Hi,
I have a 120 gallon tank with a weird setup. It was originally set up as a planted tank. I was using liquid Co2 and I didn't want to buy an injector. Either way it had become too expensive. Since this was set up to be a planted tank, it has a soil substrate with pebbles on top ( I read a book about this setup ) : ) I have a Fluval FX 5 ( rated for up to 400 gallons. It has three stages......top- charcoal covered with coarse polishing pad, 2cnd-biomedia, 3rd-biomedia covered with fine polishing pad. Biomedia, if it needs cleaned, tank water is used. With tank setup and biomedia, I should have good bacteria out the whazoo.
T-8 lighting system, 4 bulbs.
Tank covered with two sections of egg crate to keep cats from fishing ( believe it or not they once flipped a fish out onto the floor ).
Large ship decoration - 2 halves.
Natural rocks-boiled before they were put in.
Natural drift wood, also boiled before it was put in.
I believe, Anubius, attached to wood.
Several clumps of Java Fern.
Tried Java moss and they ate it all even though it was mounted on metal mesh and I thought well hidden. Did have duckweed on top but it took over and light couldn't get through.
1 plecostamous
1 comet
1 6 1/2" orange oranda
2 lionhead orandas
1 5" gold and white oranda
7 Cory cats
So tank is definitely not overloaded.
Tank has been set up like this for three years.
Cobalt premium goldfish food with probiotics and Omega One medium goldfish pellets for the two large ones. They do eat both. Shelled peas twice a week-haven't found any other things they will eat.
PH usually runs 8.0 because our water naturally has high Ph and with doing 50% water changes it impossible to keep it down. We do have a water softener but I use the unsoftened water from the garage when I do water changes. Water change every two weeks and I do use Tetra additive to neutralize chlorine and help slime coat.
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - normally even after a water change stays low acceptable range.
Hardness and alkalinity always high. Again, because of water source.
Lionhead was already missing one eye. I believe the plecostamous did it. No other explanation and it is quite large.
Last week I noticed that he had this bloody bubble on his good eye. He definitely could not see. I know that they sense the food through smell or taste. Can,t rember which? He definetly was having trouble finding pellets and maneuvering. He has never grown as fast as the other one.
Then, all of a sudden the bubble burst and I think he can see some now. He seems to be doing better. I would like to know what caused this, in case it happens again. If there is some way to prevent this I would love to know.
Also, my large orange or and a is growing out a few scales that look white in patches on one side and the other side has a whole line of scales missing so the line looks white. I don't see any signs of disease? I would think plecostamous again, but I would imagine scales missing in this manner would be round patches? Maybe rubbing against something? Although, I can not imagine what in the tank would leave a vertical line? This particular fish is my favorite and I already almost lost him a few months ago when he swallowed a rock. Had to use tweezers to try to get it out. Instead it ended up going into his tummy and he was able to work it out and spit it up. So, any help here, ideas or advice would be greatly appreciated! I would die if I lost either fish. I cried when Randy swallower the rock.
Thank you so much!
I have a 120 gallon tank with a weird setup. It was originally set up as a planted tank. I was using liquid Co2 and I didn't want to buy an injector. Either way it had become too expensive. Since this was set up to be a planted tank, it has a soil substrate with pebbles on top ( I read a book about this setup ) : ) I have a Fluval FX 5 ( rated for up to 400 gallons. It has three stages......top- charcoal covered with coarse polishing pad, 2cnd-biomedia, 3rd-biomedia covered with fine polishing pad. Biomedia, if it needs cleaned, tank water is used. With tank setup and biomedia, I should have good bacteria out the whazoo.
T-8 lighting system, 4 bulbs.
Tank covered with two sections of egg crate to keep cats from fishing ( believe it or not they once flipped a fish out onto the floor ).
Large ship decoration - 2 halves.
Natural rocks-boiled before they were put in.
Natural drift wood, also boiled before it was put in.
I believe, Anubius, attached to wood.
Several clumps of Java Fern.
Tried Java moss and they ate it all even though it was mounted on metal mesh and I thought well hidden. Did have duckweed on top but it took over and light couldn't get through.
1 plecostamous
1 comet
1 6 1/2" orange oranda
2 lionhead orandas
1 5" gold and white oranda
7 Cory cats
So tank is definitely not overloaded.
Tank has been set up like this for three years.
Cobalt premium goldfish food with probiotics and Omega One medium goldfish pellets for the two large ones. They do eat both. Shelled peas twice a week-haven't found any other things they will eat.
PH usually runs 8.0 because our water naturally has high Ph and with doing 50% water changes it impossible to keep it down. We do have a water softener but I use the unsoftened water from the garage when I do water changes. Water change every two weeks and I do use Tetra additive to neutralize chlorine and help slime coat.
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - normally even after a water change stays low acceptable range.
Hardness and alkalinity always high. Again, because of water source.
Lionhead was already missing one eye. I believe the plecostamous did it. No other explanation and it is quite large.
Last week I noticed that he had this bloody bubble on his good eye. He definitely could not see. I know that they sense the food through smell or taste. Can,t rember which? He definetly was having trouble finding pellets and maneuvering. He has never grown as fast as the other one.
Then, all of a sudden the bubble burst and I think he can see some now. He seems to be doing better. I would like to know what caused this, in case it happens again. If there is some way to prevent this I would love to know.
Also, my large orange or and a is growing out a few scales that look white in patches on one side and the other side has a whole line of scales missing so the line looks white. I don't see any signs of disease? I would think plecostamous again, but I would imagine scales missing in this manner would be round patches? Maybe rubbing against something? Although, I can not imagine what in the tank would leave a vertical line? This particular fish is my favorite and I already almost lost him a few months ago when he swallowed a rock. Had to use tweezers to try to get it out. Instead it ended up going into his tummy and he was able to work it out and spit it up. So, any help here, ideas or advice would be greatly appreciated! I would die if I lost either fish. I cried when Randy swallower the rock.
Thank you so much!
