Discus success story (stkg., fdg.) and lionfish treatment (hlth.)   11/21/09
Hello crew, today I am writing about a success story of mine, a question, and concerns about the treatment of my black volitans lionfish, Lucifer.
First of, I am now the proud owner of my first discus,
<Symphysodon spp. are social animals... really only do well in groups, mated pairs>
a fish I have always wanted to take a hand at. I am happy to report that the discus has oddly enough adapted quite well to my rather busy community aquarium and has been happily feeding off all dry/frozen foods
<Mmm, need more than this>
for the 5 weeks I have had it. I am now planning on saving for a 125 set up of maybe 6 discus and once those are nicely set up mature and established perhaps try adding 6 altum angels.
<Ahh, I wouldn't mix these. See the Net, library re>
My question is that on your site I have read angels and discus generally are not compatible, yet my discus is thriving alongside 3 angels that do not hassle it or out compete it.
<Perhaps you are/were lucky, but time will tell>
This leads me to believe that in certain circumstances the mix might not be so bad. Would it be safest to try adding angels or discus first to try to make sure everything goes along smoothly?
<Up to you, but I would not>
My last question is in regards to my lionfish. Not even a week ago my lion was eating healthily and all seemed well. Then over the course of 2 or 3 days his eyes clouded and he stopped eating. I at first thought it was blindness like you mentioned in your article on lions but I just have standard fluorescent light bulbs, nothing intense. Several employees at the LFS I work at agreed that it sounded like a bacterial infection and should be dosed with Maracyn.
<Possibly>
I dosed the aquarium (125 gallons) with both Maracyn 1 and Maracyn 2 since we were not sure if it was internal or external. Now two days later, his eyes look a bit better but he is still not eating and appears to be covered in a fungus that my puffer had. It looks like marine ick I suppose and I added Maroxy to the water as well. Is there anything else I can do? I read that lions can last a while without being fed but I am really worried about losing him. -Thanks Ray
<Really only able to "tell" what this might be through microscopic examination... I might try pH-adjusted freshwater bathing this fish, moving it to other quarters if you have such. Please use the search tool on WWM re. Bob Fenner>

Please Advice... Arowana sys., fdg.   11/21/09
Dear Sir,
<Hello,>
I have 7 inches Silver Arowana. When I got it , it was of 6 inches only. It is about one month with me.
<Still very much a baby.>
The aquarium size is 2.5 ft X 1 ft X 1.5 ft (height).
<Much too small.>
I have another aquarium of 42 inch X 18 inch X 24 inch (height) ready to shift this Arowana when it grows.
<Good. But even this tank is marginal. Silver Arowana get to around 90 cm (~3 feet) long, and it's hard to keep them in anything less than tanks 2 metres (about 6 feet) in length.>
I have been feeding him with guppies and Mollies. Can I continue this or not?
<I would not be feeding them live fish at all. Are you breeding these Mollies at home, or do you buy them from a pet shop? If you breed your own feeders, that's relatively safe. But buying cheap fish from a pet shop is very unwise. Since Arowanas eat all sorts of foods, including pellets, it is safer and more nutritious to use these. Crickets, mealworms, earthworms and river shrimps make safe live foods. Wet-frozen foods like lancefish, prawns and mussels are good. Companies like Sera make Arowana pellet foods.
I wouldn't use them all the time because dried foods tend to cause constipation, but for about 50% of their diet, such pellets would be ideal.>
I have not added any salt to the water.
<Good.>
It is doing very good.
<Nice to know.>
Do I need to add salt to the water?
<No.>
Murali
<Cheers, Neale.>

Fat Cichlid
Fat Cichlid Without Eggs  11/21/09
Do female cichlids (Acei) get really fat with eggs before breeding or laying their eggs? Thank you, Teresa
< When female Mbuna are full of eggs they only look slightly fatter than normal. Usually an extended stomach is a sign of an internal infection that needs to be treated with Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace.-Chuck>

Re: Constipated female Betta - 2 years old :: Neale  11/20/09
Hi Neale,
<Hello Elizabeth,>
I decided to keep the filter and plants. The filter is running and it will be ready for a new fish perhaps tonight! By flake do you mean fish food flake?
<Yes. Ammonia is ammonia is ammonia, and filter bacteria couldn't care less where it comes from. By adding a small pinch of flake, you feed the fungi and saprotrophic bacteria resident in any aquarium, and these release ammonia, and that's used by the nitrifying bacteria.>
With this fish I promise to keep her tank warm and filtered and to never, ever overfeed her.
<!>
I also want to thank you so very much for taking the time to walk me through this. Losing Pixy was sad, she is buried under the pear tree in the backyard.
<Mine get buried in the herb garden. Kind of a "Circle of Life" thing when they end up as the oregano and bay leaves I used in pasta sauce...>
You helped make this an endurable loss just by answering all my emails:)
<My pleasure.>
Thank you again and bless your heart.
<Well, that's the kindest thing I've heard all week!>
Cheers,
Elizabeth
<And cheers to you, too! Neale.>

Re: Constipated female Betta - 2 years old :: Neale  11/20/09
Hi Neale,
<Hello Elizabeth,>
I agree with you about the Circle of Life. I swear these are the best pears in town:)
<!>
And I bet your pasta sauce is excellent!
<It's not bad at all. Sometimes a little fishy... or is that my imagination?>
Love ya,
Elizabeth
<Have a good weekend, and hope *not* to hear from you too soon (at least, not with a sick fish story!) Cheers, Neale.>

