|
Post by kagome on Nov 12, 2008 0:04:24 GMT -5
Umm, maybe this is a dumb question, but if the nitrifying bacteria can't live outside of the water then how do they get into a new tank? Especially if you're doing fishless cycling and so they have nothing to ride in on? I mean that don't just spontaneously generate out of nothing. So how do they get there? Wouldn't they have to travel in from some "dry" source?
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 11, 2008 9:13:45 GMT -5
That's terrible! I think Carl and Jon just helped Renee with that same problem. I think they used some sort of salt bath, but I'm not sure. Sorry I can't offer more help, but your poor fish has my sympathies!
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 10, 2008 22:30:36 GMT -5
Are you going to try resealing it?
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 10, 2008 13:18:37 GMT -5
Thanks guys. Yes, that answered my questions for the most part. I put a medicated wondershell in the tank last night. The water is quite blue, but my Gourami seems MUCH better this morning. He doesn't seem so droopy and he was begging to be fed and he ate very well. He is very much acting like his usual self.
I'm sorry I keep asking so many questions, but I just want to make sure I don't mess up so my fish will get better. While the medicated wondershell is in the tank how often should I do water changes? I usually do them once a week, but I should I do it more often right now?
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 9, 2008 19:20:03 GMT -5
Renee,
Is it possible you were wearing a shirt that is a color they weren't used to seeing? I swear I have this one green shirt that scares the crap out of my fish. They seem to freak out and run for their caves when I wear this shirt, maybe the green makes me look like a big predator or something. They also don't seem to like it when I wear a hat, fish are just goofy sometimes. I'm very glad to hear that your fish are acting normally again. My Gourami, Spot, is not acting like himself at all since he has been sick so I'm sure that your were very worried about your little guys.
To prevent fry binge eating couldn't you use one of those traps that hangs on the inside of the tank? My grandfather raised guppies and sold them to fish stores. He had hundreds of them. He had a little clear plastic box that hung inside the tank. Towards the bottom it had two angled pieces of plastic that formed a slit too small for the mom guppy to swim down into. The fry would hang out in that bottom compartment because they would sink down through that slit. So as soon as one of his girl guppies got to be fat and pregnant looking he would keep her in there until she had her fry. Then he would put her back with the adults and put the babies in one of his fry tanks.
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 9, 2008 18:30:52 GMT -5
Carl,
I do have another medicated wonder shell, but I'm not sure how I should use it. What are your recommendations?
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 9, 2008 13:53:37 GMT -5
Hey Jon, while we're all dreaming anyway, why not dream that you have a glass bottom boat so you could go out and watch your fishies doing there fishy things?
My other dream tank would also be a pond, I guess I should have added pond to the list, too. I didn't mean to discriminate against our outdoor fish friends. I would love to have a beautiful Japanese garden, with Japanese maples, cherry trees, a Zen gate, a large stone Buddha, the works! And I'd like to have it terraced so that as you walk around the path you go around a terraced hill and on the other side you find yourself at the foot of an elegant red bridge that goes over a very large Coi pond that has huge coi who follow you around and beg to be fed at the surface. I would grow white and purple lotuses in my pond because they are my favorite flower and the Coi could glide in and out of the stalks that support the wide, smooth leaves, and fragrant flowers. I especially love the Coi that are bright yellow and the ones with rosy spots on a white background so I would have several of those. My dream pond would have several crimson bridges. The first bridge I would want to go a small island that has a gazebo with wooden benches for sitting and looking at the graceful cherry trees that swept their graceful branches over the water and dropped delicate pink flowers on the water's surface in spring time. Another bridge would connect that island to another small island that would have a small pagoda built on it that would house my private shrine with a Buddha. A third bridge would go from the Pagoda island to the other shore. I think that would be a paradise.
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 9, 2008 13:32:19 GMT -5
It was a Medicated Wondershell that turned the water blue. I had just done a 50% water change after having done a three day cycle of Quick Cure. I saw the blue coming off of the Medicated Wondershell in streams and within half an hour the water was blue, really blue, like I had dyed the water with a bunch of food coloring.
By the way, I'm not using Methylene Blue, what's in the Quick Cure is Zinc free Malachite Green and Formalin.
The directions say to treat for three days, then do a 25% water change. Where I'm going to deviate from the directions is that the bottle says that if the fish look better after three days that you don't have to treat anymore, but I think this latest crop of Protozoans shows that to be untrue. I'm going to treat the tank everyday for 14 days. I'll do a water change every three days like the bottle says. Because of the clown loach I'm only treating at half strength, five drops instead of ten, so I think I'll be OK on overdosing. Then when the 14 days are up I'll do a 50% water change and put the carbon and bio cartridge back in.
As an update, my Gourami looks very poorly today. His name is Spot and it makes me very sad to see his beautiful fins look so shabby and beat up. But, he's not flashing and darting around the tank, so I think he at least feels better even if he doesn't look better. I really hope I don't lose him, I'm very attached to him.
