crashnburn55

Hmmm, that is awesome food for thought. I can see how what you're saying does make a lot of sense. Well, I definitely can try the quicker, float method. How long do you think you would typically float the bag before adding to the QT tank? And if I still have the same outcome, maybe it's the tub itself or something in the tub?

Unfortunately, both places had no fish policy. . . essentially all sales are final . . . . I tried two different LFS to see if it was a problem with one of the LFS. But since there were casualties in the fish from 2 different places. . . it is sort of pointing toward something wrong with the thing that ties them both together. . . me or my QT tank. I wish that wasn't the hypothesis, but the evidence is pointing toward that. I definitely can try to the float the bag with the fish in it and add some water into the store bag as a different method of acclimation. Perhaps it's just paranoia after watching so many Youtube videos but all the videos and blogs on fish infection/disease combined with the nightmare and cost of having to treat the entire display tank was what drove me to opt for the QT process before addition to the main tank. Maybe it's overkill?

I can definitely try the float acclimation for a shorter period, and then pour into the QT. From a biochemistry standpoint, though, it just boggles the mind that a little fish could regulate the pretty significant change in pH (7.3-7.4) to 8.0 so rapidly (plop and drop) without an adverse outcome. But, since it has worked for experienced fishkeepers, who am I to argue with success, and maybe I am overthinking things and should have more faith in the biology of the fish? But if it wasn't the pH, that lends itself to what was the culprit? hmmmm. . . .

Wow, even if the LFS's pH is significantly off from the pH that you have your main tank at? Or is your main tank at a more reasonable pH than mine so there isn't as much disparity? Again, the pro's make it look and sound so easy. But I guess these are the "hard knocks" that newbies most figure out.

I don't believe the tub/container had any dryer sheets in it, definitely no moth balls, the clothes that we washed and put in the tub may have been dried with a fabric softener? Maybe washing the tub with my hand and water and drying it in the sun for a day wasn't enough to get out the residue? Here's a curveball in the whole story. . . I recently finished quarantining 4 tetra glo-fish in the tub before I tried with the hillstream loach and they survived a 4 week quarantine. The only things changed with the tub were fresh water, an additional sponge filter, the extra plastic plants, and the bluish glass marbles. Not exactly sure if the new items brought with them something or I inadvertently did something new. Yes, the pH from the tap is 8.0. Go figure. Maybe it's whatever the local municipality adds to the water? Not sure though. The first fish store that I got the first juvenile loach said their pH was 7.2-7.3 and the 2nd LFS that I got the 2nd loach from said their pH was 7.4 but when I did a test strip on their water it was >7.5 but less than 8.0 if I read the strip color correctly. So, one long success story with the tub but recent bad failures. . . .

