the dreaded ich

[Reygan2]

I agree. I love the way it looks also. Especially the balck sand. Hmmm mm, now that I've said that it has started me thinking about black gravel and how that might look.(?). Right now my 37 gallon has the blue calico sand and I mixed just a small bag of white in with it to give that extra little bit of contrast. I don't mind it but wants to go with something a little more natural looking. I also have decorations that are more for the salt water look I think. Didn't think about it when I was buying them. Would like more of the drift wood or natural stone look.

PS - I picked up the Fluval 405 today at PetSmart. I'll be hooking it up to my existing tank tomorrow.

Nice tank, I would love to see it with the black background. I just bought a little 5 gallon. I'm going to get a betta. I've always loved them. I wanted to get a 10g for him, but the only spot I have to put a tank isn't big enough. It has black trim, and I put black gravel in it. I looks really good. I've been seeding some floss in my main tank, and since I'm still ich free I put it in the 5g filter. I know I'm living on the edge with this ich thing, but patience is not one of my virtues. If it's not gone completely then I'll have to start over, but there are no spots anywhere.

 

[wrmiller]

Nice tank, I would love to see it with the black background. I just bought a little 5 gallon. I'm going to get a betta. I've always loved them. I wanted to get a 10g for him, but the only spot I have to put a tank isn't big enough. It has black trim, and I put black gravel in it. I looks really good. I've been seeding some floss in my main tank, and since I'm still ich free I put it in the 5g filter. I know I'm living on the edge with this ich thing, but patience is not one of my virtues. If it's not gone completely then I'll have to start over, but there are no spots anywhere.

Here with black background. Installed the 405 today also. Super quiet. . Water may look like it has floaters in the pic because it does. I just fed the fishes sone crisps and they make a huge mess. Fish love them though so its worth it.

 

[Reygan2]

Beautiful! What kind of crisps are you feeding?

 

[wrmiller]

Beautiful! What kind of crisps are you feeding?

Hi, Reygam!
TetraMin is the crisps I feed. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11147812 The ones i have now are in a container that also includes baby shrimps and granules also. The fish go crazy over the crisps and also like the baby shrimps a lot. They do make the water a mess for a bit but it clears quickly. That being said though, I think it is good because I do see that some makes it down to the corys on the bottom. They really like them also. All of the fish in the tank go crazy as soon as you put the crisps in the tank. I guess it's because as soon as the scrimps hit the water you can she them start to dissolve. I'm assuming it smells yummy yummy to the fishes. My corys can be just laying on the bottom doing absolutely nothing and as soon as those hit the water they start going nuts. I have actually even seen them swim mid-level in the tank to get at the crisps. Try them but don't expect anything special the fist couple feedings. My fish were confused at first when I started feeding them to them. I think it was because I always fen nothing but flake and the crisps were a much different texture. Now I feed flakes in the morning and do the crisps and baby shrimps at night. I only feed the granules on occasion.

I'm still really liking the Fluval 405. I just added my existing AquaClear Biomax in the Fluval 405 mixed with the new and fortunately the levels didn't spike. Both my ammonia and nitrite are still at 0. I'm considering going to get the 60 this week. I'm just not sure if I will be able to hull it along with the stand and canopy all at the same time, I have some measuring to do. Otherwise I will have to wait on my friend that I have lined up to go with me to become available. I'll keep you posted.

I forget. What kind of fishes do you have besides you Cory? My favorite fishes are my three clown barbs. They are very entertaining to watch. Mine are about 2.5 - 3 inches now. I'm hoping that they will get to their full 6 inches. I hope they really thrive in the new tank.

 

[Reygan2]

Hi, Reygam!
TetraMin is the crisps I feed. TetraMin® Crisps Select-A-Food Fish Food - Tropical Food - Fish Food - PetSmart The ones i have now are in a container that also includes baby shrimps and granules also. The fish go crazy over the crisps and also like the baby shrimps a lot. They do make the water a mess for a bit but it clears quickly. That being said though, I think it is good because I do see that some makes it down to the corys on the bottom. They really like them also. All of the fish in the tank go crazy as soon as you put the crisps in the tank. I guess it's because as soon as the scrimps hit the water you can she them start to dissolve. I'm assuming it smells yummy yummy to the fishes. My corys can be just laying on the bottom doing absolutely nothing and as soon as those hit the water they start going nuts. I have actually even seen them swim mid-level in the tank to get at the crisps. Try them but don't expect anything special the fist couple feedings. My fish were confused at first when I started feeding them to them. I think it was because I always fen nothing but flake and the crisps were a much different texture. Now I feed flakes in the morning and do the crisps and baby shrimps at night. I only feed the granules on occasion.

