Mlani's Mix

[Mlani]

Hi,
I am so sorry for your loss! I do not know if you live in an area where it snows but, the water that you as using may need to be tested before you do your water change.
What does snow have to do with it? I know that here in New Jersey , if salt is applied to the roads, we see a significant rise of saline and other minerals) in the water that comes from the tap.
I don't know if you use RO water but I would start there and look at all the decor in the tank. I have found that just because it says "aquarium safe" does not mean it is for the type of fish you have. Also there are things that can be in the water that normal testing will not show( like lead). Also check the bag or bags of food you use. Pour it all out in a clear plastic bag and give it look. The smallest piece of mold can spoil the whole lot. Constipation could account for the exploding fish bellies but my guess is not enough good bacteria in the gut to help with digestion. Or it could be just the natural decomposition. Hope this helps and again my sympathy on your loss.

I do use r/o water, but I also use around 1/4 tap (treated of course) only because I found trying to formulate the proper amount of minerals to put back in was a pia. We do get a tonne of snow here. I'm going to test my tap water to see. Question though? How would one check for salt in the tap? Which test bottle would be best for that one? I don't drink the water (due to health reasons) so I haven't a clue what it's supposed to "taste" like.
I've already checked all the food and dates on the stuff in the freezer. Nothing there. The only thing I have changed in that tank is that I added plants. I can't see how that would be killing them? I'm not doing any ferts only put in two root tabs around a month ago when I added the plants. According to the instructions on the root tabs you're good to use one tab per 10 gallons. I have 80gals and only have two tabs in there. So I can't see that being it. I've done water change after water change, scrubbed filters and all media (in my healthy tanks water so not to lose any bb) taken out all deco and done the same, cleared and changed all bubblers/airline. Raked all my substrate looking for any decomposition that I may have missed. I even pulled apart my pump and cleared it too!

 

[Mlani]

You tries almond leaves they're apparently good for recovering fish! Also try chucking all the air pumps you have in your house in get as much oxygen to them gills as you can I read somewhere that 9 times out of 10 when a fish is a little sick it dies when it doesn't really need to and not from the initial illness it's more from the illness and added stress reducing the efficiency of the gills and 9 times out of 10 if you can get enough oxygen into that water they will come round rather than die. I'm guessing you've tried all the normal things to do and like you said need things a bit off the wall give them a try and see sorry for your loss I've never had a wipe out in a tank (touch wood) but some of my mates have and I've seen second hand the effects! Good luck!

I'm not wiped out ..yet! I'm determined to get this sorted out before it takes all my fish. I will not lose my Trooper. He's already beaten so many odds against him. I'm going to double up my air pumps into the water and look into almond leaves. I haven't heard of them before. I hope they're something I can get around here. Thank you for both of those suggestions! I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Joeysdiscus]

I'm not wiped out ..yet! I'm determined to get this sorted out before it takes all my fish. I will not lose my Trooper. He's already beaten so many odds against him. I'm going to double up my air pumps into the water and look into almond leaves. I haven't heard of them before. I hope they're something I can get around here. Thank you for both of those suggestions! I'll let you know how it goes.

Any luck yet???

 

[Ian086]

Hey Mlani. Can't believe I missed your journal. I'm a bit stumped on your problem but I was thinking about the air freshener idea. Would it be possible, your hubby and/or kids wanted the house to smell nice for mammy coming home. Pizza leaves a horrible smell in a house!!.
My girlfriend also threatened to pee into my tank. I reminded her that it could be physically tricky for a woman to do. I told her if she falls into the tank(glass), she can call her own ambulance....haha..
I'm not to up on Meds but is there some kind of general antibiotic you could add just to keep everyone strong. Also I have heard garlic is a very good, natural immune booster for fish...

 

[Mlani]

Any luck yet???

So far *touch wood* no more losses. TG!

 

[Mlani]

Hey Mlani. Can't believe I missed your journal. I'm a bit stumped on your problem but I was thinking about the air freshener idea. Would it be possible, your hubby and/or kids wanted the house to smell nice for mammy coming home. Pizza leaves a horrible smell in a house!!.
My girlfriend also threatened to pee into my tank. I reminded her that it could be physically tricky for a woman to do. I told her if she falls into the tank(glass), she can call her own ambulance....haha..
I'm not to up on Meds but is there some kind of general antibiotic you could add just to keep everyone strong. Also I have heard garlic is a very good, natural immune booster for fish...

Ian!
No worries! Started out just to help me keep track of things in one spot lol!
Turns out my fish friends often keep me on my toes. Oh well hopefully others can learn from my mistakes too before they have to! Lol!

Gotta say I would LOVE the concept of hubby and kids cleaning the house for me after a weekend away! However that I can almost 100% ax certain is NOT so in this case lol!
Lmao I forgot about his threats! I still wouldn't put it past him Good comeback though for the next time he threatens to do so thank you
Now I can't get the picture of our spouses stuffed inside the tank ..oh wait my hubby would have the upper hand in that one .. Which leads me back to wondering whether or not he would actually do it. Lol!
Sad part I wouldn't know which I'd feel worse for my fish or the tank..?
I have been using almond leaf small doses diluted in fish water to treat whatever it is/was (hoping) I have also been adding metro+ treated worms laced with garlic every second to third feeding. So hopefully this will be another step in the right direction in fixing their water for them. I think this could all be connected to my r/o and replenishing with treated tap water for minerals added back in. I didn't know the right mix mathematically when I set up the tank originally. Has it been a couple years now that tanks been up and running?
Oops Ian sorry I rambled on an on again. Sort of a "combo" entry journal/response. Glad you found it

 

[Joeysdiscus]

Talking about "touch wood" come home from work today almost all my fish dead after just saying the other day in this thread that I've never had a wipe out! I've been upping my co2 and keeping an eye on the indicator waiting for it to be perfect green the last couple of days I turned the co2 up before I went to work today 10hours later come home to all forty of my fish in a big ball just being pushed around by the current I thought they were all dead but then I saw all of them gasping like mad I drained 50% of the water aimed the outlet of my filter straight down to smash some oxygen back in and turned the co2 right off. Two and a half hours later and they're ALL back to normal!!! That was a lucky escape! Still not sure if they will all survive but by the looks of things I caught it at the nick of time! So glad I finished work an hour early today!

 

[Mlani]

Talking about "touch wood" come home from work today almost all my fish dead after just saying the other day in this thread that I've never had a wipe out! I've been upping my co2 and keeping an eye on the indicator waiting for it to be perfect green the last couple of days I turned the co2 up before I went to work today 10hours later come home to all forty of my fish in a big ball just being pushed around by the current I thought they were all dead but then I saw all of them gasping like mad I drained 50% of the water aimed the outlet of my filter straight down to smash some oxygen back in and turned the co2 right off. Two and a half hours later and they're ALL back to normal!!! That was a lucky escape! Still not sure if they will all survive but by the looks of things I caught it at the nick of time! So glad I finished work an hour early today!

I swear some days we can jinx ourselves. I'm so glad you have things under control again. Even if it was for a brief moment that would have startled the crap out of me. To see my fish all bunched up in a ball being pushed around. I think my tank has settled down. There have been no more losses *again touching wood* everyone who is left is eating well and swimming normal. Not that I had any physical warnings before though. Either way I haven't had to scoop any little bodies out so I'm happy again. I think I'm going to give it another week and then I'm going to give the remaining harlequins to my son for his tank. He has four in there now and I only have two left from mine. I had so many, such a beautiful school. Oh well can't pout about it.. My glass catfish are still intact, I'm wondering if I should get more cories again because I lost my numbers in them. It seems I'm choosing which schools to increase again. The wonderful circle of life.
I want to thank everyone who has helped me along this last "hiccup" with my discus tank. Very much appreciated to have people to talk to and give different ideas on what to try. I would still probably be chasing my tail on this one. So thank you guys/gals!! Kudos!!
On a different note.. I finally got my son to stock his tank. I'm not sure if I won the battle or gave in on the battle. He has agreed that he is going to save his money for a 75 gal tank (he's already saved $50.00) because..and this is where I gave in I know.. He got his darn red tailed shark. *growls under breath* its around half an inch right now. Just a tiny little thing. He also picked up two angels and as I mentioned earlier four harlequins. We also (I grabbed one too) picked up a mystery fish lol! I know not a good thing to do but if they turn out to be something other than what I think they might be we do have many options for rehoming available to us. So maybe you all could help me out once again lol
What do you think these guys could be? They're tiny tiny right now so it may be a challenge. Lol!
I'm thinking marble bristle noses?

 

[Ian086]

Hey Mel, this is my uneducated guess, but I would say a bristlenose nose, possiblely a female. Does he/she have any bristles???

 

[Mlani]

No bristles as of yet. These little ones aren't even an inch big yet. Lol! Teeny tiny little ones.

 

[Ian086]

No bristles as of yet. These little ones aren't even an inch big yet. Lol! Teeny tiny little ones.

They're cool looking guys/gals, whatever they are....haha. I love the colours. No wonder you couldn't resist!!!!

 

[shellyx]

Looks like a bnp to me as well Mlani soo cute! Love these fish, i can remember when mine was that small lol

 

[Mlani]

Cool! That's what I was really hoping to hear! Especially since we picked up three of them lol!
Lesley..how is Gonzo?? Could you post a pic on here? Maybe Ian will have some ideas for you too?

 

[shellyx]

I'll try when I clean the tank just going to start. Cheers mel

 

[Mlani]

Ok let me know how it goes. Try to feel the edge of the pipe. I know its got plant growth on it but you never know?

 

[shellyx]

My hubby has decided to sand it down its sharp were we cut it smaller so hopefully that's the problem b

 

[Mlani]

Sounds like it would be to me. I'm glad you found it and didn't have to tear your tank apart looking. You have such a beautiful tank

 

[Ian086]

Sounds like it would be to me. I'm glad you found it and didn't have to tear your tank apart looking. You have such a beautiful tank

Sorry for being noisy!!!. What was the problem??

 

[Mlani]

Sorry for being noisy!!!. What was the problem??

Lol! Typo? Ian..Lesley ..Lesley..Ian
There now you've been introduced Not being nosy now. Besides you were invited into the conversation by me Gonzo has a wound on his back and Lesley wasn't sure how he'd gotten it.

 

[Ian086]

Lol! Typo? Ian..Lesley ..Lesley..Ian
There now you've been introduced Not being nosy now. Besides you were invited into the conversation by me Gonzo has a wound on his back and Lesley wasn't sure how he'd gotten it.

Hi Lesley, nice to meet you!!!. Am I right in assuming Gonzo is a bristlenose???. What did he cut himself on??