[What happened to my fish?]

On 8/16/2023 at 9:26 PM, Alex S. said:

This could just be the photo, but did its eyes always bulge that far out of its head? I’m wondering if it could have had popeye. That’s odd that it only acted strange for that one day, but I suppose it’s possible it could have had something going on before then, and not shown symptoms.
 

I’m really sorry for your loss! I lost a couple goldfish a few months ago and it was really devastated. 

On 8/16/2023 at 9:54 PM, Zac said:

That’s a good point. There are a lot of bubble eyed goldfish so I didn’t think about that

Here is a better photo! They had always looked like that since I had it, so I never really thought they looked out of the ordinary, but I’m no expert! I’d never seen it act unwell so I didn’t think it was sick, but maybe like you say it didn’t show. 

thank you, it so sad because I just don’t know if it was something I did and could have prevented! If it was something like ammonia at least I know I could have changed the water or something… 

[What happened to my fish?]

On 8/16/2023 at 8:22 PM, Zac said:

What was your pH and water hardness?

They were their normal levels when I checked, I did a usual water change a few days prior too, not sure if that would have affected anything? 
 

only other thing is that I use tap safe when doing water changes as needed, and tropica plant fertiliser too. 

[What happened to my fish?]

On 8/16/2023 at 6:51 PM, Zac said:

That’s odd. What’s she eating? Was she acting lethargic at all?

She has eaten that morning totally normal. Later in the evening I would say she became more lethargic as she started to stay down the bottom of the tank, but still swimming etc. I did another water test just to be sure and everything was still normal!

The weather had been hotter that day but the tank temperature was fine, so not sure if that had anything to do with it.

[What happened to my fish?]

Hi guys not sure if anyone can help me.

My fish has recently passed away and I didn’t see it unwell so I’m not entirely sure what might have happened, if it was something I did, or if something is wrong with the tank. It was fine 

The only thing which made me think something might have been wrong was that I did see her go towards the bottom of the tank, so I tested the water using an API master test kit, but everything was normal, no signs of ammonia etc, and it didn’t seem to be struggling for air. The following morning I found her dead.

It’s 100 litres and I had one oranada. It’s a Superfish starter tank and the filter, light etc came with it (I believe it is aquaflow 100)mtge substrate is tropica soil with gravel on top 

I also have an air pump and my tank temperature is usually around 22-24 degrees. 

I have a single alternathea plant, two moss balls, two pieces of natural driftwood and some stones.

I clean my tank regularly, and I test the water regularly. All the levels were normal (no ammonia, nitrate etc) 

Does anyone have any ideas what might have happened? As I don’t want to get another fish if there is an underlying issue 

[Tank temperature]

@beastiewhat fish do you keep?  I haven’t tried using ice but I can give it a go. My worry is if I’m away I can’t leave the fan on constantly so I worry about the temperature when I’m away. 

@Flumpweesel The fish tank is actually kept in an office so I can’t say what the room temperature is however the room does have air conditioning and I’ve noticed even when it’s on the tank doesn’t necessarily cool down even if I remove the lid completely but it is out of direct sunlight. How natural is a temperature swing? As I was concerned that I had fish before and as the temperature went from 23 to 28 the sudden rise caused them stress and/or reduced the oxygen in the tank. If I do a water change and it brings the temperature back down I’m worried if it just goes back up again it will stress them out too much! My worry is also it I’m away how I can control the temperature if I’m on holiday.  Thanks so much 

@JettsPapa are those just common goldfish? 

 

[Tank temperature]

I’m having difficulty keeping my tank temperature consistent.

It was averaging 21-23 degrees however where I live has had a heat wave and the temperature is now averaging 28 degrees.

I have tried turning off the lights/using one light, installed an air stone and left the lid off. If I use a desk fan it does cool it by about 2 degrees but as I can’t leave it on constantly I’m at a bit of a loss. I’m new to fishkeeping so I am unsure what I should do. 

Does anyone have any suggestions, as I was looking to keep a common goldfish but my concern is that it would be too warm and cause ammonia spikes. 

[Searchem Ammonia Alert]

Just wondering if anyone has used this product and if it is any good at warning you if ammonia levels get too high? 

[Is this bacteria? (Red eye)]

I recently added a new black moor to my tank. I’ve noticed since she’s gone in she has a small red mark under/at the bottom her left eye. I don’t recall seeing it in the shop so it might have already been there or when I moved her into the tank. 

Is this something that I need to treat as I have not seen this before? Any help is appreciated.

[Keeping Black Moors with other fish]

I have a black moor in a 100 litre tank on her own. I know that one needs about 60 litres of water, but when I’ve spoken to my local fish stores they seem to be of the opinion that I could get away with putting two in a 100 litre tank. I’m a bit concerned the tank would be too small to support two of them, but I don’t know whether anyone has done this?

Are there any specific types of fish that get on well with a black moor? Whether it’s goldfish or another type of fish.

Thanks in advance! 

[How much light is enough light?]

It’s not so much about how long they take to grow but that they grow properly. I have eleocharis in my tank which I want to carpet however I have noticed it’s growing up rather than out (it doesn’t seem to be carpeting but it is healthy - it’s green in colour and not turning brown) 

I’ve also got elodea in the tank and I would like to add Alternathea, but I would want to ensure I have the right amount of light to make sure it grows properly. 

I wouldn’t want to spend hundreds on a light, I am unsure if there’s one in the £60ish region that works well enough. 

 

[How much light is enough light?]

I have a 100 litre tank with a 11W LED light. Does this light have enough lumens to grow “advanced plants”? According to tropica, around 1 Watt per litre is needed for plants like these. 
Also on average how long should the lights be left on for to ensure best plant growth? 

