Rainbow – 5 years
Bronze Cory – 5 years
Bumble Bee Catfish – 5 to 8 years
Cardinal Tetra – 4 years
Cherry Barb – 5 to 7 years
Chocolate Gourami – 4 years
Clown Loach – 15+ years
Columbian Tetra – 5 years
Congo Tetra – 5 years
Convict – 10 to 18 years
Diamond Tetra – 5 years
Discus – 10 to 18 years
Dojo Loach – 10 years
Dwarf Gourami – 4 years
Emperor Tetra – 6 years
Festivum – 10+ years
Figure 8 Puffer – 5 years
Firemouth – 10 to 15 years
Frontosa – 8 to 15 years
Giant Danio – 5 to 7 years
Glass Catfish – 8 years
Glassfish – 8 years
Glowlight Tetra – 5 years
Goldfish – 10 to 30 years
Guppy – 3 to 5 years
Harlequin – 6 years
Hatchetfish – 5 years
Hog Nose Brochis – 10 years
Honey Gourami – 4 years
Jack Dempsey – 10 to 18 years
Jordan’s Catfish – 10+ years
Killifish – 1 to 2 years
Kissing Gourami – 5 years
Lemon Tetra – 5 years
Leopard Danio – 5 to 7 years
Leporinus – 5+ years
Livingstoni – 10+ years
Midas Cichlid – 15+ years
Mollie – 4 years
Moonlight Gourami – 4 years
Neon Rainbow – 3 to 4 years
Neon Tetra – 5 to 10 years
Oscar – 10 to 18 years
Otocinclus – 5 years
Pacu – 10 years
Pearl Danio – 5 years
Pearl Gourami – 4 years
Pictus Catfish – 8 years
Piranha – 10 years
Platy – 3 to 5 years
Pleco – 7 to 15 years
Rafael Catfish – 7 to 15 years
Rainbow Shark – 4 to 10 years
Rams – 4 years
Rasboras – 5 to 10 years
Red Eye Tetra – 5 years
Red Rainbow – 5 years
Red Tailed Catfish – 15 years
Redtail Shark – 8 years
Rosy Barb – 5 years
Royal Pleco – 10+ years
Rummy Nose Tetra – 5 to 10 years
Rumy Nose Tetra – 5 years
Severum – 10 to 18 years
Silver Dollar – 10+ years
Silvertip Tetra – 5 years
Swordtails – 3 to 5 years
Texas Cichlid – 10+ years
Tiger Barb – 6 years
Tigerfish – 5 years
Tinfoild Barb – 10 years
Upside Down Catfish – 5 years
Weather Loach – 10 years
Whiptail – 10+ years
White Cloud Mountain Minnow – 5 to 7 years
Zebra Cichlid – 10+ years
Zebra Danio – 5 years

So my tanks’ ph fluctuate to the point where I’ve had to add baking soda to bring up the alkalinity (PH) to around neutral (~7.0).  Otherwise, my PH will plummet to < 6.0, etc.  Now it wasn’t really an issue, since it was fairly stable at less than 6.0 (I say that because the minimum reading in my kit is 6, but it had to be less because even after an initial dose of baking soda it still read the same value).  I figured that I needed to do something, though, because every so often I would lose a fish.  Maybe because of the low ph or whatever, but either way it can’t hurt to be where you should be.  So I have to add the baking soda every water change, which is about every 2 weeks or so.  It’s not a set it – and forget it type deal, because it’s mixes with the water and changes the chemistry of it.  Whatever is causing the PH to go so low (a combination of things I imagine) will continue to do so.  Therefore, the baking soda is more of a band-aid approach than it is a solution, but it works and my fish are happy, so I’m happy

I have two tanks set up at home: 1 x 29 gallon community tank and 1 x 20 gallon breeding / life bearer tank.  In the 20gal tank I only have platies and guppies with a little salt in the water.

So after much research I’ve come to the conclusion that my tank must have Fish TB (tuberculosis).  The research on the net confirms the sunken belly and the curved (bent) spine.  All my guppies eventually fall victim to it (their spines start bending) and then all of a sudden then die.  I’ve come to the conclusion that, whatever it is, is a communicable disease, since I’ve added new guppies to the tank and they’ve fallen victim, as well as the offspring of previous guppies who have also died.  The weirdest thing is that it does not affect the 15+ baby and adolescent platties in the tank (sun burt and red scarlet).  They seem happy and healthy.  I currently have about 4 baby guppies (the mother died 2 months ago and the father died just recently – about 3 days ago), so I’ll have to keep an eye on them and let you know what happens.  Either way, there doesn’t seem to be any defense against this bacterium and the only resolution I’ve found is to dry the tank, bleach it, and start again.  That’s a huge pain though, so I’m willing to give it some time before I go that route.