Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => The Emergency Room => Topic started by: jesnon on October 05, 2013, 09:58:43 PM
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:'(
My poor endler Ace (the one that got a pea stuck in its mouth a whike back who eventually recovered) is showing the tell tale signs of imminent death, but I have no idea why :-(
Readings in the tank all fine, all other inhabitants (7 other endlers and 3 shrimp) behaving fine. The only obvious change has been the algae that Natalia identified in another thread (purple algae?).
He's switching between laying at the bottom / swimming slowly to floating up near the surface. Only change in.appearance is his eyes are completely black. I only noticed during my water change (second of the week, I did one on Tuesday last).
I'm gutted tbh, I know you shouldn't have favourites but he's the prettiest endler in my tank and especially since I nearly lost his over 'pea-gate'.
I'm especially worried as after tonight I'm in work for 31 hours so if / when he does die it could spell disaster for my whole tank :/
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Unfortunately it looks like he's nearly gone. I should have put him down last night but had some doubts of 'what if he's ok'.
Unfortunately I had to leave for work but have given my partner instructions on what to do.
I just don't understand what happened :-( he's always been my most active energetic fish, and then suddenly this :-(
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Hi Jesnon,
I am so sorry about your little fella... Sorry, I was away (I am not a frequent visitor anyway) - you really needed some support... I, too, get attached to my fish... Sorry, he is gone...
I have been thinking about reason/possible causes... I have a few "guesses" - and whatever the correct one is, believe me, you have done everything properly, there is no fault of yours...
I also don't think there is any particular danger to your remaining endlers but just in case, please, keep a very close eye on them...
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My partner removed Ace from the tank as soon as he got up, so I'm really hoping there will beinimal disruption to the other inhabitants. I'll definitely be keeping a close eye (once I'm home from work of course) and be noting any odd behaviours and doing frequent water tests.
Thanks for the support Natalia - I know it's silly getting attached but I think I was lulled into a false sense of security of things looking good in the tank despite moving etc. Poor Ace :-(
If you can think of any possible causes I would love to know any guesses - I hate the not knowing, especially as he'd seemed otherwise fine only two days ago
Also apologies to everyone for any typos in my posts over the last month, I've had done problems trying to get WiFi set up at home so am stuck on my phone (and of course tonight im on a sleep shift at work anyway!)
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I managed to miss your thread Jesnon, sorry :-[ It is difficult when fish die from no apparent reason, it is makes you worry for the other fish.
I too have a few guesses, but I'll state mine. Natalia's will probably be nearer the mark.
This one individual didn't cope well with the move
The water at your new home is sufficiently different that this one was affected
The pea affected him more than we realised - my female ram never got over the stuck gravel
We'll never know for sure what the problem was.
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No problem Sue!
I think you're probably right Sue that the combination of the pea, move, and different water probably all contributed to his death and he was sicker than he appeared. I'm hopeful that the rest of the tank aren't similarly affected and things will return to normal.
I must confess I'm not 100% happy with the new location of the tank (in the corner on the coffee table) and it's much harder to watch my fish. I think I'll have to start sitting down and watching the tank longer like I used to. I've been more distracted with the move and new job etc so I need to make more time for my fish again!
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Hi Jesnon,
I have been checking various symptoms, wrecking my brain on what could be the cause. I still have a few (quite a few!) suspected causes but none of them is conclusive... So, rather than getting you (and everyone) misguided, I would join Sue in saying that we would never know for sure what the real cause was...
I have just lost a fish myself (this does not happen very often if ever at all...). He was a Stiphodon sp. I have been searching for these fish for about a year before I could get some - travelling a 100 + miles one way to get them. They are all wild caught so mine are from the depth of Papua New Guinea - quite a lot of stress for them being shipped that long way to the UK... and acclimatizing to a confined tank condition... They are also very difficult to feed (they do not adapt easily to commercial foods)... I absolutely love the little things... I had 17, now I have 16. This one which died looked not well for a few days, so I knew he will be on his way to the "fishy heaven" - and there was absolutely NOTHING I could do... The consolation is that the others are fit and healthy and I managed to find the food they like... So, these things do happen sometimes...
