xXInkedPhoenixX

OTOCINCLUS COCAMA: The Cocama Hotel So this morning a small water change was performed (with IAL infused water) and all of the 8 remaining Otos were still with me. Per advice from odd duck above I'll be dosing the water in the morning with meds and salt. At some point between yesterday evening and this morning I've seen them all at some point on the glass but it does look like they don't mind sitting on the substrate. Hopefully it's not because they are weak or still ill. Here's hoping the Kanaplex and salt take care of whatever might be left of the illnesses!

I'm crossing my fingers for you. So sorry. 😞

Aww, he's gotten so big and beautiful!!

As @Guppysnail says I'm currently test running Spider plant. I've got a giant parent plant outside that I pull babies from and have always started new plants by rooting them in a glass with water then planting in soil once the roots were established. I have 2 plants started in 2 different applications. One was started months ago and is doing ok but I don't use ferts. I did some research recently and learned that they're not great to grow just in water but they can be (just won't be as prolific and so far I'm seeing this). One site suggested they'd at least need some fertilizer. So in my 2nd application I've been dosing with fertilizer and I'm comparing the two, so far the one in application 2 is growing at a faster rate (it also has a plant light, the other one has ambient and a weak clip on).

You probably already would do this anyway but I'd do my best to scrub any rocks really good or boil them if they're small enough- but I think those stores are a great resource.

@Odd Duck I saw that too but have not been able to see it again on any of them. They got 2 rounds of Kanaplex prior to the Naladin and are currently in the Cocama Hotel with IAL tea water as I've started brewing it for all my tanks. Think I should dose Kanaplex again? I haven't put any salt in so far.

Sounds like you've had an adventure this time around. Post pics when you can! Welcome to the social side of the forum! 🙃

@Torrey, ADF are always "striking a pose" they are little clowns whether they know it or not. They're really fun.

Bacterial bloom? This can cause spikes in ammonia and nitrite. Changing water just exacerbates the problem. Just went through it with a 5.5 gallon. Had to take the fish out and let the tank sit for a week before it cleared.

I'm hoping that's not the case for you. 🤞🤞

My mum's are in 7.6ph. Last I tested the gh it was one below off the chart (api).

Medication Update: Recent Med Order So I guess I'll take back what I said about the small business a couple of entries ago. Today I got an envelope that has the Nitrofuracin "Green" in it repackaged the way the other med was but hey, they came through. Though the last shipment said "out of stock" apparently they were just refunding me for shipping adjustment not for the meds. Or something along those lines. It was made right regardless. I'd order from them again.

OTOCINCLUS COCAMA (TIGER): The Cocama Hotel Well fishy friends. Lost another Cocama today. This morning prior to water change after medicating yesterday one kind of listlessly swam into the food dish. I thought maybe it would perk up after the water change so I did it then, sucked up the old food that was in the dish with them and they didn't move but seemed alive at the time. Did the 50% water change, put in a piece of Polyfilter. I looked a few hours later, the Oto was still there. Deceased. Nothing stood out on its body that would give me a clue as to what is going on. The belly looked normal if maybe a little bloated but that could be a death in the water for a few hours thing. I don't know, otherwise coloring was great, eyes normal, no clamped fins before or after death. I'm stumped. I've been watching some of the others. I'm not as concerned about the ones stuck to the side of the glass but there are a few who are hanging out on the substrate- while not totally out of the ordinary, less likely most of the time. One or 2 of them are on the side of the glass but laying partly on the substrate. Allso concerning to me- as if they slid down there. Right now I'm down to 8 and keeping an eye on 2. The ones spending time on the substrate. More the one in the bottom picture below than the top one. The top one will speed away when I touch them the other just scoots a little kind of like the one that passed. I'm bracing myself for more losses....ugh.... No meds in the water now. Not sure if I should try anything else right now. Suggestions anyone?

It's beautiful

I started my mum's ADF tank last Mother's day. 3 gallon GloFish cube with duckweed, guppy grass, anubias, eco complete a little pebble and of course my signature blue glass beads for a "river" they love the bridge we put in there for them- there are 2 a Grey and an Albino. There were bladders but maybe the frogs ate them it was never witnessed. They leave the one Nerite alone and there is no algae in this tank. The frogs are target fed with tweezers and come to the front of the tank when it's time, sometimes eat from a bowl. We don't do live food, just frozen and freeze dried and frog pellets. They are huge now compared to what they were and the water parameters are perfect. I avoided a big tank with fish because if the fish get sick I'm positive the frogs would have to be moved somewhere as they are much more sensitive to meds. This is a recent pic, "Angry White Frog" struck a pose (Nerite photo bombed if that's even possible):

