75 Gallon Tank 75 Gallon Stocking Journal

So, the 75 gallon is cycled, and has been for 2 weeks. I had been waiting for the Quarantine Tank (30 Gallons) to cycle, but I started it late. Once the 75 gallon showed cycled, I seeded the QT with decorations, substrate, and filter media from the 75 gallon, and it shortened the cycling to 3 weeks. Longs story short, the QT was ready last Thursday, and on Friday 3/24, I brought home 15 brilliant rasbora from the lfs. LFS says he has had these fish for months, but I am placing them in quarantine anyway. This is my first experience buying from this store. After having them in the QT for a couple of hours, I noticed 1 had developed a curve and little bit of a curve to his spine, and didn't quite seem to be keeping up with the school. I named him George, and decided to keep my eye on him. He was eating and his color looked good. On Saturday morning, I discovered that my PH had dropped from 7.4 to 6.8 over night. George was still showing a curve, but seemed to be doing better keeping up with the school, although it was still easy to pick him out. I noticed another fish had developed a white nodule on one of his pectoral fins. Not sure what it is, maybe ich? or some other parasite. Off to Petco I went. I got some crushed coral and added a bag to the filter. I also picked up some Imagitarium Parasite Remedy and added a dose to the tank (3 tsp). This morning, George appears to be completely recovered (I cannot pick him out of the school), and the nodule is no longer visible on the other fish. PH is back up to 7.4. Interesting thing is I have some of that driftwood in the main tank and it has not effected the PH, I will have to monitor that closely. That is the main reason I put a piece in the QT, so water parameters would stay similar! Oh well.

 

QT PH stable at 7.4

 

This is awesome! What else do you plan to stock!?!

 

Well, it kind of depends on what the lfs has, but I talked to him about getting in some cardinal tetras, kuhli loaches, pearl gouramis, king tiger pleco, and cories!

This is awesome! What else do you plan to stock!?!

 

I think it is moving day for the brilliant rasbora. QT has been steady at 7.4 ph (same as main tank), Nitrates are above 40 ppm even though I did a 25% water change on Wednesday. Some of the rasbora are large and I think 15 of them is pushing a new tank. They have been in my qt for a full week, I treated them with Imagitarium Parasite remedy (3 doses a day apart) and they look good. I watched them for a week at the lfs before purchase, and he claimed to have had them "a few months." He said he got a deal for buying all the wholesaler had. Anyway, I think I am safe and they would be better off in the big tank. Also there is nothing in the big tank yet, the raw shrimp I used to cycle it is getting pretty nasty and small, and I don't want to lose the cycle there. The main tank is showing 0 ppm ammonia, o ppm, nitrite, and 20 ppm nitrate.

It's done. I lowered the QT, then added water from the main tank directly to it, to acclimate the fish to the new tank. I took almost an hour to complete this process. With the QT lowered, it was easy to net the fish, and put them in a container to move them into the other room. I actually was finally able to get a good count, and there are 16, not 15 of them. I thought that there might be, but they never hold still long enough to be sure you are not counting one twice! One did jump out of the net on me and flop on my desk a couple of times, but he seems no worse for the wear! All in all it was successful. I ended up changing about 10% of the water in the main tank, and pretty much draining and refilling the QT. Now to keep the cycle going in the QT until I can get to the fish store! Hoping to find some cardinal tetras.

 

1:23 pm 12 cardinal tetras just arrived from lfs (he got them specifically for me. They look good, but are tiny. It has me wishing I ordered a few more, but we will see how it goes. They are being acclimated now.

4:17 pm fish are acclimated and in the qt. They are timid, but have taken food. They are really tiny, but colors are nice and bright. All 12 look good so far.

 

So, last night I noticed 1 of the little tetras lying on the bottom of the tank, and only swimming with the school occasionally. Swimming appeared to be a little bit of a struggle. He definitely appeared stressed. This morning I cannot find him, and so far (it is really hard because they don't stay still) I only count 11 of them in the school. Will keep looking for him.

 

Its probably not that unusual to lose one or two tiny tetras initially, they could have been damaged during catching, or just stressed. If the others stay healthy they should grow quickly. Though cardinals would ideally prefer a lower pH.

 

ts probably not that unusual to lose one or two tiny tetras initially, they could have been damaged during catching, or just stressed. If the others stay healthy they should grow quickly. Though cardinals would ideally prefer a lower pH.

I just found him stuck to the filter inlet, and yes, I believe it was a tough day for him yesterday. The lfs picked them up at the wholesaler in the morning, and he was still in the bag when I got him. Again, he is tiny, but I see no visible disease and think it was probably just too much stress. It is my first loss, however, so a little sad.

I thought about trying to lower the PH, but I hate the idea of chasing things, and cardinals can adapt if acclimated right. My main tank is stable at 7.4. If you look back, my qt started to crash when I put the first batch of fish in. I had to add calcium carbonate to the filter to get it to stabilize. Problem is, my dkh is already 2 to 3. I am afraid letting the ph go lower would destabilize the tank.

and I dosed the tank last night with Imagitarium Parasite Remedy as a precaution.