I'm still really liking the Fluval 405. I just added my existing AquaClear Biomax in the Fluval 405 mixed with the new and fortunately the levels didn't spike. Both my ammonia and nitrite are still at 0. I'm considering going to get the 60 this week. I'm just not sure if I will be able to hull it along with the stand and canopy all at the same time, I have some measuring to do. Otherwise I will have to wait on my friend that I have lined up to go with me to become available. I'll keep you posted.

I forget. What kind of fishes do you have besides you Cory? My favorite fishes are my three clown barbs. They are very entertaining to watch. Mine are about 2.5 - 3 inches now. I'm hoping that they will get to their full 6 inches. I hope they really thrive in the new tank.

Thanks for the info!

I'm glad to hear that things went smoothly and nothing spiked.

My tank is almost complete:
5 neon tetras
5 black neon tetras
1 dwarf gourami
1 little angel
1 panda cory
2 peppered corys
and probably 2 or 3 panda corys on the way. Everybody is getting along fabulously so far, and I couldn't be happier with my set up, unless of course I was about to obtain your set up! I'd better get back to work. Keep me posted.

 

[Reygan2]

Still no signs of ich
I am soooo glad I didn't have to medicate. I really appreciate the great advice from everyone. I surely wouldn't have learned about the heat treatment from any lfs.

 

[alex07]

Still no signs of ich
I am soooo glad I didn't have to medicate. I really appreciate the great advice from everyone. I surely wouldn't have learned about the heat treatment from any lfs.

How many days ago did you noticed that the ich was gone?

 

[Reygan2]

It's been 12 days since I've seen any ich. My DG cleared up quickly after the heat was turned up, then one of my bnt's had it, but it too cleared up really quick. I never did have a big outbreak before it got better like I've seen in other posts.

 

[alex07]

It's been 12 days since I've seen any ich. My DG cleared up quickly after the heat was turned up, then one of my bnt's had it, but it too cleared up really quick. I never did have a big outbreak before it got better like I've seen in other posts.

You're good to go

 

[Reygan2]

Hey wrmiller, haven't heard from you. I hope everything is going great.

 

[wrmiller]

Hey wrmiller, haven't heard from you. I hope everything is going great.

Greetings!
I'm still here. Tomorrow is my last day of Ich treatment. I will start lowering the temp tomorrow. It has been like 10 days since I have seen any Ichy Ich.

Today was a very disappointing day. My family and I set out around noon for That Fish Place in Lancaster, PA to get the new 60 gallon tank, stand and canopy. We got about a third of the way there and then turned around as the rain was way too much and I didn't want to put my family at risk just for a fish tank. So, we turned around and headed back home. The new plan is that a buddy and I will be making the 2 hour (each way) trip on Saturday. That Fish Place is holding the tank, stand and canopy for me.

I was so discouraged today I almost said to heck with it and just bought a 55 gallon, stand and canopy from PetCo. Instead, I fought the urge and disappointment and held out. The 60 is basically the same as the 55 but is 24" tall instead of just 20". I really want the extra 4 inches of height as it really does make a big visual difference. I have seen both and the 60 is much less squatty looking than the 55. Basically the 60 is same dimensions as a 90 gallon but is 13 inches thick instead of 18 inches thick like the 90.

Now, next dilemma. I want a plain black background as I have now on the 37 but how to achieve it? The one on the 37 gallon is the bought background plastic like material from PetSmart. I would really like an alternate solution. I however don't want to pInt a brand new tank. I'm trying to think of some way to make the background back not using either of those two solutions. I would like to get something rigid and flat to put back there in the back outside of the tank. I may go to Home Depot and get some kind of synthetic material that is rigid and still and paint it black. Then I could put it in the back on the bottom rim and somehow prop or hold it in place. I'm thinking that the Fluval 405 input and output clamps may do this anyway. I can also use clamps on the back edge if necessary also as I will have a c
Wood canopy and you won't see them anyway. I'm trying to figure this out because I am going to put it as close to the wall as possible and I know it will be easier to figure out before there is 600 pounds of water and stones in the tank. Any other ideas???

