1. Size: 55 gallon
2. Water: Use API freshwater master test kit
a. pH 7.0-7.2
b. Ammonia 0 ppm
c. Nitrite 0 ppm
d. Nitrate 40 ppm
e. I add the following to the water:
i. Water changes: Seachem Prime and Seachem Equilibrium
ii. CO2 injections – 11 hr/day with light on. Started 5 weeks ago.
iii. Fertilizers: started 2 months ago – Flourish Phosphorus, Flourish Nitrogen, and Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium.
Water Schedule + CO2
Day 1 5mL Phosphorus, 2.5mL Nitrogen
Day 2 5mL Comprehensive
Day 3 5mL Phosphorus, 2.5mL Nitrogen
Day 4 5mL Comprehensive
Day 5 5mL Phosphorus, 2.5mL Nitrogen
Day 6 5mL Comprehensive
Day 7 Water change (every 1 or 2 weeks): 10-15 gallons.
3. Freshwater
4. Aquarium has been set up for 2 years.
5. Fish:
Species Number Size Time in aquarium Quarantine
Neon tetra 7 1” 9 months Yes
Rummy nose tetra 7 1” 6 months LFS*
Glolight tetra 2 1” 9 months Yes
Otocinclus 5 1” 3 months LFS*
Emerald Cory 2 3” 1 week Yes
Unknown Cory 1 1.5” 1 week Yes
Betta 3 female 1.5” 18 months Yes
Platty 2 male 1.5” 1 week Yes
Rosy Barbs 4 male 2” 4 months LFS*
Pearl Gourami 1 male 3-4” 18 months LFS*
Penguin pencil fish 10 1” 2 months LFS*
*My LFS builds its reputation on quarantining all fish before bringing them out front to sell. I did not quarantine these fish; they were quarantined by the LFS.
6. Quarantine – see chart above.
7. Current tank water temp: 79 F
8. I have live plants in the tank.
9. Filter: Eheim Classic 2217. Filter media: Eheim Substrat Pro, Eheim Mech, white filter pad, coarse blue filter pad. I clean the filter every 3 months – rinse the media with tank water, clear algae and debris from tubing and rinse the filter in tank water. I am not sure what is meant by power capacity – manufacture’s stated capacity or is there a way to measure that at home? Eheim states:
Eheim Plus
2217-37
Tank Size 159 gallons/
600 liters
Pump Output 263 gph
Filter Circulation 208 gph
Filter Volume 1-1/2 gallons
Power Consumption 20 Watts
Filter Dimensions 205 mm x 400 mm
10. Other Equipment:
a. CO2 injection started 5 weeks ago
b. CO2 indicator – with indicator solution
c. Thermometer
d. Not equipment, but possibly relevant – I have a large piece of driftwood and the substrate is Seachem Flourite.
11. Lighting: Run 36” double Hagen Eco T5-HO sitting 4 inches above the water. The light is on a timer and is on from 10am -9pm (11hrs/day). The tank is 10 feet from a north-facing window and we are at the bottom of a very steep and treed hillside and get very little light. 2 months ago we set up a 4 bulb 48” T5-HO right next to the aquarium for our orchids.
12. Water changes:
a. Last changed: last night, 15 gallons.
b. Frequency of changes: every 1-2 weeks
c. I vacuum the substrate.
13. Foods:
a. New Life Spectrum Small Fish Formula 2x day (before work and before bed)
b. Hikari sinking wafers for the corys and otos, due to excited bettas and tetras I feed after the light has gone off and spread out the food. I have two types of wafers and rotate them daily.
i. Bottom Feeders: spirulina, silkworm and krill. 3-5 small pellets scattered throughout the tank every other night.
ii. Algae Eaters: pure-cultured spirulina. ½ - 1 large pellet broken up into 3-8 pieces and scattered throughout the tank every other night.
14. What unusual signs have you observed in your fish? The coloration is grayish/faded between the dorsal fin and tail on 4 of my neons. They appear to be acting normal and eating.
15. Treatments tried: I have not treated these guys yet. I brought pictures to my LFS and they told me to dose them with API Furan-2. I asked if they thought it was neon tetra disease and they said no.
16. My plan is: to see what you guys think it is and recommend.
I set up a 10 gallon tank last night with 2/3 tank water, 1/3 new water. I have an Aqua Clear 20 running on it with a sponge and a bit of substrat pro from the 55 gallon’s filter. The temperature is 79 F. I will go ahead and put the effected neons into the hospital tank (or should I put all of the neons in just to be safe?) and start treating with API Furan-2 later tonight if no one has any better ideas.
