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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Lore Newbie
| Need Help!!!!
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| Welcome!
First things first, is your tank cycled? ammonia, nitrite & nitrate readings would help.
Second, 1 gourami per tank is generally recommended.
Third, the high fin pleco will reach over a foot in length and will eventually need a 75+ gal. tank. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| Hi Welcome to Fish Lore 
If your tank is 3 weeks old, my guess is your fish are feeling the effects of a cycling tank.
Like Amanda said, it would help if we knew your readings for ammonia nitrites and nitrates.
Here's a link explaining the Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle
Do the white spots look like grains of salt?
It would be a good idea to do a good water change until you can post your readings. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Lore Newbie
| Thanks
Currently i am doing the six week brake in process so all the balances steady
About my fish what do u mean by only 1 per tank like 1 male or 1 just plain old because my 2 blues are male and female but my dwarves are both males and about the high fin well just wait till he gets that big for that big of a tank. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| A male & female should be fine, but two males will fight.
Do you have another plan for your common pleco? | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Lore Newbie
| When he gets big enough we will get him a bigger tank or if we cant find a new tank we know a fish store that buys extra large plecos that have to be 8 inches or bigger so if we cant find a new tank well sell him to them. Now about the spots on the wall they dont look harmfull they look like salt deposits. More ideas about the fish  | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| The fish may be looking distressed because you're going through a cycle.
I'm not sure what you meant in your earlier post? | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| Quote:
Originally Posted by gamer1204  Thanks
Currently i am doing the six week brake in process so all the balances steady | I'm not sure what this means.
When it comes to tank size and fish, it's not only the size of the fish, but the amount of waste the fish produces. Plecos are big waste producers. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Lore Newbie
| Well the fish store we go to reccomends you buy fish that are hardy for a six week break in process so that pH and water hardness steady. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| You should try out this link. It will explain what is happening to your fish and what is going on in your tank. What the LFS told you is basically, you are sacrificing some fish during the nitrogen cycle. http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm
You should start doing 50% water changes daily and using Stress Coat+ to detoxify the amonia and keep your fish healthy.
Good luck! | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| pH really isn't the problem.
It's the ammonia & nitrite that is toxic to the fish.
Since your tank is not cycled, it is best that you fo 50% water changes DAILY until you cycle. Otherwise there is a good chance that you will lose all of your current fish. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| Oh, I think I understand. The fish store recommnded cycling the tank with hardy fish.
During the cycling process.....the 6 weeks the store mentioned....ammonia and nitrite levels rise. Both are toxic to your fish, no matter how hardy they are.
A good water change and knowing the readings will help. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
|  Hi! Are you talking about the Nitrogen Cycle as the 6 week break in poccess, which your fish store told you to by HARDY fish for?  A proccess that can make your fish sick or die if not doing 50% water changes daily for about 6 weeks, testing the water using API Master test kit and using Prime or Stress Coat plus for a water conditioner to help your fish through the cycling; Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. Ammonia and Nitrite are toxic to fish. Nitrate is if in a high range; 20+
That's OK, we all start somewhere and learn. You came to the right spot for help.
Last edited by AlyeskaGirl; February 16th, 2009 at 07:02 PM.
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Lore Newbie
| So i just asked my dad about all this stuff because he has had fish in the past and he found an old sheet of paper saying which fish you should start with that could easily survive this and all those fish were on this list but i also remember this certain fish has been sort of excluded because he not very assertive so he doesnt get alot of food and finally today i noticed he was on top and now im noticing other than his feelers having a coat of slime his fins are totally ripped up and he is swimming backwards so would him being bit and not eating enough cause this | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Lore Newbie
| Also for the past week it seems to have broken in almost all the way since our water is like crystal clear their is no bubbles the only weird thing is that he is the only fish to be like this and he is the bigger of the two dwarfs.
Should i check my ammonia and nitrite and nitrate? the only problem is that i only have ammonia and nitrite not nitrate is this a major problem for checking if everything is alright? | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| You really need to do a 50% water change ASAP.
Your fish are going through ammonia poisoning & are in pain. PLEASE consider taking these fish back to the store & doing a fishless cycle. It's much more humane. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| He is probably suffering from amonia poisoning! That will weaken a fish, and the other less sick fish will be opportunistic, and will prob take some bites. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Quote:
Originally Posted by gamer1204 Also for the past week it seems to have broken in almost all the way since our water is like crystal clear their is no bubbles the only weird thing is that he is the only fish to be like this and he is the bigger of the two dwarfs.
Should i check my ammonia and nitrite and nitrate? the only problem is that i only have ammonia and nitrite not nitrate is this a major problem for checking if everything is alright? | The appearance of the water is not as important or an indicator as amonia, nitrite, and nitrate are. You need to get a test (preferably the API FW liquid test) for all of these things. The fish store told you something that is frowned upon by most fish keepers as it is not humane treatment for these captive creatures. Yes, there are hardy fish out there, but if you can go through the process without causing fish stress, why not? | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| Quote:
Originally Posted by gamer1204 So i just asked my dad about all this stuff because he has had fish in the past and he found an old sheet of paper saying which fish you should start with that could easily survive this and all those fish were on this list but i also remember this certain fish has been sort of excluded because he not very assertive so he doesnt get alot of food and finally today i noticed he was on top and now im noticing other than his feelers having a coat of slime his fins are totally ripped up and he is swimming backwards so would him being bit and not eating enough cause this | If he's being picked on and being bullying to the point of not eating it would be a really good idea to move him to a quarantine tank.
The paper your Dad showed you said your fish could survive the nitrogen cycle, yes they might survive but not without damage being done to them from toxic levels, probably shortening their life span and making them susceptible to illness in the future by effecting their immune system. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Lore Newbie
| i just used some strips to check ammonia and nitrite and nitrate and nitrite and nitrate both say their fine but ammonia is a tiny bit to high how do i lower it a lil | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| Do a water change & it'll lower!
You need to be doig 50% water changes daily with Prime. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Lore Newbie
| 1st settle down
2nd wats a 50% water change im only 13
3rd wats prime | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| a 50% water change means removing 50 percent of the water and adding new, fresh water to the tank. Prime is a water conditioner that you should use anytime you add new water to the tank, it detoxifies ammonia and removes chlorine, chloramine, and heavy metals (all bad for your fish). | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Lore Newbie
| when u do a 50 % water change do u use the tube thing or a bucket and i have well water not freshwater | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| I would go the beginners section of fishlore and read every article that you can. This really helped me when I was new. I too was told to add hardy fish that would make it through the "break in" period. This is horrible advice, and I wish I could have done it differently. I only started with four zebra danios, and now I am down to one because of the amonia poisoning. And that was with daily 50% water changes! Here is the link to the beginners section, but I highly reccomend that you read as many articles you can, and just browse the forum for anything that looks like you haven't heard about yet. That is how I started my research, and I am still learning! http://www.fishlore.com/Beginners.htm
Hang in there! The good news is, you found fishlore, and there are a lot of people that will help you here. If they sound upset, it is just because they love fish, and they do not want any to suffer.
Good luck, and if you follow the advice of the expert on here, you will do great!  | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| Quote:
Originally Posted by gamer1204 when u do a 50 % water change do u use the tube thing or a bucket and i have well water not freshwater | Which ever is easier for you to manage. | |
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February 16th, 2009
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| | Fish Lore Newbie
| Ok so i just finished doing a Wardley ammonia test and it showed that the ammonia is undetectable and then i did a Wardley nitrate test and it said my nitrate was 10ppm and earlier i tested for nitrite and it said it was fine i am so confused right now my dad says from day one that fish has had bad health because it never really swam and it doesnt use it side fins so any ideas now please and thanks | |
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February 17th, 2009
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| | Fish Lore Newbie
| Something is weird his color is all back the slimy stuff is only on 1 feeler but when he swims he still swims weirdevery other fish is fine | |
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February 17th, 2009
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| | Moderator
| Is it possible to post a pic? It might help the members figure out what's going on. | |
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February 17th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Okay, all of the cycle stuff aside, which fish is not acting correctly?
It could be that is the most sensitive fish that you have, and it was the first to show symptoms.
Lucy is right, can you show us any pics? | |
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