I suppose I should mention, the rasboras are doing great in the main tank! What a nice schooling fish!

 

Only counting 10 so far this morning. There are hiding places, so he may show up, but didn't come out to feed. The others ate well.

Found him, he was hiding. He is back swimming with the school.
It's hard to get pictures but you can get an idea how small they are.

 

Sounds like fun! Looking forward to updates

 

I like the stocking so far! In my opinion, Brilliant Rasboras are highly underrated! I would love to see them in a 75!! You should share a picture of the whole tank!

 

I like the stocking so far! In my opinion, Brilliant Rasboras are highly underrated! I would love to see them in a 75!! You should share a picture of the whole tank!

LOL, I was just thinking I needed a picture of the rasboras. They are a great schooling fish with great color. I love them!

 

Not a good morning. I found 4 of the cardinal dead this morning. I think they are just too small to have made the change. I will do my best for the rest of them, but not a good morning! Tank parameters seem fine, but I did dose the tank with Imagitarium Parasite remedy yesterday as a precaution. I am thinking maybe they are just too young for it. I will hold off on anymore dosing unless I see a need.

This brings up the question of what is an acceptable loss? I mean, these guys are babies, barely 1/2 an inch, and I can already see they have grown since I got them. I have lost 5 of 12 already. I got 12 because cardinals do better in a large group. I am debating whether or not to have the LFS pick up nother dozen for me this week so that I can eventually transfer a decent size school into the main tank, or if I should wait, and see what happens with the remaining 7?

 

Not a good morning. I found 4 of the cardinal dead this morning. I think they are just too small to have made the change. I will do my best for the rest of them, but not a good morning! Tank parameters seem fine, but I did dose the tank with Imagitarium Parasite remedy yesterday as a precaution. I am thinking maybe they are just too young for it. I will hold off on anymore dosing unless I see a need.

That's a bummer! I'm so sorry that that happened! Hoping for no more deaths...

 

Although they were not pulled into the filter, most of them have been sucked up against the filter when I found them. I believe I will start turning the filter down to its lowest setting before going to bed. Again with their small size, they may be getting pulled in while resting, and then unable to get away.

 

Lost another one sometime yesterday afternoon. I am now down to 6 of the original 12. I have been doing some research, and it appears that this is not that uncommon with the cardinals, especially when they are this small. Reading reviews on mail order sites and the losses are amazing! Anyway, it brings me to what do I do next? Do I go back to the lfs and have him get me another dozen, hoping that losses will slow, and I can ultimately wind up with at least the dozen I planned? Or do i order them from somewhere (PETCO advertises their mail order fish are at least 1" long) that I can try to get them a little older and better acclimated? Or do I hope no more die and just keep the six I have? I believe six is theminimum you should keep, however, and think they would do better in a larger school.

 

I personally would get more - maybe a school of 15 or more. Do you have any other stores in your area? It would be good to see them before purchasing. If not, The Wet Spot in Portland is a very good place online - I've used them twice and the fish were healthy, hardy and active + very well packaged.

 

I personally would get more - maybe a school of 15 or more. Do you have any other stores in your area? It would be good to see them before purchasing. If not, The Wet Spot in Portland is a very good place online - I've used them twice and the fish were healthy, hardy and active + very well packaged.

I live in Connecticut. There is a place in New Haven, about an hour away called World Wide Fish & Pets. They are advertising that they have them between an inch and an inch and a half already. I am considering a ride down there. I guess they do online sales and shipping as well. Wondering if anyone has done business with them?

 

As of the morning, 6 of the original cardinal group are surviving. I went to the World Wide Fish & Pets and picked up a dozen more, each about 1" long. I am acclimating them to the QT as I post. Hopefully, as they are larger, I will have a better survival rate. Store owner told me there was no need to quarantine them, but I will do so anyway.

 

Well, the newbies are looking pretty good. They have colored up nicely and seem comfortable in the qt. Unfortunately, one more of the original little guys had an incident with the filter, stuck to the intake, so there are only 5 of those left. A short time later, I found one of the newbies on the floor. Unfortunately it had been too long. The only thing I can think is that he got out somehow when I removed the filter to take the little guy off. Too bad. Hopefully there will be no more losses, this has been a bit disheartening. Still 17 left. You see how little the original batch was next to the new guys. They are easy to pick out. I will never buy them that small again. Too delicate.

 

All seems well this morning. I changed about 8 gallons of water and everyone seems to have survived. I will post parameters later.

 

parameters 0ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrite, 20 ppm nitrate.

 

Another dead newbie this morning. I noticed a dark spot on one side of this one's belly. Anyone know what it is?

 

I am pretty sure I know what is happening. At night, these fish sleep! they suspend and sleep, just hanging. The tetra whisper 60 I have on there is too strong for them, and the prefilter sponge Ihave for it is just a little too small. This morning I found one of the newbies (still alive) bu stuck at the very top of the sponge in the little crack. Another one that was swimming around, and has since died appears to have lost a chunk of his tail over night. I suspect he also got sucked to the filter and injured. Possibly the black spot on the fish yesterday was a wound. I have now turned the filter to its lowest setting, and am going out now to see if I can find a larger prefilter that will fit this model.
Nope, 3 more have rapidly developed symptoms. I believe it is Neon Tetra disease. They are turning white from dorsal back to the tail. Now the question becomes, how long before they all succumb, and then how do I get it out of my qt?