African clawed frog swimming strangely and discolored  11/20/09
My son has a ACF that seems to be taking a turn.
<Oh dear.>
It has been healthy and fine, to this point, but I did notice it was turning a darker green color in blotches, rather than staying it's pretty light green color.
<This tends to be a reaction to poor environmental conditions. Essentially a bacterial infection. Can be treated with antibiotics, e.g., Maracyn II (Minocycline) and Maracyn Plus (Sulfadimidine and Trimethoprin, but best avoided.>
It lives with two other fish and a snail, and we change out the water by 2/3 weekly.
<Actually, these frogs should never be kept with fish. Whatever habitat you keep them in should be adequately large, maintained at around room temperature (rather than tropical temperatures) and ALWAYS filtered. Changing water instead of filtering just doesn't work. Do see here for the basics:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/FrogsArtNeale.htm
>
We have floating plants for the bowl. The frog is swimming in a twisting motion, and then stops and just floats.
<Sounds bad.>
Sometimes it seems to stay slight twisted almost upside down. This appears to be different behavior than we have seen to this point (one month).
<You see, it takes about a month for things to go wrong.>
I have removed it from the big tank and put it alone with a bit of shrimp in water that has been dechlorinated to see ---I am not sure to see what!
Is it dying or is there something I can do for it to try to save it?
<Maybe not at death's door, but certainly severely stressed. Review the conditions in the tank. It needs a tank at least 10 gallons in size (ideally twice that for an adult) at about 15-20 degrees C in temperature
and filtered with a good, strong filter. A small internal canister filter would be ideal.>
Thank you. Susan
<Happy to help. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: African clawed frog swimming strangely and discolored  11/20/09
Thank you, Neale...
<Happy to help.>
I am not sure how the Pet Stores stay in biz. ugh
<I look at it this way: A sales clerk wouldn't stop himself selling me a ghastly pair of yellow trousers with pink polka dots.
<<Hey! I bought those!! Heeee! RMF>>
 It's up to me to make an appropriate choice. So with a pet shop: They'll sell any animal to
anyone who pays the money, regardless of the ability of that person to keep that animal. Yes, I agree, the *ethics* is totally different, since it's an animal we're talking about, an animal that can suffer in various ways. But so long as the law doesn't enforce some sort of ethical dimension, it's up to us to make sure we research the needs of those animals prior to purchasing them. I do my best to help people *after the event*, but
often-times that isn't much good, perhaps because the animal is too far gone, or else because my correspondent doesn't have the funds or space to house the animal properly. It's a thorny problem, I admit.>
Susan
<Cheers, Neale.>

Follow up question after research (RMF, does Photo_111909_003.jpg look familiar?)  11/20/09 <<Does... microbial of some sort, as you state. B>> After searching the web, I found one brief reference on your website to "circular white spots with hollow center" that I believe applies to my problem. (See Re: Freshwater Community Tank 7/9/09, answered by Neale) This exchange what makes me believe what we have is a fungus, but I don't see a confirmation of what kind & what the harm may be nor how to treat. <They do look like either fungal or bacterial moulds. Not sure which. But either way, does imply pretty ghastly conditions inside the tank in terms of filtration. Fungi and bacteria feed on organic matter, and to get colonies as obvious as this takes some doing!> We have a 135gal tank that's been set up for approx 60 days that started an algae growth. The odd thing is what you will see in the photos...those white circular patches which appear on every surface & appear to be clearing/eating the algae. We are not new to fish keeping but this is a new problem for us & we want to treat it correctly. <I have never seen anything like this before. It certainly isn't common!> We only have two Severums & a Gourami in there right now, so it is definitely not overstocked/overfed. <And yet something is feeding these fungi/bacteria...> We have cut the lights way back & cleaned the front of the tank so we could see in! The concern is that it is a fungus or something harmful to the fish. They still appear healthy. <Unlikely to be directly harmful, but it's worth mentioning that things like Aeromonas spp. bacteria that break down organic matter under normal circumstances can become pathogens when the immune system of fish becomes compromised. So again, there's an issue here that needs to be resolved.> Will just cleaning & controlling the algae get rid of the problem or do we need to use some other treatment? <I'd take a long, hard look at the system. I'd check a few things. Is the filter turnover rate adequate to the size of the tank? For big fish like yours, that's something upwards of 6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. Does the filter have enough useful media? Carbon and zeolite are largely redundant in systems of this type, but biological and mechanical media are important, and both should be cleaned/replaced on a regular basis (every 6 weeks or so, perhaps more often if the filter clogs up quickly). How deep is the substrate? Unless you have an undergravel filter or are growing plants with roots (pointless with Severums, but I'd mention it) then the gravel need only be just deep enough to cover the glass. Anything above that can trap faeces, uneaten food, etc. Is there anything "rotten" in the tank? A classic source of fungi is non-cured bogwood; as the wood decays, fungi sprout. Is the water silty? If you're using sand rather than gravel, if the sand wasn't cleaned well, silt gets trapped on everything, making things look white and murky.> Thank you! Julie <Cheers, Neale.>