2. Water: Use API freshwater master test kit
a. pH 7.0-7.2
b. Ammonia 0 ppm
c. Nitrite 0 ppm
d. Nitrate 40 ppm
e. I add the following to the water:
i. Water changes: Seachem Prime and Seachem Equilibrium
ii. CO2 injections – 11 hr/day with light on. Started 5 weeks ago.
iii. Fertilizers: started 2 months ago – Flourish Phosphorus, Flourish Nitrogen, and Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium.
Water Schedule + CO2
Day 1 5mL Phosphorus, 2.5mL Nitrogen
Day 2 5mL Comprehensive
Day 3 5mL Phosphorus, 2.5mL Nitrogen
Day 4 5mL Comprehensive
Day 5 5mL Phosphorus, 2.5mL Nitrogen
Day 6 5mL Comprehensive
Day 7 Water change (every 1 or 2 weeks): 10-15 gallons.
3. Freshwater
4. Aquarium has been set up for 2 years.
5. Fish:
Species Number Size Time in aquarium Quarantine
Neon tetra 7 1” 9 months Yes
Rummy nose tetra 7 1” 6 months LFS*
Glolight tetra 2 1” 9 months Yes
Otocinclus 5 1” 3 months LFS*
Emerald Cory 2 3” 1 week Yes
Unknown Cory 1 1.5” 1 week Yes
Betta 3 female 1.5” 18 months Yes
Platty 2 male 1.5” 1 week Yes
Rosy Barbs 4 male 2” 4 months LFS*
Pearl Gourami 1 male 3-4” 18 months LFS*
Penguin pencil fish 10 1” 2 months LFS*
*My LFS builds its reputation on quarantining all fish before bringing them out front to sell. I did not quarantine these fish; they were quarantined by the LFS.
6. Quarantine – see chart above.
7. Current tank water temp: 79 F
8. I have live plants in the tank.
9. Filter: Eheim Classic 2217. Filter media: Eheim Substrat Pro, Eheim Mech, white filter pad, coarse blue filter pad. I clean the filter every 3 months – rinse the media with tank water, clear algae and debris from tubing and rinse the filter in tank water. I am not sure what is meant by power capacity – manufacture’s stated capacity or is there a way to measure that at home? Eheim states:
Eheim Plus
2217-37
Tank Size 159 gallons/
600 liters
Pump Output 263 gph
Filter Circulation 208 gph
Filter Volume 1-1/2 gallons
Power Consumption 20 Watts
Filter Dimensions 205 mm x 400 mm
10. Other Equipment:
a. CO2 injection started 5 weeks ago
b. CO2 indicator – with indicator solution
c. Thermometer
d. Not equipment, but possibly relevant – I have a large piece of driftwood and the substrate is Seachem Flourite.
11. Lighting: Run 36” double Hagen Eco T5-HO sitting 4 inches above the water. The light is on a timer and is on from 10am -9pm (11hrs/day). The tank is 10 feet from a north-facing window and we are at the bottom of a very steep and treed hillside and get very little light. 2 months ago we set up a 4 bulb 48” T5-HO right next to the aquarium for our orchids.
12. Water changes:
a. Last changed: last night, 15 gallons.
b. Frequency of changes: every 1-2 weeks
c. I vacuum the substrate.
13. Foods:
a. New Life Spectrum Small Fish Formula 2x day (before work and before bed)
b. Hikari sinking wafers for the corys and otos, due to excited bettas and tetras I feed after the light has gone off and spread out the food. I have two types of wafers and rotate them daily.
i. Bottom Feeders: spirulina, silkworm and krill. 3-5 small pellets scattered throughout the tank every other night.
ii. Algae Eaters: pure-cultured spirulina. ½ - 1 large pellet broken up into 3-8 pieces and scattered throughout the tank every other night.
14. What unusual signs have you observed in your fish? The coloration is grayish/faded between the dorsal fin and tail on 4 of my neons. They appear to be acting normal and eating.
15. Treatments tried: I have not treated these guys yet. I brought pictures to my LFS and they told me to dose them with API Furan-2. I asked if they thought it was neon tetra disease and they said no.
16. My plan is: to see what you guys think it is and recommend.
I set up a 10 gallon tank last night with 2/3 tank water, 1/3 new water. I have an Aqua Clear 20 running on it with a sponge and a bit of substrat pro from the 55 gallon’s filter. The temperature is 79 F. I will go ahead and put the effected neons into the hospital tank (or should I put all of the neons in just to be safe?) and start treating with API Furan-2 later tonight if no one has any better ideas.
