adm's 1st tank

[plankton]

Sorry to hear.
I lost a black angel overnight once, never found a trace - maybe they were both abducted by aliens?

Shrimp, snails and other fish can often do a carcass quite quickly.

[adm]

Not a lot to report. Apart from....my first birth!

I did about a 70% water change this morning, and as all the fish moved into the remains water and crowded together, I saw......a baby Black Neon Tetra.

I hadn't really even considered that they might breed, and I haven't managed to get a photo of it yet. But it's definitely there.

Hopefully it is now big enough that the Gouramis won't eat it, as I suspect they have done to any brothers and sisters it might once had had.

Anyway.....I'm a dad!

Other than that, still chasing hair algae and cyanobacteria to some degree.

I think most of my Otocinclus and Amanos are now dead as I really don't seem much, so I think I will go to the LFS this week and buy 6 Amanos, 2 more Nerite snails and maybe a dozen Amanos.

I will post a pic of the baby Tetra if I can, and also a picture of the tank in it's current state once the plants and glass have all "de-bubbled" (technical term) after the water change.

EDIT: Baby Tetra Picture now included.

[adm]

I did a 60% water change this morning. I tested the water prior and it's 0,0, pretty damn close to 0, so it seems to be continuing to be nice and stable.

I had a good old vacuum around and then put some black gravel down at the front centre. I've left the front sides for now as I still have some hope that eventual the Cuba will colonise there. It's not dying at least, but if it is expanding, it's doing so very slowly. The cyanobacteria wasn't nearly so bad this week. I was going to treat with Hydrogen Peroxide, but thought I would just leave it and see if the gravel makes and difference - or at least makes it easier to vacuum up than from the aqua soil/sand mix that is now underneath.

I had a bit of a trim of some of the Java Moss. I have found that when I do this it's basically impossible to get rid of all of the floaters, so I will just leave them to settle in clumps and then vacuum the rest up tomorrow.

The baby Tetra is doing well and I think he/she is going to make it. Which is nice!

I added 4 more Otos last week and they seem to be doing OK. They have relatively fat looking little bellies when they are stuck to the glass. I do think I need some more Amanos although I did actually see a couple this morning.

Algae seems to be stable. Mainly small amounts of hair algae on some of the plants. I have started treating with "Aquadip Green Algae Control" so we will see if that makes a difference or not. Still debating a UV steriliser. I know that won't make any difference to anything on plants, but it might stop spores spreading around in the water supply.

Pic for interest (lots of small bubbles still in the water)

[adm]

Well, the remaining Amano Shrimp seem to really like the gravel beach. I can see 5 of them out now picking over the gravel.

I am going to call that a success and get some more next time I visit an LFS...

[adm]

So my fish now apparently have Ich.

Or at least the Tetras do, but I expect that means they all do. I noticed it first yesterday and can see more white spots today.

It must have come from the last Otos that I bought from the LFS and has taken a week or so to get established. I don't own any kind of quarantine tank, so new stock just goes straight in after temperature acclimatisation.

I ordered and received some API "White Spot Cure" and have done the first dose at the recommended amount. I have also turned the water temp uphill a degree and will continue to ramp it slowly to 28C.

is there anything else that I could or should be doing at this point?

[Martinspuddle]

is there anything else that I could or should be doing at this point?

Hand yourself in, publicly flogged, stripped of your TOTM title and sent to one of his Majesty's penal colonies ...do you want me to go on?

[adm]

is there anything else that I could or should be doing at this point?

Hand yourself in, publicly flogged, stripped of your TOTM title and sent to one of his Majesty's penal colonies ...do you want me to go on?

Firm, but fair....

The fish are all still eating really well and look to be just fine (apart from the salt grain like white spots) so there's that at least

[Martinspuddle]

I don't own any kind of quarantine tank, so new stock just goes straight in after temperature acclimatisation.

The fish are all still eating really well and look to be just fine (apart from the salt grain like white spots) so there's that at least

I swear by quarantine but it's no guarantee. 2022, I quarantined some Endler livebearers with no issues, after which they where moved into my 310 litre and this happened...

Well this is a surprise tonight.


click to enlarge

Of all the fish species I have in the main Puddle to get Ichthyophthirius, an Endler for sake! ...and this is despite six weeks quarantine!

Hey ho, in goes the aquarium salt.

*Please note* Yes I do used aquarium salt to treat the dreaded Ick but I've been fishkeeping for 40 years and don't suggest anyone try this method unless you know what your doing.

[adm]

*Please note* Yes I do used aquarium salt to treat the dreaded Ick but I've been fish for 40 years and don't suggest anyone try this method unless you know what your doing.

I did read about it, but I don't really know what I am doing so am steering well clear of that one.

I went with a hopefully tried and trusted product (I like API) that seems easy enough to use.

Fingers crossed....

[Martinspuddle]

*Please note* Yes I do used aquarium salt to treat the dreaded Ick but I've been fish for 40 years and don't suggest anyone try this method unless you know what your doing.

I did read about it, but I don't really know what I am doing so am steering well clear of that one.

I went with a hopefully tried and trusted product (I like API) that seems easy enough to use.

Fingers crossed....

Think most if not all the remedies for Ichthyophthirius work.

I have however tried the eSHa Anti White Spot and that product did clear the problem but I prefer to use aquarium salt.

Further reading on Ichthyophthirius link here: Ichthyophthirius multifiliis in fish