 

[Reygan2]

Greetings!
I'm still here. Tomorrow is my last day of Ich treatment. I will start lowering the temp tomorrow. It has been like 10 days since I have seen any Ichy Ich.

Today was a very disappointing day. My family and I set out around noon for That Fish Place in Lancaster, PA to get the new 60 gallon tank, stand and canopy. We got about a third of the way there and then turned around as the rain was way too much and I didn't want to put my family at risk just for a fish tank. So, we turned around and headed back home. The new plan is that a buddy and I will be making the 2 hour (each way) trip on Saturday. That Fish Place is holding the tank, stand and canopy for me.

I was so discouraged today I almost said to heck with it and just bought a 55 gallon, stand and canopy from PetCo. Instead, I fought the urge and disappointment and held out. The 60 is basically the same as the 55 but is 24" tall instead of just 20". I really want the extra 4 inches of height as it really does make a big visual difference. I have seen both and the 60 is much less squatty looking than the 55. Basically the 60 is same dimensions as a 90 gallon but is 13 inches thick instead of 18 inches thick like the 90.

Now, next dilemma. I want a plain black background as I have now on the 37 but how to achieve it? The one on the 37 gallon is the bought background plastic like material from PetSmart. I would really like an alternate solution. I however don't want to pInt a brand new tank. I'm trying to think of some way to make the background back not using either of those two solutions. I would like to get something rigid and flat to put back there in the back outside of the tank. I may go to Home Depot and get some kind of synthetic material that is rigid and still and paint it black. Then I could put it in the back on the bottom rim and somehow prop or hold it in place. I'm thinking that the Fluval 405 input and output clamps may do this anyway. I can also use clamps on the back edge if necessary also as I will have a c
Wood canopy and you won't see them anyway. I'm trying to figure this out because I am going to put it as close to the wall as possible and I know it will be easier to figure out before there is 600 pounds of water and stones in the tank. Any other ideas???

You have astounding impulse control. It is very commendable that you chose the safety of your family over your desire for your new tank, I can relate, but the fact that you were able to resist an immediate "fix" with the 55g shows a lot of control, which I'm not sure I could relate to. I'm learning the hard way that patience is essential in this hobby, and I've spent more than I care to admit on impulsive decisions.

As far as the background, I don't think you could go wrong with black, but what would be the difference between a piece from petsmart and a painted piece of something from the hardware store? I agree with not painting the back of the tank, that is too permanent, but unless you're looking for something less shiny, the petsmart piece should work. You could alway glue pieces together to fit the back. I've goofed on cutting the right size pieces and had to improvise, and the parts that are pieced together aren't noticable.

I can't wait to see you all set up. I'm already daydreaming about what I'm going to get. I am actually leaning toward saltwater.

 

[wrmiller]

I this morning I started my temperature lowing cycle. That water is at about 83.7 degrees right now down from 85-86 degrees. I will lower again tomorrow morning hoping to bring it to about 81 degrees by end of day tomorrow. Then on Sunday I hope to move it to it's final resting spot at about 77-78 degrees. I really hope the Ich stays gone for good now in my main tank. Now with the QT tank that should be reality too.

I do have a question though regarding the QT tank. When new fishes are put in the QT tank directly from the store, should I automatically assume the worse and immediately start treating for Ich? It seem like if not the fish could still Cary Ich to the main tank if the symptoms didn't show on the outside of the fish for the 2 week QT period. Thought anyone? What does everyone else do?

Also to provide an update on my new setup. Tomorrow is the day I will make the trip, along with a buddy of mine, to That Fish Place to pick up the new tank. I have also figured out what I am going to do in regards to the background. Tomorrow on our way home, I am going to stop by a local window tinting business and have them apply blackout to the back of the aquarium. problem solved. I'm not exactly sure how much this will cost but since it should be fairly permanent I think it will be worth it. I still like this idea vs. Painting which feels way to permanent to me. Yes, I realize it can be scraped off also.

One other thing I was considering was countertop Formica. I brought some samples home from Lowe's today and i admit that they look pretty cool. Especially since you can get a slight pattern if you want. The one I liked best was a black marbled look. Cost for a piece big enough to cover the 48 x 24 back would be about $60. Not too bad after you consider if you had to buy a 4 foot piece of black aquarium background at $6 a foot plus the Seaview to apply it with.

