[Corydoras Dying in Quarantine]

Just in case it's helpful in the future, a research lab found iodine to be more effective than both bleach and hydrogen peroxide for eliminating mycobacterium marinum. Apparently there is a lot of misinformation and many old wives tales in circulation about this disease, even among  veterinary professionals. Especially concerning is that many people continue to think it's rare in the hobby, when in fact it's been found to be widespread. Iodine might be a safer and more effective choice than Lysol if you have to deal with this in the future. I really hope not, it's so awful.  Here is a link to the paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1532045615001246

[DIY Options For an Aquarium Lid?]

I have gone through various types of glass and acrylic sheeting lid options. At first I was buying sheets off of the internet and cutting them myself, but I found it too difficult to control the blade to get the precise cuts I wanted. I also found that the 1/8 inch sheets I bought bowed when exposed to the warm water of my aquariums. I ended up finding a plastics store near me that would custom cut 1/4 inch acrylic sheets. They will do cutouts and drill holes for airlines and easy lifting as well. With the 1/4 inch thickness there is no bowing and the insulation is terrific. I do have one custom cut glass lid, but don't like it as well as it's much heavier, more awkward to work with, and there is always the worry that I will bonk it the wrong way and  shatter it. 

[Environmentally friendly alternatives to polyester filter floss?]

On 3/12/2024 at 10:45 AM, Tony s said:

possibly some type of cotton filler? wool sprang to mind, but i don't think it will maintain any porosity. possibly natural sponge?

and, yes, you could keep using polyfill, and rewashing several times. at least washing slows down it's use

yeah, i understand where you're coming from. I'm not sure we're to the point we have replacements for things. unfortunately

I will try rewashing it and see if it still works. That's a good idea. Maybe a soak in vinegar to cut any oils will help.

[Environmentally friendly alternatives to polyester filter floss?]

I've been using floss to filter out fine particles and every time I change it out I feel a pang of guilt for contributing to micro-plastics in the waste stream. 

 

Has anyone experimented with alternatives that are less...plastic? If so I'd love to know how it went for you. What worked or didn't?

 

Have you got any ideas that might work? Please let me know and I'm happy to test 'em out and report back! I'm feeling a bit stumped myself. 

 

Thanks for considering! 

[Tap water PH]

That's a really good idea. I think dedicating the space will be worth it to reduce my anxiety! Thank you. 

 

[Tap water PH]

Is there any way to stabilize the ph in a situation like this? I live in Portland, where our water is treated with lye to a ph of 8.8, but is totally soft, almost like RO/DI water, and the ph drops to 6.8-7 over the course of a week. If I'm not careful I can crash ph while cycling a new tank. I was advised to add shrimp salts direct to our tap water. Is that crazy for fish? I don't want to end up chasing the original fresh tap ph, but neither do I want it to be so labile!

[Best way to store (dry) fish food?]

How do you all store your flakes/pellets/freeze dried food? I accidentally bought an extra canister of flakes recently and wondered how best to store them before and after opening. 

I know there is super specific guidance for dog and cat foods, but not sure about fish!

*bonus question: if you cut a mini block of brine shrimp in half to feed a nano tank, can you return the remaining half to the container? Should you put it in a separate plastic bag or wrap it with tinfoil or something? 

[Prazipro - what water conditioners are safe to use with it?]

Thank you so much. It sounds like you used Prime with success. I will keep the Prazipro in the water for now. I noticed that other formulations of praziquantel don't mention this sulfur issue, which makes me wonder if it isn't really about selling more product. I suppose it could be chemically altered in some way in their specific formulation, but fingers crossed it still works!

[Prazipro - what water conditioners are safe to use with it?]

I'd just done the recommended large water change with my trusty Prime dechlorinator and added Prazipro to treat my fish when I found this on the Hikari website: 

"NOTE: We do not recommend using any sulfur or sulfinite-based water conditioners with this product. If your normal water conditioner does not list the ingredients please verify with the maker that it does not contain these ingredients. If you notice any rotten egg smell to the product, it likely does have these ingredients and should be avoided as it could cause the product to be less effective and the dissolved oxygen levels to be negatively impacted." 

Argh! What should I do now? Prime smells pretty darn sulfurous. 

Do I change it out immediately? If so, can I restart tomorrow after I've obtained a sulfur-free water conditioner and done a 100% change, or do I need to wait three days? Can I leave it overnight? I don't notice any ill effects on my fish or but perhaps that's because the sulfur has inactivated the praziquantel? 

 

Finally, does anyone know of a sulfur free-Prazpro safe water conditioner? Hikari recommends that I buy one of their products (of course) that I've never seen available near me, alas.