Thanks for the help, kagome
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 9, 2008 1:11:03 GMT -5
I've had a hard week and I thought a little day dreaming would do me and possibly some other people a whole lot of good. If money, time, and space were no object, what would be your "dream tank"? You know, that perfect set up you've always had in the back of your mind that you knew that someday you would just love to splurge on. So let's be goofy and talk about our ultimate fantasy tank, or even tanks, you can have many more than one dream. I'll even start us off:
I want a 200g freshwater tank in the middle of the room so I could walk all the way around it and sit anywhere in the room and have a great view of it. I would want to build a series of rock caves in the center out of craggy black stone that basically formed a rough pyramid type shape that went up about half way to the top. I'd want a school of every kind of African lake cichlid that I could possibly get in there and let them all get to absolute max size. I'd like to have some of the big black African catfish, I think their Sinodontus. That would be totally awesome.
I have some other dream tanks too, but I'm waiting to here yours!
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 9, 2008 0:59:01 GMT -5
I live in northwest Florida actually. Rams are readily available from an extremely reputable dealer in Pensacola. The business is owned by a pair of brothers and they've been in business a looooooong time. Just to let you know just how long they've been at this, I remember going into their store with my parents when I was about 4 years old when my dad was stationed in Pensacola the first time (my dad is retired Navy). Now I'm thirty years old and I take my toddler son in there and it's still the same two guys running it. They only carry very high quality fish, I buy all my stock from them. I asked them last time I was in there and they said there was someone locally who bred the rams and they said the same guy breeds some of their other cichlids and some of their awesome assortment of fancy plecos. They only sell young Rams, only about an inch or so. I know you were saying the ones you got were full size. I figure I will get angels that are about the same size as the rams and everybody can grow up together, and hopefully no one shall eat his neighbor. Good luck with your new fishies!
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 9, 2008 0:43:29 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies folks!
goldenpuon--These are fish that I have had for quite a while in my 10g tank that has been up and running for over a year.
Carl & Bill--OK, so basically you guys think I should keep on with the Quick Cure but use it for like two weeks? Should I do a water change everyday before I retreat? And if so, what percent of the water should I change out before adding more medicine? I only did three days because that what was on the instructions for the Quick Cure.
Also, during the last round of battling this stuff I put a medicated wonder shell in the tank. It turned the water dark blue. When I was using the Quick Cure it didn't turn blue at all. Once the water turned dark blue the loach was acting as if he was under SEVERE stress, (darting, flashing, even ramming himself into the decor and glass) to the point that I immediately removed the shell and did a 50% water change and was still very concerned that he would die at the time (he didn't, he's fine now and still in the tank). Is the medicated wonder shell too big to put in such a small tank?
Thanks again guys, I can't tell you how worried and frustrated I've been about this today, my Gourami really doesn't seem to feel well. I've had him a really long time and would hate to lose him. A whole bunch of other things have gone wrong lately, with both fish and not fish stuff and so this has been just one more straw on the back of a very overloaded camel. I hope everyone out there in fishy forum land is well and having a good day. You guys are all so nice, I'm so glad I joined this forum.
Warmest regards, kagome
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 8, 2008 21:44:32 GMT -5
OK, I just do not get this. A few weeks ago my clown loach in my 10g tank started to look ill. I'm not sure if he had Ich or Velvet because it almost looked like both, but it was definitely some sort of Protozoan infection. He had even scratched some of his skin away. So I freaked out and read all of Carl's articles about fish disease and decided to get some Quick Cure to treat the tank (Paragaurd not readily available). I treated the tank at half dose on account of the loach being sensitive. I took out the carbon and did everything by the book for a three day treatment. I did a 50% water change and did 2 more days of treatment. The loach looked much better, his skin even grew back very quickly and I figured all was OK. So I did a 25% water change and put the carbon back in the filter and figured all was OK. I noticed two days ago that my Gourami was acting weird, dashing around the tank and looking a bit stressed out. Today his fins look he has fin rot and one little spot looks like it might be ich. So I started another round of Quick Cure tonight. I've never had any kind of infection in one of my tanks before and I'm frustrated. Did I not treat the tank long enough? Should I take out the gravel and rinse/clean it? For the record I would like to point out that my tank parameters are excellent. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, etc. I use wonder shells. I do a 25% water change with a gravel vacuum every week. I very carefully make new water the same temperature as the tank water. I'm very careful not to overfeed and I feed quality food. Nobody is beating anybody up in the tank. So I don't really think that anybody is overly stressed. Thanks in advance for any and all help, I'm kinda upset about this whole thing. *whine*
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 8, 2008 14:19:38 GMT -5
I am also wanting to put Angels and Rams together. Combining the two species has been the driving concept of setting up my new tank. I can't remember who (sorry) but someone on the forum brought up the point that Rams and Angels do better together if your tank is at least 18" tall or so.
