xXInkedPhoenixX

So Awesome and up against very beautiful tanks as well. The best of the best! Congrats @gjcarew!

This is a very personal decision. What I always ask my self: If I believe them to be suffering, they have no fight left, and I've done everything I can to help them get better and/or comfortable and they are neither, then it is time.

@lindabee53 yes and I look at my own tanks and think that too! 🙂 I think that's the standard- if you would want to live there, you're doing pretty good.

Need: Another planet to live on Want: a planet I can take my fish/animals with me Wish: that could actually happen!! 😄

I would totally do a "snail vase" here have some sort of plant at the bottom (too bad Marimos are out cause I'd do a pile of them on top of some cool rocks or substrate and a few pieces of driftwood) then a plant like lucky bamboo and/or pothos sticking out the top! Self contained environment!

Personally I always QT my snails "just in case" so if you can I would recommend it. I just had to QT 3 Nerite snails for a tank. I feel better for it- I don't have to worry about them. It's already stressful enough to have sick fish. Hope yours gets better!

Wait, REALLY @Colu is there something to watch/read about that!? Who'da thunk it?

It's no wonder that I find peace just watching my tanks. I wish I could be them.

You can do an Amazon search (or internet search) for submersible LED aquarium light bar. There are probably hundreds of options. They have suction cups so you can either use it wherever you want IN the tank, but you can also suction it to your aquarium hood. Many people Jimmy rig them for tanks they want more light in.

Even @Cory has said, at least with tools he rinses them in hot water and let's them air dry and never had an issue. I would personally feel the same about a tank, even better if it sat in the sun to dry. Especially if there were no known serious problems. Others will have their methods as well.

Welcome to the forum!

Yay new life to bring some joy at least.

Well I DO hope Misty is ok too and recovers nicely. Paco is just to amorous for his own good.

Pobre Paco 😔

Hi, welcome to the forum. Super frustrating. I've got 5 cycled tanks but it's still all magic to me. I used Prime and Stability (still do) as tools but I think in the end most of my tanks ended up being "fish in" cycles. Meaning, as you probably know due to research, you cycle the tank while fish are in it.Sadly you've almost done that but lost the fish. Sorry for that The easy answer to me is YES!! Any time in your fish keeping experience the Ammonia and Nitrites (Nitrates too at certain levels) are high, do that water change. Sometimes It may require you to do a big one. For example: You have a 10 gallon tank that isn't cycled and you have "fish in". You test often (I'd test daily- if I didn't have time I'd put Prime in every day). Let's say you test it and it shows 1.0 ppm Ammonia. BAD! So you do a 50% water change. Theoretically that may only bring ammonia down by .50. SO use your detoxifier (you mentioned Prime). Wash rinse, repeat every day until you've cycled (and again if you can't do a water change use your Prime) In my first tank, I made the mistake of adding too many fish at once, that crashed my cycle so essentially I started all over again, but with testing and daily small water changes (and Prime), I got them all through the process alive. Your source water will be a problem- but if you have a new source as you mention you shouldn't have an issue trying again. There's still ammonia? I might just do the small water changes, maybe add a little fish food to help and keep with the Stability if you want. Do you have plants?? If not add them now they will help. Did you want "pest" aka bladder snails? Maybe get a few to help start the cycle that way if they did die you might not feel as bad. I tried to keep my answer simple and basic. It can be a longer process for some than others so it can be very frustrating. This is the time to focus on the future of the tank, what kinds of scape/plants/fish will ulimately live there. I have an 8 month old tank and have only been able to add 10 fish to it when I can add several more but it takes time and patience. You've kept fish before I'm sure you realize that. There will be others with more answers/options too I'm sure. We all kind of approach these things in our own way. This is why you get different answers- some can be very wrong for you- some are going to workout great. You can do this, it's just gonna take a minute. Oh and I feel you on the research combustion thing. I am always filling my head with fish things.

Well, @Colu thankfully that was my instinct- I'm assumimg bacterial. I did both right after I posted (well, added Kanaplex). I also was able to pull all 3 snails and put them in comfortable quarantine. So it made me more comfortable to double up.

