quikv6

It could be fungus or columnaris....both of which can be the symptom, and not necessarily the cause of the problem. With a KH of 0, and PH Below 6.4, I think it may be difficult for guppies to thrive. The KH of zero can cause a rapid PH crash, causing the issues.

Thanks. I have been solely focusing on Nitrates in the tank, as they were over 400ppm when I tested. We are 3 water changes in (no more than 40 percent each change, in order not to drop the GH drastically after a change), and they are down around the 180ppm area. It's getting there. The goal is to be under 40ppm, and then to see how fast the tank produces them. We are also adding better quality frozen food to the mix, in addition to cutting it down some. If anyone has any food suggestions, that would be great too.

Your betta may be struggling from the 1ppm of nitrite. Getting that to zero would be my first priority.

Wasting disease is very possible, and pretty common with livebearers. I have noticed that is seems to affect one fish at a time as well. You can treat with Levamisole (Expel P), Flubendazole, or Fenbendazole (in the food). I have found Levamisole to also be more effective in the food, though it is said to work in the water column as well. To me, Flubendazole has had the highest success rate, but is not as user-friendly as Levamisole.

I second Colu. This could be the start of mouth rot due to Columnaris. It can progress quite rapidly, to where the fish can't eat.

To me, it looks like Ich, especially given it is on multiple fish all together, and happened quite rapidly. Being Ich-X is very easy to use, and very effective, I would start there. You can also raise the temp a bit (80-81) to speed up the lifecycle of Ich.

I have similar water parameters out of the tap, with a PH of around 6.6-6.8. I decided to keep livebearers (before I knew what my water was), so I do doctor my water. I still recommend using the coral, and seeing exactly what it will do. It's good to add in the filter, but you can also add it to the gravel, for a slower dissolving rate. I have coral in both the filter and the gravel. Give it a week or so, and test. If you can get the KH up to around 100-120ppm (I don't know how many drops that is), then you may be fine to do larger waterchanges without doctoring any new water. You would have to test the PH as well, to see how different it is compared to new, fresh water. I would say about 30-40% change at the most. I do 50% changes weekly, but I add some baking soda gradually while refilling, to match parameters a bit closer. While it has helped me learn my water, and get a knack for what is needed....I think you should avoid this method if you can.

It sounds like you have a good theory as to what caused a bump in the cycle. So that's good knowledge to go forward with. In the interim, now you just need to stay on top of it until your good bacteria bounce back. You can try to speed it up with a product like Fritzzyme 7. There are others, but that one seemed to work for me a few years back when I was cycling my new tank.

Is it a very heavily planted tank? Sometimes 0 nitrates can indicate a bump in the cycle, for some reason. Also, what are GH, KH, and PH?

Nitrites at 2 could be deadly. If you waterchanged all at once to get them to 0, then that would mean you did a 100% waterchange. That can also be extremely stressful. I would grab a bottle of prime, and limit waterchanges to 50%. If you need to do them twice a day, that is better than all at once. You also need to understand exactly why you have nitrites. (Uncycled tank, overfeeding, meds killed beneficial bacteria....etc). Getting them down is short-term, because you want to understand why they were there in the first place, and then act accordingly to attempt to fix that problem. It would also be helpful to add a little salt, as that can limit the absorption of toxins.

What exactly is "perfect?" Please list parameters, as something could stick out.

Looks like Columnaris. Kanaplex+Nitrofurazone would be your best bet.

Mark, I have very similar water to yours, in terms of low KH and low GH. If you have guppies, you will certaily want to buffer up a bit. The crushed coral will help. 0 KH can lead to a PH crash, which is what looks to have happened in your case. As for baking soda....personally I use it, though you need to be cautious with it. In my opinion, try to avoid using it unless it is needed. (See what the coral will do first.) But, I do suggest seeing what effect it will have on YOUR water. (Keyword: your. Don't go off internet guides). The same amount of baking soda will not change all waters equally. Test out of the tap. That is your baseline. Then start with 1/2 teaspoon per 5 gallon bucket. Mix well, and test after at last 15 mins. See what 1/2 teaspoon will do to your water. (Note any changes to KH, PH, and lastly GH) . With this info, you can adjust accordingly, and replenish waterchanges appropriately to match parameters until the coral arrives.