Just keep a close eye on the others - I am sure they will be all absolutely fine... :)
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Sorry to hear about your fish Natalia :-( They look lovely though, and sounds luje you went through a lot to get and look after them too! Tganks again, I'll try and move on with mytank with a close eye now!
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Ok guys I'm now quite concerned...
Another of my fish Lister wasnt looking right yesterday. He was hanging out near the filter and seemed to be 'panting'. I know this is a sign of ammonia poisoning but my ammonia was at 0ppm yesterday. This mornijg I thought he'd passed away and during a search for his body I found him hiding in amongst the java fern. He swam out but isnt behaving normally, unfortunately I think I'll lose him today.
So I really need some advice on what to do... I did a standard water change after I found him alive. Unfortunately I've misplaced my syringe to do water testing so I'll pop out and get a new one in a minute, ive kept tge water from the water change so I can measure that and tye current water. Unfortunately im on a late shift at work so anything else will have to wait until after 11 or tomorrow as I have the day off.
I also removed the plastic plant the algae was growing on and have replaced it with an older one I removed when I decided the tank was too full. I know the algae wont be the cause but paranoia!
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Just going to bump this... Sorry!
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Looks like lister will be dying tonight :( all readings fine. Nitrate a little high but this isnt unusual for my tank. Any suggestions on what I can do??
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I don't know what to suggest, other than more water changes than usual. Without symptoms it is difficult to diagnose what's wrong and suggest a treatment.
Hopefull Natalia will be able to help more than me :(
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It's very odd isn't it? The only thing I have noticed during water changes is more muck than usual... but I haven't been over feeding...
my fish have always had quite long poo but not white which is the usual sign of parasites?
nothing else unusual going on that I've spotted.. :(
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Most concerningly I haven't found Lister... I think the others must have eaten his body but could 6 endlers really eat a whole body? :s
if anything I would also say my other fish look brighter and more colourful than ever
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Yes they could.
In my experience a fish that realises its time has come will wedge itself deep in a plant. I wonder if that is simply because it then doesn't need to expend energy swimming. Check all your plants thoroughly, Lister may be there.
Is there any connection between Ace and Lister eg did they come from the same shop?
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Yes last night Lister was resting under the bogwood, but I looked through all plants and lifted everything and can't see a thing. Will have another look just in case.
Unfortunately not - Ace was my newest fish bought a couple months ago from the same shop as my Japanese Blue endlers, just much later and on his own. Lister was one of my first fish bought at the same time as my other 'GREEN' endlers from MA.
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Very sorry to hear about Ace and Lister. :( x
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Thank you Notungz.
All my remaining fish seem to be behaving normally today. I did another small water change today and will continue to monitor. It's my birthday next week not too nice a present from my tank! It seems very empty now with only my 6 fish. 3 shrimp are doing good too, zooming about in the open as usual. In fact they're probably taking advantage since Ace was my only fish that ever hassled them.
Still no sign of a body. I'm worried if it is in there somewhere my parameters are going to go through the roof...
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I don't know the exact details of an Edge's filter but is it possible for a small fish to end up in there? Or even bits of a fish? The remaining fish and shrimps will eat a dead fish but there should be something left if only the skeleton.
If you search everywhere and can't find anything, just monitor the water parameters and you know what to do if they go up.
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Hi Jesnon,
I am so sorry about Ace and Lister... :(
Sorry to say that, but with no apparent signs it is really difficult to pin point the problem... You mentioned more than usual amount of “muck”... This is so far the only clue which, without any other signs, does not give sufficient “evidence” to come to any conclusions... One very obvious thing is Endlers’ life span. I have been reading a lot of reports saying that many people only have their Endlers in their tanks for about 15 to 18 months maximum – with their natural lifespan quoted as “maximum 2 years” (that is from fry stage)...
So, I was thinking: maybe Ace and Lister were fairly old (Endlers’ age) when you got them from the start? The stress of moving may have added “negative points” to their general wellbeing and they had succumbed to this... The problem is that no matter how similar the tap water is in different regions (like in your case) it will still be different...
