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Post by Carl on Feb 27, 2015 10:14:34 GMT -5
One more Aquarium to come! I would not worry about a nitrate reading of 20 ppm Reference: www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2007/07/aquarium-nitrates.htmlHere is a quote from the article: "Studies show that the toxicity of nitrate is due to nitrite being an intermediate. Nitrites oxidize the iron atoms in hemoglobin from ferrous iron (2+) to ferric iron (3+), rendering it unable to carry oxygen. This process can lead to generalized lack of oxygen in organ tissue and a dangerous blood condition called methemoglobinemia. What is noteworthy is that NITRITE also needs to be present, this is why current evidence does not support those in some fish keeping articles that state that anything above 20 ppm nitrate is toxic, as this these assumptions were likely based on nitrite also being present since current scientific evidence shows that nitrates by itself cannot cause these issues at levels at say 30 ppm."Carl
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swimfin27
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Breeding is the ultimate joy!
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Post by swimfin27 on Feb 27, 2015 18:14:41 GMT -5
Very good suggestion, Parker! I already beat you to it, haha. I added 6 drops of Prime today and a 2 cap fulls of Stress Guard after a 15% water change. I plan on doing a 20% on Sunday and vacuuming the gravel to take out any rotting detritus and food. I have noticed the American Flagfish is very cleanly and will clean up every bit of food that they can reach. Very voracious appetites!
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swimfin27
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Breeding is the ultimate joy!
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Post by swimfin27 on Mar 6, 2015 20:19:57 GMT -5
TANK UPDATE: a few days after my last post my nitrate and nitrite levels which also means there had to be a good amount of ammonia present also. I quickly added SeaChem Prime to neutralize the harmful compounds. In reflection this is due to my impatience and adding too much bio load too quickly to a tank not fully cycled. In my field of work, in order to correctly start a wastewater plant you must grow a bio load. To do this "seeding" is done and healthy sludge from another plant is added to to help boost the micro organism population. The same bacteria are necessary to a fish tank(nitrosomona and nitrobacter) in order to properly break down ammonia and it's byproducts. Such a rookie mistake is not fair to the fish and was completely preventable if I were to follow the knowledgeable information that was provided for me. When you really understand the chemistry of it all it becomes more than a fish tank, it becomes a world that you create for the species you choose and as a creator you want your guests to be as comfortable as possible.
I purchased a 10g and set it up with a sponge filter I had submerged in the main tank. I also added a little 10g power head that came with the 25 to increase circulation. So that is a Hydro sponge 3 driven by a tetra whisper 20 and an air stone diffuser. I moved a male and a female Jordenella Floridae into this tank to 1: Reduce bio load in main tank 2: Hoping this pair will eventually breed. This was a few days ago and the nitrite and nitrate have come down in the 25g and the Flagfish in the 10g have finally warmed up to their new home. These guys were very difficult to catch and I had to lower the tank level to do this less stressful for the fish. It is incredible how much the color can change on these fish, normally they are very bright and vibrant but when moved they became very olive in color and lost their distinguishing marks(spot on body and spot on female dorsal). Today at feeding time they were their usual bright colors and looking like they have finally settled in.
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Mar 7, 2015 12:50:55 GMT -5
Glad the fish are settling in. I use color as the first sign of health. Good idea for the prime. You could also consider a cycle aid... but I think you said you were trying to a natural cycle. The sponge filter should help soon. An experiment BA did showed a sponge filter was able to keep up pretty closely to cycle aids. brokenaquarium.com/2015/02/25/experiment-1-cycle-aids-fritz-vs-seachem/
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swimfin27
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Breeding is the ultimate joy!
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Post by swimfin27 on Mar 9, 2015 16:11:59 GMT -5
Does anybody know what a Jordanella Floridae(American Flagfish) egg thread looks like? I have noticed a few long(about an inch) stringy strands that almost looks like fecal matter but it is too thin. They appear to be attached and 2 of these have nothing on them but one has tiny little cloudy looking "air bubble" I will try to get pictures but don't know how they will come out.
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Post by Carl on Mar 9, 2015 16:36:14 GMT -5
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swimfin27
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Post by swimfin27 on Mar 9, 2015 18:14:14 GMT -5
Thank you, Carl ;D. That is a good source!. Since I can't find an actual picture and can't get a good picture of them, I will make a spawning mop. I read a thread in DIY on how to make one so I will give that a visit again. The large male is guarding the plant that they are on. I make this assumption because he keeps returning to the area after everyone is chased off.
