Diary of a Brand New Aquarium (with Bio-Spira used)

[TankGirl]

Very good point, FGG - it is wise to test the tap water after sitting out overnight to ascertain the "real" pH of the tap water. That would explain the rapid (apparent) rise.

Menagerie would smack me for forgetting this very basic recommendation when it comes to pH! Let's not tell her...

 

[MoxieGrrrl]

I would not add any more Bio-Spira now - but I am very curious about the pH. That is a huge difference between tank and tap, so do very small water changes so as not to drop it too suddenly.

Can you describe your decorations and gravel? I am wondering if there is some kind of buffering object in the tank, though I have never seen that raise the pH so markedly in such a short time.

MY tap comes out 7.4 and with aireation it goes up to 7.8-8.0 I think the release of CO2 from the water causes the increase in PH.

Very good point, FGG - it is wise to test the tap water after sitting out overnight to ascertain the "real" pH of the tap water. That would explain the rapid (apparent) rise.

Ok, I will put some tapwater out overnight and test it again in the morning... I tested it right outta the sink, so that's probably it. Should I ease the aerator back to a smaller release amount? I thought that would help with oxygenation.

With regards to the items in my tank - the only items I did not purchase from an aquarium supply store is the 8 or 9 black mexican river rocks. They were originally purchased from a rock quarry and rinsed them well under tap water before putting them in the tank. I thought they would be good for the pleco since they are very smooth (since they have been naturally polished, though not to a glass-shine) and might be a nice texture for it.

pH UPDATE: I retested the pH after allowing the 20% water change to cycle through a bit and it slightly lightened the blue shade of the test water - I estimate it may have gone down to 7.9.

Question: I have been trying to make sure the pleco is eating, but the mollies seem to nosh on the algae wafers before Peach can get to it. Does that matter? Is there enough of the algae wafer that breaks off and attaches to the surrounding gravel/ornaments? Is Peach starving?

 

[TankGirl]

Drop the algae wafer in after lights out, and the pleco can go to town while (hopefully) the other fish take a snooze.

 

[MoxieGrrrl]

TG - If it looks like the pleco isn't getting to it in time, what else can I do? He's been pretty active, swimming around and suckering different areas of the tank for a few minutes before moving on (of course most of the day he stays hidden, but I will see him out and about doing this behavior). Is it just a matter of time while the tank grows more algae? Should I put in a couple of wafers at a time? Today I saw him about an inch and a half from a wafer, but he didn't move in for it.

 

[TankGirl]

You can just wait a while - if there is food available he won't starve himself. Maybe give him a few more days and then try some zuchinni clipped to a suction cup feeder or rubber banded to a rock or something, and put that in after lights out - my plecos cannot resist it, and the other fish don't notice it at all.

 

[MoxieGrrrl]

UPDATE: Just completed today's readings...

Ammonia @ .25 ppm
Nitrite @ 0 ppm
Nitrate @ 0 ppm
pH @ 8.0

I'm a little concerned that the nitrate reading is still 0, but so far I have been very pleased with the Bio-Spira. Patheticus is still hiding out... he's very runty and skittish, but the rest of the fish appear active and happy.

 

[MoxieGrrrl]

SMALL UPDATE: Noticed that the water has gotten milkier again - another bacterial bloom?

 

[TomK2]

Tuesday(day # 4) Ammonia = 0.25 - The ammonia is right on cue! Don't worry about the nitrate yet, It will take some time for the nitrate to reach the lower limits of your test kit (Ie: ammonia lower limit is 0.25, nitrate lower limit is 5.0?). Keep an eye on the ammonia and nitrites.

 

[MoxieGrrrl]

UPDATE:

Ammonia @ approx. 1.0
Nitrites @ 0
Nitrates @ 0
pH @ 8.0

And we've discovered the mollies have ich! (Insert much cursing).

 

[Jchillin]

Moxie, your ammonia seems to be climbing quite well. I'm sorry to hear about your mollie...which one has the ich?

