Hi
I got some new driftwood on Saturday, boiled it. Over the last few days it developed a white slimy film, which I expected because the guy who sold it to me told me it may happen.
I also added co2 via a DIY method.
The slime spread to the airstone diffuser for the co2.
Did it hurt my puffers too??
I've tested several times since Saturday and my water is otherwise perfect.
The puffers were swimming aimlessly, bumping into things and wouldn't eat.
I removed the wood and did a 70% water change before I left for work.
I hope they aren't dead when I get home.
Anyone have any ideas if not the wood??
No one I've talked to has ever had a prob with the slimy affecting their fish. ;/
New driftwood killing my puffers?
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
-
Pufferpunk
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Re: New driftwood killing my puffers?
ABSOLUTELY, remove the wood & scrub off ALL slime. Test the water for source of puffer issues.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Welch4
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Re: New driftwood killing my puffers?
I had a similar thing happen with a peice of wood I got. Boiled it 3 separate times. And each time the film came back. I abandoned using it in any of my tanks. I hope your puffs are alright.
Forget other advice about puffers you don't hear here - Pufferpunk
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Pufferpunk
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- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
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Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
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C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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- Contact:
Re: New driftwood killing my puffers?
Oh & if you paid for that wood, get your $$$ back!
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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eieio
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RIP cream puff :-( - Location (country): U.S.A.
- Location: Prescott, Arizona
Re: New driftwood killing my puffers?
what kind of wood is it?
(I know it's driftwood, but what kind of tree is it from?)
(I know it's driftwood, but what kind of tree is it from?)
"I plan ahead. That way, I don't have to do anything right now!"
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RTR
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Re: New driftwood killing my puffers?
Pre-soaking driftwood for me is not at all a quick process. It can take weeks to months. "New" driftwood can affect the water negatively. New driftwood plus new CO2 injection has likely dropped the pH significantly. What is the tank pH and carbonate/bicarbonate hardness? And what are the same readings from the tap water?
Where's the fish? - Neptune
Re: New driftwood killing my puffers?
Thank you all for your responses.
I'll be taking the wood back. I should not have assumed it would be safe. I shouldn't rely on sales people for ANYTHING I know this.
Both ph and the high range tests barely register anything.
I use ro/di water so didn't test tap water.
Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates all read 0.
2 of my 3 FW's are doing great now, eating fine and being normal. The 3rd was just completely mia from my tank when I got home. Can't find him anywhere ;(
Recommendations on finding a safe piece of driftwood for my tank?
Thanks again everyone!
I'll be taking the wood back. I should not have assumed it would be safe. I shouldn't rely on sales people for ANYTHING I know this.
Both ph and the high range tests barely register anything.
I use ro/di water so didn't test tap water.
Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates all read 0.
2 of my 3 FW's are doing great now, eating fine and being normal. The 3rd was just completely mia from my tank when I got home. Can't find him anywhere ;(
Recommendations on finding a safe piece of driftwood for my tank?
Thanks again everyone!
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32773
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Re: New driftwood killing my puffers?
What kind of system is this? FW/BW? Why are you using RO water??? Why is there no nitrate or pH? What test kits are you using?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
-
eieio
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1033
- Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:34 am
- My Puffers: *
The Congo Puffer:
"olivia"
and.......
The DP:
"cream puff"
RIP cream puff :-( - Location (country): U.S.A.
- Location: Prescott, Arizona
Re: New driftwood killing my puffers?
what kind of wood did you get?
"I plan ahead. That way, I don't have to do anything right now!"
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bertie 83
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Re: New driftwood killing my puffers?
Ph barely registers anything? Please elaborate, that sounds deadly for the fish
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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DMD123
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Re: New driftwood killing my puffers?
You do not want to use RO water in a freshwater tank: http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f123/ ... 12081.html
Quote from that forum: "Whiskey had told me not to use RO/DI in a freshwater tank
This is his explanation copied from another thread
I have always used tap water for this, normally with a drop or two of declorinator from my FW tank,.. and everyone I know has always used tap water as well.
RO/DI water is stripped of EVERYTHING, including it has no Alk, meaning it's subject to wide PH swings very quickly. It also has the issue of something called "Hungry water syndrome" it is in a very un-natural state, and it want's to pull minerals from it's surroundings. If you use it as the water in your car it can actually erode the block. This is also why they don't use copper fittings, or line past the DI part even in industrial applications,.. it's all PVC (The matenence man in our shop told me that little gem )
Tap water has always worked well for me! I'm sure there's a better sulution (like adding Alk and minerals back to RO/DI) but it sounds like a huge pain and I don't wana bother."
The PH issue sounds like it could be related to this.
Quote from that forum: "Whiskey had told me not to use RO/DI in a freshwater tank
This is his explanation copied from another thread
I have always used tap water for this, normally with a drop or two of declorinator from my FW tank,.. and everyone I know has always used tap water as well.
RO/DI water is stripped of EVERYTHING, including it has no Alk, meaning it's subject to wide PH swings very quickly. It also has the issue of something called "Hungry water syndrome" it is in a very un-natural state, and it want's to pull minerals from it's surroundings. If you use it as the water in your car it can actually erode the block. This is also why they don't use copper fittings, or line past the DI part even in industrial applications,.. it's all PVC (The matenence man in our shop told me that little gem )
Tap water has always worked well for me! I'm sure there's a better sulution (like adding Alk and minerals back to RO/DI) but it sounds like a huge pain and I don't wana bother."
The PH issue sounds like it could be related to this.
300g Pearsei x1, Bala Sharks x 3, Dabola endli (Tinkisso river) x1, Ansorgii x1
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65B Hairy Puffer
65B Angel fish x1, Monk tetra x7, BN Pleco x2
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30G Growout
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RTR
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Re: New driftwood killing my puffers?
There are situations where RO or RO/DI water may be needed in FW tanks. But in these situations, after the water is purified of whatever the issues may be, the too-mineral-poor water must, repeat MUST, have some minerals added back in to allow for normal life for the fish to be housed. Only experienced hobbyists often deal in very low TDS (total dissolved solids) water for wild-caught low-pH fish and are aware of what supplements are needed for those particular fish. RO or RODI water use ALWAYS requires very careful handling and trace-mineral supplement for the large majority of fish. To use RODI as the sole water source for most hobby tanks is very poor tank handling and can easily result in the injury or even fatality for man\y fish. RODI is suited for top-up only to replace water lost to evaporation ONLY in specialied water demanding fish, not those kept by most hobbyists.
Frequent tests and high-quality test equipment is absolutely required in those tanks housing such highly specialized fish. I have dealt with a number of such, but there use only field-grade or laboratory test equipment. Hobby test kits are insufficient for such use.
HTH
Frequent tests and high-quality test equipment is absolutely required in those tanks housing such highly specialized fish. I have dealt with a number of such, but there use only field-grade or laboratory test equipment. Hobby test kits are insufficient for such use.
HTH
Where's the fish? - Neptune