Long Fin Minor Tetra and other tetras with ich + dropsy?

[TheLuckyRoll]

Hello forum! I have gotten good advice from here before and I hope to again. A few days ago my awesome rummynose I felt was lonely, I went to the store and bought a few more. The last time I did this many of them died because of them being schooling fish and they don't do well in transition. As a result, the two that I got died. The one that I tried to get companions for is still there. But the other ones I noticed had ich; the most I had ever seen on a fish. I didn't want to take them back to the store as that is more stressful. But I believe they gave ich to my other fish, I am seeing very small white flecks on many of them and they are not as aggressive eating as they usually are. I am trying API Super Ich Cure, the powder form, I have taken the carbon filter out and added a single package. I do not have the instructions but correct me if I am wrong I am to wait another 48 hours before another package and do a 20% water change?

The other thing I noticed some, albeit rarely, of the fish look like they have trouble swimming in general... its very brief and they can still get around the tank but a little slow. Is this dropsy? And how do I take care of it?

Also, do you think I should go back to the aquarium store and argue for my 7 dollars back for the rummynose fish that had ich and died; likely gave it to my other fish too...

 

[LyndaB]

Rummies are known for being sensitive. If you purchase a dozen, you can probably expect 7-8 to live. How did you acclimate them?

What are your water params (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate?)

It's always a great idea to quarantine new fish if at all possible. Did you notice any issues with the fish in the tank at the lfs?

You can certainly argue with them that their fish introduced ich to your tank but they will only accept their own blame if they can actively see ich in their tanks.

I don't use ich meds. I use the natural treatment:

Raise temp slowly to 86
Add an airstone to increase oxygenation
Do gravel vacs every 2-3 day to remove ich spore from substrate

Maintain this treatment for minimum of 2 weeks

 

[TheLuckyRoll]

Rummies are known for being sensitive. If you purchase a dozen, you can probably expect 7-8 to live. How did you acclimate them?

What are your water params (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate?)

It's always a great idea to quarantine new fish if at all possible. Did you notice any issues with the fish in the tank at the lfs?

You can certainly argue with them that their fish introduced ich to your tank but they will only accept their own blame if they can actively see ich in their tanks.

I don't use ich meds. I use the natural treatment:

Raise temp slowly to 86
Add an airstone to increase oxygenation
Do gravel vacs every 2-3 day to remove ich spore from substrate

Maintain this treatment for minimum of 2 weeks

The way I tried to aclimate them was add some of my tank water to the bag they came in and waited about 30 minutes to release them into the tank. They were swimming okay and their color looked fine for a few days; other than the ich.

I know they had ich at the store, many of their fish had ich. I wanted a German Blue Ram but the entire tank had ich in it. What gravel vac do you recommend? I have one that stirs the gravel and removes water at the same time. Do you add aquarium salt?

I will do a water test now to see what the new readings are; be back in a few.
Nitrate: about 10
Nitrite: 0
Low alkalinity
ph: ~6.2 to 6.8
Ammonia: looks to be within 0 to 0.5

 

[TheLuckyRoll]

The Red Tetra is getting picked on by a golden barb because he is swimming weak; he is nipping at his tail fin... The barbs arent aggressive in this tank; it seems only when a fish has a difficulty are they.

 

[LyndaB]

I know they had ich at the store, many of their fish had ich. I wanted a German Blue Ram but the entire tank had ich in it.

What gravel vac do you recommend? I have one that stirs the gravel and removes water at the same time.

Do you add aquarium salt?

Personally, I would never purchase any fish from a store where the tanks contained lots of ich-ridden fish. That's just not a healthy choice. Wait a few weeks until their tanks are clean and then possibly make a purchase.

We had a python for years and then they stopped making them. We purchased an Aqueon. Same thing basically.

I do not add salt. I do not have brackish or salt tanks, so don't feel the need. All freshwater fish live quite well without the benefit of salt. Some freshwater species cannot tolerate salt at all.

Your readings look good, but why do you have any ammonia at all? New tank?

What size is this tank and what do you have in there?

 

[TheLuckyRoll]

My tanks isnt that new, about 5 months now. I had an ammonia issue when it was new but that could just be this lousey strip test. I will do the test tube when my water settles. (i just vacuumed the gravel and its merky)

And yes, I wont be buying fish from them until I its well established they have clean tanks. But they get fish every week so... maybe its not a good store to go to. Its Petland; but they are the only place I know that has rummynose.

My tank is a 20 gallon with 2 white fin tetras, 1 lonely but large rummynose, 2 golden barbs, 3 red fin tetras (looks soon to be 2... ) a very very shy bumblebee catfish and a long fin albino pleco.

I had previously added about half a tablespoon of aquarium salt occasionally(like every 3 days) while increasing the temp of the tank and it took care of ich with water changes almost everyday.

 

[TheLuckyRoll]

Personally, I would never purchase any fish from a store where the tanks contained lots of ich-ridden fish. That's just not a healthy choice. Wait a few weeks until their tanks are clean and then possibly make a purchase.

We had a python for years and then they stopped making them. We purchased an Aqueon. Same thing basically.

