From: Brad 9/27/00
Subject: Re: Oops...not hypoxia, gas saturation. :-)
Thanks for the advice...this afternoon I see signs of what could be septicemia in the tails of my fantails. I've bitten the bullet and began treatment with Maracyn 2. You're right, it's pricey to treat a 50 gallon tank with that stuff...hope it works. I'll let you know!
From: Kick 9/27/00
Subject: Re: Oops...not hypoxia, gas saturation. :-)
Good luck, but I have a question now. Do you have goldfish in with your tropials? That could possibly be part of the problem. Also just for some information, sometimes goldfish (if this is what your "fantails" are will show signs of red streaks. This can also be caused from stress. I have a large comet that develops these just about every time I change the water in the tank. 24 hours later, they are gone. Let me hear from you about whether or not you are mixing goldfish with tropicals. Kick
From: Brad 9/27/00
Subject: Uh oh...
Ummmmmm....*coughing, eyes downcast* Yes, I mixed calico fantails with my bala sharks. I know, goldfish like the water a little cooler, but mine has been a healthy and happy tank for two years. They've all been together since they were very little fishes. This is the first trouble I've had.
From: Kick 9/28/00
Subject: Re: Uh oh...
I am not scolding you "that" bad. This is just not a good idea. I know some folks who have gotten along very well mixing them. However, I will tell you that goldfish No. 1 are very dirty and produce large amounts of waste; No. 2: require more oxygen than tropicals and No. 3: Carry diseases that tropicals don't ordinarily get but can be passed on to them from the goldfish.
I will also tell you something else. I have tried many times to keep balas. I don't know what it is, but they, too, would experience red bumps and streaks, etc. Then they would start listing (not swimming properly) and would quit eating. Then they would die. I don't want to scare you, but by mentioning this maybe someone else will look at it and tell us both if this could be something that happens with balas.
I do wish you the best and please let me know how this all comes out. Kick
From: alexis 9/27/00
Subject: hurt/stressed swordtail--only one tank--mason jar ok?
SITUATION: a swordtail who I suspect has been attacked by an aggressive pleco. She doesn't show signs of injury, but her fins are suddenly clamped and she is obviously very stressed (hiding, not swimming properly). I have other fish and other swordtails in one community tank, and everybody else looks just fine, so I don't suspect disease and the water parameters are all normal. I had the same situation with a different swordtail a few months ago, and he died in the tank a few days after I noticed his fins clamped.
QUESTION: I only have one tank and can not get a second hospital tank. I have temporary removed her to a mason jar (I have bettas in mason jars), thinking that if she has been attacked, the isolated jar will be a better environment until I can put her back in the tank. I do daily water changes and may add a little salt.
Any advice? Is the this harmful, or helpful, or -- aside from buying another tank, which I can't do-- are there any other suggestions?
From: Rose 9/27/00
Subject: Idea for a hospital tank
I have 2 pearl gouramies in a small kritter keeper that I float in the main tank right now. This is a neat way to medicate a fish or two with out needing another hospital tank. The kritter keeper runs at about $4-5 dollers. the keeper doesn't sink. It's got a lip on the outside of the keeper that keeps it afloat.
This is what I do. I fill the kritter keeper almost full, stick it in the tank. I disconnect the bubble wand I have and put in 2 air stones. One in the keeper the other in the main tank. Then I can medicate the keeper with out having to medicate the healthy fish. This way also keeps the fish warm and at the normal temp that they are used to. It's one of the better systems all around if you don't have a regular hospital tanks. You have everything but the kritter keeper when you run the main tank. I change the water daily or at the very least every other day. I hope this helps a little. Rose
From: Kick 9/27/00
Subject: Re: hurt/stressed swordtail--only one tank--mason jar ok?