OTOCINCLUS VITTATUS: The Accidental Oto Tank: The floating breeder Oldest in the box being approximately 26-27 days old. All doing well and growing/eating. There have been no signs of anymore recent spawns in the tank since the last of the 7 was caught. So, what to do with 7 Otos? They don't seem like a lot to sell to a LFS though I'm sure they probably would- however IF this group stays at 7 and there are no more additions before they reach a sellable size they will be destined to go into the Parent Tank with my original set and some of their previous offspring. The tank is stable and well planted- they should like it there. During recent cleaning I plopped in a small slice of Repashy Super Green and one parked themselves right on top.

My Flex9 is having issues. 18th found a deceased Oto. Today (20th) deceased Ember. Nobody looks or acts sick. Examination of both Oto and Ember gives me no clues. The Oto still looked like one, no unusual redness, spots fin issues appeared to have been eating fine, etc. The Ember (who was seen alive just the day before during roll call looking fine) Found deceased, turned from the translucent orange to mostly white but otherwise looked ok- had to have died sometime between last night and the time I found them. Water parameters just tested Thursday: Temp 78.9, pH 7.6, Ammonia/Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20. Stocking 2 Male Endlers, 1 Hillstream, 1 Oto, 5 Embers, 3 Nerites. Recent changes: Guppy grass added (but also added to another smaller tank no issues there. 1 Endler recently ill, was removed and QT passed of unknown illness but had visible redness around lips and in the end gill area. Treated with Furan2 no change, started Kanaplex- but deceased before end of treatment. Nobody shows these visible signs. Did notice that flow was an issue in the 3rd back chamber where the pump is but that couldn't have been happening for very long as I would have noticed it yesterday during routine maintenance AND the Oto died before that was noticed. SO, not having a Scooby Doo about what is going on I threw a dose of Furan2 and Kanaplex in. What do you think? Any ideas? Also anyone know if my Nerites should be pulled for sure...I would normally anyway but they are out of reach at the moment.

Yep @Chad the little brats would gobble them right off the glass given the opportunity. It irked me but I can't be too mad, it is nature being nature afterall.

I agree with @Chad, plus it will be easier to catch mom in that 5 gallon and easier for you to watch the babies! Non-aggressive fish aren't always...my Harlequins eat baby Otos if they see them.

They are all very lovely fish

Just like a spaghetti noodle!

Those tube plants are almost all I buy anymore (because no snails, I have a couple other sources that also offer no snails/pests) and they do last quite a while in them. I had one recently I kept out a week because I had other things to do. I'm sure giving them a little water might help but the gel in there is supposed to keep them alive. If they start looking weird or you just don't have time to plant when you get them just float them in some aquarium water (tub or tank) and they'll be fine. Remember they've lasted through the packaging, shipping, stocking process so they're already fairly tough.

If you have problems nobody here would ever know it.

TESTING DAY: The Accidental Oto Tank Today is testing day for all 5 of my tanks. In the last couple of days since the Cocama have been added in I've noticed quite a bit more social activity going on in the tank (during the day, night is a whole other game) whereas usually I'd only very occasionally see an Oto dart from one side to the other. Part of this I'm sure is due in part to the addition of more wood and plants adding more cover and food sources. The Vitattus really like the Spiderwood. I managed to get a pic but usually they are literally lined up nose to tail on this piece of wood (they scatter before I get too close): I ended up pulling the recently added Narrow leaf and putting it back in QT with my new Endlers- mostly because I got another Narrow Leaf intending to put THAT into QT but found a very pretty piece of Chola (a lot lighter in color than I'm used to seeing) to glue the plant to that I decided to put into the Oto tank instead. I've had to shove the food bowl against it since it has decided not to sink yet: The Cocama are also enjoying the wood and coconut houses: And the sponge filter. All Otos seem to like sponge filters as I'm sure there's some good foods there. Funny though, I noticed THIS Cocama standing on fin where normally they'd be attached to the surface with their mouth! A lot of space between their mouth and the sponge. The only thing I could think is maybe it's holding on with their Ventral fins? -As they are leaning too far back to be leaning into the sponge. Also both tips of the tail fin are touching the bare floor. Could be either or both. Anyway, thought it was kind of funny. All 7 Vitattus babies doing very well, eating nicely- usually all or almost all food has been gone by the time morning maintenance comes around. You can see the last additon to the group has some growing up to do: Today's Water Testing: Temperature: 78.9 (same as last week, no heater) pH: 7.6 (same) Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 40 (still!!) KH: 53.7 (same) GH: 161.1 (down by 17.9)