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 7, 2008 0:19:27 GMT -5
This is a just suggestion, but maybe if you're worried about stress and slime coat loss while you're treating your sick fish, why not add some Stress Coat to your main tank? I wouldn't add a huge amount, just a little to stimulate some slime coat action.
I'm so sorry Nemo is sick! Spike, one of my favorite fish, was sick lately and I was very upset because he is a Clown Loach and therefore very hard to treat. But it all turned out ok. I know how stressful it can be to try and treat one of your fish. You keep doing things to them and you know you're totally stressing them and taking a chance of killing them. But then, if you leave them alone, they'll die for sure! It is being stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. I really hope everything turns out well for you and Nemo!
Warmest regards, kagome
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 6, 2008 23:50:58 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum! This is a great site and every do helpful!
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 6, 2008 23:49:55 GMT -5
Welcome!! I'm new, too, and can honestly say this is an awesome forum!
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 6, 2008 0:20:29 GMT -5
I see. Thanks for showing me the picture. I don't have any central braces on my 40 gallon tall stand. I hope that is not a bad thing. Do not worry Rene, a properly built 40 gallon does not need a support brace, generally only 48 inch long (such as 55/60 gallon) or taller tanks such as the 60 tall (which is 36 inches long) need these braces for added support. Carl My 38 gallon has a center brace like that, but it's basically shaped like a 55g, just the back wall and the front wall aren't as far apart as a 55g. My support is plastic and now I'm scared! Good luck Lori!! I will think happy thoughts about your tank coming out well!!
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 5, 2008 0:11:21 GMT -5
jonv-- Actually, in my previous Angel tank, I had a castle with a cave in it. I had four angels in there. Two of them would squeeze into that cave together all the time, almost everyday. They would want to be fed and pop out of there, eat, swim around for a while, then squeeze back in there. I NEVER saw the other two come in or out of there. All for were of the same variety, same size, although I'm not sure of the sex, and I watched the tank a lot and never saw anybody picking on anybody else. They all seemed rather peaceful with each other, even at feeding time. So maybe with angels it just depends on the individual fish? Everything I've read about the Rams says that they need to have a lot of hiding places as well as large open swimming areas, so I've tried to set the tank up with that in mind. As for the clown loaches, I've never had a problem with clown loaches bothering anyone else and when I get my rams the loaches should be of a size where the Rams might chase after them but won't be able to actually hurt them. However, with my old angel tank, I did find that Yo Yo loaches and angels don't mix. My Yo Yo was very small but harassed my angels so bad I had to trade him in. So no Yo Yo's in this tank!!
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 4, 2008 23:51:34 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies guys!
Ok, for right now this is what I'm doing. Everyday I'm taking out 2 1/2g and replacing it with new water treated with Prime. The only Wonder Shell I have is in the 10g that was sick, but I just ordered 10 from Carl the other day. The moment they arrive I will put one in the 38g. I am also feeding very conservatively and waiting until I see them out in the open foraging to drop in 1/2 of the little bottom feeder wafers. So far I've seen them go and eat them completely within a few minutes.
jonv-- My 38g is 20" tall. Towards the back of the tank I have a lot of silk plants for the Rams to hide in and also large open swimming areas at the front of the tank. I also have a 1' Japanese pagoda that has small hidey caves and a very large Buddha that has a rather large hidey cave. I figured that the rams would probably hang out towards the bottom among the many plants while the angels would hang out higher up in the more open areas. But should an angel decide it wants to hide, the Buddha is big enough to house a pretty good sized angel or they could hide in the very tall bushy silk plant that goes almost to the top of the tank and is in front of my sponge filter so that it's not so obvious at a glance. The loaches thus far have claimed the corner with the sponge filter, although they do like to come out and rest on the Buddha, especially his feet. I'm going to try and get a picture of them resting there, it's so cute!
|
|
|
Post by kagome on Nov 4, 2008 23:29:34 GMT -5
I have some tips for you as far as Craig's list goes. I hope these are helpful.
First, remember that you should repost your ad periodically because just like every other message board, as new stuff comes it bumps older stuff down on the list. Keeping your ad towards the top of the list is helpful, just delete you older ones.
Second, make your ad VERY descriptive. Give as much detail as you possibly can. I have found that the longer the ad I type on Craig's list, the more phone calls I get about a given item, be it a washing machine or an old lawn mower. Describe those guppies like you're trying to win a Pulitzer Prize!!
Third, I would really suggest that you add your phone number onto your add. From your description it sounds like you only have your e-mail up there. People are impatient and guppies are widely available, so why wait for someone to message them and arrange something when they can just walk into almost any store that sells fish and immediately get what they want? Put down your phone number and acceptable hours during which they can call.
It's so funny that you should say you're having a hard time with selling guppies, well-bred straight-backed fancy guppies are the number one thing that pet stores here in the Pensacola area want. The second most in demand are Chinese Algae Eaters, which frankly I just don't get because I've never really thought they were that cool.
I hope this has been at least a little bit helpful.
Warmest regards, Kagome
|
|