SMiCay

I need help to identify what this could be? I left for the weekend and came back to my tiger bard having this weird lesion on his head suddenly. I’m trying to figure out if this is hole in the head, trauma, or something else. It almost looks like the scales have peeled off and I’m looking at the skin/tissue underneath but it doesnt quite look like an erosive lesion that goes deeper as I’d be expecting. The fish does not seem to be eating as well either, but otherwise acting pretty normal. Maybe a bit spookier than normal, but it would be hard to tell. They are kind of spooky anyways. Do note: I do have a crayfish in this tank and while he never bothers anyone, he also didn’t get fed a day or two while I was gone this weekend. I wouldn’t have expected him to do anything since Ive not fed him plenty of other times but I am wondering if trauma by him could be a possibility. Another tankmates are two other tiger barbs, 2 cardinal tetras, and one poor little lone long fin danio. + shrimp, etc. Everybody else is fine. (And I know the stocking is not right on this tank, its a long story, I’ve been working on turning it into a community but have a bad batch of fishstore fish still hanging out in the QT). Second problem: The QT tank has fish in it (of questionable health) that Im pretty sure this guy could eat? (Small little cardinal tetras and galaxy rasboras). Soo Im not sure where to move him for treatment since I don’t necessarily want to use a whole box of meds on the 29g. I have a lil 3 g tank that I could probably set up if needed? I do keep some meds in stock: paraclense, ich x, maracyn, maracyn 2, prazipro, expel p, aquarium salt. aquarium size: 29g planted (with invertebrates) water parameters: liquid Api tests temp: 74*F pH: 7.4 - 7.6 nitrates: 5 ppm nitrites/ammonia: 0/0 buffer: kH: 60-100ppm (5-6 drops) gH: 140-200ppm (11-12 drops) Oo I do see a small rip in his top fin so trauma and possible crayfish attack might be higher on the list?

Does anyone have experience keeping a German blue ram with a betta? I know it can be a sketchy combo, but I have heard of some others doing it successfully and wanted to know if there's anyone else out there that has tried it and how did it go? I have what seems to be a pretty chill betta in a 20 hexagon tank with 5 corydoras, shrimp, and snails. Its fairly heavily planted (or working on it to be anyways). I've been really wanting to get a little german ram for so long and wondered if this was an experiment I could try. My problem is it does have a narrower and taller foot print versus a 20 long and I was wondering if that would be a bigger issue? I do have a spare QT tank that I can move the ram into to rehome later incase it doesn't work out. My only other option for tanks is my planted 29 gallon which has a very chill crayfish (he never bothers anybody, but does like to roam around the tank). But (long story short) I also ended up with a few green tiger barbs and even though they don't seem to bother the other few fish in there (except decimating my shrimp population... 😕 ) I'm worried they might bother the ram. I do need to get more of the tiger barbs though so their school is bigger, there's only three right now. I'm mostly worried in making sure nobody harms the crayfish in the end. But even just parameter wise I don't think a Geramn ram would do as well in here? I'm also starting to consider rehoming the barbs.. especially if they bother the celestial pearl danios I plan on adding to this tank. Just though I'd get some opinions/experience from anyone who's tried it. Otherwise if it seems like a really bad idea I'll just have to keep waiting another two years. (I'm not "allowed" to get any more tanks before I have to move in two years..). I also really want some dwarf pea puffers, but those are definitely going to have to wait for their species only tank in two or so years..