Doing small but frequent water changes is the best course of action, I think...
I would monitor your “muck” for the time being as this may hold some clue...
I really understand how you feel with those little fellas... and looking into all of this, I cannot see anything you so far done wrong...
And accidentally, my own birthday is next week as well, so hello to you from a fellow “Libra”!
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It's very strange the lack of a body... but I checked again and even shook my java fern and no sign at all. Even more oddly my boyfriend said when he left for work Lister was still alive which is even more odd as it was only a few hours later I lost him entirely. I wouldnt think he could get in the filter as before I got my fish I bought a pre filter since I was concerned about tgat very thing! I'll do daily water tests and as often as I can small water changes and keep monitoring and report back anything unusual.
Thanks again both for your replies. I had no idea endlers had short life expectancies.. perhaps that is just it. I've had all my fish except Ace since April and no idea how long the fish are in the shop before I got them. I know my old MA always have my green endlers in stock.. not sure if that's because they're popular or that they've been there a long time. Ace on the other hand came from a shop that tends to sell out very fast, but of cpirse you still don't know how old the fish are when they get to the shop.
And happy birthday to you too for next week ha. It's not on Tuesday at sll is it?!
Apologies again for typos I got a new phone the other day and I'm still getting to grips with it
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Hi again Jesnon,
Just a quick one... as I said, I cannot fault you for anything about your tank... So, please, don't be harsh on yourself. Sometimes, unfortunately, fish just die... The smaller the fish the shorter the life span is normally (there are exceptions, though). All stresses (shipping from the original sourse, being in a shop's tank, etc.) do contribute to this...
My birthday is on Monday, so pretty close to yours!
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Thanks again Natalia for the reassurance, it really does help :) fingers crossed this was just s culmination of the things you and Sue suggested and my tank will be back to normal again.
ahh that's a funny coincidence. I hope you have a good one and pop in again!
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Readings all normal still so I guess the body isnt there. ..
also here's the strange white thing I mentioned before
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Hi Jesnon,
Thanks for the photograph. I also realised that one of those “balls” was on the photograph of Ace you posted before...
From what I can see, these balls are small (2-3mm?) and slightly fluffy – am I correct?
Now, I have an idea of what it could be – but I may be wrong!
This is definitely a type of fungus. I do not think it is a dangerous Saprolegnia, however.
See this: http://www.flickriver.com/photos/tags/saprolegnia/interesting/
Saprolegnia is dangerous to fish but none of your Endlers have any growth on them – so, luckily, - I think this is not the one...
Then there is one of the water moulds – Oomycete...
See this: http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Water_mold_Mizukabi_colony.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oomycete&h=720&w=689&sz=50&tbnid=wqe9jM2z87dALM:&tbnh=88&tbnw=84&zoom=1&usg=__G4_w3htdSO8u8Y5lugI3Q90UFMU=&docid=TnwQG7QQZ9SMoM&sa=X&ei=lQFXUtHoLeaS7Aa0ioDgAg&sqi=2&ved=0CI8BEP4dMAs
This one is what I think your “balls” are... or at least something very similar or of the same genus.
The good thing is that it should not be Saprolegnia all things considered.
The thing to address is the fact that you may, indeed, have some problems in your tank. I think these are caused by an imbalance and disturbance after moving the tank. This is not your fault – you did everything correctly. It is just some people are luckier than the others if even all of them did everything in a correct way...
So, as I think this is not a dangerous fungus but still the one which shows some general problems in your tank, I would suggest a few things. First of all – please, do not rush to medicate. Medication when the problem is only a “best guess” can do more harm than good (on a side note, I very rarely use meds and I have even cleared a white spot without using any meds/salts/elevated water temperatures). Everything is in good hygiene and as little stress to the fish as possible – this is what I swear by, anyway...