 

The only positive is that I did quarantine these fish before putting in the main tank. Although I suspect it may be neon tetra disease, I do not know. Currently 9 of 24 fish surviving.

 

That's too bad about your cardinal tetras. I tried a school of them years ago and lost every single one. It's dissappointing, they are such beautiful fish.

 

That's too bad about your cardinal tetras. I tried a school of them years ago and lost every single one. It's dissappointing, they are such beautiful fish.

From what I am reading, the problem is the farm raised fish. Like I said, the first dozen were babies! Barely 1/2" long. The second batch, well they just seem sickly since I got them home. I still have 9 and some hope that some will make it through. The 4 babies and 5 newbies. I guess it is part of the hobby, but it sucks!

 

I have changed my mind. I now think it is columnaris, which might not be as bad as neon tetra disease, although still bad. I am off now to find melafix and/or kanaplex.

I dosed the qt with both. We will see if it saves the fnal 4. That is what is left. If I don't have cardinals in the tank, I may rethink my stocking plan and add some spine eels. We will see.

 

First day in a while I didn't wake up to dying or dead cardinals. The 4 survived the night and so far look good. Hope the medications are working.

 

Still have 4, although the newbie is acting strange. He came out to eat, but has been hanging behind filter most of the day. Could be stress from there only being 4 of them. His colors look good, and I cannot see any loss of color. The 3 babies look really good. Nice, bright, and active. I did 3rd dose of melafix today, along with a second dose of kanaplex.

 

Still 4, but the big guy is still acting weird. Again, I think he is missing the school. Gave them 5th dose of Melafix and 3rd/final dose of kanaplex. I will give them another day or so, and if still doing well will consider moving them to the 75. The question then becomes what to do next. I really do feel like 4 is not enough and would like to try to get some more. I just want to make sure I can keep a new batch alive.

 

What size are the ones the LFS has now?

 

What size are the ones the LFS has now?

Well, that is part of the dilemma. I could have the first lfs go back and get more of the babies. The 3 I have left have grown considerably and are not as small as they were when I first got them. However, this store got them from their wholesaler specifically at my request, so I don't know that they would be the same batch or not. The 2nd lfs is still showing they have them at least an inch long. They are also considerably less money. However, I only have one of these left! I also have the option of a 3rd lfs that I visited for the medication, who told me he quarantines fish for a week before selling them, and I believe he did have some normal size cardinals, although I did not notice the price. I am leaning in this direction, but not sure ...! The big one does come out some when the lights are off, and has come out to eat, so I am thinking he is missing the big school.

 

Well, the final 4 are still alive! The big guy is even out swimming with the others most of the time instead of living behind the filter. He has been coming out a little more each day. I think, maybe, if things still look good, I will move them tomorrow. I could see him getting a little more comfortable each day, but ... I think they are okay to go. We will see. Then I am pretty sure I am going to try another dozen with medication right away!

 

Sounds like a plan, I hope it works for you.

 

It's done, they are moved. They were not happy with me. I hope they will be okay. They look okay now that they are in the big tank, but they didn't look good when I first put them in the transfer container I use. Rasboras chased them a little at first, probably wanted to make sure they weren't food, but seem to be leaving them alone now. I threw in some frozen brine to distract the rasboras and it worked. I didn't see the cardinals take any. Fingers crossed they will be okay!

 

Everyone looks good. Cardinals are settling into the big tank. They are eating and colored. They seem happy so far. Rasboras have no interest in them at all now. I guess they just had to make sure they weren't food!

 

Okay, so I went with the 3rd store. They had some large Cardinal Tetras, probably the biggest I have purchased yet. Not as cheap as the New Haven store, but on a par with the first. I got 6. If I can get all 6 to the main tank that will give me 10, and I will be happy. I don't think I could stand to lose another dozen. They are acclimating now, should be in the QT soon.

The 4 in the main tank look great! They have lots of cover to hide in, but come but quickly when I approach the tank. I thought they might have some trouble competing for food with the Rasboras, but they hold their own and are feeding well. The Rasboras are still awesome!

 

Everyone is looking good! The new guys have colored up nicely, are active, and are feeding. They seem comfortable, and don't hide when I approach the glass, so I am able to get a good look at them. No signs of stress, no white spots or other problems visible. Let's hope it stays that way. On a side note though, I am only counting 15 rasboras. They are hard to count and sometimes I get 16, but sometimes I only get 14, and I am pretty sure the correct answer is 15. I don't see any remains anywhere, so not sure where it went. There are some pretty tough hiding spots though, as the tank is heavily decorated. I have a cover, but it comes off during cleaning, and it is possible he jumped out behind the tank. I don't know. I will keep looking, but ...