Dsm - Dry Start Method

Well, I was unable to help. I think it happened when I moved the log tbh.

 

I am almost ready! Finally, I can see the finish line.

So, it only took me like, 100 days or so. First I'd like to thank Silister Trench and TexasDomer for all the advice you gave me. Then, thank you to all the others who helped.
So, a few minutes ago I finished filling up the tank with the first of 4 water buckets. I also received my co2 kit the other day. Any advice or help is most definitely needed for setting this up. I already have some animal life in there in the form of wiggly worms. Next I need my solenoid. Any preferred brands. I found the Milwaukee MA955, but is it good? Then a co2 drop checker. And finally some Mts, to keep the sand aerobic. And for the stocking: 17-20 ember tetras, 10-12 otocinclus and maybe 5-10 Amano shrimp.
I am also thinking of saving up to get a canister filter. Marine land magniflow 160 is what I got my eye on. Along with a co2 reactor, unless it needs a lot of pressure.

 

Here is the video on how to use those caps:

 

Hey all. I got the co2 up and running. It's at about 2-3 bubbles a second.


I also added a little pump to help diffuse the co2. Also, sometime today I might be able to buy some mts.


What type of algae is this, and would amano or nerite snails eat it?

 

I don't know about what will eat it, but rather than get a band aid (shrimp, snails), why not manually remove it and get to the source of the issue, so you can prevent it?

 

Looks like some sort of filamentous algae. Maybe Amanos will eat it but you would need a lot to get rid of it. Did you dose any ferts?

 

I don't know about what will eat it, but rather than get a band aid (shrimp, snails), why not manually remove it and get to the source of the issue, so you can prevent it?

I manually removed it this afternoon.

Looks like some sort of filamentous algae. Maybe Amanos will eat it but you would need a lot to get rid of it. Did you dose any ferts?

I did not dose any ferts, other than what was in the spray bottle before I filled it. I ordered my solenoid along with my npk ferts. I couldn't find dry ferts sooo... liquid ferts for now.

 

Weird. What is your current photo period like?

 

12 hours on, 12 hours off.

 

Dangit, that is too much light. Try dialing back a bit. If possible get rid of all of it manually and try a 6 hour lights on period. If you don't get algae dial it up an hour and so on. My tanks start to develop algae if I leave the lights 9 hours or more so I keep a photoperiod of 8.

 

You should be dosing ferts if you have the lights on. I agree, decrease the lighting by a lot until you get your CO2 back.

 

Ok, I set it for a 6 hour photo period. The ferts should be coming tomorrow.

Also, it is tilted a little forward. Is this ok, will it break?

 

What is tilted forward?

 

Oh, sorry. The tank is tilted forward.

 

Oh, sorry. The tank is tilted forward.

As in it's on a surface that's tilted with the floor? As long as the surface the tank is on is true and flat you won't break anything. The bottom brace is designed to take strain off the glass.

Not sure exactly what the name of your algae is but whoever said to dial your lights back was spot on. That particular algae only ever appears (from my own experience) when the photo period is too long, usually with lights that are overly strong.

Best bet has always been to shorten the photoperiod, and if that doesn't work in 2 - 4 weeks raise your lighting, too.

Can't remember what filter you're using, but on a 20 long [planted heavily] I've always had to use 4-5 bps Co2 with a diffuser that injects a fine mist. A 20 long is hard to use a single diffuser in because of how long, yet short it is. An inline reactor had worked much better on these tanks. Not that you should go messing with it, but a Drop Checker (or two) helps a lot with checking Co2 levels on a 20G long.

 

The tank is on a mat, but it is only off balance on one axis. For the lights I have them at 5-6 hours a day. I had to turn them on a little early as I am leaving soon, so I'll turn them off earlier. I reduced the lighting, basically it is half as powerful. I have a pump over the diffuser that gets about every bubble headed across the tank toward the filter outlet on the hob.

 

One of my ember tetras has a black thing coming out of its belly. Every now and then it does a little backflip when the current pushes it around, then regains its balance and keeps swimming. Another has really bad Popeyes's, and three or four others have black markings on their bodies. I will euthanize the one with the thing coming out of its belly, but I don't have clove oil. Any other options? Cure or remedy for Popeyes? And what is the last one. Black rot?

 

One of my ember tetras has a black thing coming out of its belly. Every now and then it does a little backflip when the current pushes it around, then regains its balance and keeps swimming. Another has really bad Popeyes's, and three or four others have black markings on their bodies. I will euthanize the one with the thing coming out of its belly, but I don't have clove oil. Any other options? Cure or remedy for Popeyes? And what is the last one. Black rot?

View attachment 328110

One method of euthanizing I used before discovering Clove Oil is an incredibly simple one I used when fish were 100% destined to die regardless of treatment: intentionally shocking the fish through a large and very radical temperature swing. By placing a bowl of water in the freezer long enough that it develops a thin sheet of ice over the surface water, while remaining a liquid beneath this sheet, you simply break the ice on the surface and then net the intended fish and drop it into the nearly frozen water. There's an initial shock to the nervous system that can (and often does) cause the body to convulse/spasm briefly. As soon as the fish is dropped into the water you cover the container and return it to your freezer for a half hour. This length of time is usually overkill - especially with small fish - and ensures death.