@whomeverwiz Welcome to the forum, and thank you. Oto babies are one of the coolest things I've ever come across and it's made me love these little fish even more. There's never a whole lot of them but when you can catch them and make them grow it's a lot of fun. Glad you like my story. I'm trying to keep it going. 🙂

Welcome to the hobby. Things do happen bad and great, buckle up! 🙃

Yep. Or you're like me and live by yourself and do the same thing alllll by yourself! You at least can blame it on someone else! 🙃

That's a good question. I'm not sure. When they're considerably smaller than tank mates there's always concerns of being moshed. Cat fish and plecos are peaceful but could injure other tankmates accidentally as they can all get spazzy. Plus you have many other occupants to consider, would they bug smaller fish?? (I keep only Otocinclus)

Sounds like the Kuhli needs some Albino Cories. They could rival size lol

Awwe @Fish Folk, taking them on vacation with you. Cute. You'd think wifey would be used to the fish obsession by now lol.

OTOCINCLUS COCAMA (TIGER): The Cocama Hotel So yesterday I got the medication shipment. I spent $50 to get free shipping but to also have some extra, useful meds around- I also actually like to give small businesses more money when I can. One thing that annoyed me is that the company didn't have the medication containing Nitrofurazone in stock (I wasn't shocked but surprised that even combinations of meds with the ingredient wouldn't be an option) so instead of contacting me and asking if there's anything else I wanted instead they "refunded" me $2.94. The medication was 10.99. So obviously they took it upon themselves to charge me shipping. 8 bucks. I know shipping is expensive but it didn't cost them 8 to send me a very small box (2 envelopes and a small bottle). I would have purchased something else. Small companies can learn something from ACO. Who knows, whatever I'd replaced it with could have made them more money had they bothered. 2nd thing. The Naladin has been repackaged. They might get it in bulk and I did receive what you're supposed to in the little vials as in the picture @Colu had previously posted here. I'm sure this small company is probably trying to brand it in a way and maybe they get these vials in bulk therefore have to repackage them. It's basically a reprinted paper with the instructions on the back, a little heavier than letter paper and then stapled and taped around the product. Not super professional looking. I guess as long as it's the right thing then I shouldn't complain. I'm more irked about the former rather than the latter. Very glad the bacterial bloom in the Cocama Hotel (formerly known as the Accidental Nursery) went away in the last week. Since I got the meds late yesterday and there was still some Kanaplex in the 3 Gallon QT I opted at my and at the risk of the fish to leave the 9 remaining Cocama there until this morning. It's easier to dose a 5 gallon tank than a 3- and easier for my timings when they start in the morning when I do my maintenance. So this morning after strip testing (ok!), I placed the sponge filter that was with them in the 3 gallon into the Hotel and left the one I already had in there runnning for some extra agitation. I pulled the large piece of Mopani out from the 5 gallon as well- I needed the extra space for the 2nd sponge. I left the other piece of Mopani in the 3 gallon. I caught the 9 most of them were really docile about being caught a couple of them more feisty (one got caught pretty good on the shrimp net I used- they're probably pretty stressed but I don't think they got injured). I put them in the Cocama Hotel got them replacement food for the day and dosed the tank. Since I had some left over meds (each capsule treats 10 gallons so I had to split it open) I figured I won't have a lot of chance to use this medication again before it expires (hopefully). I thought it would be prudent to treat the 3 gallon- where ultimately the Mopani wood with the attached plants will stay until treatment is over and I pull one of the sponges. @Odd Duck or @Colu does treating an empty tank make sense? I think so but then I second guess it. Anyhow I dumped the rest of the capsule meds in the 3 gallon. I also boiled the floating breeder, airstones, suction cups and airline connectors that ran the tank the sick Cocama was in, tossed the airline in the garbage. The meds recommend a 50% water change after 24hours. Hopefully I'll have no further losses. They look healthy and have good coloring but sadly so did the one that passed until the symptoms started- had no idea they were sick. I'm crossing fingers.

It certainly depends on what kind of plant we're talking about. I agree with @Patrick_G if it looks kinda hopeless float the plant if not above the substrate, just float it. Sometimes that alone will get roots going. I snip my stem plants and just let them float a lot of the time until they get roots then I plant them.

Oh and welcome to the forum. 🙂

Hi! Welcome to the forum. You may get some of your answers on this thread but if you have pressing ones don't be afraid to start new specific/individual threads for those. 2 things from me, crushed coral does work, takes time but the best way to stabilize kh/ph I've found so far and I don't even use most of mine in filters (it's usually in the substrate). The second is: My kinda kid loving those plecos and catfish! Bottom feeders are awesome!