NickG83

Hi, I’m about to start a course of Maracyn 2, for my goldfish that has cloudy, slightly protruding eyes, but I’ve been treating with salt prior to this (which hasn’t really helped). I’ve been diluting the salt content down over the last 2/3 weeks by doing 50% water changes. I have a 40gallon tank and if my calculations are correct, I should be down to 2 tablespoons of salt being left in the tank. Is this ok to add the maracyn 2 to, or should I do another couple of 50% water changes before treating? Thanks in advance

@GardenStateGoldfish sorry forgot to say, the eyes are still popped, not really badly, but there has been no real change in them since this whole thing started, thanks again

@GardenStateGoldfish thanks, I’ve now ordered some maracyn two, but it’s probably going to take a while to arrive… In the meantime I’m thinking of leaving the salt concentration at the highest level for 1 week, just to see if it does make a difference, then start bringing the concentration down. When the maracyn two does arrive, can I start using it even if there is still salt in the tank, or should I try and water change all the salt out first? Thanks again

Update: I think a couple of his scales have now started to fall off, and I’m worried he may be starting to show early signs of dropsy (possible slight pinconing). Could too much salt cause this? Have attached a photo. Thanks in advance for any advice.

@Colu Ok, yeah, I’ll keep a close eye on him, I really want to try and see the week out at the higher salt strength if it can. Do you think it’s possible that I left it too long before starting treatment and the eyes maybe permanently cloudy? It was a little while before I took him out the pond and started treatment. I don’t know exactly what his vision is like, but I can see from his behaviour that he can see me when I approach his tank. I’ve tried so much stuff now with no real improvement. I will look into getting some kanoplex though. Thanks for your help.

So a while ago I noticed one of my pond goldfish had cloudy eye, (I have also since notice they are a little swollen), so I brought him inside to quarantine and treat. He is fairly small, and I have him in a 40gallon. I started by doing a course of maracyn, I think this really did much. I then did a course of ich x. Again, this didn’t really do anything. I then put a 1 dose of maracyn and 1 dose of ich x together. at left it for 1 week. Still no real change. I then did a 2nd full course of maracyn and a 2 full course of ich x, together this time. Again no really change. Not getting any worse though. I decided at this point that as long as it didn’t get any worse I would just keep the water as clean as possible, keep him in quarantine over the winter and hopefully he’ll be good to go back outside in the spring. So I did a big water change and changed a few things around in the tank as he was going to be in there for longer than I had initially thought. Next day, one of his eyes was much more cloudy (could hardly see the black part). I tested the water and there had been a very slight nitrite spike, I’d obviously changed to much in the tank and with the big water change, lost my cycle. Straight away did a 50% water change and started on the lowest level salt treatment (1 tablespoon for 3 gallon), within 24 hours, eye was back to how it was before the nitrite spike. For then next week I did a 50% water change everyday, and redosed the salt that had been removed from said water change. After a week no more change. I decided at this point to go the the next salt level (2 tablespoons per 3 gallons), did this for a week, no real big change, but I think they were very slightly less cloudy and maybe even a little less swollen. So yesterday I went to full strength salt, was worried about this, as it seems like a lot of salt (1 tablespoon per gallon), as I’m hoping this might just get the problem sorted once and for all. So today he is sitting on the bottom occasionally, still swimming around a fair be, but close to the bottom. Should I be worried. I was planning to keep him at this level of salt for a week before slowly lowering it down, but this sitting on the bottom is concerning. What is people’s thoughts? Very much appreciate any input, I really want to get him healthy again. Thank in advance. Sorry, just rereading my post, at the beginning I meant to say the first maracyn treatment ready didn’t do much, not really did much.

@Colu perfect, thanks very much for your help!

Thanks again @Colu I’ve had a look for sera baktopur direct tablets, and I can’t find the tablets, just the liquid form. Would that be ok?

@Colu thanks for the info. I’ve had a look at the medications and I’ll have to order them in from the states (I’m in the UK), which I don’t mind doing but will take a while. I do have the quarantine trio available though, would any of those help?

Hi all, I have an issue with 1 of my goldfish in my pond. He’s only a fairly small guy (approx. 5/5.5 inches). I estimate his age to be about 3.5years (I’ve only had him for past year and half, so obviously somewhat stunted). Before I had him he had been kept in a very small bowl (probably less than 10 gallons). Anyway, over the summer his eyes have become very cloudy, he gets around fine and gets his fair share of food, and I think he may be able to see a little bit. Also I’ve noticed at night his top fin often pops up out of the water, and I’ve noticed this top fin has now started to look a bit scrappy, I assume maybe from being exposed to the air? I also don’t think he’s grown much over the summer. I’m wondering if anyone might know what’s going on with him? If he need treating for something I’m thinking of bringing him in for the winter to do so. I have spare 40gallon which I think should be ok just to get him healthy again, before putting him back in the pond again next summer. Obvs if I do do this, I will need to do it soon as temps are dropping and I don’t want to shock him. Water chemistry is as follows: GH 180, KH 80, pH 7.5/8, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0, Temp 17 degrees c/ 63 degrees f. Just to mention also, all other fish are all fine and doing well. Thanks in advance for any info, Nick.

