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Showing results for tags 'fiskeeping'.
Found 4 results
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Basics 17G freshwater planted tank running about 18 days, midsize canister filter, w/ Ziss air stone, in-tank heater. Water clarity is good, no "pond" smell, tank interior seeing respectable algal growth (green dust, spot, brown diatom). Reducing lighting duration to combat, no fertilizer or CO2 in use. Temp: 74F PH: 7 Ammonia: 0 Nitrate: 0 Nitrite: 0 GH: 30 KH: 40 Hardscaped, planted, and ran tank w/o fish for the first week, testing each day. Confirmed stable, added 5 Red Phantom & 5 Cardinal tetra around day 10. Zero issues, fish displayed healthy color and relaxed schooling behaviors. Next day, added 5 panda corydoras. Roughly 8 hours later one began showing swim bladder / coordination issues. Found dead later that evening, maybe with slight film on one eye? Inconclusive. - Next day, another panda down, filmy eyes. - Next day, another panda down, no visible issues. This past Friday evening I noticed both remaining corys had visible white cottony "dust" indicative of a bacterial infection. Saturday AM I picked up Maracyn on the advice of the Co-Op crew, begin dosing for the correct water volume. I am now consistently losing one fish per day, with the following sequence: - Visible loss of coordination / fine motor controls, with symptoms worsening over several hours - Capture affected individual in fine net, suspend in gentle return flow to ensure available oxygen - Death It is now affecting all tank species (except the Amano shrimp), BUT my two corys remain hardy! Signs of infection are diminishing. I am hesitant to change the water, as that will affect the Maracyn protocol, and am completely baffled. Since the weekend each lost fish has zero visible stress indicators / no signs of illness / good color, until rapid decline sequence outlined above. I have also considered adding UV to the return loop, but the Maracyn instructions advise against it. I've attached pictures of our most recent loss (the white things that look like teeth are bubbles). This feels like an issue with bacteria suspended in the water column, but the onset of illness seems quite fast. Ideas?
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Down graded to a 17 from a 75 so I can fit a 125.
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Just something I was pondering and wondered what you experts thought - Every time we talk schooling/shoaling or even just most small fish we obviously say they prefer to be in groups right. I get that that's because of how they live in the wild, safety in numbers etc. When stocking our aquariums the majority of species that like to be in groups (or at least the common ones I own or have looked into - be it Corydoras, neon tetras, multi's, some even say it about pea puffers and endlers and I'm sure many many more) the most common general consensus seems to be that the bare minimum number is 6. What makes 6 the magic number? I understand more is always better and that in the wild they would live in huge colonies but why 6 as the bare minimum? Why not 5? Or 10? Or 20? Or 2? Is there a scientific reason? Was there a well thought of scientific paper about it? Simply an amount people have observed as working in most situations? Cynically is it perhaps just the largest 'minimum' us hobbyists could stomach or be convinced of? I mean fish can't count right - and surely 6 Corydoras in a 20 gallon might all hang out but 6 Corydoras in an 800 gallon might not even be aware of each others existence. And 1 in 6 odds of not dying to a predator wouldn't make me feel very particularly safe. To be clear I'm only curious not doubtful, it's almost more of a question of understanding the history of the hobby and where the number 6 came from than anything else. Oh and sorry if this topic has been done, just trying to start an interesting conversation and hear others insights!
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So how many of us tell ourselves I won’t spend any more money on aquarium stuff this month? I told myself this a couple weeks ago and then I get an email from buceplant that something on my wishlist is available and I got first shot at it (a total ploy I’m sure 🤣) so $60 later some hygrophila compacta an extra bucephalandra Godzilla and a sword red runner later. Then I thought well I’ll read up some stuff on aquarium co op and had to check out some fish food since I ordered some reticulated hillstream loaches from my LFS so repashy soilent green, sure better be ready for them right? Since I’m ordering might as well check out some plants while I’m here, I’m already paying for shipping 🤷🏼♂️ Well how about some anubias and pearl weed. Oh then there’s amazon and some smart plugs for my lighting 🤦♂️ Hope I have enough food in the freezer.
