Question??

[Davy_Jones]

Ok, Ill be cleaning out my 30gallon soon and and as many of you know, It has nematodes. I cleaned it out the first time and they were gone for about a week and boom, theyre back Wasent even feeding the fish alot. Is theyre eany fish that I can get to eat most of the food........

 

[Zagz]

What kind of fish did you have? How often were you feeding the fish? Most fish will eat all the food if it is feed small enough amounts.

 

[Davy_Jones]

Tetras and a couple of mollys. Also, I only feed them at night every other night and give them small pintch'es of flake's.

 

[Zagz]

Strange, those fish are quite voracious eaters not to mention that you certainly don't seem to be overfeeding. Do you do water changes every week?

Any ideas on what kind of fish you might be interested in? An angelfish would be a great centerpiece in a 30 gal.

 

[papa_bear_21]

would angel fish attack the tetra's and mollies tho, they are semi agressive I thought...

 

[rich311k]

Angels will be fine with the mollies and tetras. Unless the tetras are neons.

 

[Davy_Jones]

No, Blood eyed and black skirt for now.
And No, I do water changes every 2 weeks.

Also, some one in Wal*Mart suggested that I should poor all my gravel into a bucket and poor hot boiling water over it to kill them!

Will this do eany good?

 

[Zagz]

It will kill the nematodes but also the beneficial bacteria. IMO it is worse to lose the beneficial bacteria. The tetras you have will be fine with the angelfish. I do agree that neons and cardinals would not be a good choice with angelfish.

 

[Davy_Jones]

Oh, I see. Well, if it does kill them is theyre eany posible chance they could come back?

 

[Davy_Jones]

Oh, I see. Well, if it does kill them is theyre eany posible chance they could come back?

 

[severum mama]

Yes, there is a chance that they will come back. Don't pour boiling water over your gravel. That's really poor advice IMO, as Anne said it will impact your biological filtration. That's bad. Try doing water changes and gravel vacs once every week instead of once every 2 weeks. See what happens.

 

[Davy_Jones]

How will they come back if the water kill them??? Just wondering.

I have no Aquarium vacume......
Also, about the vac, which is better, the batterie runned ones or the plastic ones that you just scoop with?

 

[severum mama]

How will they come back if the water kill them??? Just wondering.

Same way they got in there, I suppose.

Buy a gravel vac, I'm sure that will help. You'd be surprised how much detritus you will find in your gravel, and I bet it's having an effect on your nitrates, and surely the amount of DOC's in your tank. I gravel vac my tanks and do a 40-60% water change each week. I use a Python, but if you can't afford one, the cheap plastic ones will work fine. I'd get the kind with the check valve, that you just shake to start the syphon. I wouldn't spend the money on a battery operated one, but that's just me- I don't know if they work well or not.

 

[flamingonhot]

Once they start multiplying in your tank, they'll almost always be in there. Like said, all you can really do is limit the amount of leftover food they have to eat. Gravel vac is the best thing you can get at this point.

Nematodes are present in almost all water, you never really notice them until there's about a hundred though.

 

[Davy_Jones]

Ohh, Ok.

Ill try to get one soon. I have one but its crack and Im not sure on how to use it exactly.

 

[Davy_Jones]

Hey severum mama,
I just did a aquarium vaccume. Just to make sure, isnt it when you take the plastic part and stick it in the gravel, then hold it up so the water and organic waste can flow down into a bucket?????????????????
Just to make sure.

 

[severum mama]

Exactly! Good job Davy. I do this every week, or at least at every water change (you know, sometimes they can get away from you). Be sure to treat your tap water with dechlorinator. I use Prime, IMO it is the most cost-effective, but of course any dechlor works fine as long as it detoxifies chloramines and chlorine. I really think weekly water changes and gravel vacs will help you with your nematode issue... try it and see if it works. Good luck!!!

 

[Davy_Jones]

Thanks so much, Ill be sure to!!!!!

 

[cejones94]

First off u can boil your gravel..ther is plenty of bb in your filter on rocks and plants. Secondly 60% wc weekly is Alittle extreme. I do 20% byweely and that works. Vac gravel b4 wc..and clean/replace (doesn't need replaced as often as some believe) filter cartrage every other wc. Lastly shhhh(this is alittle controversial) u don't have 2 put de- clorineizer in every time u do a pwc. It helps the fish build a sort of resistence or tolerence. Hope this helps

 

[cejones94]

Wow didn't even look at the date on that ...u r probably jst as knowledgeable as I am...still willing 2help anytime