Follow up question after research... FW, microbial, colonial growths    11/21/09 I forwarded your reply (thank you, Neale) to my husband so he could check the specs you mentioned on the tank and filtration. His information is below: A few more explanations about the system. The tank is currently filtered by an AC110 and a Rena XP3, we also have a MaxiJet 1200 (295GPH) with sponge intake recirculating lower level water. Substrate is 3M ColorQuart about .5-1" Deep. There is approx. 6 Medium pieces of Malaysian Driftwood. This system was running in a 46Gallon tank for at least a year (well the AC110, the Rena was added). We moved into the new tank keeping the media. <As stated before, bogwood can be a source of organic matter. If you see white threads growing copiously on the wood, then that's one very probable source. Take the wood out and allow it to soak (cure) somewhere else until no fungus remains. This takes quite a while, which is why bogwood is expensive. An old approach is to stick the wood in the cistern of a lavatory for a few months. This will ensure it is constantly flushed with clean water.> The new tank was doing great for 3 weeks. I then installed my new T-5 Lighting and the brown algae bloom started, followed by a green bloom. I cut back the lighting duration. I noticed the white spots just prior to dialing back lighting duration. <Light isn't a factor here.> There is no carbon in the system, only filter pads, ceramic rings, and sponges. <Fine.> This is my first closed filtration system in a long time, (5+ years). Most of my tanks use trickle filters. <OK.> This tank is up for only 8 weeks (mind you using previous tank filtration and decorations), so there is minimal left over waste nor a rotting carcass. <Good.> Most interesting is that these white rings definitely are attacking the algae bloom. The fish seem to be as happy as ever. No appetite loss, no change in swim behavior. <Good to know.> With tank location I can watch the fish behavior for 2 hours min a day. The tank gets no direct sunlight. Tank temperature is at 75 degrees. No rings appear anywhere that there is no algae. After a closer look the rings appear to be brown algae related. Some rings have expanded past green algae, but the green algae remains, however no brown algae remains inside any ring on the tank. Since the tank sits in a dark room it was light for 10 hours a day. That has been reduced to 4 hours. <I would add some floating plants like Indian Fern, and offer good lighting for 10 hours. If nothing else, the Ferns will absorb nutrients from the water.> Water changes are weekly 25-33% though sometimes it goes 2 weeks. Filters alternate cleaning so every couple weeks each filter gets cleaned. I knew that regular water changes were being done & that we were running two filters. my husband's very good about staying on top of that & I'm glad he could provide more details about the system. Do you have any additional thoughts? I did read where fungus & algae can be symbiotic, but I couldn't find anything specifically relating to an aquarium. <These symbioses are what we call Lichens, and these aren't applicable to aquarium conditions. Among other things, few Lichens are aquatic.> I guess because it's not common there is not much readily available information. any additional suggestions/advice is welcomed. <What I would do is take out the fish, stick them in a big bucket. I'd take the filters off the tank, and ideally have them running using water from another bucket. If that isn't possible, I'd take the biological media out from them and lay these in a tub of water so they're just covered, and that means they get oxygen so won't die back. I'd thoroughly clean (maybe replace) mechanical media in the filters. I'd then deep clean the aquarium. I'd replace the substrate if possible with plain vanilla gravel, but if that isn't what you want to do, I would thoroughly clean the substrate you have using hot water. I'd scrub the glass of the tank, wiping away as much of the gunk as I could. Use things like vinegar, lemon juice or hydrogen peroxide if you need some extra help wiping away stubborn stains. I'd then put the whole thing back together, and hope for the best. More specifically, I'd do everything possible to prevent a reoccurrence.> Thanks, Julie <Cheers, Neale.>

Mollie with distended bowel still moving though not much  11/20/09
Hi, fed my fish as usual this morning went past the tank a few hours late to discover m big molly upside down in the plants with a very distended bowel have had all the fish in the tank for around three years with no problems except for 2 silver sharks that kept jump out of the tank to their eventual demise...I am really worried about my molly what if anything can I do????
Ren
<Hello Ren. Mollies are sensitive fish that need very specific conditions to do well. They need warm (28+ C) water with a high hardness (15+ degrees dH) and a basic pH (7.5-8.2). The addition of marine salt mix, while not absolutely essential, is usually a very good idea; 3-9 grammes/litre works well. They need quite big tanks to do well, nothing less than 90 litres, and realistically 110 litres or more for the bigger Sailfin Molly species. Water quality must be excellent: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and nitrate levels below 20 mg/l. Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/mollies.htm
You haven't provided me with any useful data here, so I can't offer any better advice than this. Read through what's needed, and if you want to discuss further, write back. While I suspect this fish is doomed, it's as well to know how to keep Mollies so this doesn't happen again. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Mollie with distended bowel still moving though not much  11/20/09
Thank you Neale for you advise, unfortunately my molly did die, but thank you for the extra info.
<Happy to help.>
My fish are in a 90 litre tank, water temp is around 26-27 C. At the moment the pH is around 6.6 which isn't to good I now I have made adjustments though,
<Far too low for Mollies, and almost certainly the problem. An acidic pH implies soft water, and soft water is lethal to Mollies. Don't change the pH without changing the hardness. This is a common mistake people make. They buy " pH up" and "pH down" products, thinking these will make everything okay. They do not. These products are intended to be used as buffers -- chemicals that stabilise pH -- alongside changes in water chemistry. In the case of Mollies, hardening the water by adding a Rift Valley salt mix is cheaper, safer, and better.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/fwh2oquality.htm
Alternatively, convert the aquarium to a brackish water aquarium at around SG 1.005; if you use marine salt mix to do this at 9 grammes/litre, the pH and hardness will be taken care of automatically.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/bracsystems.htm
>
in the tank there are the mollies, and clown loaches and leopard catfish.
<Neither of these tolerate brackish water, and both will do better on soft water than hard water. As should be clear: Mollies cannot be added to soft water communities, and are best kept with species that prefer (or at least tolerate) similar conditions.>
The mollies and loaches are quite big now had them since the were very small guys. Would it still be suitable to add the marine salt with the other types
of fish in the tank as well??
<No.>
thanks again
Ren
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Mollie with distended bowel still moving though not much  11/20/09
Hi Again
I know this will sound very amateurish but what is hard water?
Ren;
<This is in the article I mentioned, here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/fwh2oquality.htm
Hard water is water with a lot of dissolved minerals in it. There are two types of hardness aquarists measure: General Hardness (degrees dH) and Carbonate Hardness (and degrees KH). Each is important, but measuring general hardness alone is usually good enough if you also know that the pH stays around 7.5 from week to week. Typically, this is the kind of water that furs up kettles and is good for brewing beer. If you are using a washing machine, you need to add extra washing powder because hard water doesn't lather easily. But for fishkeeping, it is ideal for a wide range of fish, including livebearers, Goldfish, and many (though not all) cichlids. Because marine salt mix contains chemicals that harden water and raise pH, brackish water aquaria are hard water aquaria automatically, and so are ideal tanks for keeping Mollies. Cheers, Neale.>

