R.I.P. Fuzzy (plus a plant question)

[LeahK]

I am posting to say thanks to everyone who ever answered my questions about the gourami I unwillingly inherited last May, but to which I became very attached. I had never owned fish before and I learned everything from this site. The gourami was 4 years old and came with a weird fungus/fin rot problem that never really went away, despite my various attempts at treatment. Yesterday he started to develop what looked like dropsy, and this morning he had passed away. I think whatever bacteria or fungus or both that had stuck with him for most of his life finally affected his internal organs. But this fish was as happy and content as possible, especially the last few weeks in his own tank (where he got so chill he even started to eat treats from my hand), and I have the advice I received at this site to thank for that.
Now, I have a lot of java fern in the 10 gal tank where the gourami was living, and I want to keep it alive until January when I upgrade my other tank (a 20 gal) to a 55. I'd put them all in the 20, but they won't fit, plus I want to make sure they're not harboring any bacteria or fungus due to the gourami. For the same reason, I don't want to buy new fish to live in the 10, in addition to the fact that I'll have housesitters taking care of my apt for almost a month, and I'd rather not have to worry about them looking after any other fish than I already have. What do I do to keep the plants alive in the 10? Do I keep the filter running? Do I do the same water changes as if there were fish in there? Do I use a chlorine/chloramine remover? As always, thanks for the advice.

 

[OldMan1947]

While you are trying to decide what to do with the tank, it would be best to keep maintaining it as normal. The only problem you may have is that with no fish load, the bacteria levels in the filter will start to decline quickly. If you don't want to add fish right away as a safety measure for your next fish, you may want to keep your cycle going by adding enough ammonia to keep the biofilter from declining too much. I would think even 1 ppm of ammonia would be enough to maintain it until you are ready to start again and it would be a low enough concentration not to damage the plants in any way. Plants actually will thrive in a low concentration of ammonia that would damage or kill fish.

 

[msjinkzd]

sorry to hear about your gourami. I too would recommend keeping the filter running. I wouldn't worry about your bacteria so much as you can always seed your filter off the other one (like you did for this one). More important is to make sure the plant is being fed. Since its java fern it will likely do just fine for a month without supplementation.

 

[LeahK]

Thanks for the tips. I'm not concerned about the bacteria so much, because when I get the 55 I'm going to break down the 10 and keep it as a hospital tank. Part of me is tempted to take advantage of the bacteria who are alive now and go get a school of tetras to occupy the 10, and then put them in the 55 when I get it, but I feel like the best thing to do is be patient--I don't need to buy new fish when I'm leaving town in a few weeks, and the house-sitters will have an easier time with only fish-occupied tank, not two. At least that's what good, responsible me says; over-eager, impatient me says "go buy those cute tetras!" But I'm not..... Just plants for now in the 10....

 

[msjinkzd]

I admire your determination, empty tanks are way too tempting to look at! Enjoy your trip/vacation/hiatus and daydream about your stocking for when you come back!

 

[LeahK]

Hah! Well it may only be because you've expressed admiration for my determination that I now actually do stick to my word and resist getting new fish....

 

[LeahK]

hmmm.... well on the topic of _not_ keeping my word.... I was thinking about the 70-gal Aquaclear filter I have still sitting in a box, waiting to go on the new 55 tank, and which I can't run on my 20 tank due to conflicts with the hood. But I guess I could start running my 70-gal filter on the 10-gal now, at the same time as the current filter, and then it would be full of bacteria and ready to go on the 55 tank as soon as I get back in January (and buy the tank). But then I'd have to go get some tetras to keep the filter bacteria alive.... I was going to get a school of tetras for the 55 anyway, so this would really just be an extended QT period for them. Yikes.

 

[LeahK]

If I were to buy some schooling fish, who will eventually live in a 55 with 2 dwarf red honey gouramis and 3 still-small clown loaches, what would be your recommendation for an absolutely guaranteed non-fin-nipper?

 

[Reddog80p]

Many tetras would be fine with gouramis. Some of my favs are red serpaes or porkchop rasboras. Not to be a "flamer" or anything but clown loaches will get WAY too big for a 55 gallon tank. I once had 3 in a 55, became really attached and had to get rid of them for there own sake. I still see them at my LFS, in a big 250 gallon they love. They even let me feed them when I come in. Good Luck, and enjoy your vaction

 

[Lupin]

Many tetras would be fine with gouramis. Some of my favs are red serpaes or porkchop rasboras.

Hi Reddog.

The porkchop rasboras are not tetras. Still, they are nice additions. The serpaes may or may not nip but a vast majority I've kept and seen are potentially fin nippers though your experience may have been different. Other alternatives are red phantom and rosy tetras.