My Dwarf Gourami is Bloated!
- Thread starter Tetar
- Start date
I would recommend not buying anymore fish at this moment. If your platies are dying then you don't want to add more.
A QT tank needs to be cycled. But once it is cycled you can just keep extra filter media in your main tank and transfer it over when you use the tank.
A QT tank needs to be cycled. But once it is cycled you can just keep extra filter media in your main tank and transfer it over when you use the tank.
Won't the bacteria die in the QT tank if I only put extra filter media in the tank once in a great while? How detailed should QT tank be? It probably needs a heater and filter (duh) but would the heater and filter need to be on 24/7? Would the QT tank need gravel, live plants, and a sponge filter? Also, how big should it be? Since I have a 20 long, does that mean I need to get a 20 long QT tank? For the filter, do I need a regular filter or sponge filter? I have some plastic containers I could use for a QT tank, but would it need a light? If it does, I doubt I can find a hood that fits on one of my plastic containers....
Also, if I can't get a QT (my parents aren't going to want another fish tank) how long should I wait between getting more fish? If I get a new arrival, say, in two weeks, would that be enough time to wait before getting another fish if no more fish die?
Consider this... I don't have a QT tank. I recently moved one of my established betta tanks, which had become overgrown with java fern and algae. (Long story, but it was at my sister's house awaiting a safe location in my house.) The tank had one betta and one nerite snail, so I rinsed off the mopani and java ferns as best I could and removed as much algae as I could, and then set up the tank. There was still a substantial amount of algae clinging to the java fern, so I decided to buy an amano shrimp. It promptly vanished and I found an empty shell - so I figured my betta had shrimp dinner while I was at work. A few days later I added a larger amano shrimp and a tiny bristlenose I was going to move into my 180 once the bio cycle got going. Then over the next few days, my betta started looking more and more listless, until I found him hanging head down in the tank, and I found the BN dead - not beaten up, just keeled over and died dead. So I figured there was probably something wrong with the water, and set up a siphon to drain the tank while I added fresh water. As I was investigating, I noticed my betta had all these little white spots all over him. He was dead the following morning because either the bristlenose or the amano shrimp - or both - was infected with ich.