Please help! I cant diagnose what's wrong with my goldfish. The usual lack of reading, data    11/20/09
Please help me.
<Will certainly try.>
I've been having a lot of problems with my goldfish recently.
<Almost always come down to the environment; or more specifically, the fishkeeper making unwise decisions.>
And can't seem to find a solution to my problem.
<Let's see if we can do any better.>
I used to have just 3 goldfish (of which I have had for a few years) and all were healthy.
<Don't forget these fish grow. Since they live for up to 30 years, and in that time get to more than 30 cm in length from babies only a few mm long, as the years pass, the workload on the filter and aquarium gets greater. A tank that works for a couple of baby Goldfish 3 or 4 cm long will be hopelessly overstocked by the time they're a couple of years old and pushing 10-15 cm in length. Hence the observation that everything was fine for a few years, but now everything is going wrong. So let me direct you to this article that summarised what you need to know:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/goldfish101art.htm
Deviate from the recommendations there, and you'll be setting the stage for trouble. I draw your particular attention to aquarium size, filtration, diet, and water chemistry.>
Till one day one of them died and I decided to get 3 of those goldfish that are like janitor fish along with 6 other goldfish.
<No such thing as a "Janitor Fish". Anything anyone sells you to "clean up" your aquarium is a con trick. I'm guessing these are the golden morph of Gyrinocheilus aymonieri, a big, aggressive, tropical fish that has NO business being kept with Goldfish.>
One of the janitor fish died that night and later on in the week I lost 3 more of my new fish. Then the smaller one of my old fish started to look sickly with a darkening face and died. Then another of the new fish died leaving only 2 new ones left and my large old one. I soon realized, that my big old fish had white spots on its head as well as a reddening tail, as well as a few bites on its body from the gold janitor fish.
<As is their wont. Gyrinocheilus aymonieri is a very bad fish for tanks like this for multiple reasons. In some cases, yes, they will attack slow-moving fish and feed on the mucous. This is most common when the aquarist has no idea what Gyrinocheilus needs to eat, so the poor Gyrinocheilus is half-starved, and forced to try out other ways of feeding.
But they are also aggressive fish, and will buffet (rather than bite) rivals.>
I then went to some fish specialists and they told me that my big fish was sick with white spot disease and that the gold janitor fish were biting him because he is ill.
<Doesn't sound much of a diagnosis to me. Whitespot (Ick) is very specific, and looks like salt grains on the fins and skin. It's easily treated, and generally shouldn't kill fish. Bloody sores, shredded fins and so on are likely to be Finrot, and this is indeed triggered by physical damage (as well as poor water quality).>
They gave me some medicine called TCD to treat it and to separate my janitor fish and gold fish. I did as I was told and the next day I came home to find that all my fish had bloodshot red vein like looking tails and fins, and the fins started looking shredded as if it was disintegrating and getting shorter.
<Finrot.>
I called the specialists and they told me to take out half of my water and replace it with a new batch.
<Is this really what they said? Or what you think they said? Sounds pretty dumb to me. Water quality is critical to avoiding Finrot, but once established, you have to medicate, and if you're doing that, you DO NOT do water changes until the course of medication is concluded (see the instructions that came with whatever medication you're using).>
I did so and since then their fins and tails seemed to stop disintegrating.
Apart from my big old one as he now almost has stubs for fins and his tail is so red and shorter. I am really worried as this is my oldest fish. And the white spots that were on its head have now seemed to scabbed over or something as the spots look slightly brown. Another worrying thing is that my big old fish has scratches all over its body and his face is darkening to an almost purple red colour and some scales seem to be missing and the fish looks paler than usual. In addition to that all of my fish including my big old one have started doing some crazy swimming in continuous patters.
<Dying.>
The big one keeps swimming round the whole tank and under the filter where it gets pushed by the water and another fish keeps swimming up and down and the other just stays still. I find this very strange and worrying.
<I'd say!>
I really love my fish and I have done some research but I cant seem to diagnose what is wrong. And another thing is that the water has gone a milky colour even though I changed it a day ago.
<Bacterial bloom... again, tends to imply chronically poor conditions.>
I don't know whether or not I should keep medicating them.
<Don't know where to start answering this! You have a huge problem here.
Likely an overstocked tank that is inadequately filtered, so if that's the case, you'll need to upgrade the tank and upgrade the filter. If you are dealing with Finrot, you need to treat appropriately (e.g., with Maracyn, Paraguard, eSHa 2000 but not junk like Melafix or salt). You have to follow the instructions on those medications *to the letter* paying particular attention to things like when to do water changes and whether you need to remove carbon, if used (carbon removes medications). Obviously, Gyrinocheilus aymonieri cannot be kept with Goldfish, so these species need their own, appropriately large, aquaria. Three Goldfish need, let's say, 30 gallons, and Gyrinocheilus aymonieri isn't suitable for tanks less than 55 gallons, and even then, just one specimen alongside semi-aggressive, fast-moving tankmates, such as Central American cichlids.>
Please help me and my fish.
<I want to, but I'm not a mind reader or a miracle worker. I need data on the size of the tank, filtration, water quality, and water chemistry.>
I would really appreciate it.
<I'm always happy to help so far as I can.>
Thank you.
Michelle
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Fish selection.... (algae eaters, why you don't need a FW clean-up crew), Now ADF comp.   11/20/09
For some reason African dwarf frogs have caught my interest. Would these frogs be compatible with 10 zebra Danios and 1 rainbow shark in a 30 gallon tank? If so, how many? Will these frogs do anything to my water quality?
Lastly, will they add any excitement to the layers of my aquarium or do they just lay around?
<Hello again. In theory this might work, but it's worth mentioning that Frogs are slow feeders, and depending on the Shark-minnow you have, may or may not get enough to eat. The Danios aren't competition in this regard.
Furthermore, they're easily damaged, and if your Shark-minnow is aggressive, they might be battered about. In short, this wouldn't be my first choice for bottom feeders, though if the tank was adequately planted
and the substrate was nice and smooth (ideally, smooth silica sand), then half a dozen Hymenochirus might be fun additions. Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/FrogsArtNeale.htm
Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Fish selection.... (algae eaters, why you don't need a FW clean-up crew)... Stkg.   11/21/09
Going over all the info you have gave me in the past, I am kind of scared to add the wrong combination to the tank. I was thinking of returning 3 zebra Danios
<Why? Sounds pointless to me.>
leaving me with 7 and one rainbow shark. I was then thinking of adding another school of something that is compatible with what I have, easy to care for (water conditions, feeding), and hopefully some addition of color to the tank.
<Having two small groups of schooling fish rarely works as well as one big school. In small groups such fish tend to act "bewildered" and don't school properly. You have 10 Danios, which is a good number. Stick with them.>
Any suggestions? How many (30 gallon tank)?
<The issue here is the Rainbow Shark. Choose species that work well with these. I'd be looking at things that either stay hidden, like Bristlenose cats or Kuhli Loaches, or else don't register as rivals, like Cherry
shrimps or Nerite snails. While some people have kept these Shark Minnows in community tanks with all kinds of things, there are plenty of people who've had bad luck. They aren't good community fish, and 30 US gallons -- 25 Imperial gallons -- is not really enough space for a Rainbow Shark anyway, so it's going to be particularly cranky and territorial. Cheers, Neale.>

