You've probably all been there... you're going along, doing things the way you usually do... maintenance, adding plants whatever. Very likely, it is the last thing you are doing when you're already tired, but you do that one last thing or do that one thing different than you usually do and bingo.. it all goes wrong. :mad2
For the last few weeks, I've been battling some issues with my tanks (for the first time in a loooong time) and updating them along the way, as I get the problems resolved. The problems (not a result of the updates) are just about resolved (knock on wood) and the updates are pretty much complete.
Things could have been worse though, but weren't because I decided to try checking my nitrate level for the first time. As with many of the issues on these boards, I find that something of mine needs attention about the time I start seeing a bunch of posts for one problem or another all of a sudden. As it turned out, Nitrate issues were no different.
I have had my tanks for several years and everything has been going along great (prbly about time to start thinking something will go wrong..didn't I read a post by somebody about living on the edge where tank maintenance is concerned..?). Then the green swordtails developed Ick out of nowhere ('bout the time all those Ick posts showed up in the forums). So I dealt with that. Davedka's salt treatment article helped a bunch. I did my 25% water change after and the fish are doing well.
I acquired a used 30 gal recently, with fish included and I noticed after a couple of weeks that the big convict had small worms on his face. What the ... !! His fins were looking pretty rough to begin with, but I was holding off a bit on treating that. I have been feeding them well and their color has improved. I wanted to get the tank settled in first and get the gravel bed (bacteria) stable. One thing at a time. Anyway, I treated the parasite problem and backed it up with a bacterial med. Meanwhile, something like Ick showed up in the interim and then it was a matter of just trying to be patient through the whole ordeal and give everything a chance to work. Meds worked out fine, did my 25% water change after, fish are doing well. Just working on the raggy fins problem now.
So I decide that I'm going to check nitrates, like I said, because I started seeing posts about Nitrite/Nitrate problems. :thud: The resulting color from the Nitrate test on two of my tanks (the 10 and 25 gallon and the oldest ones of the three) is not on the color chart and the test from the 3rd tank is coming in a close 2nd. I mean the color was beyond the last shade of red on the chart. I'm thinking, cripes.. my fish should be dead!!! So I dealt with that. All is well, nitrates are reading nominal and 0 nitrites or ammonia.. etc. Ph and KH are looking good, considering the water changes. Again, I have to thank those that posted some good info on this site on how to deal with problems and then how to keep them from happening again.
Then today, since all is on an even keel (the time to enjoy and not make changes), I took the opportunity to turn in some of my green swordtails at the LFS (I have a surplus, thanks to the happy little breeders) in exchange for supplies and a few plants. I add my plants, top off all the tanks, make an adjustment here, there, check this, that. All is going along ok... and I realize.. hey it's time to add Plantabbs.
I use Plantabbs in addition to some liquid ferts. I have my reasons, just as we all have our own preferences for this or that product. Usually (key word here), when I drop them in the tank, I push them into the gravel so the fish don't think I just dropped in some food and start messing with them...even though the label says, just drop them in. Today, I thought... well, if the fish go after the tabs thinking they're food, it will only take a second to find that it's not food and they'll leave them alone. So I drop in the tabs. Then, I go off to get a haircut. I came back home to find that two of my tanks are cloudy and I'm thinking.. oh, great. Now what?!
Hmm...added plants to this tank (25 gal), topped off both the 10 and the 25 gal today, 30 gallon too... was it the different brand water conditioner? 30 gal still looks nice and clear though. Hmmm... this one is only a little cloudy (the 10 gal) compared to the 25 gal and HEY! One of the green swordtails is EATING one of the tabs that is still dissolving and HEY again... the dissolving tabs are what's clouding up my water too... grrrrrrrrrrr.
I'm tired and my hands and arms are chapped from playing in the tanks, not to mention I just got a bout of exema cleared up from when I stuck my arm in the 30 gallon, forgetting I had the Coppersafe in there for the parasite problem. Yeah, I know the cloudy tanks will clear up shortly or I could do a quick water change, but it's like I said... I'm tired and it's always that one thing... I could just spit. Thanks for listening.
