I must be cursed...

A

azfishguy

AC Members
Aug 22, 2005
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How hard can it be to keep a few fish? OK, heres the deal. Like alot of people we went to the LFS, bought a tank and all the accessories and a few fish. Then we went to learn about it after the fact. Mistake. Heres the details:
20gal, UGF w/ powerhead, Clear Water brand? HOB filter - using foam filter and biomedia only (no AC) PWC 20% every other day, feed fish every other day. AP FW Master Test kit. Tested 4 times always get: Ammonia .25-, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0. Tank is less than two weeks set up. 4 Pearl Danios, 3 of them have fin rot and ICH.... Using the blue stuff everyday (5 days now) as per LFS kid. (Stained the silicone, bummer) Turned up heat to 84. The kids are bummed watching sick fish (one looks really bad and is not eating) What should I do? Wait it out? Clean it out and start over with Bio-spira? Try the salt?

Please help...
The Arizona Fish Killer :sad:
 
I would wait it out your cycle has started already. You might want to put bio-spira in. Using that blue stuff will slow down the cycle even more because they kill off the good bacteria. I would use salt it's going to get worst before it gets better. Might try doing bigger water changes like 50% every other day.
Good luck
 
I agree. You also don't have to "start over" to use bio-spira. You just buy it and toss it in. The smallest amount in my area is enough for a 30 gallon. I just bought that and put it right in my 20 gallon tank with my fish and it cycled within a week completely.

Curtis
 
Go slower. Ammonia MUST be at zero.
 
My oppinion.
~ Stop the blue stuff, remove it with water changes and carbon in the filter.
~Read the article on ICH, try the heat/salt for the ICH.
~Add Bio Spira.
~ Add melafix
~Continue testing every day.
~change water everytime you see any amoniaor nitrite readings. ( until tank is cycled)
My reasoning:
~ Blue stuff is stressful to the fish and may( im not sure) harm the beneficial bacteria. Salt/heat should be just as effective and much less stressful.
~ Bio Spira should speed the cycle. This is very imortant because the cycling process is very stressful to the fish.
~Melafix will help the finrot and possibly guard against secondary bacterial infections.(it won't harm the beneficial bacteria) It seems to be gentle on the fish also.
when I say stress, I dont mean emotional discomfort. i mean reduced imune system capabilities.
Good luck. Hope fully the kids will see the fish get better. if not, at least they will see you do all you can for them.
PS doyou have an understanding of the cycling process?
 
50% WC every other day (blue stuff will be gone soon enough).
In the future just use salt and heat for ich.
Wait it out, and then return those danios once cycle is complete.
Use this time to read up on suitable tank inhabitants.
Try to avoid the "frankenstien" tank that has one of every kind of fish. Pick one small centerpiece fish(I suggest a dwarf cichlid), three small "dither fish" and couple of bottomdwellers (dwarf cories are great for 10g)
Use otocinclus instead of plecos when algea starts up.
 
You may need to do 50% (or more) water changes every day, don't be afraid to change the water, just make sure you use the dechlorinator everytime. You ideally want the amonia and nitrite to be at 0, both are very harmful to the fish. And really there is nothing wrong with the fish you have, and there is no reason to return them, Just don't buy anymore fish until you understand the cycling process and the tank is fully cycled and you have eliminated the ich (I would wait at least 2-3 weeks after last sign of ich to get any fish, just to make sure you have cleared it up completely). Definately start the salt/heat method to clear it up.

Also, be sure to research any fish yourself before you get them and make sure they do not get too big for a 20g tank. Unfortunately, the people at the LFS may not know much more about fish than the average customer looking for their help :thud: !! There are lots of fish that would be great for a tank that size, and the LFS also sells lots of fish that get 1 foot and bigger :( !!
Good luck
 
You might want to test your tap water too. Alot of people (including Chicagoans) have some ammonia in their tap water from the chloramine treatments their water plants use. You can get a water treatment like Prime that will neutralize that ammonia. I wouldn't count on it to replace regular water changes though.
 
Thank you for all the quick replies. To answer some of your questions: Yes, I understand the cycling process now. I did not have a clue when we made the original purchase. I did test the tap water and it has no ammonia. The pH from the tap water is somewhat high, it is running around 7.8 Is this something I should be concerned with? And if so how do you manipulate the pH?

I'll take your collective advice and forget the blue stuff and go with the salt and heat treatment, get the Melafix and step up my water changes to 50%. Thank you again. Time for me to :read:
 
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depends on where you are in AZ, im hailing from tucson and my water is extremely hard, lots of minerals, and ph about 7.2. Our water is canal water that has tons of minerals and chlorine, but no chloramine that i could ever test, good luck and be wary of local fish stores, the ones here will sell you a oscar and a texas cichlid for a ten gallon tank, and dont mock me I was there the whole time going, ever put a dog in a mailbox, just cuz it fits doesnt mean it works, still didnt get it since they are only 4 inches, and 1 inch per gallon lol

shouldnt have to worry too much about heat, i hear it was 112 here yesterday , my ten with gouramis and platies holds at 84, and the 55 with mollies and gouramis and tetras holds at 81 in the summer

good luck
 
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