Friday, December 28, 2012


12/28/12 FISH DISEASE NOTES

 

Today Albino Coral discus is in quarantine with 1 TBSP salt/5 gallons, Furan, Maracyn(erythromycin 200mg) and Maracyn 2(minocycline 20mg). Temp 86F.  Triple sulfa added 8pm (Sulfathiazole 664mg, sulfamethazine168mg, sulfacetamide168mg).

 Blue diamond died of same infection affecting Albino Coral.

Used Prazipro (praziquantel) 1 tsp/20gal and metronidazole 150mg/10gal QOD for 2 weeks prior tentative diagnosis of Capillaria GI infection.

 

Infected Albino Coral discus has resp rate 104. Clearly elevated.  Uninfected Albino Coral resp 80. Water temp. 85. ph 6.8.

Appt with Dr. Crawford, Lawndale Vet tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

2012-11-21

Cleaned filter.
50% water change.

Used Prazipro for 2 weeks and Epsom salts and metro bc lost a fish.
Others are eating better now.
Got microscope.  Froze dead fish and his poop.  Will check out cause.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

2012-10-16 update

Tank looks great.  New fish settled and look healthy.  They did not look good to start with.
Swords look better with consistent addition of water column ferts plus Excel.  Good pearling of plants.
Need to clean filter.
40% water change tonight and added 1 1/2 tsp baking soda and ferts incl 2 large caps Excel bc I see a number of spots of beard algae.

Nitrates, ammonia 0.
pH 6.8
KH 3gtts=30ppm
GH 4 gtts=80ppm


By calculator CO2 =8.08ppm.  Suggested goal is 15ppm.

Monday, October 1, 2012

2012-10-1

No further fish loss.  I have decided the loss of 4 discus in one day with the others gasping for air at the top of the water line was obviously secondary to low oxygen levels that happended at night.  It was clearly not disease as the fish were not sick.  The other fish responded nicely to the addition of the air bar.  No further problems of any sort.  I think it is the heavily planted tank using up Oxygen at night plus the additional fish that caused the problem.  Wow!  I didn't expect that.  I have read a fair amount but did not read about losing fish to low oxygen in a well-maintained tank.  I had just changed 45% of the water the day before the fish died.  I distinctly remember adding the Prime to be sure that the chloramines were not a problem.

I changed the water again tonight.  I am using the air bar from 7pm until 10am in the morning.  If everything goes OK I will buy 3 more discus from Pet Innovations locally.  The have 3 good-looking fish.  These will add the blue that I am missing. 

I have been pleased with the albino discus.  They are striking!  They really stand out in the aquarium.

The plants re looking great and filling in faster than I expected.  It is the best looking planted tank that I have seen in person.  Obviously there are better looking planted tanks, but I have not seen them personally.

I have checked NH3, NO-, Nitrates....all 0.  PH has been consistent as has temp.  I added ferts today.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

2012-9-18 New discus arrive!

4 discus from Kenny arrive today.  Acclimation seemed to go OK.  There was a good bit of fecal waste in the bags with the smaller albino platinums.  IN QT tank.  Not sure how long to keep them there, but for a few days.

Main tank looks good after remodel.  Algae bloom cleared.  Have 10 rummy nose tetras, 5 glo fish, 5 discus, and 10 otos added about a week ago.  Otos have been amazing at the algae!  Much better than I expected. 

The sword plants look anemic and I'm not sure why.  I added flourish tabs to the gravel and have added 20 # Eco plant gravel and 15# fine black gravel over top of the Flourite.  Also switched an actinic 54W bulb to 54W 18,000K Power-Glo bulb.

Have glossostigmata doing well and dwarf hair grass.  Moved driftwood to left side of tank to break up symmetry and add the illusion of a mountain on the left.








 I hope the ARC's will brighten up a lot.  Discus are usually pale from shipping.
2 Albino Platinum A-grade w/full red iris--$165x2 = $330
2 Albino Red Cover A-grade 4.5-5"----------$200x2 = $400


Consider replacing other bulbs.  The 18k K is clearly brighter than the others, which I believe are 6700K.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

2012-9-11

Bought 10 otos, 5 additional rummy-nose tetras to add to the 5 I have.  Also 4 more glo-fish to add to the 2 I have left.
Discus from Kenny coming Tuesday.
QT Tank going pH hi.  Other labs OK.  Will do a partial.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

2012-6-26

UV sterilizer running for 24 hours.  Water still looks green.  LED says light still functions.  Give it a little longer.

Water change today.
Nitrates 0.
KH 50ppm
GH 80ppm.
Note GH was increased by 20ppm using shavings off the cuttle bone.  Did this to increase calcium for the snails.

Monday, June 25, 2012

2012-6-25

aa-aquarium.com AA24W-UVC UV sterilizer was cleaned today.  Water flow had stopped and green water returned. Using 1 light until it clears.
Fish look fine.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

2012-6-20

added calcium carbonate using bones for parakeet beaks.  Did this bc snail shells are eroding.
Also started pumping air at night for the last 2 nights.
From reading suggest increase light to 12 hours daily.
Have enjoyed the rummy nose tetras #6 added a couple of weeks ago.

Monday, June 11, 2012

2012-6-11

GH 60 mg/L=ppm
KH 50 mg/L=ppm
pH 6.7
N03

Apple snail's shell looks like it's eroding.  Will try to keep GH up a little.  1 mystery snail left.

Siamese flying foxes #7 are eating food for discus.  Hadn't anticipated that.  Rummy nose tetras are neat!  School nicely.  They are mid-level feeders.  I hope they are getting enough.