I would suggest hovering the gravel on a regular basis (a little at a time but often) with little and often water changes (you did also notice an unusual amount of “muck” – perfect feeding grounds for fungus and such!). I would do these small water changes as often as possible – 3 litres at a time daily or when you can, perhaps? If you can, pick up those “balls” as well – by hand or tweezers... Also, buy some Hornwort plant (sold on Ebay), wash it properly, rinse in dechlorinated water and pop it in. It may not be the look you would like for your tank aesthetically but coping with it for some time will help. Hornwort is not expensive but it should help by “sucking up” any “nasties” (organic or inorganic) in your tank. You can remove and dispose of it later on when everything settles...
This is what I would do. I would ONLY move to any more “drastic” measures if the problem persists...
P.S. Your resent losses in the tank may have been aggravated by the imbalance but I do not think that this imbalance actually killed your little fellas...
P.P.S. This is a suggestion only – I cannot claim I am 100% sure but this is what I would do if it was my tank...
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Thank you so much for your helpful reply Natalia- I suspect you're right with the 'balls'. I wont be able to do daily changes as I'm often away overnight at work but I could manage at least every other day I think. I'll also get some of the plant you suggested to. Hopefully this will help sort out the imbalance in my tank and get it back on track!
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The plant should be arriving early next week. Did another water change today and got rid of two of the things in the process. Fingers crossed my tank will be happy again soon!
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So my horn wort arrived today. I popped it in the tank and actually I really like the look of it. I would be interested in keeping it once I plant it a bit better than I have done, but in my littke tank would that be bad since it's so fast growing would that be a terrible idea? My tank is low light which might help I guess but I don't want it to take over. It's a cute plant though and my tank looks so green now!
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I had hornwort until recently. I found that it grew quickly but the old portions became leggy so I just pruned them off and kept the nice lush new growth. I always assumed it got leggy because my tank lighting is definitely low light. I also gave up trying to keep it planted and let it float.
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I thought it was intended as a floating plant but the instructions with it said to plant it. I like how it looks planted but wjo knows how long it'll stay like it!
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Hi Jesnon,
It is, indeed, treated like a floater but can be planted - interesting that the instructions insisted on it... In any case, it does not really matter as long as it works as planned! :)
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:-) That sounds good to me ha. Hope you have a lovely birthday tomorrow too!
I know I shouldn't really be thinking of this already but how oong should I leave it for any new additions?
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Hi Jesnon,
I have only just come back online and so have been catching up with the posts.
I am so-oo sorry to read of Ace and Lister...do the others all seem to be alright? Hopefully, it was an age thing.
It is so horrible to lose your fishies, but it is the sad reality of keeping pets :(
I hope you soon find some more little endlers to bring your crew up to strength again.
I hope you have had a good birthday and that you are being taken out tonight for a slap-up supper ;)
It is my little grand-daughter's birthday today as well, she is a big grown-up four! It must be those dark winter evenings, my birthday is on Sunday and my youngest son's Saturday week! ;D Lots of cake this week then ;)
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Unfortunately another of my fish is currently dying :-(
No idea what is suddenly killing off all my fish :-(
they all behave normally until suddenly they're sinking at the bottom of the tank....
thank you! I had to wake up in work and have a shift but then went for a meal and drinks. Unfortunately been greeted by my dying fish once home :-(
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Oh no :(
I'm so sorry to hear this, Jesnon. I just don't know what the problem could be.
You asked earlier about getting new fish - wait at least two weeks, more would be better, after the last death. The worst thing you can do until you are sure no more will die is add new fish to become infected.
How are the shrimps?
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Very true looks like I was a little to optimistic about my fish. I wish I knew what was going on...
my shrimp are fine oddly :-/
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I did a water change the other day (I'm away currently) and just after some of those white things appeared and I witnessed my fish scoffing on them... fingers crossed they really are the harmless ones...
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Unfortunately things arent improving for my tank, I just found a dead shrimp :-( She had black tail and legs if that means anything. ...
any advice really appreciated....
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I should also say that all the water levels are fine still...
could it be some problem with my tap water? Is it a disease?I'm really stuck what to do... a fish shop advised me to use melafix but aftera quick Google it seems this is not a product taken very seriously. .
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To be honest, I'm at a loss to know what to suggest. My shrimps have all died from failed moults - they just had a white line accross their backs, no other signs.
How are the remaining endlers doing?