If the mason jar is quart size and you are doing what you say, then this might help. The only other thing that I might suggest is to be a small pump with a bubble stone and some airline to provide oxygen to his water. You probably will also need a gang valve to regulate the airflow so you don't blow him out of the jar. By the time you get all this, Walmart and some of the department stores have 2 gallon tanks with everything included except for gravel for about $20. They are small, not expensive and make ideal hospital tanks for the smaller fish. Good luck. Kick
From: Alexis 9/28/00
Subject: Re: hurt/stressed swordtail--only one tank--mason jar ok?
Thanks for the advice. Last night I noticed that my swordtail's fins were already unclamped, and he doesn't show damage anywhere, so I am hoping that he just had a real scare from another fish, and that he's okay.
When can I put him back into the tank? I want him out of the mason jar asap, but I don't want to put him back in the tank while he's still weak.
Any thoughts?
From: Rose 9/28/00
Subject: An idea for you
If you need to or want to put your swordtail back in to the tank with out him getting hurt try this. (I do this all the time when adding new fish and it works great.) Do a water change and while the water is a little lower than normal change the decorations around. This will confuse the fish in there and everyone will need to find new hiding places. That is a good time to put the swordtail back in the tank. At that point hardly anyone will notice him and if they do they probably wouldn't bother him. Good luck. Rose
From: harry 9/26/00
Subject: How many inches can my ten gallon fresh water tank hold?
I just bought a ten gallon tank ang I was just wondering what its stocking limit is? Anybody know?
From: Nick 9/26/00
Subject: Re: How many inches can my ten gallon fresh water tank hold?
The general "rule" is one inch of fish per gallon of water. Goldfish require 10-15 gallons EACH. But it depends on the type of fish. Some are larger and need more swimming space larger than a 10g. Beware that your tank isn't actually 10g. If you measure it out, it's actually 8.8 gallons. And that maxiumum amount of water decreases if you add gravel/decorations/etc. My first tank was 10g, which lasted 3 weeks when I bought a 25g (which really isn't 25).
From: Kick 9/27/00
Subject: A little more help.
Nick is absolutely right in what he is telling you. However, the l inch per l gallon is for juveniles. If you purchase fish that will grow to be let's say 3 inches, then you need to stock initially l inch per 2 gallons of water. If you stick with fish that stay small, his rule is correct. Kick
From: Heidi 9/26/00
Subject: Platies and fin rot
Hi! I've just been browsing this list for the first time and am impressed by how helpful and knowledgeable you all are.
I have a question about Sunset Firewag Platies. My two were born in my tank, are just short of one year old, and are in a 3-gallon tank. They've been healthy as anything until a couple of weeks ago. One developed serious fin and tail rot, so I started treating with Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Furan-2. That didn't seem to help and turned the water a serious green, so I switched to Aquarium Pharm Triple Sulfa, which seemed to help. At the same time the other fish grew a little white bump on his chin that I thought could be Ick but a fish store person said could be the result of the fish bumping himself and not to worry. I started treating him with Aquari-sol anyway, but did not raise the water temperature, which I see from reading your postings I should have done.
At any rate, the fin and tail rot fish started getting thin and droopy -- is that what someone on this list called dropsy? Concerned about the water's toxicity after so much medication, even though I'd been doing frequent water changes, I checked the chemicals and the pH and Nitrites were really high. Wondering if I've been suffocating the poor fish, I then stopped all medications a few days ago and have started daily water changes and using pH Down in the morning and evening. I've also added aquarium salt.
Anything else you can suggest? My poor fin-rot fish is hanging in there and but I wish I could do something more. Besides the fin-rot, which hasn't gotten any worse in the past week, I can't see anything wrong with him. Now I'm afraid I'm making him sicker by stressing him out so much. The other male's white bump is very small now but still there. Should I go back on medications? Which ones? Should I raise the water temperature even if I don't use medications?
Also, I've never been able to figure out how much aquarium salt to put in. Before the illness I'd change the water once every week or two and would put in just over a teaspon per water change. Can I and should I add more?
Thanks for any help.
--Heidi
From: Carissa 9/27/00
Subject: a few answers..
