TheGaffer27
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Nuts.
I've got 2 of my fish who are scratching against the plastic plants or in one case, the uptake valve to my filter. I've just added a bunch of fish, so this may be the culprit. Of course, my first worry is ICH, but so far visible evidence of that doesn't exist.
A little tank history first: 29G tank, 6.9 pH, no ammonia, kinda soft water. I tend to use very little in the way of chemicals (a little neutral buffer, and definitely aquarium salt).
Prior to Sunday, I had 5 cherry barbs (all about 3-3.5 years old!!), 6 tigers and 2 very small cory cats. The latter 8 fish were added about 2 months ago, they all adjusted, everyone is fine.
I bought more fish from the LFS, a reliable place in NYC that only sells fish. Bought 3 blue gouramis and 7 silver tip tetras (all of them about 3/4" big - real tiny). Did this Sunday -- I netted the fish to put them in the tank, did not put any LFS water in my tank. Everyone's eating and doing fine, but yesterday and this morning I noticed one of the gouramis and one of my cherry barbs - the oldest one - scratching occassionally against the plastic rocks and such.
My first move was to raise the temperature slightly -- up to about 80 from 78 (I'm told going slowly to 85 is a good idea), and I added about 2 TBSP of aquarium salts, as well as a teaspoon of Metaflix, which some of you may know is this medication made from Tea Tree that's mfred by Aquarium Pharma. (I've used this before, and managed to save a bleeding heart tetra with white cloudy stuff on him after quarantining him. Despite its smell, it seems to not have harmful effects.)
Anyway, I also have quinine tablets, but I do not want to go berzerk here. At the same time, I would hate hate hate hate to lose these fish.
They're all still eating. One of the cherries is a bit whitish above the eyes, but that's been around for several months -- it doesn't look like spots, or cloudy stuff - almost as if his color has faded and it's getting "grey." (Seriously...if it was spots, I'd see.) Other than that, theres nothing visible with any of the fish.
So, my question is, what's my next move? Should I continue dosing with the Metaflix, along with the salt, and raising the temperature for a period of two weeks, and see what happens?
Please help...this tank has been very successful for the last 3.5 years (my cherries were born in the tank). Any/all opinions appreciated.
I've got 2 of my fish who are scratching against the plastic plants or in one case, the uptake valve to my filter. I've just added a bunch of fish, so this may be the culprit. Of course, my first worry is ICH, but so far visible evidence of that doesn't exist.
A little tank history first: 29G tank, 6.9 pH, no ammonia, kinda soft water. I tend to use very little in the way of chemicals (a little neutral buffer, and definitely aquarium salt).
Prior to Sunday, I had 5 cherry barbs (all about 3-3.5 years old!!), 6 tigers and 2 very small cory cats. The latter 8 fish were added about 2 months ago, they all adjusted, everyone is fine.
I bought more fish from the LFS, a reliable place in NYC that only sells fish. Bought 3 blue gouramis and 7 silver tip tetras (all of them about 3/4" big - real tiny). Did this Sunday -- I netted the fish to put them in the tank, did not put any LFS water in my tank. Everyone's eating and doing fine, but yesterday and this morning I noticed one of the gouramis and one of my cherry barbs - the oldest one - scratching occassionally against the plastic rocks and such.
My first move was to raise the temperature slightly -- up to about 80 from 78 (I'm told going slowly to 85 is a good idea), and I added about 2 TBSP of aquarium salts, as well as a teaspoon of Metaflix, which some of you may know is this medication made from Tea Tree that's mfred by Aquarium Pharma. (I've used this before, and managed to save a bleeding heart tetra with white cloudy stuff on him after quarantining him. Despite its smell, it seems to not have harmful effects.)
Anyway, I also have quinine tablets, but I do not want to go berzerk here. At the same time, I would hate hate hate hate to lose these fish.
They're all still eating. One of the cherries is a bit whitish above the eyes, but that's been around for several months -- it doesn't look like spots, or cloudy stuff - almost as if his color has faded and it's getting "grey." (Seriously...if it was spots, I'd see.) Other than that, theres nothing visible with any of the fish.
So, my question is, what's my next move? Should I continue dosing with the Metaflix, along with the salt, and raising the temperature for a period of two weeks, and see what happens?
Please help...this tank has been very successful for the last 3.5 years (my cherries were born in the tank). Any/all opinions appreciated.
