New member!

[Dom_Qc]

Hi!
My name is Dominic and I live in Quebec, Canada.
I just started a new 75 gallon tank a couple of weeks ago. I didn't have a tank for the past 6-7 years (my father had a tank almost all his life except these past years) and it's time, since I'm older, to get back into it.

The inhabitants are 5 angelfish, 4 apistos cacatuoides (1M:3F), 2 keyhole, some corydoras and otocinclus and a school of lemon tetras and rosy tetras.
The tank is well planted and I already ordered indian almond leaves to turn it blackwater.

Beside fishes, I'm a university student in mechanical engineer (2 years completed) and one of my principal hobbies is vintage cars (I'm the owner of a '67 MGB).

I signed in this forum for one principal reason: I often read posts on Aquarium Advice and I'm facing a gill erosion problem with two of my angels that I can't identify. So I thought I could learn from all the members now and in the future! And who knows, maybe I'll help someone in a couple of years when I'll have more experience!

Dominic

P.S.: English is not my first language.

 

[Mebbid]

It's always nice to see newcomers to the forum!


That sounds like a HUGE stocking for a tank that's just a few weeks old so there are some questions that I have for you:

1. What are your parameters?
2. How was the tank cycled?
3. What is your water change schedule?
4. What are the numbers of the other schools of fish?


If you are showing any ammonia or nitrites you are going to need to do large water changes asap because you have a few sensitive species including the angels, otos, and corys.

 

[Dom_Qc]

Hi!
My parameters are 0 ammo, 0 nitritre and ~5 nitrates. The tank has been cycled with nutrafin cycle and 6 lemon tetras, followed by 6 corydoras a week later. All parameters were checked twice a day with an API master test kit, and ammoniac and nitrite both stayed at 0 all the time, and nitrate started to grow after only 1 week. I then introcuced the other inhabitants in the following 2 weeks, again while checking parameters every day. The tank is well planted, a lot of driftwood and a aquaclear 110 filter. The other schools are 13 lemon tetras, 5 baby rosy tetras, 5 corydoras trilineatus, and the last ones, 6 otos as the algae was covering all the plants and glasses (diatoms).
The angels aren't mature, only a 2 dollar size (canadian money haha..).
keyholes aren't mature either, maybe 2 inches long.
My water change schedule is not very established as my nitrates are still very low, but I'm now at ~15% a week. Eventually it will be about 20-25% a week as soon as nitrates will go more than 10
(maybe I will do larger water changes only the other week when it will blackwater, not decided about it..). PH is 7.4, very slowly reducing (was 7.6 when I started the tank), ans as soon as I receive my indian almond leaves and turn it blackwater, it should go down.
I'm taking a close look at all the fishes. There is no agression (except the male apisto at feeding time), every fish is eating well, acting well, no signs of illness except for two angelfish with gill covers (operculas) eroding, which were like this when I bought them. I'm currently treating them in a hospital tank.

I know it sounds like a lot, but I'm not blind about it and I knew I would have to do huge daily water changes if ammonia or nitrite jumped, but it always stayed at zero, so Ì continued stocking it, with both plants and fishes.

Thanks for replying!

Dominic

 

[Fishman007]

Welcome to AA! Glad to have you here, i think the gill erosion could be from 2 things. High Ph or bacterial infestation. Any pics of the two?

 

[Fishman007]

Whats your Ph at?

 

[Dom_Qc]

Hi,
My PH is 7.4 now and it will go down as soon as I receive my Indian almond leaves to turn it blackwater.
I saw the gill problem the day I purchased them but now it's a little bit worse.
I started a thread on this (Angelfish gill plates erosion), and the advice I receive was that it was an infection so I'm going to buy some Melafix and Pimafix to treat the 2 angelfish (now in the hospital tank). I'll put a half dose in the main tank too. Any comments on these products or suggestions for another one?

Thanks for your reply

Dominic

 

[Fishman007]

Hi,
My PH is 7.4 now and it will go down as soon as I receive my Indian almond leaves to turn it blackwater.
I saw the gill problem the day I purchased them but now it's a little bit worse.
I started a thread on this (Angelfish gill plates erosion), and the advice I receive was that it was an infection so I'm going to buy some Melafix and Pimafix to treat the 2 angelfish (now in the hospital tank). I'll put a half dose in the main tank too. Any comments on these products or suggestions for another one?

Thanks for your reply

Dominic

Sounds good, hope they get better. Any pics of your tank?

 

[Dom_Qc]

Oh! That was a fast answer!
No I still don't have any pic of my tank (I'm in a exam period at school and don't have much time). I'll try to find some time though!

Dominic

 

[Fishman007]

Oh! That was a fast answer!
No I still don't have any pic of my tank (I'm in a exam period at school and don't have much time). I'll try to find some time though!

Dominic

Thats ok, but make sure to get it soon!! Lol

 

[Mebbid]

Melafix and pimafix are more of a preventative rather than a medication. I would go with something stronger if there is a visible problem that needs to be corrected.

 

[Dom_Qc]

Finally, here's a video of the tank!
Of course it's not completed yet, I still need to find beautiful background plants, and everything may move when it will be full grown!
Please post your commentaries/suggestions!

Dominic

P.S: Can I post more than one pic/video in the same reply?

 

[Dom_Qc]

Oops, I'm not able to link my video... Here are some pics instead (if it works...)
Sorry for the bad quality...

 

[Dom_Qc]

And here are my two angels in the hospital tank. You can clearly see (even if the pics are bad!) the damaged gill. They are currently on Melafix and Pimafix because they seem very healthy except for the gills, and if I see that they begin to be weird, I will switch to a more radical treatment.