@Scott P. Yeah, I’ve heard dosing a little fertiliser everyday is better than a large amount once a week.

Thanks @Mmiller2001 @Scott P. It’s the first time I’m using a proper plant light, and just a bit worried I’m going to end up growing a load of algae…

Hi all, I’ve just set up a 160L (30 gallon) planted tank, depth of tank is 16inches. Substrate is fluval plant substrate (basically dirt I think) with a layer of gravel mixed with course sand capping it off. Plants include Vallisneria, crypts, pogostemon stellatus octopus and limnophila sessiliflora. I have a fluval aquasky, and I’m wondering how I should set the lights. You can obviously customise it, and has red, green, blue and white lights that can be all set separately, any ideas how high I should set it? My plan currently is to set the white, green and red lights to 50% and blue to 2% (I hear setting the blue light to high will cause algae) and then gradual increase them by 10% (1% for the blue) increments every week until I’m at 100%. Thoughts? Thanks I advance. Nick

Thanks @eatyourpeas, I’m in no hurry to add fish anyway, so will just keep an eye on the parameters and hope they sort themselves out by the time the weather warms up!

Thanks @KBOzzie59 I think it might be slight ammonia (where this has come from I don’t know...) hopefully it will sort itself out, I’ll have to just keep an eye on it. Maybe it’s just cycling... What also confuses me is how it came almost immediately after filling. I did think it may have been the stress coat I used to declorinate, so I did a full 100% water change, refilled and used prime instead, but it soon came back... weird

Hey all, I’ve recently (about 3 weeks ago) set up this above ground mini pond with bog filter. Water is pumped out from pond, into the gravel/plant filled bog which the water flows up through, then returns to the pond. The pump is inside a tub thing with sponge over to make it safe for small fish. All seems good, apart from all those bubbles from the air stone that don’t seem to be popping very quickly... why might this be? I’ve tested the water and it seems fine. Possibly showing a little ammonia (but always hard to tell with the colours). If there is ammonia though, it’s only a very small amount... Also if it is ammonia, where has it come from? No fish in there as yet... There’s a lily in the bottom which hasn’t started growing yet, and a few oxygenating plants also in the bottom, and a bit of water cress floating, plus obviously the bog plants. Really though it’s just these bubbles that concern me... should I be concerned? If so, what could be causing them? And what should I do to rectify them? Fish probs won’t be going in for a couple of months when the weather warms up. Thanks for any info, Nick.

@Kirsten @Daniel thanks very much for the advice and quick response, heaters breaking down had also crossed my mind as a reason not to use a heater, but my only concern was the amano shrimp?

Hey all, having a bit of a tank change round, and my 110L (about 30gallons) tank is going to be becoming a medaka (rice fish) tank, it also has numerous Malaysian trumpet snails, x2 nerite snails, x3 Amano Shrimp, and some cherry shrimp. I just wondered what people’s thought were as to what the perfect temperature for the tank would be? I know I could get away with no heater, but there’s a good heater in there, so I may as well use it if in means creating the best possible environment for the inhabitant. Thanks in advance for any input!

Just wondered if anyone knew of a good food to feed nerite snails? Algae is all gone and I’m worried they’re going hungry... Thanks for any info! ✌️

Thanks very much, that’s pretty much what I was thinking, but just thought I’d check! Thanks again @James Black @Aubrey @OceanTruth

Hi all, I have a 29 gallon planted tank, set up about 18 months now, it’s has a few guppies, 2 nerite snails, 4 amano shrimp and an army of Malaysian trumpet snails, temp set at 77. What I would like to do though is to remove the guppies and replaces them with either white clouds or rice fish, and in the process getting rid of the heater. My question is, would the remaining inhabitants be ok at room temp if I slowly reduce heat over a period of time? I don’t want them to become stressed. Or if I kept the heater, is there a temp everyone would be happy? Thanks for any advice!

I never knew the cycle could start without the introduction of ammonia/ waste, I don’t think my tap water contains ammonia, as I think I’ve tested that in the past, but will check tomorrow. Thanks for the info though, and hopefully it will finish cycling soon and I can add the fish... I bought some rice fish eggs online, and been growing them out in a little 3.5 gallon, and they’re waiting for there upgrade! ✌️

Have you any thoughts on this one @Cory, any ideas? Cheers for any info! ✌️

It’s just plain gravel, that’s why I used the root tabs. Ammonia has now gone, but still reading high nitrite and nitrate. Obviously still not added fish. It must be the root tabs... I’m still wondering if I should completely start again, minus the root tabs. Thanks for any advice.

Maybe it is, I just always thought that to start the cycling process, waste/ ammonia had to be introduced somehow... I’m going to keep testing the water regularly to see what happens. Thanks