Defilerwyrm
Aquarium Advice Newbie
There are three problems plaguing my 23-gallon tank. The first is that ever since I first started cycling this tank, I've been fighting an uphill battle with ammonia. At first we were using conditioned tap water, but as it turns out our municipal water has a pH nearing 8 to 9 so we switched to buying gallons of distilled [conditioned before pouring in, of course], and for a while that solved the problem. The gravel gets a very thorough vacuuming every time, and there hasn't been a notable difference in the ammonia levels with a varying population so I don't think it's overcrowding; I'm beginning to wonder if I don't need to do biweekly partial changes instead of weekly. x_x The nitrite and nitrate levels have only spiked once since the initial cycling; typically they're at zero or close enough to zero that the testwater barely registers. Ammonia, though, ffffff. Keeps spiking.
The second is that Nibbler, a male fire red dwarf gourami, has what appear to be bald spots on his sides. He's about a year old, named for the fact that when we first got him he went around nibbling at everything in the tank, including the other fish! At first I panicked and thought it might be fungus but it's not fuzzy in the slightest, nor are there any protrusions; it just looks like he's literally missing scales. Prime suspect is Adonis, our monstrous and territorial blue gourami; I suspect that he's simply beating the snot out of Nibbler because they've been the only two gouramis in the tank for about two weeks [we've had trouble finding healthy gouramis at local pet shops :| ] and they're both stressed out because of it, but if there are other possibilities I am all ears.
The third is an unidentiable white substance on the lower lip of Goldshire, a female long-finned zebra danio with partial albinism [she's a magnificent pale orange, like a marmalade cat]. It isn't fuzzy like fungus, and neither shaped nor coloured like an anchor worm now does it have any redness at the base. It's small, perfectly-white, and looks like a short bit of thread stuck to her mouth. Naturally she won't slow down, much less stay still, long enough for me to get a really good look at it. None of the other fish have ever presented anything like it. Antifungal medication has had no effect. Should I bust out the metronidazole just to be on the safe side? :S
Many thanks in advance for any and all help/suggestions y'all might have.
[edit to add] I have water tests running in some vials; as soon as those results are in I'll post them.
[second edit] As of 8:20pm tonight, Goldshire has died. Her spine was bowed up pretty badly and her mouth was stuck gaping open. >.< Little disturbing. Never seen a fish go that way.
The second is that Nibbler, a male fire red dwarf gourami, has what appear to be bald spots on his sides. He's about a year old, named for the fact that when we first got him he went around nibbling at everything in the tank, including the other fish! At first I panicked and thought it might be fungus but it's not fuzzy in the slightest, nor are there any protrusions; it just looks like he's literally missing scales. Prime suspect is Adonis, our monstrous and territorial blue gourami; I suspect that he's simply beating the snot out of Nibbler because they've been the only two gouramis in the tank for about two weeks [we've had trouble finding healthy gouramis at local pet shops :| ] and they're both stressed out because of it, but if there are other possibilities I am all ears.
The third is an unidentiable white substance on the lower lip of Goldshire, a female long-finned zebra danio with partial albinism [she's a magnificent pale orange, like a marmalade cat]. It isn't fuzzy like fungus, and neither shaped nor coloured like an anchor worm now does it have any redness at the base. It's small, perfectly-white, and looks like a short bit of thread stuck to her mouth. Naturally she won't slow down, much less stay still, long enough for me to get a really good look at it. None of the other fish have ever presented anything like it. Antifungal medication has had no effect. Should I bust out the metronidazole just to be on the safe side? :S
Many thanks in advance for any and all help/suggestions y'all might have.
[edit to add] I have water tests running in some vials; as soon as those results are in I'll post them.
[second edit] As of 8:20pm tonight, Goldshire has died. Her spine was bowed up pretty badly and her mouth was stuck gaping open. >.< Little disturbing. Never seen a fish go that way.
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