Note: I moved this from the Aquatic Plants forum where it was posted in error.
For the last few weeks, I've been battling some issues with my tanks (for the first time in a loooong time) and updating them along the way, as I get the problems resolved. The problems (not a result of the updates) are just about resolved (knock on wood) and the updates are pretty much complete.
Things could have been worse though, but weren't because I decided to try checking my nitrate level for the first time. As with many of the issues on these boards, I find that something of mine needs attention about the time I start seeing a bunch of posts for one problem or another all of a sudden. As it turned out, Nitrate issues were no different.
I have had my tanks for several years and everything has been going along great (prbly about time to start thinking something will go wrong..didn't I read a post by somebody about living on the edge where tank maintenance is concerned..?). Then the green swordtails developed Ick out of nowhere ('bout the time all those Ick posts showed up in the forums). So I dealt with that. Davedka's salt treatment article helped a bunch. I did my 25% water change after and the fish are doing well.
I acquired a used 30 gal recently, with fish included and I noticed after a couple of weeks that the big convict had small worms on his face. What the ... !! His fins were looking pretty rough to begin with, but I was holding off a bit on treating that. I have been feeding them well and their color has improved. I wanted to get the tank settled in first and get the gravel bed (bacteria) stable. One thing at a time. Anyway, I treated the parasite problem and backed it up with a bacterial med. Meanwhile, something like Ick showed up in the interim and then it was a matter of just trying to be patient through the whole ordeal and give everything a chance to work. Meds worked out fine, did my 25% water change after, fish are doing well. Just working on the raggy fins problem now.
So I decide that I'm going to check nitrates, like I said, because I started seeing posts about Nitrite/Nitrate problems. :thud: The resulting color from the Nitrate test on two of my tanks (the 10 and 25 gallon and the oldest ones of the three) is not on the color chart and the test from the 3rd tank is coming in a close 2nd. I mean the color was beyond the last shade of red on the chart. I'm thinking, cripes.. my fish should be dead!!! So I dealt with that. All is well, nitrates are reading nominal and 0 nitrites or ammonia.. etc. Ph and KH are looking good, considering the water changes. Again, I have to thank those that posted some good info on this site on how to deal with problems and then how to keep them from happening again.
Then today, since all is on an even keel (the time to enjoy and not make changes), I took the opportunity to turn in some of my green swordtails at the LFS (I have a surplus, thanks to the happy little breeders) in exchange for supplies and a few plants. I add my plants, top off all the tanks, make an adjustment here, there, check this, that. All is going along ok... and I realize.. hey it's time to add Plantabbs.
I use Plantabbs in addition to some liquid ferts. I have my reasons, just as we all have our own preferences for this or that product. Usually (key word here), when I drop them in the tank, I push them into the gravel so the fish don't think I just dropped in some food and start messing with them...even though the label says, just drop them in. Today, I thought... well, if the fish go after the tabs thinking they're food, it will only take a second to find that it's not food and they'll leave them alone. So I drop in the tabs. Then, I go off to get a haircut. I came back home to find that two of my tanks are cloudy and I'm thinking.. oh, great. Now what?!
Hmm...added plants to this tank (25 gal), topped off both the 10 and the 25 gal today, 30 gallon too... was it the different brand water conditioner? 30 gal still looks nice and clear though. Hmmm... this one is only a little cloudy (the 10 gal) compared to the 25 gal and HEY! One of the green swordtails is EATING one of the tabs that is still dissolving and HEY again... the dissolving tabs are what's clouding up my water too... grrrrrrrrrrr.
I'm tired and my hands and arms are chapped from playing in the tanks, not to mention I just got a bout of exema cleared up from when I stuck my arm in the 30 gallon, forgetting I had the Coppersafe in there for the parasite problem. Yeah, I know the cloudy tanks will clear up shortly or I could do a quick water change, but it's like I said... I'm tired and it's always that one thing... I could just spit. Thanks for listening.
Note: I moved this from the Aquatic Plants forum where it was posted in error.
Things are looking up. I had other plans this weekend, but lately, it hasn't been up to me! Ha! I'm just glad I don't have kids! Probably go nuts if they got sick. 