First of all, the rate of salt is 1 tsp per gallon. Second, dropsy is when the fish gets all blown up and the scales stick out, it doesn't have to do with the fins. As far as raising the water temperature, it would still probably be a good idea since some types of bacteria (which can cause fin rot) die at about 83 degrees, so keep it at about 86. The triple sulfa probably helps if it's a bacterial infection as well. In most cases, fin rot starts because of stressed out fish, so the most important thing to do is keep a handle on your ammonia/nitrites/nitrates and pH, and make sure they are doing alright. The bacteria that cause fin rot are usually present, but they only take hold on fish that have a weakened immune system for some reason, usually stress. The purpose of treating the disease is to help the fishes immune system get control back, but if the stressor is still there which caused the fish to get sick in the first place, you won't be sucessful in fighting the disease. Anyway, I would raise the temp, add 1 tsp salt per gallon, and stick with the triple sulfa, and keep an eye on water parameters, and hopefully that will help him out.
From: Heidi 9/27/00
Subject: Re: a few answers..
Thanks Carissa -- I'll give your suggestions a try.
--Heidi
From: Heidi 9/27/00
Subject: Re: a few answers..
Thanks Carissa -- I'll give your suggestions a try.
--Heidi
From: Jason 9/26/00
Subject: Need help please!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How do you cure parasites?
From: Kick 9/26/00
Subject: Re: Need help please!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What kind of parasites? External or internal?? Let us know, then we can tell you what to do. Kick
From: Jason 9/26/00
Subject: Re: Need help please!!!!!!!!!!!!!
External I believe, my fish keep rubbing up against things.
From: Kick 9/27/00
Subject: Re: Need help please!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This could also be caused by the water conditions irritating them. After you have checked your water perimeters and they are found to be okay, you can treat with Aquari-sol, per the directions. This is really for Ick, but I have found it to work with other external parasites as well. If you think this could be internal parasites, Jungle makes a a couple of products that might help. One is Pepso food that you feed to the fish. The other is called Parasite Guard. I have found both of these to be very good. Hope I have helped. Let me know. Kick
From: Jaz 9/26/00
Subject: sexing firemouths
Does anyone know how to sex fire mouths? I would like to breed them and need to know what sex the next fish I buy should be. Also my firemouth I have is about 2-3 inches long is he big enough to breed? Any help on them is greatly a ppreciated!
Jaz
From: Danio Man 9/26/00
Subject: Re: sexing firemouths
sexing juvenilles is difficult. as they get a bit older, the males will develop more pronounced extensions on the ends of the dorsal and ventral fins.
at three inches, they are still too young to breed, but they grow pretty fast.
DM
From: stu 9/26/00
Subject: filter cleaning
hey
iv'e read when u clean u filter u should clean it in the tank water. doesnt this just put all the crap back into the water?
From: Nick 9/26/00
Subject: Re: filter cleaning
Yes. If my filter pad gets clogged before it needs changing, I just rinse and twirl it around in a bucket of dechorinated water, or in water that I've removed from the tank during a water change. When I clean the filter, I use hot water since I have a bio-wheel, so I will still have the good bacteria.
From: Nick 9/26/00
Subject: Re: filter cleaning
Nick, you do know that you are never supposed to touch the biowheel or clean it, don't you? Kick
From: Nick 9/26/00
Subject: Re: filter cleaning
yes...I don't touch the bio-wheel. I put it aside for just a few minutes so it doesn't dry out and wash and scrub the rest of the filter.
From: Kick 9/27/00
Subject: Oops
Sorry, I guess my finger didn't hit the right place and I posted as you. Names are just too close....hehe....just wanted to say "good" that you are leaving the biowheel alone. They are one of the best ways, I feel, to keep the bacteria in the tank. Kick
From: kitty fish 9/26/00
Subject: Re: filter cleaning
I would imagine. I've never listened to this advice except for when I clean biological sponges. Personally, I take my filters and cartridges out to the hose and blast them! Shame on me. Sure, sure... ;)
kitty fish