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Mar 10, 2015 10:34:51 GMT -5
It would be interesting to see a picture.
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swimfin27
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Post by swimfin27 on Mar 14, 2015 0:11:25 GMT -5
if you look in the background you can see a third "thread" They have since disappeared but have noticed that one female is looking very plump and chasing the boys around. I bought a breeder box and getting supplies to make a spawning mop tomorrow. I'm not really trying to breed them but if I can provide the right environment will let nature take its course. How many fish do you see?...They love the over head cover. I did this by detaching some quality plastic plants from their base(and saved for later) and inserting them into a suction cup. They love to swim in and out and even rest in comfort during the rest periods. The fish in the middle is Biggie and has become my favorite to watch. He is the dominate male and keeps a tight ship, there is definitely a pecking order but these guys are so bold that even the lowest on the totem pole still stands their ground. At first I was worried about some of the harassment but later realized no one fish was picked on in particular and everyone had their go. Kind of like a game of tag. And to leave off on a good note after a cleaning and 25% water change(4 days ago) my ammonia levels have dropped to .25 , nitrite to .50 and nitrate between 15 and 20. I did a 40% water change today and really got a good cleaning of the substrate. I decided to get a master test kit because as Carl has stated the test strips are for a quick grab and go look but with the reagents you get a better picture of what is going on.
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Mar 14, 2015 12:00:48 GMT -5
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swimfin27
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Post by swimfin27 on Mar 14, 2015 14:04:56 GMT -5
Unfortunetly the item in question looks very similar to the issue you had but not quite as long or white. I have not actually witnessed the expelling of it and everyone appears to have normal movements. I had noticed another piece today (the other pieces have since disappeared) laying on the substrate. I have not added any new substrate and when i put a male and female in the 10 gallon it was bare bottomed. I checked with a dip strip today and had no apparent nitrite or nitrates after yesterdays 40% WC Ph is about 7, KH was about 80(on the strip) and GH was 180+. I am going to see if I can find some Metronidazole and Kanaplex tomorrow and have it on hand just in case. EDIT: Just for reference their diet consists of freeze dried blood worms in AM, Spirulina 20 in the evening and half an algae wafer broken into little bits for snacking. How did everything turn out for you, Devon?
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Post by Carl on Mar 15, 2015 16:34:07 GMT -5
These look like feces to me, not eggs. On a side note since testing was brought up, I find the Ammonia Alert by SeaChem to be the best for ammonia testing since it ONLY tests toxic NH3, not total ammonia as with the reagents Resource: www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquariumtestkit.html#alertCarl
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swimfin27
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Post by swimfin27 on Mar 16, 2015 4:58:00 GMT -5
On a side note since testing was brought up, I find the Ammonia Alert by SeaChem to be the best for ammonia testing since it ONLY tests toxic NH3, not total ammonia as with the reagents I KNEW I was forgetting something! I have been meaning to buy one of these since but always seem to forget. The local LFSs don't carry them either. I intend on purchasing a UV kit this week and will be sure to grab them. Carl, when soaking flaked food for medication, Do you soak the food in the concentrated amount of meds or is some tank water added to the cup?
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Mar 16, 2015 8:19:42 GMT -5
How did everything turn out for you, Devon? After that thread, I just monitored for if health was getting worst from any of the fish, I also gave a couple MB baths. I figured who it was coming from, so I watched my angel more closely. I recently in the last couple weeks started using PraziPro, two dose now, because I was still seeing it. Haven't seen anything for like a week. So, I', still monitoring. I believe the PraziPro helped. I'm also not a 100% sure, but lots of blood worms all the time is not the best.
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Post by Carl on Mar 16, 2015 9:20:10 GMT -5
Carl, when soaking flaked food for medication, Do you soak the food in the concentrated amount of meds or is some tank water added to the cup? Here is a quote from Aquarium Medications Part 1; (Food Delivery Section) "For many internal infections soaking medications in food or the use of prepared medicated food is the best coarse of action in freshwater, however marine fish do not usually require delivery of medication via food due to their constant drinking of water around them. I find frozen foods often absorb medications better; such as Blood worms or Brine Shrimp (sometimes FD Brine Shrimp), I soak these foods in a few tablespoons of water with the medication for about 15-30 minutes then add everything to the aquarium or pond.
