4 catfish, 3 harlequins, 3 cherry barbs.......
all floating dead this morning.
GawdOnly knows what it was, it has me beat.
Last night everyone swimming away and around quite happy, some hiding behind the filters as they usually do before bed. Others pecking the plastic greenery looking for morsel left overs.
did a 75% water change at 4am, another 20% water change at 6.15am.
cleaned out the filters in old tank water, replaced the external filter media with CleanwaterA300 as other was looking right mankey.
All levels where they should be, but ammonia is now .5 and I can't figure out how to get it to zero (especially as my tapwater is ,5 anyways). salinity is now 1.010
The survivors have perked up a bit, but the remaining 2 harlequins have lost their colours, and the cherry barbs are now a dark red.
"Buffy", my GSP seems unaffected..
why do I bother? If it weren't for Buffy I'd give it up
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.
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Nick
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Re: why do I bother? If it weren't for Buffy I'd give it up
Personally, I never clean filters and do water changes at the same time. Ammonia will go to zero on it's own when your biofilter picks up a few notches.
No matter how magnificent your successes or devastating your failures, the worlds' approximately 5 billion impoverished people could not possibly care less.
Re: why do I bother? If it weren't for Buffy I'd give it up
Neither do I Nick, normally. But I got such a shock when i saw all the floaters this morning, I just did everything i could think of!Nick wrote:Personally, I never clean filters and do water changes at the same time. Ammonia will go to zero on it's own when your biofilter picks up a few notches.
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Content2Swell
- Dwarf Puffer
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- Location: New Mexico
Re: why do I bother? If it weren't for Buffy I'd give it up
What's the general consenus on products that claim to lower ammonia/nitrates/nitrites? Are they to be avoided, like pH altering products?
Job 12:7-10. But ask the animals, and they will teach you; or birds of the air
and they will tell you; or speak to the earth and it will teach you; or let the fish
of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the
lord has done this. In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all
mankind.
and they will tell you; or speak to the earth and it will teach you; or let the fish
of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the
lord has done this. In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all
mankind.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: why do I bother? If it weren't for Buffy I'd give it up
Why is there salt in there? Was it in there before this happened?
Are you keeping these FW fish with BW puffers? I'm confused...
Please explain your regular WC schedute & answer the other Qs above in red.
Are you keeping these FW fish with BW puffers? I'm confused...
Please explain your regular WC schedute & answer the other Qs above in red.
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!"
Re: why do I bother? If it weren't for Buffy I'd give it up
Yes. Salinity was 1.12-1.14 - It's considered Light Brackish!Pufferpunk wrote:Why is there salt in there? Was it in there before this happened?
Are you keeping these FW fish with BW puffers? I'm confused...
Please explain your regular WC schedute & answer the other Qs above in red.
Yes, most were in there when I changed it over months ago to BW, from FW. They adapted well, that wasn't a problem as it was gradual over several months.
Saturday once a week, 30% waterchange. Decided no more was necessary. once a quarter I would clean filter sponges in old tank water and return to tank.
Done this religiously
Weekend can't start until the tank WC is done temp stable at 26.4 nighttime, 27.2 daytime.Answers to the Red questions:
1) 7.5 (no change), 0.5 (no change), 0 (no change), 0.5 (no change), fluctuates between 1.012-1.014, (presently at 1.010)
2) 6 foot long x 18" deep x 2' high. 1 GSP, 1 harlequin, 2 "ghost" catfish
3) frozen bloodworm, sometimes daphnia. the odd snail or shrimp hand fed for Buffy. 30% weekly, using Nutrafin Aqua + water treatment, (can't remember every mortal thing I've added to that tank in nearly a year! but nothing recently)
4) none, except fish out dead fish, and put bogwood in freezer.
5 approx a year. initially tank cycled for approx 4/5 weeks with nothing in it! Then I learned
Wouldn't be plain old old age for some of these fish would it? After all they were adults when i got them, so I don't know how old they were. (Adults adapt better to changes in salinity, so I as told)
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Nick
- Former Staff Member
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GSPs - Shakespeare and Jillybean
F8 - Velvet
My fiance:
DP - Emma Goldman
Narrow Lined Puffer - Ulrike - Location (country): Northeastern USA
- Location: Middletown, CT
- Contact:
Re: why do I bother? If it weren't for Buffy I'd give it up
My only guess is that brackish tolerance of the catfish finally ran out, and when they died and ammonia started rising, which can happen in only a few hours with tropical tank temperatures, it made enough of a difference to bump off the rasboras and barbs, who were already close their their limits from the SG. Older fish might be less tolerant of any harsh condition, too.
No matter how magnificent your successes or devastating your failures, the worlds' approximately 5 billion impoverished people could not possibly care less.
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Pufferpunk
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suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: why do I bother? If it weren't for Buffy I'd give it up
Those levels are almost SW, not "low-end" BW. Low-end BW is around 1.005. My guess is their "tolerence" finally gave out.
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!"
Re: why do I bother? If it weren't for Buffy I'd give it up
None got fed yesterday what with all the kerfuffle I forgot.
It appears it was the tetrafin bloodworms.
the whole lot has now gone in the bin, and a stiff letter sent.
will go out again today and get fresh frozen bloodworms.
the Ghost Catfish seem to be ok today, but Buffy is hungry, cos he's tapping/banging on the glass -- hasn't done that for ages!
It appears it was the tetrafin bloodworms.
the whole lot has now gone in the bin, and a stiff letter sent.
will go out again today and get fresh frozen bloodworms.
the Ghost Catfish seem to be ok today, but Buffy is hungry, cos he's tapping/banging on the glass -- hasn't done that for ages!
Re: why do I bother? If it weren't for Buffy I'd give it up
And that horrible black algae appears to be gone too !!
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Bonsai_girl
- Dwarf Puffer
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- Location: Surrey, UK
Re: why do I bother? If it weren't for Buffy I'd give it up
Are you going to continue keeping the survivors (ghost catfish) in high brackish?
Re: why do I bother? If it weren't for Buffy I'd give it up
No, I think I'll reduce salinity to around 1.005, gradually over the next few months.Bonsai_girl wrote:Are you going to continue keeping the survivors (ghost catfish) in high brackish?
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32975
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: why do I bother? If it weren't for Buffy I'd give it up
Still not low enough for a FW fish, nor high enough for a GSP.
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!"