wisecrackerz

last night I transfered 2 small comets and 2 dojo loaches (ps can anybody tell me how big these get? I've heard everything from 2"-12") into a 37G high cube, from a 20G long. They seemed OK, even ate heartily afterwards, but now they are all swimming around almost frantically. At first it was just the loaches, which usually just lay on the bottom and sort of snurffle around from time to time. They'd swim up one side of the tank, to the surface, swim across on a downwards angle, swim their butts off to get up through where the filter is pouring in (why there of all places?!), then down to the bottom again, across the bottom of the tank, and then start again. Now the comets are doing it to. The loaches almost look like they are dancing; they're swimming the loop together. I'm on my way to go pick up some testing strips, and an NH3 meter, and if it is, indeed, just ammonia, I'll be able to treat that (suggestions on methods appreciated). But I'm concerned that it might be low O2. I do have an airstone, and I have the water level a couple of inches lower than it should be, so that the filter adds a lot of air, too, but how will I know if my fish aren't getting enough O2? As far as I know, there isn't a way to test for this; does anybody have a method or test that works?

gunner13

Hi wise, The dojo loach or weather loach get to about 9-10 inches in the wild so i wld expect them to max out at about 6-7 in captivity. Sounds like there isn't enough oxygen in your new tank, having said that the fish wld probably b at the surface gasping for air, any other members that read this might b able to tell you more. Good Luck
Nick

AlyeskaGirl

Hello & Welcome to FishLore!

I noticed in your aquarium info that you don't know about the nitrogen cycle, is this correct? http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

I also saw that you are using Cycle? Cycle contains the wrong kind of bacteria, you have to continue to add it for the life of your tank. I suggest that you stop using it if you are. Tetra Safe Start is the only one around that does contain the right kind of bacteria and does cycle the tank and you only add it once. Since you have ammonia reading your fish are feeling the affects and that may be why they are darting around, you need to be doing daily 30-50% water changes with Prime or Amquel Plus until the tank has cycled. You need to be testing also for nitrite and nitrate. Did you put any gravel or filter media from the old tank into the new? It will help speed up the cycle process if the older tank was established with the beneficial bacteria. Not too sure on that since you are using Cycle.

No, don't use test strips they don't give you accurate readings, you need to pickup the API liquid Master test kit. They are more spendy but worth it.

gunner13

The only problem is if you start to use TSS now the bacteria in that will battle with that of the cycle and they will kill each other off, you will end up with hardly any good bacteria at all. As Aleyska rightly says, Water changes and testing.
Nick

wisecrackerz

if i shouldn't switch to tss yet, should i continue to add the cycle? I believe yall now, that stuff obviously did NOT work for me. My NH3 is WAY high, and so is my pH. I've read up on the N2 cycle, and I know it's not any good to put my fish through it, but at this point, I just want them to survive it. I'll get them another air pump to deal with the NH3 stealing the air, and start the water changes. Usually I age and treat, do you think I could get away with just treating it for these changes? I don't want to make the fish wait

AlyeskaGirl

Everything will be fine. I say stop using Cycle. The best way right now is to do daily water changes with Prime or Amquel Plus, one or the other, they remove chlorine, chloramines, ammonia....they don't actually remove the ammonia but converts it to a non-toxic form making it so it's still availible for the bacteria and doesn't harm the fish. They also detox nitrIte and NitrAte. Prime also provides Slime Coat which is importent, stressed fish from cycling are vulnerable to disease. Especially loaches, they are sensitive to water conditions. So you need to be doing daily water changes. For the pH issue, it would be better to do 2 25% water changes a day instead of 50% at one time. Be easier on the fish. Most fish can adapt to a wide range of pH....just as long as it is consistent.

http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/articles/107

Don't add anymore fish until the tank is cycled. It can take up to 6 weeks or more.

Butterfly

Dojo loaches need a highly oxygenated environment(that's why their swimming through the filter flow). They also need cooler temperatures.
My two largest are about 5-6 inches and I've had them less than a year and they are very active during feeding time, weather changes and when they THINK their going to get fed LOL
Heres a really good profile for /dojo Loaches - http://www.loaches.com/species-index...guillicaudatus
Your getting very good advicee about cycling your tank. All of your fish will be sensitive to out of range parameters but especially the Loaches.
Let us know if we can help
Carol

wisecrackerz

More questions:
Are loaches nocturnal? And are they are very aware of what's going on outside their tank? Because they have a pattern to their loop. If the light in the room is on, they lie/shnurffle on the bottom, and tease the comets. This is mostly all day. But if the light in the room is off, regardless of whether the tank light is on or off (mostly at night), they start doing their loop. They won't start their loop until about an hour after eating. And the loop doesn't always include the surface; that's the weirdest part. I have turned down the heat; it's now about 74, and I'll drop it again soon (I don't want to stress them any more than necessary), and I thought they'd be happy with that. I got another air pump, and they do hang out next to that alot (there are a LOT of bubbles in the tank, but the fish are big enough that they're not getting smacked around, so they don't seem to mind too much). But they are curling around my heater, and around the filter intake . One of them will swim loops around one of the suckers holding my heater to the tank forever, and usually won't stop until another fish pokes him. Are they bored? (Is there such a thing as a fish-toy?) Or just trying to get comfy? Or is it normal for loaches to run laps after eating?
Another side question; I have gravel for substrate, and a good bit of it is sort of... "hilly". Do loaches need smoother "land-scaping"? They seem to dislike that part of the tank.
Another side question; do goldfish beg? like, for food? Because I swear my comets are both in the corner next to where I keep their food container, staring at it, whenever anybody is near the tank.
And yet another side question; how much should I be feeding these guys? Because I've read "as much as they can eat in 2-3 minutes", but holy crud muffins, that's a lot of food! I don't want to starve them, but I don't want to over feed them, either, especially while the tank is cycling...