Post by aquaglory on Sept 30, 2010 14:53:43 GMT -5
Hi Carl.
Sorry it's been a while. Here is the update on the two tanks:
I still suspect the Paraguard as being the cause of the pH spike. I base this on the fact that for a year in the same 5 gallon tank, I had a steady pH of 6.8 after I adjusted the tap water pH with pulverized Vitamin C tablets (yes, off the beaten path). The Ich resolved faster in the 5 gallon tank, so I was able to stop the Paraguard sooner. Without further dosing with Paraguard, the pH stabilized at about 7.5 after the last water change (Meanwhile, in the other tank, the pH keeps creeping up if I don't do a water change first before treatment). I did another water change today, but have not yet tested the pH. I lost one of my 3 Otocinclus in that tank and a second one disappeared today. I can't find a body and considering the hood has absolutely no gaps in it, I can't imagine how it could jump out. It looked fine this morning. The remaining Oto. is eating with a plump belly, but I think it's disturbed without its company. The one that died yesterday had a shrunken stomach and was not acting right the day before, so I wasn't surprised.
My betta has been eating voraciously all this time, even though he seems more lethargic than usual. When he's not eating, he just lays on top of the Fissidens moss or a Java fern leaf, instead of going around the tank hunting or harassing the other inhabitants. He looks like he might have a bit of swim bladder issue, as he sometimes has to make an extra effort to go up (not constant).
He was born in this tank last summer in July, so I wouldn't imagine age being that much of a factor. On the other hand, this is the first time he has seen a pH reading this high. As the pH is being gradually brought back down, he is acting more like himself, including bobbing less. As for the poor osmotic regulation, would it be caused by excess calcium added to the tank? It would not be a deficit, as I add Magnesium, Calcium, and Sodium to the water.
As for the 36 gallon tank, it appears that the Paraguard finally has worked. As of yesterday, I don't see any Ich spots (crossing my fingers). I plan on treating an extra 5 days to be sure. The Paraguard, FYI, IS safe for Neocaridina shrimp. The 3 surviving shrimp (from the past disaster) are doing very well, starting to come out even during daytime and feeding, and the female that had eggs looks like she is very close to releasing the young shrimp (they look more like mini shrimp than eggs and she's fanning like mad). I don't know why it took so long for the Paraguard to work in the 36 gallon. Maybe it is the special gravel that I got for the plants, because I had removed the carbon from the filter (only sponge and ceramic media were left). As for the water parameters, they are now as follows (as of yesterday): Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0, pH 7.1, GH 18, Kh 3. I have a very generous amount of driftwood in the tank, already. Just out of curiosity, I tested the hardness of the tap water (which I already now is pH 7.8). Tap water is GH 13 and Kh 4.
'Hope this info helps in your interpretation of what might be going on.
Oh, yeah. One more statement about Paraguard: though the hydra didn't seem to like the Paraguard (I thought at one point that they were killed by it), it does not completely eradicate the hydra. (Bummer). It also had no effect on snails (unfortunately) as I have a bunch of baby ramshorns all over the tank.
Nicole
Sorry it's been a while. Here is the update on the two tanks:
I still suspect the Paraguard as being the cause of the pH spike. I base this on the fact that for a year in the same 5 gallon tank, I had a steady pH of 6.8 after I adjusted the tap water pH with pulverized Vitamin C tablets (yes, off the beaten path). The Ich resolved faster in the 5 gallon tank, so I was able to stop the Paraguard sooner. Without further dosing with Paraguard, the pH stabilized at about 7.5 after the last water change (Meanwhile, in the other tank, the pH keeps creeping up if I don't do a water change first before treatment). I did another water change today, but have not yet tested the pH. I lost one of my 3 Otocinclus in that tank and a second one disappeared today. I can't find a body and considering the hood has absolutely no gaps in it, I can't imagine how it could jump out. It looked fine this morning. The remaining Oto. is eating with a plump belly, but I think it's disturbed without its company. The one that died yesterday had a shrunken stomach and was not acting right the day before, so I wasn't surprised.
My betta has been eating voraciously all this time, even though he seems more lethargic than usual. When he's not eating, he just lays on top of the Fissidens moss or a Java fern leaf, instead of going around the tank hunting or harassing the other inhabitants. He looks like he might have a bit of swim bladder issue, as he sometimes has to make an extra effort to go up (not constant).
He was born in this tank last summer in July, so I wouldn't imagine age being that much of a factor. On the other hand, this is the first time he has seen a pH reading this high. As the pH is being gradually brought back down, he is acting more like himself, including bobbing less. As for the poor osmotic regulation, would it be caused by excess calcium added to the tank? It would not be a deficit, as I add Magnesium, Calcium, and Sodium to the water.
As for the 36 gallon tank, it appears that the Paraguard finally has worked. As of yesterday, I don't see any Ich spots (crossing my fingers). I plan on treating an extra 5 days to be sure. The Paraguard, FYI, IS safe for Neocaridina shrimp. The 3 surviving shrimp (from the past disaster) are doing very well, starting to come out even during daytime and feeding, and the female that had eggs looks like she is very close to releasing the young shrimp (they look more like mini shrimp than eggs and she's fanning like mad). I don't know why it took so long for the Paraguard to work in the 36 gallon. Maybe it is the special gravel that I got for the plants, because I had removed the carbon from the filter (only sponge and ceramic media were left). As for the water parameters, they are now as follows (as of yesterday): Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0, pH 7.1, GH 18, Kh 3. I have a very generous amount of driftwood in the tank, already. Just out of curiosity, I tested the hardness of the tap water (which I already now is pH 7.8). Tap water is GH 13 and Kh 4.
'Hope this info helps in your interpretation of what might be going on.
Oh, yeah. One more statement about Paraguard: though the hydra didn't seem to like the Paraguard (I thought at one point that they were killed by it), it does not completely eradicate the hydra. (Bummer). It also had no effect on snails (unfortunately) as I have a bunch of baby ramshorns all over the tank.
Nicole