Melafix - I think of this more like using dettol if we have a cut. It helps stop bugs getting into the wound. But if the cut gets infected, dettol wouldn't help; we'd need something much stronger on prescription. Melafix is fine if a fish has damaged itself to stop infections but it is not much use for curing anything. And it shouldn't be used for fish with a labyrinth organ (bettas, gouramis)
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Yes it may be my shrimp was just a coincidence but it seems too suspect to me. It's such a shame as they'd survived so long. .
Other endlers all seem fine but unfortunately the ones that died all did too until suddenly they weren't.
Thanks for the information that coincides with what I thought
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Hi Jesnon,
I am so sorry you have lost your little pets... It is very difficult to pin poiint anything without any particular symptoms – like in your case. To be honest, I think I agree with your guess that this must be something in your new tap water which your fish and shrimps are not used to... Again, if even both water supply companies agree to send you water quality reports, you will have a hell of a time trying to figure out what exactly is different...
I keep rather rare wild caught Caridina species shrimps – which are VERY sensitive to the change in TDS (total dissolved content that is). I have been wracking my brain why on earth the TDS from my tap water differs so much on different days – with all other “usual” parameters (like hardiness) being the same...Purely from observation, I have come to – probably not very correct, and not scientific in any means – conclusion that my tap water is at its best a few days after a heavy rainfall in the region (not immediately – a couple of days after it rains heavily)... What I am trying to say is that there are so many things in the tap water which being safe for humans may not be 100% safe for our fish – especially when the fish are moved as in your case...
What I would do now – decrease the amount of water at each water change (10% every other day perhaps? – whenever you can do it, but often and little... Also, I would not get any more Endlers as yet BUT I would think about adding a couple of locally bread shrimps...
As I say – this is, unfortunately, trial and error, and despite doing everything in a very proper manner, you have those losses...
P.S. I would also overdose the dechlorinator at each water change (2-3 times is fine, and even more!) and I would continue with the Beta G...
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Thanks again for your advice. I need some more dechlorinator so once I've got some I'll start overdosing it at the water changes.
How many more shrimp should I get? It's really tricky finding my remaining two since the third died, they used to always be hanging out in the open but they definitely hide more now. Would it be best to buy the shrimp online or from a local shop?
it's such hard work keeping these little guys happy I never thought how much our water changes on even a day to day basis.
My remaining endlers seem happy enough. I still havent been to any of the aquatics shops to see if there are more endlers around here. I was a little spoilt back in Bristol really. Fingers crossed my little fish keep surviving and eventually I only have to add three to bring them back to their original numbers.
I have noticed the water is much less mucky at water changes but of course I am doing them frequently.
I got a new thermometer just in case my stick on one was wrong but luckily the temp is stable so that's good at least.
Also I do really love the hornwort, I'm quite happy with it staying especially since it sounds a useful plant to have.
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Very silly question. You said the water at your new place is hard - or at least the water supply is. Is there any chance that a water softener has been installed without you realising, or is that something you'd have noticed by now?
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Not a silly question at all. To be honest I'm not sure, how would I tell / find out? I live in a new build flat and theres still quite a lot of work going on nearby... Ive never actually measured the hardness of my water only based it on the readings on the website. The website for my new place was a lot trickier to get information on. If it makes any difference I also now live bothnear the sea and near the water treatment plant....
should I be a water hardness test and see whats really going on?
I guess thinking about it wouldnt be impossible for my tank to have become contaminated from the building work nearby or that I completely misread the website about my water hardness. The ph is definitely the same as in Bristol as I have the test to measure it... hardness though coukd be the culprit. I feel a little silly if that is the case!
Thinking aloud too but when I had my power cut that was due to something going on at the treatment centre...
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I think water softeners are attached to the mains pipe where it enters the property.
Some types replace the calcium in the water with sodium. Calcium is what makes water hard, but if it is replaced with sodium, it then qualifies as soft for things like washing but it is not good for fish. Very few freshwater fish can cope with high levels of sodium.
You could get some tapwater tested for hardness (GH) at a shop, it would be cheaper than buying a tester.