Red Ear Sliders question, sys., Algicide use   11/20/09 I have two baby red ear slider turtles in a 10-gallon tank with an overflow filter and a UVB lamp that is on 10 -12 hours a day. The rocks in the tanks are getting lots of algae and I was wondering if it's safe to put algaecide in the water. <Neither safe nor sensible. Using an Algicide is like vacuuming a carpet: it gets rid of the dirt that's there, but doesn't stop the dirt coming right back. Total waste of money. Algae will grow in any tank with adequate light and moisture. The spores come in via the air and presumably drinking water, as well as attached to whatever rocks, filter media, animals you have. The best approach is simply to accept it, and wipe away with a sponge or plastic scrubber whatever is excessive. Nothing you can do with chemicals will stop it coming back. Installing some fast-growing floating plants like Indian Fern will dramatically improve things, and prevent algal grown below the waterline. Algae becomes a pest when there's an imbalance between the number/size of the animals, the amount of plants, and the volume of the water. Big tanks that are lightly stocked and have lots of fast-growing plants rarely have algae problems. The further you are away from that ideal, the more likely algae problems become.> The local pet shops don't know the answer to that question, so I figured I'd ask you guys. Took the whole thing apart yesterday and cleaned it, but the algae will be back before I know it. <Indeed it will. As you presumably realise, a 10-gallon tank is adequate for at most three or four months where Sliders are concerned. As they grow, they pollute more and more, and the more nitrate and phosphate in the water, the faster the algae grows. Within a year or two, your two Sliders will need a tank 55 gallons or more. Do not underestimate their growth rate, and do not ignore the fact males are very aggressive.> Barbara <Cheers, Neale.>