Could use some encouragement or help! I'm a little discouraged. I had gotten three Alabama dwarf crays from a pretty reliable place (aquaticarts) and over a period of several months they died off. One juvenile male, a young adult male, and a young adult female. The first one to stop appearing was the youngest, I saw what I thought was a molt shell one day but soon realized he must have actually died (maybe a month after I got them). My female had berried for a while and then lost the eggs, and then got a new batch again but suddenly she disappeared about 1 month or so after the first. My older male has just disappeared two weeks ago, and I've confirmed he is definitely gone. They all seemed pretty active until they just disappeared. I never saw my fish harass any of them, plus they have quite a bit of hiding spaces. What could be happening? and I'm afraid to try again since they were pretty expensive. I also just lost a corydora which was sad, I think he just got himself stuck in the shrimp hut thing. But still adds on to the problems. Tankmates: orange rili shrimp (? accidentally got them from the LFS long time ago, breed like crazy and are doing great), dwarf gourami, 4 guppies, 4 corydoras, 5 cardinal tetras, and 2 nerites, and MTS and pond snails. Tank parameters are always good: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 5-10 nitrates, temp is usually 78*F, we have very hard water and a high pH (in the 8.2-8.4 ish range I think), 29 gallon Tank is pictured below along with one of the crayfish after I first got them. Besides the gourami checking them out the first day he's never appeared to notice or bother them. He loves to eat too much though, little food pig..

Thank you! That helped! Haha I did manage to kill off almost all the duck weed in a tank once, not really sure what happened, but the rest of the plants and fish were totally fine 😆

So I think I may have the start of disease outbreak in my tank (I think it could be columnaris). Although only one fish has died and the others look fine, its only been a day. Backstory: I've been QTing new fish in my very nicely planted tank that I had been establishing waiting for an expensive betta to arrive. I realized now that was dumb because with a fish dying I'm terrified whatever could still be around for when the betta comes... So whether this is columnaris or something else I need to know how I can disinfect the tank or what I can do to make sure its safe sometime down the road for the betta. So far my plan is to set up a third tank somewhere and start cycling a sponge from my healthy tank to have ready for the betta that will be here in two weeks. But if all the fish die in the "QT tank" or if the other fish live what can I do to disinfect it for the betta eventually? Also this tank has a lot of plants in it, deep sand substrate, and lots of snails (mostly MTS, but also a few nice nerites that I really like) with sponge filters. I don't really want to have to tear it all apart or harm the plants or snails. Plants I'm worried about are: java ferns, banana plant, anacharist, dwarf sag, a struggling jungle val, and some sort of sword I think? Tank survivors thus far: 2 Guppies, 1 corydora, 5 anchor cats, nerites (I could technically return the nerites still). The anchor cats were supposed to stay in the "QT tank" with the betta and everyone else is supposed to go into my 29 gallon with the other schools. If all the fish die, could I leave it set for two months and everything be okay? or could the snails harbor something? I also considered dosing with hydrogen peroxide and/or salt, but what levels would be safe for the plants? If fish live, how long should I QT for until deeming them safe to move to my other tank or add the betta too?

He already died, so the pictures aren't the best. But if you look closely towards his tail (or what was his tail...) you might be able to make out the bleached back. The white on the ventral side behind his head ended up being just his normal coloring (after I got him in a bag I could see it better and it was just the white that my healthy cardinals have too).

3 days ago I bought fish from my local fish store that I've never had a problem with until this time. I bought a cardinal tetra, a corydora, 2 guppies, nerites, and 3 anchor cats to add to my schools in my display tank. Thank goodness I quarantined them!! I woke up this morning and the cardinal tetra that looked fine yesterday is definitely dying with what I'm pretty sure is Columnaris. Tail is completely gone, gasping, body is white/bleached dorsally behind his dorsal fin and ventrally just back from his head. I yanked him out and put him in a quarantine bucket right away and then dosed both tanks with Fritz Maracyn (thats what I have from the QT meds trio). I also added a tsp/gal of salt to the bucket with the sick fish. But now that I was looking it up it sounds like Maracyn likely won't treat Columnaris (although the box lists it). I'm mostly worried about preventing it in the rest of the fish in the QT (the cardinal is probably a goner) which I can't add salt to because it has a lot of plants and the anchor cats (3 new ones plus 2 I had from before). What should I do? Should I find another med to add to the QT tank? Everybody looks okay for now anyways. Parameters: I can't check until later today, but they were totally normal just a couple days ago (it's a well established tank, picture included). Temp: 78 F Ammonia: usually 0 Nitrite: usually 0 Nitrate: usually lower - 20 Very hard water with a pH of 8.2-8.4 (not sure exactly what it is, I rarely test pH)