Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! (Me, not the fish)

[QTOFFER]

Last monday, I got 3 corydoras julii (1 inch)and placed them in my disinfected 10 gal Q tank with a few squirts of BioSpira to accelerate the cycle. I've been feeding them three times a week with one sinking pellet and I've been changing the water every other day (40%).

After a week, the cories looked great, so I got three albino corydoras (3/4 inch) and three oto cats (1 inch) and added them to the Q-tank after a lengthy acclimatization period. I threw in an algae wafer for the otos.

Two days later, I noticed one of the juliis and one of the otos were dead. Another oto is MIA. The other fish seem fine. I checked my water params and was shocked to find 1.5 ppm NH3!! Nitrite and nitrate were 0; pH was 7.0. I immediately did a 50% water change.

I guess I got lazy for not checking the water params every day in an uncycled Q-tank. I feel really bad about losing the cory. Hopefully, the others will be OK.
I plan to cut down the feedings to once a week ( a sinking pellet for the cories, and 1/2 algae wafer for the oto), do daily 10% water changes, and check the water params daily.

Note to self : Check water parameters and do water changes daily in uncycled tanks. Tank is cycled when ammonia and nitrite read 0 for five consecutive days. Thereafter, check water parameters with each weekly water change. Oh, yeah, don't try to extrapolate cycling experience with big tank to subsequent cycles...it doesn't work!

[tkos]

I would be careful about feeding the ottos only once a week. It is easy to starve those guys in the beginning. I would stick to the old feeding regeime and just make sure to do more frequent water changes.

[QTOFFER]

Tkos, thanks for your reply. My thinking is that perhaps overfeeding led to the ammonia spike.

Do you thing one sinking pellet for the cories and 1/2 algae pellet for the otos twice a week would be OK? I don't want to starve the little guys (or gals?), but I don't want to muck up the water parameters by overfeeding either.

Of course, I'm going to start doing daily water checks and changes on the Q-tank.
Oh well, live and learn..or in the case of my cory, die and learn.

[Guppyman]

Originally Posted by QTOFFER

Do you thing one sinking pellet for the cories and 1/2 algae pellet for the otos twice a week would be OK? I don't want to starve the little guys (or gals?).

Hi QTOFFER,

IMHO. that is just not enough food to keep your Corys in top condition. You would be much better off feeding smaller amounts on a daily basis and keeping an eye out for uneaten wafer particles as certain brands will fungus very quickly. I'd be willing to bet that they will consume it all, unless you are using the "giant" wafers. The small Hikari wafers would be your best bet. HTH. - Frank/Guppyman

[dogartist]

My Oto's wouldn't touch the wafers..I also put bruised lettuce weighted down for them..... I did see them skimming it..I have 2 bags of very pricey wafers :|