[Best lighting for plant growth]

I have a Superfish 11W LED light that came with my 100 litre tank.

I have planted eleocharis in my tank but I do not know if I need a stronger light for it to grow properly? 

Is there a certain wattage of light that you should have in the tank for plants? I know different plants need more light than others but as a rough guideline.

 

 

[Black Moor Fungus Advice]

On 5/13/2023 at 12:53 PM, Colu said:

Does it look like the  white patches at the base of the fins has a fuzzy appearance  if not it might just be a slightly lighter colour at the base of the fins and nothing to worry about 

It doesn’t seem to be fuzzy, it’s been almost a week since I put the treatment in and it looks the same. I’m not sure what to make of it!

[Black Moor Fungus Advice]

On 5/13/2023 at 10:09 AM, Colu said:

The  white patches don't look like they have a fuzzy appearance that could just be because of the picture is it eating ok swimming fine any  rapid breathing @Izzyf

Yes totally fine! Eating ok and no gasping for air, not rubbing against anything and swimming ok

[Black Moor Fungus Advice]

Hi all, I got my fish from my local pet store and I’ve noticed that she’s had small white spots/marks by her fins, which I noticed almost immediately as they stand out a bit against her colour. 

I have kept fish a few years ago and I have recently taken it up again, so I am very much a beginner but I have been trying to learn as much as possible. I have looked at common fish diseases so I returned to my local pet store and asked them about it as I was worried she had something like velvet or white spot, I was told she did have white spot and I treated her for it as directed, however it didn’t clear up. 

I have been to other fish retailers such as Maidenhead Aquatics who have told me it is fungus. I was initially given tonic salts and two days ago I used Interpet anti fungus and finrot. It doesn’t look like it’s done anything yet but I don’t know if it will take a few more days to fully kick in. I have removed the carbon from my tank as well as directed. 

Does anyone have any advice from experience? I am not seeing her behave out of the ordinary, eg. there’s no rubbing against anything in the tank, she’s eating and swimming just fine. The tank is 100 litres and the water levels are all normal too and I change 25% water every two weeks. 

 

[Tank Water Level]

I was wondering how full I should fill my tank after a water change. I’ve read generally should be an inch from the trim however on my tank I was unsure where this started from. Should I fill the tank slightly more or is there enough/too much in it currently? 

[Ideal water temp for shrimp]

My local pet shop suggested adding shrimp to the tank to help keep it clean. They have a fish point system so they told me that the shrimp (and also snails) didn’t count towards the number of fish in the tank, so by their logic whether I had a 120 litre tank with two goldfish (and one goldfish needed 60l), or a 15 litre tank with a couple of minnows, I could have as many shrimp as I want. 

The type of shrimp they sell is an Amano shrimp. They also told me it was suitable to keep in Coldwater. I have since been to other fish providers and the consensus seemed to be that shrimp are best kept in a heated tank. 

I have never kept shrimp before but if I should find myself considering adding shrimp to my tank one day I would want to ensure they are kept in the best condition possible. 

Is it not the case that shrimp have a minimum water requirement just like any other fish? And if I have a Coldwater tank around 20 degrees C., would a shrimp be comfortable at this temperature? 

[Growing Alternanthera]

I’ve been looking for new plants to add to my 100L tank and I have come across the Alternanthera plants. I haven’t kept these types of plants before and I am unsure whether they are suitable for Coldwater tanks or if they require a heater. 
 

I was also wondering as to whether there are any other red leaved plants that thrive in cold water temperatures. 
 

Thanks I’m advance! 

[API v Interpret Salt]

Does anyone who has used First Aid Salt Addictive know if this is the same as the API Aquarium Salt? As both look similar but o am unsure if there is a big difference between them. 

[Treating White Spot with a carbon filter]

On 4/12/2023 at 11:37 AM, Colu said:

Active carbon absorbs the medication so the medication wont have any effect on the disease your treating while you have active carbon in the tank so just remove the carbon pad from your filter and leave your filter running during treatment ich causes massive electrolyte loss so I would add a small amount of aquarium 1 table spoon for 5 gallons the salt will add back in essential electrolytes I would always add an extra air stone to increase the levels of desloved oxygen as medication change's the viscosity of water lowering the levels of desloved oxygen @Izzyf

Thanks so much! So I’m assuming it’s just the sponge part that’s coming out and nothing else needs to be removed? 

[Treating White Spot with a carbon filter]

Hi everyone! I’ve used a white spot treatment in my tank and I have noticed it refers to removing carbon from the tank. My filter is the Aquaflow 300 which has active carbon in the filter.

Does anyone know how this impacts the treatment at all? I had seen other posts online saying to switch the filter off for a brief period, but does the filter need to stay off for longer if it will interfere with the treatment? 
 

thanks in advance! 

[Soil in a Planted Aquarium]

On 3/24/2023 at 7:15 PM, Lennie said:

Hello

Welcome to the forum.

I use tropica aquasoil in my setups myself so I may try to help on this one. I believe that hass nothing to do with capping tbh.

I always use it without capping in my setups, in large amounts. I have never seen anything like this before.

Are you sure it was  aqua soil? Or can it be  substrate or something? Because substrate needs to be capped, aquasoil does not have to be

 

It’s definitely the aquarium soil as in the picture!     

[Soil in a Planted Aquarium]

Hi all, I’m relatively new to fish keeping so I apologise if my question comes across as a silly one! 

I have a 100L tank that I intended to use Tropica soil as my base. I set up eveything correctly, but when I went to add water as carefully as I could the water had turned quite murky as you can see from the photo. 
 

I had spoken to the staff in the pet shop who said I could use soil on its own, but I feel that I have done something wrong for the water to be that murky. 
 

Is it a case that I would need to use a layer of gravel on top to stop this from happening? 
 

Thanks x