I do not add salt. I do not have brackish or salt tanks, so don't feel the need. All freshwater fish live quite well without the benefit of salt. Some freshwater species cannot tolerate salt at all.

Your readings look good, but why do you have any ammonia at all? New tank?

What size is this tank and what do you have in there?

It looks like we almost have the same gravel filter, I thought you were talking about one that siphons the water through a filter and just vacuums the water. Ive also heard they were a gimic...they are like 50 dollars too. But it looks like yours might have a valve at the top of the tube that doesn't allow rocks etc thru. Mine just has a very thick tube and a wide head that most of the gravel (and I have very very fine gravel) might get to about the middle of the tube and falls back down while the debris is sucked up; I kind of wish it had a stronger suction but it does the job ok.

 

[TheLuckyRoll]

Wow, we joined the same time to this forum and you already have 1,500 posts. You must really like this place.

 

[LyndaB]

I've never heard of your vaccuum type, so can't really comment on its usefulness.

What species of pleco is that? Most likely, that's the source of your ammonia, they have large bioloads. Most plecos get too big for a small tank like yours.

Test strips are pretty worthless. The API master kit kicks major butt.

Your stocking is a bit off. Tetras prefer to have 6-8 of their own in schools. To my knowledge, barbs do, too. Rummies do best with large schools. You'd be best served by focusing on one species of schooling fish for that tank.

 

[TheLuckyRoll]

I've never heard of your vaccuum type, so can't really comment on its usefulness.

What species of pleco is that? Most likely, that's the source of your ammonia, they have large bioloads. Most plecos get too big for a small tank like yours.

Test strips are pretty worthless. The API master kit kicks major butt.

Your stocking is a bit off. Tetras prefer to have 6-8 of their own in schools. To my knowledge, barbs do, too. Rummies do best with large schools. You'd be best served by focusing on one species of schooling fish for that tank.

This pleco is only going to get to be 6 inches, its a bushynose. And I had 3 white fin tetras, 3 red fin and a few rummynose and they were all swimming together. I was told the white fins and the rummy would be together, and that was true for awhile til one of the white fins got pretty big and hes kinda bossing everyone around.

What was interesting; when I added the new rummynose tetras; the older bigger rummynose started chasing everyone around. Even the big white fin tetra. My guess was to establish a dominance so he could lead the new rummynose around in a school. They were together but the ich got the best of the new ones.

I do have the master kit, Im just waiting for my water to settle its messy right now.

 

[TheLuckyRoll]

In 3 minutes I will know the result of the master test kit ammonia.

 

[TheLuckyRoll]

It must be a tiny bit above 0, not even 0.25. The color is barely green, mostly yellow if you have the chart handy.

 

[TheLuckyRoll]

Do you think I need a bubbler? Or I suppose air stone. I thought you needed one to add oxygen to the water. I have a Marineland Biowheel 150; would that add enough oxygen to the water on its own? If I didn't have the bubbler the water would be that much less turbulent; the fish dont seem to go near the bubbler even though its meant for a 20 gallon tank.

 

[LyndaB]

Wow, we joined the same time to this forum and you already have 1,500 posts. You must really like this place.

I have a lot to say, I guess.....

Your pleco, at 6 inches, will not have the room to move through the tank, in my opinion. Ultimately, your stocking is your decision. We can only offer up comments.

Just a side note, in case you're not aware, you can hit the "edit" button on your last post and add more commentary, if necessary, rather than doing a new post each time you think of something to add. This really helps when the rest of us are trying to follow the dialogue and helps declutter the forum.

I don't have the chart handy as I'm at work. But you don't want any ammonia at all.

You were right, every time you add new fish to your tank, all of the fish must re-establish the hierarchy in the tank.

 

[TheLuckyRoll]

I have a lot to say, I guess.....

Your pleco, at 6 inches, will not have the room to move through the tank, in my opinion. Ultimately, your stocking is your decision. We can only offer up comments.

Just a side note, in case you're not aware, you can hit the "edit" button on your last post and add more commentary, if necessary, rather than doing a new post each time you think of something to add. This really helps when the rest of us are trying to follow the dialogue and helps declutter the forum.

I don't have the chart handy as I'm at work. But you don't want any ammonia at all.

You were right, every time you add new fish to your tank, all of the fish must re-establish the hierarchy in the tank.

I suppose I will just keep with the frequent changes of the water / gravel filtering. It should knock it down a little; i also have some AmQuel. Perhaps I should wait on that?

And the pleco is like 2 maybe 3 inches right now(hes all fin); the largest he will get is 6 and by that time I will have upgraded to a larger tank.

 

[LyndaB]

I've never used Amquel. It's a dechlorinator, right?

I use Prime. I only use it after water changes.

Water changes are the best method for getting rid of ammonia.

Larger tanks are always a great thing!!!

 

[TheLuckyRoll]

I've never used Amquel. It's a dechlorinator, right?

I use Prime. I only use it after water changes.

Water changes are the best method for getting rid of ammonia.

Larger tanks are always a great thing!!!

Its advertised as an ammonia remover. I will just go the natural route and change often.