Everythign going well but could be better, any tips

C

Caltus

AC Members
Aug 22, 2004
16
0
0
Okay so i posted a msg in the Newbie Forum "My 1st emergency" and well that emergency has passed becuase my common pleco died and theres nothign i can do about it. But here is my questions

i tested my water yesturday after i noticed that my fish wasnt really swimming around much. I had lost a fish the week before but didnt have much time to think about it because the same day a relative pased away and i was rushed out of town. the test results i got yesturday were

PH 5.5
GH 5
KH 3
NH3 + NH4 0
NO2 <.3

I know that the KH seems wrong becuase with a PH of 5.5 thats 308 mg.l of c02 i am only runnign a DIY co2 and some one said that i shouldnt bealbe ot produce that with a DIY. i dont know so i leave that up to you guys. any way i tested it twice and both times got the same result so other then that i dont know.

i am assuming that the fish died because of the PH level, i did a water change and checked the PH last nite and it was back to normal. This morning the fish was dead but the PH was still normal i am again assumign that he just never recovered. he wasnt moving much the day before.

My plants are doign very well i only got the plecos to help with the algae battle and had a friends tank to put them in when they got bigger. so not a big lose but still discouraging. i woudl like to get some SAE but dont want to get them and have them die.

the other thing i am noticing is alot of my sword leaves are getting holes in them. they dont look like theyve been eaten just looks like there deteriorating . i just noticed a hole on one of my banana plant leaves today.

I give the plants doses of the Flourish products, Iron, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and trace. Would too much of one of there be causing this. or not enough? i tend to give less then the recomended dosage. I read somewhere that it might tell you to add more then neccesary.

I apreciate any help

Thanks
Chuck
 
What size tank is this?
This sounds like a classic case of carbonic acid poisoning, if your numbers are correct.
'I know, kH seems wrong.......'
You have to know what your kH and pH are at all times until you get comfortable with your tank and it's stability. Get good in-date kits for these and test frequently until you know your tank.
You also should have PO4 and NO3 kits. Knowing all the important parameters is essential to both algae control and fish health.
Can't recommend on dosages of anything without knowing the numbers on all of the above and your lighting situation.
When fish get lethargic, there is a serious condition. Water changes will help initially, but nothing takes the place of knowledge of one's tank.

Len
 
sorry, its a 29 gal tank with a 65 watt light

I dont understand what ur saying about "knowing my tank" i do water changes weekly and test the water atleast once a week. it was stable then one day the ph was at 5.5 instead of 7.5. i didnt get to test it the day the 1st fish dies because i had to leave town. when i got back is when i had some time to check it and get back into my routine. i usually have a kh of 3 and a ph of about 7-7.5, which puts me in the appropiate amnts for the CO2 concentration.

What is P04 and NO3 kits test? i havnt heard of these

thanks
chuck
 
PO4 is for phosphates. NO3 is for nitrates. In order to avoid algae issues you need to balance your tank between light, plants, fish load and nutrients. You do this by testing for the various elements you supply.
You mention a battle with algae in your post. Knowing your tank's parameters and finding the balance with the above is what I meant by 'knowing your tank'. Also knowing what it uses is part of the equation.
If your numbers are right, my guess is that the fish are/were suffering from carbonic acid poisoning. This is caused mainly by over injecting CO2 which causes the CO2ppm to rise and the pH to drop.
Somewhere along the line, something went haywire and caused the fish loss.

Len
 
Your holes could be from your pleco. They will eat plants. I (IMHO) do not like SAE, they are just too aggressive. They also have a bad habit of eatting slime off other fishes. If you need algae control, go for ottos.

Also I agree with djlen. Tank must be balanced. I have not had algae for over 4 years and my tank have 6 65watt PC lites (over a 100gal tank).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom