Recent content by mrsmills

Thanks for the advice, unfortunately I was wholly ignorant of the cycling process when I bought the fish, it was never intended just to use them to cycle the tank and they were never seen expendable. Unfortunately, the black moore now seems to have like a white fluff just on his back below the...

Update - transferred bubble eye to a make shift quarantine tank, effectively a translucent plastic tub with large area for good o2 exchange and air pump. He has showed sporadic attempts to swim but still looked very unhappy. His gills were also swollen. The water in the box was been changed...

Given nitrate/nitrite levels presume it is still cycling, however, despite water changes of 30-50% per day last week the levels remains substantially unchanged, however I take on board your point regarding the gravel. It hasn't been vacuumed so this may explain high levels. I don't have...

1~What type of fish is afflicted? The fish afflicted a bubble eye gold fish, was in generally good health until last week when began to appear listless and would float basically motionless at top of tank or sit under aquarium decorations. Seems to float to surface involuntarily. Generally...

That's great. Sorry, one more question, the bubble eye seems a great deal happier but has taken to spending some time hiding under some rocks almost entirely motionless then without warning just swims out again after maybe up to an hour and is busily searching through the gravel, swimming...

Great. So if doing a really good clean that's fine but always rinse in existing tank water? Is it ever necessary (in normal) circumstances to completely empty the tank and start over? Presumably, this is to be avoided at all costs?

Thanks a lot. After some frequent water changes, nitrous levels are beginning to decline and a significant reduction in feeding has cleared the water and the bubble eye who I think may have been suffering from constipation seems to have benefitted also, for the first time in over a week he is...

I put a couple of egeria densa the common waterweed/giant elodea in the tank long before any fish, they've established very well and grown significantly in a tank in a north facing room out of direct sunlight with a low level of tank lighting. The fish seem to enjoy them too. Only thing is with...

I feel awful for not having done it, I thought I'd researched this pretty well. Not that it's anyone's fault but my own but I can't believe fish are sold without asking the question, "have you cycled the tank?" It's all so obvious now, I somehow seem to have totally not considered this...

That's great thank you. For future reference. How does the tank cycle without fish, do you put them in, allow an amount of ammonia to build up to allow the growth of a bacterial population then remove the fish for a time? I did let the tank establish without fish for 3 weeks or so but presumably...

That's fantastic, thank you. I can't believe how quickly they react. Is it normal to continue with such frequent PWC's while the tank is cycling is does this phase tend to only last a couple of weeks or less? Obviously, it's not problem doing it but I don't want to be over-zealous.

Well I've done about a 1/3 change this morning and instantly all the fish just seem so much happier, particularly the little bubble eye so will carry on monitoring the N02/3 levels periodically and making water changes as appropriate. But it is okay to do more than one partial change a day?

Thanks very much. I have this afternoon done a 25% change with treated tap water - the fish seem instantly happier. The guy I spoke to a local, regionally aquarist centre suggested that a water change at that rate daily for 7 days plus would not necessarily be a bad thing. Any thoughts on that...

I've 'borrowed' some water quality test strips and a Hanna HI-98160 ph meter from a friend of mine who works in a water quality lab at the university where I work, these apparently are water industry standard for field use. Anyway, here are the results: NO3 - c.25 NO2 - c.5 General hardness >16...

Internal with sponge and charcoal filters. 60litres per hour filtration rate. I have gently cleaned the sponges twice in aquarium water. I think some test strips are required. I shall purchase some post haste. I first got the tank as a kid and kept two small carp in their for 10 and 12 years...