 

[wrmiller]

You have astounding impulse control. It is very commendable that you chose the safety of your family over your desire for your new tank, I can relate, but the fact that you were able to resist an immediate "fix" with the 55g shows a lot of control, which I'm not sure I could relate to. I'm learning the hard way that patience is essential in this hobby, and I've spent more than I care to admit on impulsive decisions.

As far as the background, I don't think you could go wrong with black, but what would be the difference between a piece from petsmart and a painted piece of something from the hardware store? I agree with not painting the back of the tank, that is too permanent, but unless you're looking for something less shiny, the petsmart piece should work. You could alway glue pieces together to fit the back. I've goofed on cutting the right size pieces and had to improvise, and the parts that are pieced together aren't noticable.

I can't wait to see you all set up. I'm already daydreaming about what I'm going to get. I am actually leaning toward saltwater.

Yes, self control is not my strong point either but when it comes to my wife and daughter everything else is secondary. By not getting the 55 gallon from PetCo I saved myself a lot of money and a lot of extra work and mental anguish. I would have driven myself and my wife absolutely nuts until I would have gotten the one I originally wanted to start with.

Regarding the background, I plotted my plan in my previous post. I'm curious to see how the window tint turns out. I will of douse let you know and will post pictures. I will post pictures of my office before and after my new setup also. I will also post tomorrow about the trip to That Fish Place and if I ended up with any other unexpected goodies.

 

[wrmiller]

Well, I got it. I am the proud new owner of a 60 gallon show tank, black Marineland stand and canopy. Unfortunately they didn't have any glass canopies or 48 inch T8 lighting fixtures. I'll have to pick those up locally or online. Now I'm really excited to get it prepared and set up. I may tackle it tomorrow but I'm still not sure.

First things first I have to install the 2.5% window tint to the back. I called the professional shop and they advised me to go to Wal-Mart and do it myself. The guy was very nice and gave me step by step instruction. They would have to charge their minimum of $40 to install it which is why he advised me to do it myself. He is the one that told me Wal-Mart had 2.5% and the darkest they had was 5% in their shop. At Wal-Mart I was able to get 72"x24" of the 2.5% window tint film for just $16. They had a background material at That Fish Place that applied the same as window tint but it was $6 a foot. So, 2.5% window tint from Wal-Mart it is and I will let you know how the application goes.

Sorry to have highjacked your thread for this! I figured it was okay since both of our Ich troubles are in the past?

 

[Reygan2]

Well, I got it. I am the proud new owner of a 60 gallon show tank, black Marineland stand and canopy. Unfortunately they didn't have any glass canopies or 48 inch T8 lighting fixtures. I'll have to pick those up locally or online. Now I'm really excited to get it prepared and set up. I may tackle it tomorrow but I'm still not sure.

First things first I have to install the 2.5% window tint to the back. I called the professional shop and they advised me to go to Wal-Mart and do it myself. The guy was very nice and gave me step by step instruction. They would have to charge their minimum of $40 to install it which is why he advised me to do it myself. He is the one that told me Wal-Mart had 2.5% and the darkest they had was 5% in their shop. At Wal-Mart I was able to get 72"x24" of the 2.5% window tint film for just $16. They had a background material at That Fish Place that applied the same as window tint but it was $6 a foot. So, 2.5% window tint from Wal-Mart it is and I will let you know how the application goes.

Sorry to have highjacked your thread for this! I figured it was okay since both of our Ich troubles are in the past?

I absolutely think it's ok. I would think others are interested in your new venture..always something to learn. I appreciate you sharing with us. I'd never thought about using window tint, nice improvising. I'm glad you were able to find a bargain, you are right, it was really nice of that guy to help you out like that.

Congratulations on finally getting your set up. I'll be watching!

 

[wrmiller]

I got the 60 set up tonight. Sorry for the poor quality picture. It was taken with my cell phone.

The window tint didn't work out. It wasn't as easy to install as I thought it would be. I just couldn't get it perfect and me being OCD anyway I knew if I left it on it would have bugged me and it would have been a mess to get off and very difficult avaunt the wall and weighing 700 pounds. Instead I'm going to do some sort of insert behind the tank. I'm thinking of now doing the jet black formica. I have a sample and held up against the back glass looks really good. I think I will be able to prop it on the aquarium rim ledge on the bottom and the filer intake and outputs will hold it on the top. I'll keep you updated on that.