Allow me to insert the cursing: !@!@%%#$!#$%!@

I guess you have already started the treatment process. Don't allow this event to stress you.

 

[MoxieGrrrl]

Jchillin -

I just posted on the "unhealthy fish" thread about my first case... Seems Miranda and Otto have the brunt of the ich, Sandy is in the process of breaking out, and I can't tell on Spot (what with all the spots on him already).

I am going to start with a 1 tablespoon per 5 gallon salt treatment since I have the salts here already. I don't want to do anything too drastic because I am still waiting for the cycle to go through it's stuff. Additionally, I put the second packet of Bio-Spira in the tank to see if it helps the cycle move along and take care of the rising ammonia - I want to try and keep the fish the least stressed possible.

Anyone have any other recommendations? Oh this is making me so nervous.

 

[TankGirl]

I would say that the Bio-Spira failed the first time because normally you would see no ammonia or nitrite, and in 24 hours you would be showing nitrate. This has happened to me a time or two and was always corrected overnight with the second dose, so I am glad you had it.

 

[Jchillin]

Hang in there Moxie. I don't know a thing about bio-spira but from what you posted you're on the right track. I sent you a PM also.

 

[MoxieGrrrl]

I would say that the Bio-Spira failed the first time because normally you would see no ammonia or nitrite, and in 24 hours you would be showing nitrate. This has happened to me a time or two and was always corrected overnight with the second dose, so I am glad you had it.

I really hope the Bio-Spira works this time around - maybe there wasn't enough ammonia/nitrite in the water for enough nitrates to survive.

How long should I treat ich for?

 

[zero2dash]

Sorry that your fish caught ich Moxie...
I have conflicting thoughts on treating for ich myself. Most of the liquid solutions out there say treat for no less than 3 days after the last signs of the disease have subsided - but I think that could be overkill since the toxins in rid-ich (and the like) can disrupt a tank's biological process.

A girl (very knowledgeable one at that) at Petsmart last night told me they treat for ich the day they get in new fish and they never have any problems; maybe I'd try one treatment (in terms of the liquid stuff) and see what happens?

I know the salt apparently works well (from what I hear, ich doesn't tolerate salt well at all) and some people also raise the temps of their tanks to 86*, I don't know how well that works though myself.

Good luck and keep us posted...be glad you caught it right away and you knew what to do. The last time I had ich was the first time I found out what to do and by then it was too late; I lost at least 10 fish to it which is why my blue gourami is all I have left. Be thankful you know what to do

 

[MoxieGrrrl]

Be thankful you know what to do

Just going by the seat of my pants and hoping I read it right

PS: Should I raise the temp in my tank or just use the salt treatment? And the fish will be okay with the temp raised?

 

[zero2dash]

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=32 Here ya go, I found the article for ya

 

[TankGirl]

I would strongly recommend using heat, and the salt will help also, as when you raise the temp of the water the fish have a harder time getting oxygen, and salt assists with this. I have treated ich 100% effectively with heat only, but you need to leave the heat up for 10 days or so after you see the last ich spot on the fish, to be sure you have knocked out the parasite through its entire life cycle.

Also lower the water level just a bit so there is some splashing, as this will help a bit with oxygenation. I have treated ich with heat in planted tanks also, and though the plants don't care for it they always bounce back. Fish tolerate this totally fine, IME.

 

[MoxieGrrrl]

Thanks TG - I raised the temp on the heater about 3 degrees, and I'll raise it another 3 tomorrow.

Now that I have put a tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons in the water, do I need to repeat it? Or will it just stay there? And once I am up to about 85 degrees, I just leave it until I see no more spots + 10 days?

Poor Peach. My little pleco is just covered with tiny little white spots - they aren't too noticable unless you're looking for it, but I feel terrible

 

[TankGirl]

You will add salt now only to treat any new water that you add to the tank for water changes. Whatever salt is in there will stay there, and as evaporation occurs the salt stays the same, so if you top off the tank for evaporation don't add more salt.

Good luck, and I am so sorry you are having to go through this!