Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => The Emergency Room => Topic started by: Fiona on July 12, 2014, 12:42:00 PM
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I have a horrible feeling I might have been over feeding my fish as I just did a water test and its showing ammonia between 0 and .25ppm and nitrite of .25 ppm although the nitrates are pretty stable.
Will a water change and a gravel clean solve the problem?
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This isn't too unusual when you change anything in your tank. You have just added a fair-few fish, the filter needs time to catch-up; Until then it goes into a mini cycle. When the bacteria readjust to the altered bioload, your readings should return to normal. Until then, proceed as if you were doing a fish-in cycle. To summarise, greatly, if ammonia and/or nitrite rise above 0.25 ppm do a large enough water change to bring them down below these values. In a few days, everything should be back to normal.
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And feeding a bit less will help too.
As a very rough guide, you should be feeding the amount of food equal to one eye per fish. I know that's impossible to work out ;D If that's the amount you are already feeding, cut down till the mini cycle is over then build back up.
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We lost 1 more of the glass fish late last night and another is gasping its last in the bottom of the tank, ammonia between 0 and .25ppm and nitrate .25ppm nitrate between 40-80 ppm. I've done a 50% water change and I'm going to hold off feeding them today and tomorrow, apart from the ottos who will have their algae stones to chomp on.
This is becoming very distressing :(
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Just noticed that one of my little Ottos has damage on one of its side fins.
There is a particularly aggressive Indian Glass cat in the tank, its a small male and apart from the hideous dye he looks very healthy. I've just realised all the glass fish that have died have been males, there's 2 males and 1 female left.
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Given what the glass cats have been through, it is unlikely to be anything you are doing. Put it down to experience, albeit expensive experience :(
You wouldn't know if that oto always looked like that? It is possible it's been damaged in transit; some shop workers have been known to squash fish or drop them on the floor while netting them. Keep an eye on it. Lots of fresh water is usually all that's needed - though that does mean plenty of water changes.
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I seem to be doing a water change once a day atm, hohum
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I seem to be doing a water change once a day atm, hohum
eeee lass, when I were a lad I were doin' three a day at times. You tell kids that these days an' they wouldn't believe you! :))
We've all been there. It gets a lot easier...... soon!
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hehehehe yeah lets hope so :)
I bought myself a better filter yesterday a fluval U2 110l and thats in the tank as well as the old one atm, minus its carbon pads because of the fungal treatment and I'll run both until the new one has got itself organised bacteria wise.
I'm posting another question here as I'm sure its probably water quality related, I hope you guys dont mind me bashing your brains, I really do appreciate the help :)
I seem to have a grey/white fluffy algae growing on my dwarf grass and on the java moss I'm trying to grow. Any ideas? I have googled it but couldnt find anything like it
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Hi Fiona, this is...
"I seem to have a grey/white fluffy algae growing on my dwarf grass and on the java moss I'm trying to grow. Any ideas? I have googled it but couldnt find anything like it"
...an excellent question, perhaps you will get a better response if you post it as a new question.
Hope this helps
Iain
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An update to this thread, I'm pleased to say the filter bacteria has finally managed to catch up and ammonia and nitrites are both 0 and my nitrate has dropped to 20-40. WOOT!!
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An update to this thread, I'm pleased to say the filter bacteria has finally managed to catch up and ammonia and nitrites are both 0 and my nitrate has dropped to 20-40. WOOT!!
great news!! :cheers: