Lindsay

Hi everyone,

You know me already because of the problems that I was/am having with my panaque fish. He's getting a bit better now as in he's moving around more but I'm still concerned about a couple things. The water is getting quite dirty quite quickly. I'm rather new to this fish tank business so still getting used to how things work. But I read that I'm supossed to change 50% of the water weekly and 1/4 of it daily. I've been doing this but it's still getting extremely dirty and smelly as well! I think a lot of the bacteria is coming from the gravel it seems. Am I doing something wrong here? What do you suggest I do?

Also my fish is doing a little bit better but still not eating very well (particularly his medicine) and still pooping more than normal. I'm not sure when I should be putting back in the driftwood. I'm also getting a bit worried because I'll be going away for 2 weeks and won't be able to look after him every day (will have someone pop in a few times).

Anyway let me know what you advise. Thanks.

Lindsay

Lucy

Hi Lindsay, I'm glad to hear your fish is feeling a bit better.
Did you get your test kit?
If so, what are the readings for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates?
What size tank is he in?
Are you vacuuming your gravel?
In your other thread, you mentioned adding Bakto Tabs, what are they?

Sorry for all the questions, the answers will help the members help you.

Lindsay

Hi Lucy :-)

Nice to hear from you. Well seeing as he started to feel better, I decided to wait it out and ask the advice of fish store people. It's hard to say what size a tank he is in but the length is about 50cm? No I'm not vaccuming the gravel - I didn't before so didn't realize I had to now? And Bakto Tabs are I guess a polish fish medicine :-) for fish with this type of infection.

Hope you can help!

Thanks,
Lindsay

Lucy

It's a good idea to have your own test kit. If something goes wrong, water parameters are the first thing to rule out.

Vacuuming the gravel will help remove fish waste and leftover food, both of which will convert into ammonia and make your tank 'dirty and smelly'
I'll bet a few water changes and vacuuming will do your tank the world of good. Plecos are big waste producers and that's contributing to the problem you're having.

As far as water changes, when cycling with fish, it's recommended to do daily changes of about 50% to keep the toxic levels down.

If you can measure your tank....length, width, height we can help you calculate how many gallons/liters you have.

Lindsay

Ok, is it easy to buy a vacuum for the tank? I would have no idea how to go about getting one. Of course I don't speak the language very well and is it expensive to buy one?

Thanks for giving me advice. Appreciate it.

Lindsay

Lucy

Your welcome.

They're not that expensive. It should easily be found at your local fish store or walmart, if you have that.
It's one of those things that you really shouldn't be without. You'll be surprised at how much gunk you'll get out.
It'll also take the water out while vacuuming the gravel so water changes should be easier than scooping it out.

Here's an example of one:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2752298

Lindsay

Ok, thanks so much. I may go to the store where I bought him and buy a vacuum. I just hope that I can get directions on how to use one!

Thanks!

Lucy

CapeKate and her daughter made a terrific instructional video, it helped me a lot, I hope it helps you.
Here it is:
1-2-3 easy aquarium siphon instructions - video

griffin

another option if you don't want to spend so mmuch on a syphon is to just go to a hardware store and buy some flexible tubing. much cheaper, and serves the same purpose

sirdarksol

But the tubing from the hardware store doesn't have the wider bit at the end. That's the part that allows you to vacuum the gravel. If you don't have that, the gravel will just get sucked through the tube.
Aside from that, all of the regular vacuums I've seen have been under $10.

griffin

i actually use tubing that is of a consistent diameter, and i don't have issues with gravel going into the bucket. having said that, i can see how it might if your diameter is really small, but i would tend to think that the gravel would just get stuck in the tube then. the tubing i use has an ID of between 1/4 and 1/2 inches, so it's not huge or anything.

i think it also depends on where you are. the reg vacs here are a lot more than tubing, and usually more than $10. tubing around here is usually a dollar or two for a yard.

just thought i'd throw another option out there

R.E.

You might want to check how much you're feeding him! I was having trouble with smelly/dirty water when I was overfeeding my pleco with algae tablets until one of the members on this site helped me out just passing it on! :P