Pictus Catfish just dropped dead

[ct-death]

Keep to one post too please

Although this disease may have been the 'straw that broke the preverbial camel's back', it was the poor water conditions that allowed it to get a foothold. And that's disregarding the inevitable death as a result of ammonia poisoning that would have resulted regardless of the disease...

Please consider a fishless cycle (your Flexibacter columnaris post has some suggestions also), and try to keep your posts to under 4 It's hard filtering each thread and finding which to post to. This will make our ability to communicate with you much more effective!

 

[Rbishop]

If it was my tank, I'd dump in bleach for about a 10% solution and run the filters for about three days. Then do repeated drains and refills with double dose water conditioners until it was free from a chlorine smell. You don't have much of a colony right now anyways.

Then set up to do a fishless cycle.

 

[magakitty]

PS - there are white filiments floating in the tank - not sure how much is the fungus-like growth from the bacteria and how much is fish "protective coating that sluffed when they died. how so we get rid of this.
Also - we used bottled water for the first change because the fish lady suggested it, but we used tap water for the second one. Our tap water is cloudy at first, but we filled a 5 gallon bucket, treated it with conditioner and let it set of a few before we introduced it to the tank.

 

[Rbishop]

The water changes should clear out any debri, make them a full 100%.

 

[ct-death]

how so we get rid of this

Just like Bishop said.

1st change get as much water out as possisble.

Fill your tank up (tap water), leaving about 2 gallons, and fill the remainder up with Bleach. If you need to buy some try and get non-fragranced stuff, if not it doesn't really matter. Run this in your tank (filter on) for 3 days leaving ur fake plants, decorations, etc.

the hard part will be thoroughly rinsing everything after! DO a 90% Water change after the 3 days about 5x letting things run an hour or more between changes. You'll know when the bleach smell is gone - then do one more 90% change IMO. Overkill maybe, but why take chances.

Your cloudy tap is probably from concentrations of oxygen. Either way, test your tap water too and let us know what that is. Still do the cleaning w/ the tap - nothing in it will affect this process, until you start you cycle.

 

[magakitty]

we just did a 50% water change, vacuumed the gravel very well, removed and cleaned all plastic plants and decorations, (no live plants yet, but thinking about adding some low light plants), lowered the temp to 74 F. and are going to wait now to add fish, then maybe start with 2 hardy danos.

the tap water tested with a small amount (<.25) nitrite, 8 on ph, 240 on alkalinity, 120 on hardness, and 0 on nitrates - oh, and 0 on ammonia

the tank water now test .25 on ammonia, 0 on nitrites, 0 on nitrates, 50 on hardness, 80 on alkalinity, 6.8 on ph.

the first 20% change yesterday was bottled water, the 2nd 20% and the 50% today was tap water. yesterday we treated the tap water before we added it, today (no fish) we treated it in the tank

 

[magakitty]

oh - and we rinsed out the filters really well

 

[ct-death]

If you are comfortable in not treating your tank for a bacterial outbreak, I guess I can only reiterate...

I would urge you to strongly consider a fishless-cycle to get your tank started. Obviously it doesn't harm any fish, and there is no stress during the process

Here is a guide on picking the correct Ammonia source - http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums...ad.php?t=88486

Here is an article on cycliing w/out fish: http://www.aquamaniacs.net/forum/cms...cle.php?aid=31

Good Luck...

 

[Dwarf Puffers]

*sigh*...

1.scrub everything many MANY times with salt and vinegar

2. STICK WITH THE 20g!!! put in guppys! neons! corys! otos! mollies! OTHER HARDY FISH THAT ARE OK FOR BEGGINERS NOT DELICATES LIKE YOU PUT IN!!!!!!!!!!

3. PUT IT THROUGH ATLEAST 3 WEEK CYCLE!! DROP A BIT OF FOOD IN EVERY DAY TO HELP BACTERIA!! FILTER MUST BE ON DURING THIS!!

4. GET MORE INFO!!!!!!

:mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2:

 

[Coler]

*sigh*...

1.scrub everything many MANY times with salt and vinegar

2. STICK WITH THE 20g!!! put in guppys! neons! corys! otos! mollies! OTHER HARDY FISH THAT ARE OK FOR BEGGINERS NOT DELICATES LIKE YOU PUT IN!!!!!!!!!!

3. PUT IT THROUGH ATLEAST 3 WEEK CYCLE!! DROP A BIT OF FOOD IN EVERY DAY TO HELP BACTERIA!! FILTER MUST BE ON DURING THIS!!

4. GET MORE INFO!!!!!!

:mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2:

This does not add anything to what has already been most kindly suggested to the OP, who came looking for advice admitting that help was needed. Your 'flame-row' is particularly misplaced.

- What does 'at least a 3 week cycle mean' - a cycle is done when it's done.
- What does 'get more info' mean ? provide good info yourself or stay out of it...IMO
- you're not suggesting neons, otos and corys are hardy fish and/or fish with which to cycle if one does a fishy cycle are you ?? I'm a total newb and even I know that's bogus...........sigh



magak...rbishop & ct-death in particular gave you great advice to consider (as did some other posters but I don't think naming everyone is necessary. Stick with that and you'll be good as gold.