Help with Rosy Tetras, sys.... env. hlth.    11/20/09
Hi Crew,
<Hello Chris,>
Hoping you can give me advice on my Rosy Tetras.
<Will try.>
Tank set-up:
20 gallon planted tank
<20 US gallons? A bit on the small side of this species... will hide a lot.>
Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 8 -10
15-20% water change every week (diligent about water quality and testing)
Temp 78
Community tank with Corys/otos/2 swords/3 Rosy Tetras and 6 serpae tetras, and a Farlowella
<Serpae tetras are aggressive nippers, and not my first choice for the community tank (English understatement... wouldn't let them anywhere near community fish).>
I've had my 3 Rosys for 1-1/2 years and realize now that I should be keeping them in larger groups, but I think I would be overstocking if I added 3 more fish.
<Indeed... but my prime concerns are that some of these species, the Rosy tetras and the Swordtails, really do need more swimming space.>
Lately one has been hiding, and this fish, along with one of the other Rosys, are losing colour and appear to have some blotchy darkness/redness internally. It seems in the gill area as well as toward the middle of the fish. It is very subtle as is the colour loss (at first I thought I was overanalyzing), and I wonder if I'm seeing the start of some sort of infection due to the stress of bullying, as one of these Rosys has started harassing the other two...no nipping, just swimming quickly at them until they hide. All 3 are eating normally, and all fins look good.
<Likely a symptom of general stress, though whether it's the size of the tank, or nipping from the Serpae tetras, I can't say. To be honest, if there were six of them in a 20 gallon tank without the Serpae tetras, I think they'd be okay, but the Serpae tetras really aren't good choices for keeping alongside Rosy tetras.>
If this is what the problem is:
(1) If I remove the "bully" (and hope that the other 2 recover) would he survive in a 10 gallon tank with 4 Corys and a dwarf Gourami? Would the Gourami be bullied too? Or would it be better to move the Gourami to the big tank and put the bully Rosy in the small tank with the cories which he doesn't seem to bother with (so far).
<Not a good idea. Keeping these fish in a 10 gallon tank really would be pushing your luck. Removing bullies rarely works in situations like this, where the problem is the group is too small for normal schooling behaviour.>
(2) If I remove the two Rosys in question and quarantine them, I would have to put them in a small 5 gallon tank (heated and filtered). Would this small tank stress then further?
<Yes.>
Should I medicate the water?
<Not unless you detect symptoms of a particular disease.>
Thanks in advance for your advice!
<You're welcome.>
Chris
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Help with Rosy Tetras  11/20/09
Hi Neale,
<Chris,>
Thanks for the quick response to my question re my Rosy Tetras that look like they are losing colour and have some darkish/red internal problems.
<See, this is the thing... all these tetras can change their colours significantly depending on mood. Their colours can range from pale salmon pink through to almost a fiery red. Further, the idea of "internal
problems" is common parlance for "haven't a clue what's wrong". It's actually pretty uncommon for fish to genuinely have some mysterious bacterial or viral infection. (Some exceptions though, like Dwarf Gouramis
and their viral and Mycobacteria infections.) Anyway, while it's not impossible that your fish have some bizarre bacterial infection, I'd tend to bet against it. Evaluate all the other possibilities. Unless there are
obvious symptoms of a bacterial infection -- such as loss of appetite --
I'd tend to assume this problem was more behavioural than anything else.>
I did some more homework and the fish I identified as Serpae tetras are actually red phantom tetras - sorry!
<Ah, now things become interesting. Red Phantom Tetras, Hyphessobrycon sweglesi, formerly Megalamphodus sweglesi, are not a tropical fish. They need fairly cool conditions, 20-22 C being ideal. When kept too warm they never do well, and tend to be short lived. So instead of 5+ years, you get a couple of years out of them. So while ideal for other low-end tropicals like Danios, Neons and Peppered Corydoras, you wouldn't keep them with, for example, Dwarf Gouramis or Angelfish, both of which need above 25 C to be happy. It's a very common mistake to assume tropical fish all like really warm water; many of them don't.>
The receipt I had filed away only said "tetras" and I thought Serpaes looked like them but it is in fact red phantoms. I've had them for two years and they are extremely peaceful little guys.
<Yes, they are a nice species.>
Re the swords and the rosy tetras, I agree that a 20 gallon is too small and if I were to do it over again I would make other choices.
<Cool.>
If you think I should add 3 more Rosys to try and help the 2 that are being bullied I will but worry that I am going to be overstocked. What do you think?
<Worth a shot.>
In my 20 gallon I have:
6 very small oto cats
<These like cool water too.>
1 Farlowella
<As do these.>
6 cories (3 are very small - I forget the name - and 3 are peppered so are a little larger)
<And these too.>
2 swords (fairly large swords)
<Also should be kept below 25 C.>
3 rosy tetras
<These do need middling temperatures, around 24-26 C.>
6 red phantoms (very small)
<As we've seen, like things a little on the cool side.>
Would adding 3 more rosy tetras to this mix make it a dangerous load?
<Assuming robust filtration, I don't think you'd be running too much of a risk.>
As I mentioned I do weekly water changes and it is has been years since I have had a water quality issue but am concerned.
<Great.>
I am concerned that the internal discolouration/redness and colour loss of the two tetras will get worse if things remain status quo.
<I would be worried too.>
Thanks again!
Chris
<Good luck, Neale.>

My beloved turtle, RES... hlth... beh... gen. reading   11/20/09
Dear Crew,
<Hiya Rachel - Darrel here>
I have a red ear slider who is about 6" length-wise. He has a UVB/UVA light, a basking light that keeps his basking spot at about 92 degrees.
The water in his tank is at 79 degrees. I bought my turtle at pet store because I felt very sorry for him. There were about 12 other 6" turtles in a twenty gallon tank with only five inches of water. There was no room for them to swim or bask. I have a big tank for him and have filled it up with water. The tank is about 70% water and 25% basking area. He hardly ever goes into the deeper water, when he does he seems to be struggling.
<Hmm, what do you mean "struggling?" That covers too much territory for us to help>
He spends a lot of time on his back fins standing with his head out of the water in where he can reach up were I have a slope.
<I'm GUESSING that you mean he's standing in the deeper water, against the glass, with his head up RATHER THAN hauling out on the slope? If that's it, that is not all that unusual>
This is obviously not normal right?
<I'd like a more detailed description>
Is this because he had so little swimming room at the Pet shop?
<Unlikely -- maybe just what he wants to do...>
Should I lower the water level in the tank so he is more comfortable? Your help would be much appreciated. Thank you!
<Rach - here's a link that covers all the basics. First make sure that you're in-line. Next, if you're concerned about his behavior in water, make a few subtle changes and see what happens. Drop the basking temp to about 88 and let the water temp go to room temp (shouldn't have a heater anyway) and see. Next, lower the water "just a little" and see. Then, raise it back up and move his basking area a bit. If his behavior is a function of his tank, tiny changes should result in small improvements ...
until you learn what he's after.>
<http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm>

Re: my beloved turtle, beh., RES   11/21/09
struggling: he swims franticly, all of his flippers are moving extremely fast.
<They do that sometimes>
He ventures out into the deeper water only rarely and when he does he only goes out for maybe five seconds before he swims right back to the more shallow end. When he is in the deeper end almost always has a flipper on the filter to keep his head above the water.
<No problem here, either>
He spends about 90% (when I am around) of his time on his back flippers in the middle of the shallow area (not against the glass just kind of floating with his head above the water)
<they do that. Just sitting there, basking there, floating there ... for hours ... thinking turtle thoughts and not much else.>
<Rachel, nothing here gives me reason to be concerned. As long as he eats, poops, and does bask from time to time, he seems fine. Like I said before, if you want to experiment with turtle fung-shuei and change things a bit, you might cause him to feel differently and therefore act differently. If not, he seems OK with that, too.>
<Regards - Darrel>