As far as the blackening marks on your fish I have no idea. If it's more fuzzy/fungal looking than in the picture it could simply be a a white fungal growth due to damage or infection that has collected with black dust from you substrate. I'm not entirely sure of a black rot, and the only blackening marks I remember reading about were on goldfish, or caused by ammonia burns. If the other fish show similar markings and behavior and you're unable to determine a cause/treatment you could be better off euthanizing the embers and attempting to start again by cleaning tanks and equipment the fish were in contact with and trying again with a new school.

I'd try daily water changes and the use of aquarium salts in a QT tank if capable of that, and if they don't appear too far gone. There's likely medications out there some others can suggest.

 

This was not in the big tank, so it couldn't be dust. 5 of them have it, so I'll euthanize those 5. The rest are ok, and my parameters are practically perfect. Only bad thing is 20 ppm of nitrate.

 

This was not in the big tank, so it couldn't be dust. 5 of them have it, so I'll euthanize those 5. The rest are ok, and my parameters are practically perfect. Only bad thing is 20 ppm of nitrate.

20 ppm isn't hardly anything, and if no other fish showed similar signs prior to you adding, then I think it's pretty safe to assume they were already infected/ill before they came into your care. It sucks, but it does happen.

 

The shop was a little sketchy to be honest. They did have discus, arrowana and dwarf puffers, but I doubt they quarantine the "lesser" fish. I am going away for five days, so my dad is coming over every other day, but I also put a gel vacation food from tetra. The shrimp love it, but it smells badddd.

Also, one has Popeyes's, which after some research say it starts with water quality, which is odd considering my water, so I'll check him for this mystery fungI and decide if he needs to be euthanized.

 

I wouldn't add the feeder block, I feel like you are asking for problems with possibly ill fish and water issues from the feeder, esp with the algae...

 

Came back. Feeder block is gone, the shrimp love it. All the fish with the black fungI on them are looking better except for the one with popeye. He's much worse. No algae issues. Actually less than when I left.
The big tank has no algae in the hairgrass or s repens but only a little in the ar mini. Seed shrimp and planaria are here now. When I had issues in my 10 gallon with planaria, I just let my guppies go to town. I'd tap on the glass where the was a worm and a guppy would go and eat it. I was also thinking of taking one of my stepdads nerite snails and plopping it in the big one. Do they eat hair algae?

 

My nerites do not eat hair algae.

 

Okedokey.

 

I think that the black marks are ammonia burn, although the water has no nitrite or nitrate, and the tank is cycled. I'll do a water change tomorrow. Or, should I move them over to the big tank with a little media?

 

Can you test your ammonia? If the tank is cycled, it should have zero ammonia, and then they wouldn't have ammonia burns.

 

I do have a master test kit we found in an old tank on the side of the road. I could test ammonia, just do the test kits expire? Also the reason I know about the nitrites and nitrates is because I had test strips.

 

I do have a master test kit we found in an old tank on the side of the road. I could test ammonia, just do the test kits expire? Also the reason I know about the nitrites and nitrates is because I had test strips.

Expiration dates are on the bottles and the kit itself.

 

Just to be aware... extreme temperatures (heat/cold) can affect the validity of the API tests

 

It was out in the cold of the worlds second coldest capital for around 3 hours in march.

 

If it froze it may not be valid anymore. Good way to test would be to add a measured amount of ammonia and pre-test for accuracy. (Assuming you have ammonia on hand from the fishless cycle)

 

I would get a new liquid test kit. You really should have one anyway, especially with your fish having problems. Strips aren't accurate.

 

As in it's on a surface that's tilted with the floor? As long as the surface the tank is on is true and flat you won't break anything. The bottom brace is designed to take strain off the glass.

Not sure exactly what the name of your algae is but whoever said to dial your lights back was spot on. That particular algae only ever appears (from my own experience) when the photo period is too long, usually with lights that are overly strong.

Best bet has always been to shorten the photoperiod, and if that doesn't work in 2 - 4 weeks raise your lighting, too.

Can't remember what filter you're using, but on a 20 long [planted heavily] I've always had to use 4-5 bps Co2 with a diffuser that injects a fine mist. A 20 long is hard to use a single diffuser in because of how long, yet short it is. An inline reactor had worked much better on these tanks. Not that you should go messing with it, but a Drop Checker (or two) helps a lot with checking Co2 levels on a 20G long. 30$

 

Cool diffuser.

My mum says I can't get a new test kit. Also I can't build a new stand for another project. She gave me 4 options. One was a stool that was very weak. Second was a stool that was waaaay to small for the tank. Third was a stool that looks ok, but slides and is constructed poorly. Fourth is two drawers I can't open and that are way too big for the spot.
She said I can't do wood working cause it's not my hobby, and that my stepdad would be doing all the work. When I built my light, I did the blueprints, measuring, glueing and screwing, wiring and painting. All he did was the cutting which I was told I am not allowed to do.

 

Any way you could save up and get a new test kit? This should be a priority instead of another tank or more fish.

 

Yeah, I'll make sure it's a priority. The store that's close lets me trade shrimp for fish and maybe items.

 

Ok, I'm currently on holiday, and will be back in two weeks. My mum is taking care of my fish while I'm gone. The tank hasn't been cycling, but I have some media I can use for when I get back. Shopping list: 10 otocinclus, master test kit and some more food maybe.

 

Hey, I'm back! Going to my LFS on Saturday. Will get items for drip acclimation and some more bacteria. I don't know how to put the fish in tbh. The tank has not been cycling (that I know of) so should I move my ember tetras over, or?

 

Do you have seeded media you can move over with them?