My list of issues...see if you can help

[Guest]

Issue #1: Temperature control. Although all my tanks have heaters, I am finding it very difficult to control the temp in my tanks...sometimes as much as a 10 degree difference between night and day temp. I live in florida. I run my Air Conditioner all day at the same temp (75 degrees F) but like it or not, it gets incredibly hot during the day and overpowers the AC, and cools off considerably at night.

Despite my best efforts, I wake up to 74 degree tanks and go to bed with 82 degree tanks.

The fish don't seem terribly bothered, but I know i am asking for trouble. Is there any way to get this under control?

Issue #2: PH balance. I am finding that as my tanks get more established, the pH drops drastically to between 5 and 5.5. They start out around 7.5, but drop as the bacteria establishes. To combat this, I have started adding crushed coral to my tanks. It seems to be helping. However, why does the pH start to drop so much as the tanks become more biologically stable?

Issue #3: Fish paranoia. I am constantly concerned about every odd twitch, every little spot on a fin, every time they don't eat, everything. I am running myself broke with test kits, as i test them constantly looking for any possible issue. How do I get less worried? they seem so delicate, and no offense, but this site has me concerned that they are constantly going to die off. lol.

Issue #4: white scales on my molly. My gold sailfin molly has been in QT since I brought her home a month ago. She has whitish scales on the top of her body. They look kind of "dried out", like a molting snake. She acts quite healthy, but i am concerned this is some sort of infection. What is it? It isn't cottony or filmy, just whitish edges on the scales on the top of her body, like lime stains in the shower.


Issue #5: Feeding. While I try hard to be a good fish mommy and give lots of variety, NONE of my fish will eat anything but flakes. I have tried red cabbage, zucchini, cucumber, orange slices, peas, fresh garlic (my GBRs did like this), frozen bloodworms, frozen brine shrimp, frozen spirulina, and some frozen mix cube. They ignore everything but flakes. How can I get them to try something new?


Issue #6: No nitrite spike, ever. All of my tanks show nitrates, but none have ever shown nitrites during their cycles. Ammonia was heavily present in all tanks at the start. Now all hover at about 5-10 NO3, but none have ever shown NO2 at all. Is this a concern?


Issue #7: Water change queen. I do more water changes than i should have to i think. I change water is pretty much every tank every day. With 5 tanks running and no python, this is a lot of work. If i even get a positive reading for ammonia, i change water at least 25%.


I have a relatively low mortality rate. I have had about 50 fish altogether and have only lost maybe 7 total in 4 monts, 4 of which died the day they came home.


Thanks
P.

 

[Jchillin]

Since you have more than one tank, it may be useful to list the issues and stock with each.

 

[src]

Regarding temperature - if you are going to have uncontrolled swings up to 82 degrees, then set your heaters at 80. Your fish will be happier with a stable temperature. When the summer is over, you can slowly drop the tank temperature back down to the mid 70's if you like.

 

[Guest]

Tank 1: 10 gal work tank

Stock: zebra danios (5), live plants, a few snails
Issues: 1,2,3,5,6,7


Tank 2: 5 gal hospital

Stock: SAE, zebra danio (1), Gold sailfin molly (1)
Issues: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7

Tank 3: 20 gal gouri/glass cats

stock: 2 dwarf gouris, 6 glass cats, 1 oto, 1 SAE, 1 snail, live plants
Issues: 1,2,3,5,6,7

Tank 4: 29 gal angels/mollies

stock: SAE (2), baby koi angels (3), dalmation molly breeder set (2), snails (2), pleco (3 in) semi heavy planted
Issues: 1,2,3,5,6,7

Tank 5: 20 gal community

stock: zebra danios (10, tiny), GBR breeders (3, 1m, 2f), paradise fish (3, small), SAE (2), snails (2), heavily planted
Issues, 1,2,3,5,6,7


Hope this helps. Tank 5 may seem overstocked, but it isn't, trust me.