I still need to get lights and glass canopies as That Pet Place was out of both believe it or not. I will do LFS or online for those I guess.

A buddy of mine is taking the 37 gallon tank so I have gotten someone else in to the hobby. I am going to provide him the help that others on this site have so graciously provided to me over the last several months. I have sent him the iPad/iPhone app invite so he will probably show up on this site soon.

 

[Reygan2]

I got the 60 set up tonight. Sorry for the poor quality picture. It was taken with my cell phone.

The window tint didn't work out. It wasn't as easy to install as I thought it would be. I just couldn't get it perfect and me being OCD anyway I knew if I left it on it would have bugged me and it would have been a mess to get off and very difficult avaunt the wall and weighing 700 pounds. Instead I'm going to do some sort of insert behind the tank. I'm thinking of now doing the jet black formica. I have a sample and held up against the back glass looks really good. I think I will be able to prop it on the aquarium rim ledge on the bottom and the filer intake and outputs will hold it on the top. I'll keep you updated on that.

I still need to get lights and glass canopies as That Pet Place was out of both believe it or not. I will do LFS or online for those I guess.

A buddy of mine is taking the 37 gallon tank so I have gotten someone else in to the hobby. I am going to provide him the help that others on this site have so graciously provided to me over the last several months. I have sent him the iPad/iPhone app invite so he will probably show up on this site soon.

How nice to have a buddy to share the hobby with.

The tank is awesome! The black background is really going to set it off. I love your dw piece. If you don't mind, where did you find it? I'm looking for that "special" piece that will really finish my home tank. I like the fake one I have in there now (I found it in the reptile section at Petsmart), but it's not what I really wanted.

Sorry about the window tint not working out. I'm anxious to see what you come up with.

 

[wrmiller]

How nice to have a buddy to share the hobby with.

The tank is awesome! The black background is really going to set it off. I love your dw piece. If you don't mind, where did you find it? I'm looking for that "special" piece that will really finish my home tank. I like the fake one I have in there now (I found it in the reptile section at Petsmart), but it's not what I really wanted.

Sorry about the window tint not working out. I'm anxious to see what you come up with.

The fish are really enjoying the tank. My tiger barbs noses have even turned red. I had always wondered why mine didn't have red noses and now they'd all of a sudden since putting them in the new tank. I hope that is a good thing and means they are happy.

The drift wood piece also came from That Fish Place. It is really great. My clown barbs love it and have figured out that the whole thing is hollow and they have been hanging out in it constantly. Here is a link to the arch at That Fish Place: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/250972/product.web

In also am anxious to get a black background ASAP. I'm also anxious to pick up the glass canopies and lights. I'm finding it difficult to find lights that will work well with both a canopy and glass canopies. They were all out when I was down at That Fish Place.

I'll keep you updated and will be sure to publish more pictures as I make progress.

 

[Reygan2]

The fish are really enjoying the tank. My tiger barbs noses have even turned red. I had always wondered why mine didn't have red noses and now they'd all of a sudden since putting them in the new tank. I hope that is a good thing and means they are happy.

The drift wood piece also came from That Fish Place. It is really great. My clown barbs love it and have figured out that the whole thing is hollow and they have been hanging out in it constantly. Here is a link to the arch at That Fish Place: Design Elements Twisted Root Arch Aq. Ornament Lg. 23.5in. x 10.5in. x 12.5in. | Artificial Rocks & Wood | Decorations | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com

In also am anxious to get a black background ASAP. I'm also anxious to pick up the glass canopies and lights. I'm finding it difficult to find lights that will work well with both a canopy and glass canopies. They were all out when I was down at That Fish Place.



I'll keep you updated and will be sure to publish more pictures as I make progress.

Thanks for the link, I am constantly searching for that "perfect" piece. Right now I have a piece of real dw in my classroom tank that is leaking tannins like crazy. I should have boiled it but I was afraid it would fall apart, it's not in the best shape. I wish I hadn't bought it now. I liked the look initially, but it's getting too dark.

Getting everything together can be frustrating, and I hope you find your parts soon. Just dream of the day when you can sit back and admire the finished product. I am finally able to do that with my home tank. After rearranging a million times, and trading fish around (I spent a fortune on gas traveling to the nearest fs) I'm finally happy. The only problem I have is finding another space to put a bigger one!