Flowerhorn Doesn't Eat  11/20/09
Hello, I have a 72 gallon bow front with a 10 inch FH and a common plecostomus.
I have had the FH for about 4 months now. Up until about a week or 2 ago I noticed that he had not wanted to eat as much and now not at all. I have 2 under gravel filters and a magnum 350 filter also, plenty of oxygen (2-4 inch air stones, 1 large Volcano (air pump) I clean the tank once per week (15% of the water) The water tests good, my water is very hard. I have added aquarium salt to the water, and vitamins to make sure he is getting nutrition. My Pleco eats like a pig (he loves his zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower and algae wafers.) I noticed when I went home last night that my FH has a raised bump on his head (under the skin above the bridge of his nose on his kok) Otherwise he looks good, but that did concern me and the fact that he is not eating. Sometimes he hovers at the bottom of the tank or in the corner by a plant, but
otherwise looks at the top of the tank for food. I feed him PE mysis and he will not eat it now, he is a finicky eater, so this is what I fed him. I offer him food and he looks at it and lets it go to the bottom or
doesn't bother with it. He usual gets excited when he sees me and comes to the top and I rub his head, but its getting to where he isn't doing this as much and I haven't seen him rearrange his tank in a few days.
Any advice or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you,
Dee Lopez
<One of two things is going on here. The first, your fish has been imprinted on a certain food type and will not try anything else. Do not offer food for three days. He should be pretty hungry by then. Offer a quality food and leave it in the tank for five minutes, then remove any uneaten food. Try this every day for a week. If he still does not eat then there may be an internal infection. Treat with a combination of Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace.-Chuck>

Re: Flowerhorn Cichlid
Finding Medications Online  11/21/09
Chuck, Thank you for your help. Do you know which website sells Nitrofuranace?
I am having trouble finding it locally or on-line. Dee
< Most fish stores carry the medication. If you are having trouble I know DrFoster&Smith carry it for sure.-Chuck>

Huge Otocinclus... CAE Non-Otocinclus Questions  11/20/09 Dear Crew- I am re-sending this as I was having computer issues and am not sure it was sent the first time. I am very eager to find out your thoughts on my issues (fish related ones, that is) that I thought I'd give it another try. Hope I don't appear too impatient.... You have helped me before with mollies and platy, and now I am eager to find out what you think may be going on with my Otos. Sadly, the mollies with which you helped me before are no longer with us. I currently maintain a 10 gal tank with 2 Otos, 3 Zebra Danio and 1 platy. I perform 20-30% water changes weekly, and my water tests are 0 ammonia and 0-5 nitrate/trite. pH levels maintain at 7.5 I feed the fish Omega Flakes. The oto love their algae wafers and deal with the Nori. My question about the oto is as follows: 1. He is HUGE compared to the other. Is this a normal size for an oto? He measure nearly 4 inches from head to tail. He appears healthy, if not a bit pale since adopted. The other oto is the requisite 1.5 inches with a nice fat tummy. 2. The giant oto (picture attached) spends most of his time eating or digging in the same corner of the tank. As he is so big, rocks are flung around as he digs and he creates quite the commotion. I am concerned this is stress related, but would like your opinion. 3. How do I purposefully grow green algae to supplement my Otos? I love watching the Otos and understand they are not as easy to care for as advertised in the stores. I would like them to have the most nutritious food possible, and enjoy the idea of growing algae for them. After reading an article on the site, I am inclined to get driftwood for the tank. However, with the voracious appetite of Bruce, do I need to do anything special to get the algae going? Thank you for your time and help. I have learned so much already from your site, and hope to become more knowledgeable about my Otos. Best-Kim < Your Chinese algae eaters can get up to 5 inches plus. At that size they are rather bothersome to other fish and are actually pretty poor algae eaters compared to Plecos and real Otos. Algae will grow when the conditions are right. Too much light and too many nutrients in the water. Better to feed Spirulina flakes or wafers.-Chuck>

Spawning Kribs  11/20/09
I would like to set up my 35 US gallon tank, with dimensions 24" length X 16" width X 21" height, for Kribs. Is this large enough for one or two pairs of Kribs? - also, are there any fish that would make decent companions and would pose little threat to the spawn?
< Go with one pair instead of two. Any group of small schooling fish would be fine. Stay away from barbs. Bottom fish like catfish are considered a threat to the spawn by the parents.-Chuck>

Goldfish Help!  (no real data)  11/20/09
Hi WWM Crew,
<Hello Caroline,>
I stumbled upon your site while looking for answers to my goldfish's mysterious problems.
<Before we go any further, can I please make it very clear that almost all problems with Goldfish are not mysterious in the least. Most specimens get sick and die precisely because people don't keep them properly.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/goldfish101art.htm
Goldfish need a big, filtered aquarium. At minimum, a tank 20 gallons in size. The filter needs to be robust, i.e., with a turnover of at least 4, and preferably 6, times the volume of the tank per hour (i.e., for a 20 gallon tank, an 80-120 gallon/hour filter is needed).>
We got, what I assume to be, a Fancy Calico Fantail goldfish about 2 weeks ago. He appeared healthy at the pet store and we knew the store we got him from was reliable one.
<Again, this is often the case. The problems being when people take them home. I cannot stress this strongly enough.>
However, just 3 days after we got him another fancy goldfish we had gotten with him began to relentlessly ram him! He was a slow moving fish and didn't fight back, so in fear of his safety we took him out of the tank.
<Hmm... these are schooling fish, and under normal circumstances get along well in groups.>
We put him in a much smaller 2 gallon hospital tank with the same water as the other tank.
<Unacceptable. This is far too small, smaller than a bucket, and WILL kill this fish.>
We kept the water at a constant 78 degrees and put in a stress coat, incase he was having trouble adjusting. He ate well, but did appear to have some swim bladder issues (he was listing to one side and seemed constipated).
<I've said this about seventeen times this week, but "swim bladder issues" are usually nothing of the sort.>
We didn't feed him for 36 hours and it seemed to do the trick, he was acting more sociable and regained his balance. We fed him just as we fed our other fish for approximately 4 days. But he began acting odd again.
He seemed hungry all the time, but we thought nothing of it because that's how we thought goldfish were and that it was a good thing. Soon he started losing his balance again and slowed down a lot. 2 days ago when I got home he was flipped upside down at the bottom of his tank, not moving. I thought he was dead but when I looked closer I saw his gills moving and his eyes following me.
<I see.>
After noticing me he quickly turned himself right side up and began searching for food at the top of his tank. He must be extremely weak because he can't even swim against the flow of water from the filter which is just enough to oxygenate the water. He soon turned over on his back and sank to the bottom of the tank again. It may just be me but I think his coloring is fading on his sides too. We have searched his entire body and couldn't find anything like fish lice or ich that would cause his to act this way. Today he seems even weaker! He can still turn himself around but he gets tired more easily.. He also appears to have a small amount of pineconing... I fear it could be Dropsy!!!
<Dropsy is usually a bacterial infection caused by chronically poor environmental conditions. You haven't supplied me any useful data here, so I can't say whether that's the case. It's crucially important you understand (and provide) the basics: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, temperature around 15-20 degrees C, at least 20 gallons of space, and a good filter.
While Goldfish can muddle through the cycling process, it's better not to do it this way, but to cycle the aquarium before you add them. Note that simply filling the tank for water and running it for a couple of days ISN'T cycling anything; you need a source of ammonia (e.g., flake food) and time enough for the bacteria to grow (at least three weeks). Water chemistry isn't critical, but water chemistry should be at least moderately hard (above 10 degrees dH) and the water basic (above pH 7).>
I don't want to give up on my fish, so is there anything you know of that could help him? Or what is wrong with him?
<Can't possibly answer this without more data. Cheers, Neale.>

