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Posted by swarvegorilla on April 15, 2007, 12:51 am
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>
>> Firstly, thanks SO much for all your advice - if only you worked at
>> our local pet store! The advice that we've been given by these people
>> has been well intentioned but, apparently, ill informed.
>>
>
> No problem at all
>
>
>> To complicate matters further, we spoke to a girl at the pet shop
>> tonight who said that the shop "often has a tank or two out of action
>> for quarantine" and that we may have purchased a sick fish. GAH. Thank
>> goodness these people only sell supplies and not other animals too!
>>
>> So, we're following your advice:
>>
>> - another partial waterchange (the second since my first post) -
>> including gravel vacuum and clean
>
> Ok so ONLY clean filter if the flow is slowing down, and ideally ya don't
> want to clean at all for first month or so if possible.
> Let the tank get a bit scungy, don't worry too much about gravel vac's and
> cleaning ornaments etc. Partial water changes are the way to remove waste
> (it all disolves into the fish soup :)
>
>> - more "cycle" - the bacteria stuff (other posts in this and other
>> groups have rated it - am keeping my fingers crossed!)
>
> Yep, but remember 'cycle' and other stuff only slows up the cycle a wee
> bit.
> Maybe save ya a water change or 2..... but it's expensive for the
> privilidge.
Ok so I meant to say 'speeds' up the cycle a bit.
dam dyslexia
next I'll be going to toga parties dressed as a goat
> Used to cringe each time I was pressured to sell bacteria to
> customers..... prefer to hand them a bit of cycled filter media, so much
> less long term drama.
> Anyway the good thing about bacteria that seed your tank by falling outta
> air, coming outta fish guts etc is that it is 'LOCAL' bacteria, suited to
> YOUR tank and conditions.
> Bottled bacteria is bred in a lab for what they think is a 'normal' tank.
> Thats why once you have bred them up in your filter
> you should be very gentle cleaning it, only ever use a bucket of water
> drawn from the aquarium.
> The last thing ya want to do is have to grow them all again :)
>
>
>
>> - addition of ammo-lock (there has been some debate of the merits of
>> this product, but most people seem to think it's okay as it makes the
>> ammonia less toxic, but doesnt break the cycle)
>
> Yea thats a strange one, maybe if your water was coming out of the tap
> with lots of ammonia in it......
> I think tho that a water change will work better than ammolock and it's a
> lot cheaper too!!
> I realise water changes aren't fun, but really a bottle of de-chlorinator
> (water-ager) and water changes are all ya need here.... oh yea and
> patience (heh heh sorry)
>
>> - addition of sea salt (which looks suspiciously like normal sea salt,
>> but the price tag and picture of a fish on the pack tries to convince
>> me otherwise....)
>
> Yea what ya want to do is go buy a bag of swimming pool salt.
> should be about (Australian) $6 or so for 20kg of the stuff.
> Chuck it in the shed, hand it out to other fish keepers.... should still
> be enuf to last ya forever!
> It is pure salt and often repacked by lfs and sold on at 10,987% markup
> :-)
> People ask me if it's safe.... well it's human grade mate and a pure
> compound so me and a few years using say yes it is!
> Usually use at about a tablespoon per 20L, just remember when ya water
> change only add salt for the water you are changing.
> I find writing down my salt doses helps prevent me overstocking it.
> Add too much salt and it slows down the cycle (brackish tanks take
> forever!)
> Adding more air will speed up bacteria breeding (so make sure water
> surface is nice and disturbed)
>
>
>> - our ammonia levels (pre water change) were at 0.25, and the nitrite
>> was at the same level - although this is bad news for the fish, I
>> think this is good news because they cycle is under way?
>
> Yes it means the cycle is happening,
> with luck the ammonia will soon drop off to 0ppm and the nitrite will
> slowly spike then fall away to 0ppm over next few weeks.
> nitrite takes longer to go as bacteria that eat it take longer to breed
> up.
> If fish are looking sluggish give them a partial water change, otherwise
> feed very light and increase amount very slowly.
> The occasional feed of some shelled frozen green peas keeps goldys
> chugging alone and healthy inside.
>
>
>> - quarantine of sick fish (whose condition has deteriorated - he is
>> moving less, and lying on his side) - in half tank water, half tap,
>> treated with all above additives, et cetera
>
> I would move it accross to 90% treated tapwater, but it's not sounding
> good for him,
> goldys are tough and can mostly recover but sounds like he has absorbed a
> bit too much nitrite.
> Losing 1 isn't too bad, lesson learnt anyway! but that said, good luck to
> the fella!
>
>
>> - we've also lined up a new tank (approx 100L - which is 4 times the
>> size of the current tank) that we will get our hands on and start
>> "fishless cycling" soon (I may be back to get advice on that soon - if
>> you can tolerate any more annoying questions!)
>
> Yep thats a great size tank, much better.
> As to the fishless cycle, ya works well
> but remember to try seed it with an existing aquariums filter bacteria,
> really does speed it up nicely!
>
>>
>> I hope I can save all the fish, I feel horrible that they are
>> suffering because of my ignorance!
>>
>> Thanks again for all your help, we'd have been lost (and our fish
>> crook) without you!
>
> Not a problem mate,
> give yourself a pat on the back for going looking for the answers!
> If I have learnt one thing about keeping pet fish.... it's that no one
> person has all the answers.
> Thats why ya gotta meet a few fishgeeks, and work out what the story is
> for yaself.
> Happy Easter peoples!
> :)
>
>>
>
>
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