Alexis22

I’ve never really thought of that!

If it helps at all I’m on a well with a softener and iron filter. So my waters really soft. I was told to use reverse osmosis water for my changes but that’s just too tedious to do and my fish are used to this after a year I think

Good idea! All clear. I just also noticed my stability expired on 11/18. So maybe my tank isn’t getting the bacteria it needs with water changes! Will get a new bottle tomorrow.

Great video thanks! It’s a gravel substrate. At this point I’m not looking to upgrade so I will just do more frequent changes. Also I need to order some strips from here because these tetra ones are terrible. I can’t tell if I have nitrites or not on this! The left strip is unused and looks beige still to me. This was just now after a 50% change.

It’s an otocinclus. I think maybe I do need to up my water changes. Just curious if there was anything else that could be causing this. It’s funny even after a 50% water change my nitrates never reduce that much. But I know those aren’t that harmful. This is the first I’m detecting any nitrites so I think maybe just need a deep clean and more frequent changes. Thanks!

Hello! I have a year old 5 gallon fish tank. 2 platys , 2 longfin danio and a little catfish type. Tank is great no issues but out of nowhere one platy started showing signs of distress. Test strip showed moderate nitrates and nitrites but not high. Did a water change last week. Platy looked great after was back to old self. But now a week later today she’s dying. Water strip is about the same read again now. I do water changes about once a month maybe every 3 weeks and use Seachem prime and stability. Have a black coarse pad filter with white fine pad in front and just change the white pad maybe every two months. Haven’t had any issues in a year since its cycled. How can suddenly I start having these issues? No other changes to the tank.

Water test from today.

I have a 5 gallon tank with a few danios and platys and one oto catfish. It’s been cycled for a few months. One of my danios this week suddenly started acting similarly to some I lost back when cycling my tank. I have been checking my water and besides having some but a safe amount of nitrates everything was normal. The only thing I noticed this week was the other danio was being overly aggressive and suddenly scaring him off from eating and chasing him into the corners. They were always pals so not sure what happened. But this danio has lost weight and his body and tail looks “S” shaped now. He can barely swim and sinks. I’m pretty sure I will lose him tonight. If my water is ok what else can bring this about? Stress from the other’s behavior? It just seems so out of the blue. Everyone was great just last week! Also what can I do for algae growth? It’s growing on my artificial plants and sinking into my ornaments. The white filter floss was orange the other day when I cleaned the tank. My catfish isn’t seeming to really control it at all. Suggestions?

I think you’re right @Theplatymaster. I went and got another danio today. Upon watching the groups at the store I noticed the same behavior. What I thought was maybe aggression or breeding activity is actually just play. They were all very much chasing eachother. I did not know danios are so active and playful. Hopefully having a friend will help my guy. I only have a 5 gallon tank so hopefully one is enough to keep him happy. Thanks for the explanation!

I have a male long fin danio and two female platties. I was told he wouldn’t try to mate with them. We’ve had them for a week. Suddenly he seems to acting a bit aggressive towards them. Charging at them, chasing them and sniffing them a lot. Do fish have cycles? Or do they show this “macho” behavior anytime and can reproduce anytime? Just not sure why after a week now this is happening. I feel bad for these gals.

Yuck! I will check it out. Thank you!

Just one platy has blue poop after 6 days of being here. Neither of my guppies previously or the other platys now have blue poop. Just the one. I feed the super color flakes they’re bright orange. I have a tiny Elsa ornament in the back that’s blue could it be an issue? It looks fine.

I am using the omega one super color flakes. I was feeding twice but having a really hard time with my nitrite spikes. So far so good doing the morning feed. I watch and everyone does eat they are all good eaters. The one that is pooping a lot just seems to be the only one who sucks food off the bottom and filter etc. The others only surface feed. But why the blue poop?

So today now the poop is blue. Like continuously pretty blue over the past few hours. Is this normal? I’ve added a bit of Seachem acid buffer twice the past few days to lower my ph a bit and also started using stability a few days ago in the hope to get a better strain of bacteria. This is the only changes I’ve made.

Just got a few platys and one has the longest poops and goes more than I have ever seen. I only feed a small pinch in the morning for 3 fish. Is this normal? Sorry I was a bit too late for the pic. But it’s like at least an inch long. I do feel like it kinda bottom feeds on my tank so maybe it’s just been well fed since it’s new and finding a lot of old food??

Thank you. I will do this. Appreciate all the help!

No. I haven’t tested for ammonia daily but every time I have I have read zero.

Ok so I dosed the tank yesterday with paracleanse. Following the instructions for use. When I removed my charcoal filter it had some brownish banding on top. I swished it in some old water and the water turned light brown. Is this just food decaying? Or algae? I feed with super color flakes. Also this is my water sample today. Is my water too hard? I know guppies like harder water but what amount. Last I’m seeing zero nitrates is that bad? I expected to see some nitrites or nitrates

Yes actually that might be it! I have been using the one that came with my set called Top Fin Conditioner and I see it does have aloe. Yuck! I will get some Prime I think I’m better off with that overall anyway. Thanks!

Thank you! Should I remove my charcoal filter if I dose the tank with para cleanse? And if I do won’t the bacteria die on it being out of the water? I have had the coarse sponge in behind the charcoal filter for roughly 2 weeks. Do you think there is enough on it I can eliminate that charcoal filter now for good? Also does paracleanse hurt the beneficial bacteria? My cycled tank is really new so trying to baby it. But I feel a dose would be good before any new fish come.

5 gallon tank with HOB hacked filter. Coarse intake sponge, and coarse pad behind my charcoal filter (will eliminate the charcoal filter soon when my bacteria is sufficient). Had 4 guppies which died due to nitrites/cycling and possible parasites. Tank is finally cycled as of about 4 days ago. Reading 0 ammonia and nitrites. Tank is empty as of today so trying to do damage control of whatever parasites might be in here or issues while keeping my bacteria up to get ready for new fish. I noticed the “film” in the first week or two in a single strand on one of my ornaments but didn’t think much of it. Now about 6 weeks in I see this on thermometer today.

I started with 2 fish then added two more after a week. But I was having trouble with my nitrites they were about 3-4 (second and third areas towards the middle of the test strips). Even with doing small water changes and adding nitrifying bacteria I was struggling with it. I suspect the water parameters stressed the fish for sure. A few might have died from it alone. However the last two certainly had the orange poop and listed symptoms. And I noticed visible scale issues. Today my tank is reading 0 ammonia 0 nitrites. Ok so do this for about a week and wait for a spike then another drop to zero? I was told I could prob get all 4 fish together since I had 4 to begin with. I’m afraid to go slow adding bc I believe that’s how I brought sickness last time. Can I do the paracleanse or expel p now to treat an empty tank? Or does it only work on the fish?

No wood. Just a few artificial plants, and two ornamental decorations.

Hi new to this. Did my research and cycled a 5 gallon tank with 4 guppies. Lost 3 during cycling and attributed it to nitrites and the cycling. My last one I finally discovered what I think was going on is flukes or parasites. They all had the listed symptoms (gasping at top, lethargy, fin issues and weird orange poop then death) and each had the same symptoms before death. I started treating the fish and tank with Paraguard and doing dips but it wasn’t enough he passed today. My tank has been cycled for about 6 days now so I know it’s more than cycling now. I was told to leave the tank a week then vaccuum and water change and I should be ok to get new fish. Is this true- will the parasites and any eggs die in a week with no host? Anything else I can do to purify the tank without killing bacteria? Thanks!