Thinking about reading from T Amano re: aqua design and the rule of 1:1.6.  Also thinking of adding discus after I get back from Bahamas.

Monday, June 4, 2012

2012-6-4

Water change.  Filter cleaning.

New technique with 40 gallon bucket and pump is speeding process nicely and cutting down on my work.

Thinking of adding cardinals again to try them.  Also considering adding 3-4 more discus.  Kenny's discus are prettier than local ones.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

2012-5-31

Lost blue diamond and Red Golden Diamond-ung seng lip appararently to parasites.  They starved themselves to death.  Last Rx tried was Prazpro but I think the RGD was too far gone at that point to benefit.  Rest of fish look good.  Learned they LOVE black worms I got from Pet Innovations.  The fish are much more eager to eat and look brighter from feeding them 2 weeks.

Swords benefit from root feeding.  Algae is OK.

Bought 5 flying foxes.  So far looks like it is working.

Lost last of 4 mystery snails.  Have 1 apple snail left.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

2012-4-19

Blue diamond is getting thin and will not eat.  Certainly going to die.  The anitibiotic did not help.  Everyone else looks OK.
Grass looks a little pale.  Added iron yesterday but iron does not stay in water column long.  Need to replace the gravel.
Fe 0
KH 60
pH6.9, plan to lower it to about 6.7.
Nitrate, nitrite, ammonia looks like 0.

Monday, April 16, 2012

2012-4-16

Removed antibiotic. Charcoal to filter.  35% water change.

Blue diamond has not eaten in a week.  He's not going to make it.  The rest look OK.  Have been nursing blue diamond since Jan.  No solutions left.  Afraid of jeopardizing the others..

Thursday, March 29, 2012

2012-3-29

KH 70, Fe 0, Nitrate 0.
Snails don't live long.
Cleaned aquarium.  30% water change.
Replanted Ludwigia Rotala tops.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

2012-3-21

Fert tabs did wonders for swords.  Clearly fert tabs are more effective than liquid ferts for swords.  Cleaned aquarium last Friday night.  All fish look ok.  Have cut back on amount of liquid ferts.  Will watch dwarf grass to judge effect of reduced liquids.
Red plant is perhaps Red Ludwigia.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

2012-2-22

10 days ago added fert tablets to sword plants and they look better.

Lost an apple snail.  Brown algae present.

N03 and NH3 =0.

Cleaned aqua. 30% water change.  Added liquid fert.

Blue Diamond eating only brine shrimp but shows appetite.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

2012-2-11

40% water change. 
Cleaned filter..
Had brown algae problem in the last couple of days.  Hopefully filter change will help.
Blue diamond is still only eating brine shrimp.  Cannot swallow blood worms.  Not sure what else to do.  Treated him with metronidazole and fungus cure for 2 weeks.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

2012-2-6

Blue Diamond eating brine shrimp only still.  Cannot swallow blood worms and won't eat flakes.

Added 30ml Comp fert + 30 ml Fe and today iron is over 1.0 mg/L...too high.
Added 10 API fert tablets to swords yesterday.  Swords will probably benefit more from substrate fert than water column liquid fert anyway.  We'll see.  Swords have never looked as good in this tank as in the old tank.  I still don't know why.  Consider changing substrate.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

2012-2-2

Returned blue diamond to main tank.  Though he does not look as good after the transfer; slime coat not uniform.  Picked on by tank mates.  Hiding in corner.  Will return to QT if necessary.

Fe 30ml.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

2012-2-1

Swords need to look better.  Look thin with holes and not dark green.  Have added more iron without resolution.
Will try the following:
Will add Excell 30 ml(2caps) QOD to other supplements QOD including
Potassium 30ml
Comprehensive 30ml
trace 4 small caps

Iron is added 15 ml daily.

Monday, January 30, 2012

2012-1-30

KH 60
GH 100
Chelated Fe 0 (lasted added comp 2 caps, Fe 1 cap two days ago.)

Blue diamond still in QT.  Eating brine shrimp well.  Considering placement back in main tank, but added metronidazole and Fungus Cure last Friday, bc of poor eating.  Also raised temp to 92F.  Will wait a couple of more days.  Still suspect parasites.  Weight appears stable.  Behavior normal.

I think the checkerboard pigeon and the virgin red snakeskin have or are mating.  Hanging out together in the back and I've observed the shuddering motion they do when they are mating.

BTW, here's the link from which I picked my current discus:
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?90645-Preview-of-Sept-2011-Forrest-shipment-%28Price-list-included%29

Here's my tank on plantedtank.net: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/yourtanks.php?do=view&id=3206

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

2012-1-25

Water change 20%.  Added cuttle bone for snail calcium.  Blue diamond discus eating brine shrimp only, not blood worms.  Trying to get him also to eat flakes.

Monday, January 23, 2012

2012-1-23

Cuttle bone inserted for snails.  Another Apple snail died from erosion.  GH unchanged today 80ppm.
No free iron.  Awaiting results for chelated iron.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

2012-1-21

QT Blue Diamond for inability to swallow food.  Treated with metronidazole, then Hartz Fungus cure.  Is eating spirolena brine shrimp, not blood worms.

Main tank nitrate 0, KH 45, GH 50, Fe trace. pH 6.8

Currently adding Comp 2 caps q 2 days, Fe daily, others q 2 days.

Added cuttle bone bc snail shells eroding in a month!  Need to keep eye on GH to prevent hardness from rising too much.