Two hillstream loaches now rest in a sandy grave. I was inspired by a couple of Youtube videos on hillstream loaches and instantly thought that they would be the awesome next members to try add to my aquarium. I filled 10 gallons of dechlorinated tap water into my Sterilite (held clothes before, cleaned with tap water and my hand then out in sun for 12 hours) translucent tub/quarantine tank (QT), added a couple of cycled sponge filters (because it is said that hillstream loaches need good oxygenated water), a heater (set to 75'F), a couple plastic plants, and silly or not, I added some glass marbles to the bottom of the tank to give the bottom more surface area for beneficial bacteria to colonize (as I had the dickens trying to get the barebottom tub to cycle). Parameters, pH 8.0 (tap water's pH), KH 240 ppm, GH 30 ppm. Using a master test kit, made sure no ammonia, nitrite in tub. Nitrate was 40 ppm (level in tap water). Got a juvenile hillstream loach (about 1 inch in size) from the LFS who stated their pH was 7.2-7.4 and temp at 74'F. Typically I drip acclimate new additions, so I set up a bucket, added an airstone (again for the oxygenation), and started a long acclimation period. Perhaps I went a bit overboard. . .. 6 hrs later I decided that the loach was probably acclimated and so I put it into the main tank. Less than 24 hrs later. . . . lifeless loach. Tested the water the loach was in. . . ammonia and nitrite were zero, temp at 75'F, all filters working. What gives? Now, I know the IDEAL pH for hillstream loaches are less than 7.5 but I have heard from others that they were doing just fine in 8.0 pH. Maybe it was just that the juvenile couldn't acclimate because it was so young? Ok. Let's try again. Just to be sure there were no residual bad "voodoo" or whatever was in the previous tanks water, I siphoned out some of the water from the QT into a bucket, put the filters in, exchanged 100% of the QT tank water with fresh dechlorinated water, put the heater back in, got temp back up to 75'F (took about 12 hours) then added the sponge filters back in. Checked tank parameters. Again, pH 8.0, no ammonia nor nitrite, nitrate at 40 ppm, KH 240 ppm, GH 30 ppm. All the same peripherals, 3 plastic plants, about 2 lbs of bluish glass marbles on the bottom. Got a more mature hillstream loach (this one about 2 inches long) from a different LFS. Put it in the bucket with airstone, and did a faster drip acclimation (maybe the long acclimation process stressed the prior loach out too much?). 1.5 hours of drip acclimation later, pH in the bucket with the loach was 8.0 so I figured it's time to introduce to the QT tank. Checked the QT tank parameters, ammonia and nitrite zero, water at 75'F. In it goes. AGAIN, LESS THAN 24 hours later. . . lifeless loach. Tested the water, ammonia and nitrite zero, pH 8.0, nitrate 40 ppm. ???? Pictured are set up with loach in bucket to drip acclimate, then pictures of the 2nd loach when just added into the Sterilite QT tub, then when I took out dead loach #2 into a cup. Is it just that the loach can't survive in a pH of 8.0? Is there something that leaches out from the Sterilite tub that is toxic to the fish? Is there something I'm missing? Where did I go wrong? Any thoughts?

Actually nothing specifically, but the parameters of my tap water are: pH: 8.0, Nitrate: 40 ppm, GH: 30 ppm, KH: 240 ppm, Phosphate: 1-2 ppm The parameters of my RO waters are: pH: 6.6, Nitrate: 0 ppm, GH: 30 ppm, KH: 0ppm, Phosphate: 2 ppm I currently have guppies and glo-fish tetras, cherry shrimp, amano shrimp, and nerite snails. Planning, at some point, to add Corys, neon tetras and hillstream loaches. I do want a pH of 7.0 but my RO filter won't support the large water changes that I need to make for my 60 gallon tank (especially now that I have to do it more frequently with the algae issues) so I have to go with majority of water changes with tap and some RO (right now closer to 70/30 split) to not have it quite so high a pH.

I hope my newly inserted plants consume some of the nitrates (to try get nitrates to 20 ppm) because the treated tap water that I refill the tank with has 40 ppm of nitrates to start with so I usually can't get below 40. If I use my RO water, the pH is pretty low at 6.6. So I usually have to do a 60 tap/40 RO mix to keep the pH of my tank around 7.8. Big conundrum. I will try to continue larger weekly water changes and more tightly control the nutrient levels. Do you think 50% intensity lighting on a Fluval 3.0 for 8 hrs a day is not too high?

So you removed the whole stemmed plant, treated and then replanted the plant? I read somewhere that some painted/sprayed the H2O2 and left on for 5-7 mins then put back into water. Was that similar to what you did? Did you do the H2O2 treatments daily? For how many consecutive days did you need to treat your BBA infested plant with H2O2?