 

[jcarlilesiu]

Although all my tanks have heaters, I am finding it very difficult to control the temp in my tanks

You will have this in the summer if you are unable to keep the ambiant tempeture in your house down. Rather than allowing for the deflux of temperature at night to 74, why not just bump your heater up to 80. This is a pretty standard temp for tropical anyway. this means that your difference will be 80-82 much more stable than 74-82 yet still in the optimum "range"

I am finding that as my tanks get more established, the pH drops drastically to between 5 and 5.5

my guess is a low KH value. This is a carbonate hardness factor, and acts as a buffer for your PH. With out a decent KH value, your tanks PH is plumeting. I wouldn't think this has anything to do with the establishment of the nitrifying bateria, but more so with the tap water. Pull some tap water and let it set out for 2 hours, then test your KH and PH values. Compare to your tank, this should help answer some questions.

Fish paranoia. I am constantly concerned about every odd twitch, every little spot on a fin, every time they don't eat, everything.

If its not broke don't fix it, and you can't really enjoy the hobby if you are worried all the time. You will know when something is wrong, you don't have to look at it under a microscope all the time.

It isn't cottony or filmy, just whitish edges on the scales on the top of her body, like lime stains in the shower.

This is pretty typical in mollies and platies. i have several sunburst platies with whitish scales on their top side, and this is a normal coloration pattern... maybe they are bleached out from my lights

While I try hard to be a good fish mommy and give lots of variety, NONE of my fish will eat anything but flakes.

You have some picky eaters? I know that not many of my fish would eat fresh veggies, but they DIE for blood worms and brine. It is quite possible they arnt really hungry and have no intrest in this "new" food. Introduce it slowly INSTEAD of flakes. They will take it over time. Plus these high protein foods are good for them and their coloring. If they still wont eat, stick with the flakes.

All of my tanks show nitrates, but none have ever shown nitrites during their cycles.

You did what you were supposed to do. Water changes im assuming didn't ever present the nitrites, but they were there in low quantities. Is it possible you have live plants?
even tap water with alot of nitrates in it will help to convert the nitrites

 

[Ineubis]

I add a few ice cubes to the water to cool it down if my stick-on thermometer is pegged (it only goes to 82°).

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Issue #1- Just increase the temp on the heater. The fish won't mind the higher temp for a little while. Just don't go overboard with it and se it at 90. As src mentioned, 80 degrees would be good.

Issue #2- Do you know what the hardness is of your water? Considering the level is so low, your water is probably pretty soft and would benefit from using cc in all of the tanks.

Issue #3- Get to know your fish personalities. Some do the quirks as part of their behavior and sometimes they have spotting because that is their natural coloration. Do they appear sick? When in doubt, ask. I treated out 150 gal tank for ich for about 2 months straight because I swore that they had ich. Turns out that they were actually breeding and the rubbing was just part of it.

Issue #4- You may want to post this question in the Uhealthy Forum.

Issue #5- You really can't. If they don't like it they would eat it. Try feeding each item to them a few times. If they don't take to it, stick with flake.

Issue #6- Your Nitrite kit may be bad. If you have 0 Ammonia and 0 Nitrite with present Nitrates, you are cycled.

Issue #7- If you have ammonia you should be doing a water change. It's better to do them to keep the ammonia level down in an un-cycled tank. It will save you lots of headaches. And while you're at it, buy a Python.

 

[BrianNY]

You seem like an excellent fish mommy to me.

pH - As stated, tanks with little buffering capacity (KH), will experience pH drops as the tank matures. This is primarily due to all of the boilogical processes taking place. That handful of cc raises the KH and pH and will be the stability your tanks need. Don't fret as much about the readings as long as it's stable.

pwcs - Without any doubt this is the best thing you can do to keep your tanks healthy. Changing as much as 25% daily and using a dechlor is not too much.

feeding - Fish aren't the brightest of creatures. They will also develop a preference for one food over another. A day of fasting will very often be the incentive to try something new.