Thank you very much. That is helpful. We have very soft water here in NYC, so I am hoping that is aragonite/coral as the substrate. I have yet to see the tank in-person yet. I am guessing the fish look to be peacocks and haps, though I could definitely be mistaken.

Thanks! That is a help. Any insight as to their preferred water perameters and diet?

Hey folks, I may end up lending a hand to someone with some cichlids. Its a 125 gallon tank. I have never had cichlids, and don't know much about them, so if anyone can give me a quick 101 on the specific fish in the picture, that would be really helpful. I am assuming they are Lake Malawi fish, and would prefer a slightly higher PH with high minerals. I could be wrong, though. All input is appreciated. Thanks!

The pics are quite blurry, and it is tough to tell. There's a possibility of swim bladder (in which case Epsom salt baths can help), but Kanaplex is a broad spectrum med for various bacterial (and some fungal) illnesses, so it is a good "go-to" in addition to salt.

Salt is your friend with livebearers. I realize you have a planted tank, but a small amount of salt should be tolerated by the plants. Around a tablespoon per 5 gallons. Kanaplex would also be good med to try as well, if you can get a hold of it. If the endler is still eating, you can mix it into the food, as that is the most direct way to get it in. Paracleanse is more for internal parasites, ad I don't think it would be as applicable here.

Zero nitrates could be indicative of a tank that is still cycling. Keep a very close eye on parameters.

Maracyn won't treat columnaris, as it is gram negative bacteria. Maracyn 2 can, though I have had more success with a combination of Kanaplex (in the food, if you can) and Nitrofurazone. (Furan 2 or Jungle Fungus Fizz tabs)

That does not look fungal. To me, that is Columnaris, shown as the start of mouth rot. I have had a few cases of it, and they were all with Platys as well. I actually have one fish that I treated a year ago. He started off just like yours. Rot set in very fast. Thankfully, I was able to treat it, but he lost have of his upper mouth in the process. He is deformed, and can only eat certain foods successfully. Maracyn will most likely not be effective for Columnaris. You have a few options: 1) Kanaplex + Furan 2. (Furan 2 is hard to find nowadays...Jungle Fungus Fizz tabs are a good substitute.) 2) API Triple Sulfa (Also hard to find) 3) Maracyn 2. I have successfully used option 1 and 2, on different occasions. I have tried Option 3, but wasn't successful with it. Mouth rot can spread fast. It's not like fin rot....as it may not grow back.

Livebearers would take well to salt. You can start with 1 TBSP per 3 gallons, and increase if needed. To be honest, that mouth growth looks like it could be mouth rot from something like Columnaris. I would start some antibiotic mends as well. You can find a treatment for Columnaris, which is Kanaplex+Jungle Fungus Fizz tabs. Kanaplex is also recommended for Dropsy, though that is tough to treat overall. Kanaplex works well in the food (if you can), and you can add the fizz tabs to the water column.

Columnaris is very treatable. I would follow Colu's rec above. I have treated it successfully that way (using Furan 2 instead of Jungle fizz when it was available). I have also used API Triple Sulfa a couple of times when the above rec wasn't successful. I would get on the treatment sooner than later. I had one case of Columnaris develop into mouth rot, and although I was lucky and able to save the fish, her mouth is permanently deformed and she can only eat certain foods, with a level of difficulty.

As others have mentioned, the best way to find the sweet spot is to know what your heater will do to your water in your room. The dials on heaters are often inaccurate, so definitely go by a trusted thermometer. Once you dial it in to where you want it (let's say 76) and the heater maintains this temp over a period of time, then you are ready to set the inkbird to 78 or higher. Being the heater won't reach the 78 you set the inkbird for (unless the heater malfunctions and overheats), then the inkbird will supply constant power to the heater (which is what you want), and the little red light will always be on. The above method is using the inkbird as a failsafe, and not as a controller. (The heater itself is the controller.)

I have livebearers as well, and notoriously soft water with very low KH as well. Low as is 20-40 ppm. I use Crushed coral in substrate and filter, as well as baking soda. I keep it around 100ppm, though I don't know how many drops that is. I'd say as long as your 3-4 drops is stable (test it right before a scheduled waterchange to ensure is didn't drop), then you should be okay. A higher bioload may eat up the KH a bit faster. I would try to stay away from the alkaline buffer/baking soda if you can.