Your current Fish tank Setups!

Things change I've changed · 8 Dec 2014 at 15:48

Need some help, my Endler's are quite literary eating away at one of my balloon molly's, the top fin has been eaten away almost completely, don't understand, they've never acted this way before and the balloon molly is like 50 times bigger that they are?

arc@css · 8 Dec 2014 at 15:50

lowrider007 said:
Need some help, my Endler's are quite literary eating away at one of my balloon molly's, the top fin has been eaten away almost completely, don't understand, they've never acted this way before and the balloon molly is like 50 times bigger that they are?

You could always ask the folk at wetwebmedia :

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/before/index.htm

iamtheoneneo · 8 Dec 2014 at 15:52

Sounds like their not being fed enough, is your tank naturally planted?

UTmaniac · 8 Dec 2014 at 16:15

Many fish species will act amazingly anti-social if kept in low numbers, even if said species is commonly believed to be very social, which is why I always suggest 10+ groups of social fish species.

Your Endlers could be attacking the Molly because it is being included in their small hierarchy. Sounds like you need to quarantine the Molly, use a good anti bacterial like Esha 2000 or Myxazin, while doing daily 10-20% water changes for a few weeks. The fin should grow back.

Things change I've changed · 8 Dec 2014 at 17:21

iamtheoneneo said:
Sounds like their not being fed enough, is your tank naturally planted?

Yep definitely, if anything they've been overfed, the tank is partially planted.

UTmaniac said:
Many fish species will act amazingly anti-social if kept in low numbers, even if said species is commonly believed to be very social, which is why I always suggest 10+ groups of social fish species.

Your Endlers could be attacking the Molly because it is being included in their small hierarchy. Sounds like you need to quarantine the Molly, use a good anti bacterial like Esha 2000 or Myxazin, while doing daily 10-20% water changes for a few weeks. The fin should grow back.

Thanks, I've been keeping mine in groups of 5, perhaps I need to up that a little, I'll quarantine the little feller for now then and med him, hopefully he'll be ok.

greengiant · 9 Dec 2014 at 19:28

Currently having a big outbreak of whitespot in my 200L tropical tank!
Just finished a course of Waterlife Protozin, but still a lot of fish showing white spot!

Over the past week I've lost 2 Corydoras, 3 Barbs and 2 x-ray tetra. Thankfully my plecs don't seem to be bothered, although my pair of blue rams still show a heavy white spot burden!

:-(

arc@css · 10 Dec 2014 at 16:19

greengiant said:
Currently having a big outbreak of whitespot in my 200L tropical tank!
Just finished a course of Waterlife Protozin, but still a lot of fish showing white spot!

Over the past week I've lost 2 Corydoras, 3 Barbs and 2 x-ray tetra. Thankfully my plecs don't seem to be bothered, although my pair of blue rams still show a heavy white spot burden!

Unfortunately, rams are quite susceptible to this kind of illness (& some barbs to high nitrates). Have you raised the temperature to around 28 - 30C? What is your water chemistry like?

greengiant · 11 Dec 2014 at 20:48

Well, I've just netted "Hobbes" my tiger plec out of the tank. He wasn't even a year old :-(

. Seems that this white spot outbreak is going to end up killing my entire stock!

Last night water tests gave PH 6.8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, and Nitrate between 20 & 40 on the API chart.

Temperature is currently sitting at 26C. Don't want to raise it too much higher incase it further stresses the fish, I've lost enough already!

Thoroughly frustrated at the moment!

robfosters · 11 Dec 2014 at 20:50

Sorry to hear that. It can be a very frustrating hobby at times.

arc@css · 11 Dec 2014 at 21:08

For what it's worth, I would add some epsom salts (magnesium sulphate); it may save some of the other fish. I'd use between 1 - 3 teaspoons for every twenty litres. Unless the fish are sensitive to a higher temperature, I would increase it as white spot is less likely to thrive when the temps are raised to around 28C+ (28C should be adequate). Good luck!

Things change I've changed · 12 Dec 2014 at 14:41

Does anyone know what this stuff is please,

And it's also floating all around the tank, the best way I can describe it is it looks pretty much identical to 'dust', I tried to clean my tank out including plants and gravel and in 3 days it's at this level again :-(

robfosters · 12 Dec 2014 at 14:52

It looks like fuzz algae. I get it on my plants. It can be due to a deficiency in the plants, but I've found it very hard to eliminate. A good start would be to look at your nutrient dosing.

arc@css · 12 Dec 2014 at 16:16

Brown algae?

A bristlnenose plec (pH 6 - 8 / GH 2 - 20) will sort any algae problems out. Trust me on that one.

greengiant · 12 Dec 2014 at 18:03

Lost another xray tetra!
Big water change, then I'll start another course of protozin.

oulton · 13 Dec 2014 at 20:33

I have just bought an Eheim viva 180 kit including the bio 240 filter and a heater.

It is filled with water now and tomorrow the nitro bacteria are going in and I shall be setting up the filter, getting plants and gravel in, finding a nice piece of wood to plop in there, then giving it a week or so to get the nitro cycle working.

I'm absolutely novice to fishkeeping but my misses has kept fish. The plan is a fresh tropical setup with neons, shrimps, and a few other beasties in there!

Cant wait to get the little buggers in!

arc@css · 13 Dec 2014 at 21:24

Might need a bit longer than a week.

oulton · 13 Dec 2014 at 21:26

arc@css said:
Might need a bit longer than a week.

fair enough, been back reading the thread so two week it is

UTmaniac · 13 Dec 2014 at 22:10

oulton said:
fair enough, been back reading the thread so at six weeks it is

Fixed.

The fish/shrimp you stock need to match the water hardness of your water, often tap water. Neon Tetras (and other soft water fish) have no hope of a normal lifespan if kept in a tank using the south coast's moderate to downright hard tap water.

arc@css · 13 Dec 2014 at 22:21

Yeah, even two to three weeks 'can' be a little too optimistic imo. I think I waited for around five to six weeks before I added my first fish.

Also, neons (or cardinals) will require a more mature, established set up.

oulton · 13 Dec 2014 at 22:26

UTmaniac said:
Fixed.

The fish/shrimp you stock need to match the water hardness of your water, often tap water. Neon Tetras (and other soft water fish) have no hope of a normal lifespan if kept in a tank using the south coast's moderate to downright hard tap water.

I'm in sweden and have been told that the water is excellent round here by the man in the shop. Is there a test kit I can use to know when to put the fish in?