If there is building work nearby that could disturb the water mains, that could account for any difference in yourtapwater. Physical disturbance could loosen any limescale in the pipes, for example. And if the pipes are breached, it is possible the water supply could have more chlorine than usual added to cover any bugs getting in.
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Hmm thanks for the info Sue. Looks like I need to pop to a shop with some of my water!
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You may well not have a water softener, it's just that some people in hard water areas like to have them, and goodness knows what a previous occupant has done. Like the person who rewired the house my son rented with no regard for what should be connected to each type of ring circuit.
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Yes definitely worth checking. I've been trying to post a picture of something I found in my tank last night. It was a black slimy slug like thing that moved relatively quickly. I took it out but not sure what it was
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There are a few possibilties:
Planaria, though these are usually quite small and white and harmless
Leeches, but most will not attack fish
Worms of various types
There's a couple of nice pics here (http://www.planetinverts.com/what_is_that_bug_in_my_aquarium.html) for you to compare your slug to. Though to be honest, slug does sound like another word for leech in my vcoabulary. Yuck.
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Ew ew. Im so glad I used the net to get rid of it as at one point I was considering picking it up!
It sounds most like the top one on that page since it was night and the fish were all asleep and it slunk back into itself when I was fishing for it. Uck.
I guess it was probably wedged in my horn wort. I washed it before adding it as Natalia said but I guess it still clung on!
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Unfortunately it looks like I may have lost all of my shrimp :-( I saw at least one a few days ago but no sign in the last couple of days. My remaining 5 endlers are doing okay though. . I hadn't had a chance to get any shrimp as the shops are all quite inconvenient for a non car driver. Maybe I should just buy online just wasn't sure how delivery of live animals works!
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Buying on line is not a problem, I've done it before.
But from what Natalia told me, it is better to buy shrimps that are used to your tapwater than ones from completely different water. The best option is from local breeders. The shrimps I bought from local shops all died. The ones that hatched in my QT are all going strong, moulting successfully. The shop shrimps were probably used to different water. Since they are died trying to moult, they might well have died in the shop tank if they'd been there long enough to moult. And my tanks may well have some bacteria, virus, whatever that they had no immunity to.
If at all possible, try sourcing shrimps locally. Look on ebay to see if anyone local is selling them; look on aquarist-classifieds. Those shrimps will all be 'home grown' and used to your tapwater.
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Hi Jesnon and Sue,
Jesnon – I am sooo sorry about your news... What I can gather from what you say (partially guessing as ever in these matters, unfortunately), what I can say:
First of all – and out of the way: the yacky thing you discovered is most likely to be a freshwater leech. I have oodles of them in my nature pond in my garden. This means your hornwort was grown in an open air pond and one of the creatures just managed to escape/survivewhen you were washing the plant... In itself, this is not a big problem but they (the leeches) should not be in a tank – just removing it will hopefully eliminate the problem (but be vigilant – just in case another one escaped!)
The more serious thing is that you think you lost your shrimps... From what I can gather now I can only suggest that there is something in your new tap water which is SOO different to your previous location that it is what is killing your little pets... If your remaining Endlers are O.K. – that’s good (fingers crossed, touch the wood, whatever – it seems that they have managed to adapt). As for the cherry shrimps – they are very resilient little things but they do tend to be very vulnerable to extreme fluctuations of water parameters...
I have wild caught Caridinas in one of my tank. When I got them 2 years ago, I had to spend 7 hours to acclimatize them to my water – there is a method called “drip feeding acclimatization” which I used... Even now, I have to be VERY cautious with water changes for them. There is such a thing as TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) in water. I have a TDS meter – and what I have discovered is the fact that my tap water can fluctuate 50% plus-minus (and this is with the same hardness and other parameters being “fine” as the water Company says) (!!!!!). I did try to contact the water Company in a hope to speak to somebody who can explain such fluctuations... To no avail. I have been sent a “water quality report” – and that was it (needless to say the “report” was within “the guidelines” – who would doubt it?!!).
Sorry if the above seems to be quite “off-putting” about keeping dwarf shrimps. This is not the case! Sue’s ones are getting stronger - after some problems- or at least are doing well (fingers crossed) – so you can have a thriving colony as well!