Swim bladder problems... GF, env. troubles, induced   11/20/09
Hello,
<Hello,>
Twelve months ago I set up a 10 gallon tank with a good filter, plants and do regular water changes.
<Too small for Goldfish.>
I have one medium sized beautiful orange Oranda (Albert), and one very small Pearlscale golf ball goldfish.
<Cannot possibly stay healthy in a tank this size.>
For most of the year they existed very happily but for the last few weeks the poor Pearlscale (Brian) has been exhibiting signs of swim bladder disease.
<Yet another "swim bladder disease" statement. Seriously, I've answered a whole bunch of e-mails this week where people mention this non-existent complaint. Let's be clear here: "swim bladder disease" is a vague name given by fishkeepers to what is basically a variety of chronic problems affecting the internal organs. Because your tank is not big enough for Goldfish, I'd bet the money in my pockets that the problem is down to chronically poor water quality.>
I have done extensive research and tried everything suggested;
<Yet you still have a 10 gallon tank... above ALL ELSE, a bigger tank is what you need here.>
feeding changes, water changes, removed a plant I was worried had contaminated the tank, peas, everything!
<Hmm...>
Brian is still feeding (although I am trying to feed both fish as little as possible) but he is obviously in distress and often wedges himself into plants or under the filter to prevent himself from floating upside down at
the top of the water. He has been stable, but it's terrible seeing him being so uncomfortable and I would do anything if it would fix his swim bladder.
<Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/goldfish101art.htm
>
Albert remains a very happy, extremely active fish, although he was listless for a few days but after some frantic water changes he has returned to normal.
<Needs a bigger, healthier tank, likely with upgraded filtration and appropriate water chemistry.>
I have been extremely impressed by the sound advice you have offered others; I am very fond of my beautiful fish and just want to make sure I am maintaining the best possible environment for them, both to help Brian now, and to prevent disease in the future.
<Well, I've offered my advice "straight up" and hope you don't mind.>
Many thanks for your help,
<Can't offer much help without actual data, i.e., filter type, water quality, water chemistry.>
Fiona
<Cheers, Neale.>

Question on African Dwarf Frogs, gen.   11/20/09
I work in a toy store and we received a shipment of frogs today. I already hate the idea that these frogs are shipped to toy stores, I have the idea even more when I open the package and find that they company allowed the animals to be shipped in the cold weather, nearly freezing them to death.
<Hmm... I agree, does sound a rather dubious sort of activity.>
Anyways, as I was distributing the frogs into their tanks, I came across 3 frogs that were floating upside down when in their tanks, but they were breathing and moving around when I removed them. I promptly put them into a very shallow tank of water (about 1/4 in) to allow them to warm up. When they were moving a little, I added some more water (it was then about 1/2 in)... just enough to cover their bodies, but allow them to breath without much effort. It took about 5 hours for them to get a bit more active, but I took them home because I did not trust the guys at the shop would not just flush them (as they had threatened when the frogs arrived).
<Gosh! This shop does sound a bit harsh when it comes to frogs!>
I have now moved them into a modified beta tank (1/2 gallon with lid and ventilation that they cannot escape from) and they have variable levels of water. I have an area just over an inch in depth and then some rocks piled up so that they can relax and be near the surface. I know that they will need a bigger tank and I have one ready, but I just want to be sure they are alright before I transfer them. Now that you have the back story, my question is this: they have been spazzing out since I put them into the beta tank. (no beta, just 3 frogs) and I am concerned that they are hurting or something.
<Wouldn't worry overmuch.>
The jump on each other, try to jump out of the tank, hit their little noses on the wall, and just flail about. They simply will not sit still.
<They are active animals, and they may well be hungry.>
It is now 10 pm and they have been at it for about an hour now (since I transferred them). Is this normal behavior or should I be concerned that they are drowning or something?
<They won't drown.>
They are all still all upright, but very much acting crazy. BTW, we used spring water from the market, the same water we had used with all the other frogs at the store.
<Spring water may or may not be ideal, depending on its chemistry. Frogs need hard, basic water. Often tap water is best. If your kettle furs up or you know your local water is hard, then dechlorinated tap water will be fine, and far better than softened water of any kind. These frogs are tropical animals, so they won't last long at room temperature; aim for 25 C (about 77 F).>
I would appreciate any help you can give me as I am very new to owning any amphibious creature.
<Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/FrogsArtNeale.htm
>
Thanks! -Blythe
<Good luck! Cheers, Neale.>