Even for external infections such as sores, injuries, etc, this may be the more simple coarse of action for very large aquariums or ponds over 500 gallons as "in tank" or fish removal is cost prohibitive or nearly impossible.
These are the medications I find work well for internal infections/infestations when soaked in a fish food "slurry"; Metronidazole, Neomycin, Kanamycin, Oxytetracycline, Piperazine, Praziquantel, and Levamisol. Be careful of over use of Kanamycin in a fish food delivery; do not use for more than 7 days or kidney damage could result.
Generally a dose intended for 2-5 gallons of water treatment will work for a 15-30 minute fish food soak For instance with Neomycin, this would mean .10 grams (or one measure) of the brand "SeaChem Neoplex" per each fish food soak twice per day (usually for 7-10 days)"Reference: www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Medication.html#food_deliveryCarl
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swimfin27
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Post by swimfin27 on Mar 20, 2015 11:24:06 GMT -5
Thanks Carl!..I have been keeping an eye on these guys and haven't noticed any continuation of the issue. BMs appear to be normal. I did not treat with anything just cut way back on the freeze dried blood worms to once a week after water changes.
On another note, the UV filter is making a plastic on plastic grinding noise again, I took it semi apart and inspected the impeller and housing and the filter basket there appears to be no visual obstructions. When I reassembled I did not have any petroleum jelly to lube the impeller but will pick some up later and see if that helps.
Is there a visual aid out there so I know where to apply the jelly? or is it applied to the shaft the impeller rides on?
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Post by Carl on Mar 20, 2015 11:39:25 GMT -5
Thanks Carl!..I have been keeping an eye on these guys and haven't noticed any continuation of the issue. BMs appear to be normal. I did not treat with anything just cut way back on the freeze dried blood worms to once a week after water changes. On another note, the UV filter is making a plastic on plastic grinding noise again, I took it semi apart and inspected the impeller and housing and the filter basket there appears to be no visual obstructions. When I reassembled I did not have any petroleum jelly to lube the impeller but will pick some up later and see if that helps. Is there a visual aid out there so I know where to apply the jelly? or is it applied to the shaft the impeller rides on? I would apply the Petroleum Jelly to the magnet, impeller well wall, and the shaft Carl
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swimfin27
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Post by swimfin27 on Apr 10, 2015 5:01:33 GMT -5
It has been a while and life has been hectic. The crayfish are finally making a recovery, I had to go out of town for a week and when I got back I noticed everyone was doing tail stands and not looking good at all. I went out and bought some pimafix and melafix and have been dosing that in via drip method. I tried soaking food but they would not eat it. After about a week everyone's color is returning, I'm not seeing tail stands as frequent and they are eating with a renewed vigor. Still haven't figured out why this happened.I've been cleaning the tank and decorations once a week with a50% water change and a 10% in the middle of the week to maintain rotting food and poo. I'm pretty sure it was fungal and don't have time to quote one of Carl's articles but I know the name started with a S. Will have to read it again after work.
Happy Friday, All and have a safe weekend.
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Apr 10, 2015 9:06:33 GMT -5
It has been a while and life has been hectic. The crayfish are finally making a recovery, I had to go out of town for a week and when I got back I noticed everyone was doing tail stands and not looking good at all. I went out and bought some pimafix and melafix and have been dosing that in via drip method. I tried soaking food but they would not eat it. After about a week everyone's color is returning, I'm not seeing tail stands as frequent and they are eating with a renewed vigor. Still haven't figured out why this happened.I've been cleaning the tank and decorations once a week with a50% water change and a 10% in the middle of the week to maintain rotting food and poo. I'm pretty sure it was fungal and don't have time to quote one of Carl's articles but I know the name started with a S. Will have to read it again after work. Happy Friday, All and have a safe weekend. Sorry about the hectic life :/ Are your water parameters in check?
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swimfin27
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Post by swimfin27 on Apr 10, 2015 11:08:15 GMT -5
Yes they are. Everything is finally established and staying consistant. I speculate that this problem arose while the tank was cycling and everything was going all wacky.
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