As I now suspect that it is something in your new water supply, I would suggest the following ...If you do not see any more of “white fluffy” things in your tank – that means, it is getting stabilized to the new water/environment. This is good. No need to do frequent water changes now.
Bearing in mind your possible shrimp losses, I would leave any additions to the tank for a couple of weeks. Then I would start with shrimps – yes, locally sourced ones would be a better bet... Get your time to acclimatize them – a few hours of very-very gradual (a bit at a time with lengthy intervals) will – hopefully – get them used to your water (even locally bread ones need to have more time than fish). You either do it “drip method” (an airline tubing tied to create a “knot” and some water forced through it to drip into the bag with shrimps) or – with the local ones you can just add TINY amounts of water from your tank every 15 minutes, removing the excess every hour and when you get to about roughly 25% (or less) of “original” water and 75% of your tank water you can release the shrimps... I am guessing that Fluval Edge poses another problem – that is that you cannot really float the bag with new additions in it to stabilize the temperature...
You CAN acclimatize even shrimps bought from far away with this method but you should be a very patient– the closer by the shrimps are bought from, the more “slack” you can be...
Sorry, this all sound a bit of a “too much work” but it does pay dividends – from my experience, anyway...
As I am now convinced that your new tap water is “iffy” in its parameters, each water change (weekly ones should do nicely now, by the way!) has to be, probably, as I do in my wild shrimp tank – I add new water VERY gradually, making breaks: a liter first – wait for 15 minutes – another liter – wait for 15 minutes – 2 liters – wait for for 15-20 minutes...
I hope this does not put you off... I know you truly care about your little creatures, so a little bit of extra time should not be a problem...
In any case, I would wait for a week or two before trying to put new shrimps in...
Gosh, this is a LOOOOONG post... Sorry... and I hope it makes sense to you...
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Thanks again as ever for your replies and never apologise for long posts!
I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for any other leeches I hope this was the only escapee!
Im gutted about my shrimp, those 3 had survived so much bless them and seemed to be ok. It's so strange, you never think how different water could possibly be.
You havent put me off Natalia I'll just have to take my water changes a little slower from now on. Because of my filter media being dry during this time should this be a cause for concern or should it be ok?
you're right about the difficulty with adding new fish and shrimp. The bag is very tight when adding them but I have in the past managed to fit the bag in during acclimatisation. I'll definitely take this process much slower with your second method, the first sounds a little beyond me!
Phew it's a relief I can go back to less frequent water changes! I might do 2 smaller changes a week rather than 1 if that might help too.
This week is a pain as I have 3 sleep shifts and 2 overtime shifts... phew!
Your tanks sound like they need a lot of work you definitely need to put more pictures up!
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Filter media does take a while to dry completely. What looks just damp to us is wet enough for the bacteria. Once a filter is thoroughly established, the bacteria are embedded in biofilm. This biofilm takes a while to dry totally and it protects the bacteria. So long as you don't take several hours to do a water change you should be OK.
Newly cycled filters are a different matter as the biofilm is not fully developed and the bacteria colonies are much more delicate. Yours has beed cycled a good few months now and is mature.
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Ok brilliant thanks Sue - now I know what excitement I have planned once I'm home ha. And yet I still want another tank :-)
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Well I'd just like to say it's been over 2 weeks since my last fish died and nearly 2 weeks since my poor shrimp. I'm tentatively thinking my little tank is on its way to recovery and considering a visit to a shop relatively soon for some more fish, it's so sadly empty now without my shrimp and with only 5 endlers. I'll leave it a while longer for any new shrimp though and continue with slow water changes!
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Oooh no I've just realised I've unintentionally disregarded your advice about getting shrimp first Natalia :s I must have got my facts confused somehow I thought you said leave shrimps for a while. Ugh. I saw some gorgeous shrimps today as well. The RCS in Aquajardin were super red, the ones in the MA less so. They also had crystal shrimp and some blue coloured ones (don't worry I'll be sticking to me cherries, just admiring!!)
Hopefully even though I've done it a bit backwards it'll be ok?