Another problem - very low kh - fish acting oddly - help again please...
- Thread starter fis
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
jcolon
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yep ... as Eco23 said, Tap Water and de-chlorinator / conditioner, which is the only chemical you need to use, with some crushed Coral should do it. Get Seachem Prime.
Good luck
.Update: the fish appeared more and more miserable as the night progressed, and I noticed the flashing increasing. Fearing he was suffering, and cursing at me under his breath, I made a midnight trip, half hour away, to walmart (I don't even like walmart) to buy water conditioner. Half an hour back, good vacueming, 10 gallons out/in. This morning he is still a bit odd, but not flashing. He's minimally social, but at least he's not sitting on the bottom. The ph is 7.2, the kh is 125 now.
Question - they didn't have seachem prime, but I didn't want to have to wait until Monday to make the change (there aren't any stores open here on Sundays that would have that) so I bought a different product. Ok to use the prime next time? What I mean is, can you switch chemicals? I assume it wouldn't harm the fish?
Thank you!!
Question - they didn't have seachem prime, but I didn't want to have to wait until Monday to make the change (there aren't any stores open here on Sundays that would have that) so I bought a different product. Ok to use the prime next time? What I mean is, can you switch chemicals? I assume it wouldn't harm the fish?
Thank you!!
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
fis said:
First, good for you! Great commitment and I'm sure your fish appreciate it
It's fine to switch conditioners, we just recommend Prime because it's efficient, super concentrated so it lasts a long time (a single capful treats 50 gallons) and it has the added benefit of temporarily neutralizing ammonia and no2.
As for the flashing (I must have missed that part last night), have you looked him over very closely? Any white specks or anything that could look like ich?
Also, don't be afraid to change more water, fish love fresh water
Thanks - commitment or insanity? lol
If Prime temporary neutralizes ammonia, does it spike up again after the prime wears off? (perhaps that's a stupid question?) Anyway I will pick it up on Monday-
No ich, no white specks. It's very upsetting. In the past I tried antibiotics via injection (bad, bad idea) and when the issue didn't resolve the vet said it was neurological and I should give up (very helpful). I recently tried 7 days of melafix, and his mouth looks much better, but it's still red, and clearly part of it will never heal (there's a small cut on the side of his mouth, at the opening) so now his mouth is slightly deformed. I feel awful about it, and have run out of ideas of how to help. As a side note, the edges of some of his fins are black, which I assume is from trauma, because generally the ammonia is 0 in the tank.
I should add he doesn't look terrible, in case that's what I'm depicting. lol
But as long as he doesn't flash, his mouth looks less and less red, so as you said, I'm hoping with the more frequent water changes, he'll be happier!
If Prime temporary neutralizes ammonia, does it spike up again after the prime wears off? (perhaps that's a stupid question?) Anyway I will pick it up on Monday-
No ich, no white specks. It's very upsetting. In the past I tried antibiotics via injection (bad, bad idea) and when the issue didn't resolve the vet said it was neurological and I should give up (very helpful). I recently tried 7 days of melafix, and his mouth looks much better, but it's still red, and clearly part of it will never heal (there's a small cut on the side of his mouth, at the opening) so now his mouth is slightly deformed. I feel awful about it, and have run out of ideas of how to help. As a side note, the edges of some of his fins are black, which I assume is from trauma, because generally the ammonia is 0 in the tank.
I should add he doesn't look terrible, in case that's what I'm depicting. lol
But as long as he doesn't flash, his mouth looks less and less red, so as you said, I'm hoping with the more frequent water changes, he'll be happier!
eco23
Aquarium Advice Addict
The Prime temporarily converts ammonia to a non-toxic form. Your bio-filter should consume the ammonia in the tap water long before the Prime wears off. If you still have ammo readings after that time, that means there's a different issue happening.
Hope everything works out for your fishy. Keep is posted on his progress and he'll enjoy the new conditioned water you'll be giving him.
Hope everything works out for your fishy. Keep is posted on his progress and he'll enjoy the new conditioned water you'll be giving him.
An update- I've been doing 25% water changes every 3 days since my last post, as well as vacuuming the gravel.
The tank at least, looks better - lol -
The fish is behaving more appropriately - he's more social again, doesn't really sit off in the corner much. But the flashing is still a concern. While it definitely happens less frequently, he's still crashing into the rocks at least 1-2x per day. The episodes are shorter, and he seems to recover more quickly (he'll go off to the corner and sit, facing away from the room, and then he comes back to the usual area he stays in.
I'm still looking for a larger tank on craigslist, and I need to get the larger filter, but so far finances are such an issue this month that I'm not yet able to.
So things are definitely better, but not as well as I'd hoped. Two vets have no suggested this might be a lifelong problem for him - and to just make his tank as comfortable and safe as possible (as I know people on the board here said as well), but I think I was hoping for a resolution...
Thanks again to everyone that helped. Knowing I didn't have to leave water out for 3 days has given me a wonderful new perspective!
The tank at least, looks better - lol -
The fish is behaving more appropriately - he's more social again, doesn't really sit off in the corner much. But the flashing is still a concern. While it definitely happens less frequently, he's still crashing into the rocks at least 1-2x per day. The episodes are shorter, and he seems to recover more quickly (he'll go off to the corner and sit, facing away from the room, and then he comes back to the usual area he stays in.
I'm still looking for a larger tank on craigslist, and I need to get the larger filter, but so far finances are such an issue this month that I'm not yet able to.
So things are definitely better, but not as well as I'd hoped. Two vets have no suggested this might be a lifelong problem for him - and to just make his tank as comfortable and safe as possible (as I know people on the board here said as well), but I think I was hoping for a resolution...
Thanks again to everyone that helped. Knowing I didn't have to leave water out for 3 days has given me a wonderful new perspective!
jetajockey
come get me tang police!
Look up gill flukes, that's another possibility also. Easily treated with praziquantel/prazipro. Do some research first though to make sure that's' your issue.
Thank you - I wish it were that simple...unfortunately (or I guess fortunately) his gils look healthy and he's not gasping at the top - he tends to swim around and if anything, likes the bottom when he's' upset.
But thanks - any ideas are really helpful!
But thanks - any ideas are really helpful!
Similar threads
Latest posts
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Nitrates up, pH and total alkalinity down
- Latest: Airborne 82nd
-