Great tips from Koi and ChefConfit. I will try implementing those recommendations. So I did the DIY CO2 and. . . I think there's a mild amount in the aquarium, not to where I'd like it to be, but better then having none, I guess. Second, the decrease in intensity of lighting to 50% for longer periods of the day (8 hrs now) seems to be helping some. I did manage to get some additional plants (a few Pogostemon, Watersprite, and a couple of Cryptocorynes) so will need to see if I can keep battling that The Ludwigia. . . . succumbed. The Bacopa seemed to be developing some good roots and the plant looks healthy, no more "strings" at the bases. . . woohoo. . . . BUT, here's the problem. . .now I think I see black-beard algae. . . $@&^$*! I just started to use some Seachem Excel squirted directly onto the largest patches. . . but any other tips? I did remove the one shown in the picture and may consider transporting all of them out, treating with H2O2 and then replanting if they survive? Should I have held off on the new planting until I got rid of the blackbeard algae? What do you guys think?

I decided to try a DIY CO2 system with the 2L bottle citric acid bottle connected to a 2L baking soda bottle then connected to the tank. Not sure if this will do anything really for the size of tank (60 gal) that I have. I'm hoping even a little CO2 would be helpful to the plants that I have remaining and the new ones I hope to get? What do you think?

Wow, 8 little fish make THAT MUCH POOP? If what I pull up is all poop, they must be going constantly, there is so much everywhere. I never see them poop, although honestly I don't watch them for hours at a time so maybe they do their business in when prying eyes aren't staring. Yeah, I guess my obsessive compulsiveness allows me to use the nano python. I used it for my 10 gallon tank, now my quarantine tank, and I got proficient with it so I figured why change . . . save some $ that I could devote somewhere else. Whenever you have time for the planting video, thanks. No rush, whenever it is convenient for you. Cutting back after a few INCHES of hairgrass growth? Most have negative (death) growth. The ones that remain, I don't think it's even grown 1 cm yet. At this rate, I won't be cutting anything. My best bet is replanting with new purchases.

Thanks for the tips regarding the planting. I do have aquascaping tools although my proficiency is significantly lacking. Working at it slowly. I think I've been planting my hairgrass all wrong. I buries just the root parts with most of the grass sticking out and lo and behold. . . . floating islands of hairgrass. Scores of grumbles later and I still have some issues with it not firmly adhering to the substrate. So mostly submerging it and at an angle. . . now that sounds like a better recipe for success! I like the theory of the dwarf saggitaria (who can argue with being set up for success?) . . . but my better half vetoed the plant . . . wanting finer bladed carpeting and other plants. . .hence the narrow leave stem plants that I've been trying. Wow either you have very nice contrast lighting, or your plants are pretty darn lush green! Both aspects I am aiming for. Kudos to you either way. When I barely touch into the gravel I get a lot of miniature log-like solid debris. If I just hover over the gravel, a little bit comes up. About 1/8 inch into the gravel the debris comes up in the amount shown. I don't think it's mulm right? Mulm should be more cottony and cloud the water. This stuff just comes out as solid debris. This essentially coats the substrate top layer. This stuff should be cleaned up. . . shouldn't it?

Thanks, yes, it is a 48.5 inch 60 gallon tank. I definitely had high hopes in my mind of how it would look at its zenith, a live-bearer, Zen-type of aquascape. . . . but that seems to be a fading dream given the difficulty of just trying to get the carpeting plants going and keeping any type of stem plant from rotting away. Guess we all have to adjust on the fly in this hobby. I am trying to salvage the Bacopa. . . fingers crossed. . . yeah, the ludwigia is. . *gulp* another member of my compost heap. Thank you for the plant recommendations. I'll see what I can fit into my budget this month and what is available. Dreams, dreams, dreams. . . . if only I had an unlimited budget and a "green thumb!" Is the opposite corner placement of the intake and output the best way to get complete tank circulation? If I am able to get some additional dwarf hair grass, any ideas on how, with my Eco-complete substrate, to keep the new dwarf hair grass from floating up? I had read somewhere about using push-pins, but does that really work with a larger gravel substrate like mine? I really appreciate the advice and wisdom!

I wonder what's in my mulm. . . . I hope there's baby cherry shrimp in there . . .somewhere but so far I don't see any with the naked eye 😞