URGENT advice needed please :/

[MarkW19]

Cool...

2nd waterchange done.

Ammonia and Nitrites are still the same though...

Ammonia - 2mg/l, Nitrites 0.25.

Will keep doing water changes daily until I get these levels down - and hope my butterfly makes it through! He's the same as yesterday - docile, just "hanging around" mainly, not swimming much. Often pointing upwards or downwards. I haven't tried him with any food today, I will a bit later. I don't think he'll go for it though...

How long do you think he'll be able to live through my ammonia and nitrite levels?

And if I get them back to 0, do you think he'll recover to full-health?

 

[MarkW19]

I'm going to put my fake coral from my main tank in the QT for a bit more bacteria...

Of course I won't rinse it or anything before I put it in...can I put it back in my main tank after QT has finished?

Is there anything else I can do to help the bacteria in my QT?

 

[Atari]

If you get desperate you can always sacrifice a piece of LR. Unlike the fake coral you won't be able to bleach it and put it back in the main though, and if you end up having to treat then it won't be live anymore. But it's a worthy sacrifice if needed. Ideally you would've had a few sponges ready from the main.

 

[MarkW19]

I only have one giant piece of LR

 

[Atari]

Ah well scratch that idea then..

Since you still have a few weeks of QT left, it might be an idea to start seeding a sponge anyway.. could come in handy in a week or so.

 

[MarkW19]

Will Ammonia - 2mg/l, Nitrites 0.25 be the cause of problems with my Butterfly, or is it most likely ich?

 

[Atari]

Anytime water conditions aren't ideal it's gonna affect the behaviour of fish.. it isn't necessarily a sign of disease.

 

[MarkW19]

Rapid gilling (although not that rapid!), hanging in one place, refusing to eat, are all syptoms of ich.

But I guess all could be caused by my water conditions too!

He's not changed since yesterday - what are the chances if my 3rd water change tomorrow morning gets my levels ok, that he'll get back to normal? He hasn't eaten for 2 days.

 

[darb2]

keep at it. Most fish can go at least a week without eating

 

[MarkW19]

Just done my 3rd 50% waterchange in 3 days.

Can I do 2 50% waterchanges in a day? Or would you just do one a day?

 

[dralarms]

will using tap water (TDS 150, not too bad) be ok

In a QT as long as you declorinate it tap is fine.

just perhaps a few "bits" on his fins but they're certainly not as big as grains of salt...

Better to be safe than sorry.

If I put him in my main tank and notice any signs of ich, can I transfer him straight to my QT and contain the ich within him, and not pass it onto my other fish?

Once he hits the main tank then if he is infected so will all other fish and the tank, qhich means QT all fish and display needs to be fallow (empty of all fish) for 6 weeks.

 

[dralarms]

Dang, I just relized there were 3 pages of this thread. My reply must really look out of place.

 

[MarkW19]

Hehe, nay worries. Thanks!

I don't have any dechlorinator so I've just used normal tap water (100 TDS) for the last 2 waterchanges.

He seems to be picking up a bit...Just done waterchange number 3 so will check levels in a couple of hours.

Is dechlorinator really neccessary?

 

[Atari]

Ouch, if you want to use tap water then you have to go pick up some dechlorinator today or you're gonna kill the fish.

 

[MarkW19]

Can I put the dechlorinator straight in the QT after I've done the waterchange, or does it have to be put in before the salt?

 

[MarkW19]

Atari (or anyone!): you have to put the dechlorinator in before the salt.

So, I'll prepare some new water now for another 50% waterchange. How long should I leave the salt to mix?

ie. What's more important - getting the chlorine out of there or letting the salt mix for longer? I could mix the salt for 9 hours which would mean I could do the water change today. This would be 2 50% waterchanges in 1 day though - 1 with dechlorinator and 1 without.

 

[MarkW19]

Of course doing a 50% waterchange won't get rid of all the chlorine though!

 

[MarkW19]

Is it right that the chlorine will now have killed of of my bacteria in my QT??

 

[MarkW19]

If he did have ich and I put him in the main tank, how likely do you think it is my 3 fish would make a full recovery if I treat them for ich in the QT (keeping them in there for 6 weeks)?

 

[MarkW19]

Could someone PLEASE answer my last question ASAP:-

"If he did have ich and I put him in the main tank, how likely do you think it is my 3 fish would make a full recovery if I treat them for ich in the QT (keeping them in there for 6 weeks)?"