Trouble with White Clouds
- Thread starter Jhereg10
- Start date
Well, basements aren't real big when you're scant feet above sea level (grin). Nope, no basements. And the downstairs is the coolest part of the house.
We're going to try to redistribute the AC load from upstairs to downstairs, lower the thermostat on the house and pinch down on the upstairs vents.
That, with getting the lights further from the glass and keeping more ventilation might get me a few degrees, no?
We're going to try to redistribute the AC load from upstairs to downstairs, lower the thermostat on the house and pinch down on the upstairs vents.
That, with getting the lights further from the glass and keeping more ventilation might get me a few degrees, no?
How are the rest of your fish doing in the 75 gallon? If they are okay then it is most likely that you ended up with a really sick batch of white clouds that just didn't survive the trip. Increased heat is generally the way to cure many diseases as it speeds up the life cycle of parasites and bacteria. But if the fish were already pretty weak then it might have been just too much.
My White clouds have thrived at 76F, though I finally have the tank cooled down to 72F.
Hopefully the next batch of fish you get is a little hardier. Good luck.
Oh and I don't think it is that Ammonia levels are higher at higher temps but that Ammonia is more toxic at higher temps. So if you test and there is no ammonia then it isn't a problem. It is that higher temps make the water off gas the oxygen quicker, so airation is needed.
My White clouds have thrived at 76F, though I finally have the tank cooled down to 72F.
Hopefully the next batch of fish you get is a little hardier. Good luck.
Oh and I don't think it is that Ammonia levels are higher at higher temps but that Ammonia is more toxic at higher temps. So if you test and there is no ammonia then it isn't a problem. It is that higher temps make the water off gas the oxygen quicker, so airation is needed.
How did you get your tank cooled down, btw?
I have a Rosy Barb that is multi-years old, he's jolly as can be. Two Plecos that are active nocturnally and at times feeding during daylight hours. I have a Ramshorn and a Mystery Snail, both are actively feeding, not stuck into their shells or anything.
I remember what you mentioned on Ammonia. It's not that ammonia is "more toxic" at higher temps, but there is more of it (sort of).
My understanding from what I read is that many (most?) ammonia tests register both ammonia (NH3) and ammonium ions (NH4). NH4 is relatively non-toxic, NH3 is relatively toxic.
The proportion of NH3 to NH4 is in equilibrium dependent on temperature and pH. The proportion of NH3 increases with temperature and pH.
So an "ammonia" reading that would be fine at lower temps or pH becomes toxic at higher temps or pH (because a higher proportion of that reading is NH3 and not NH4).
Right?
Thx!
I have a Rosy Barb that is multi-years old, he's jolly as can be. Two Plecos that are active nocturnally and at times feeding during daylight hours. I have a Ramshorn and a Mystery Snail, both are actively feeding, not stuck into their shells or anything.
I remember what you mentioned on Ammonia. It's not that ammonia is "more toxic" at higher temps, but there is more of it (sort of).
My understanding from what I read is that many (most?) ammonia tests register both ammonia (NH3) and ammonium ions (NH4). NH4 is relatively non-toxic, NH3 is relatively toxic.
The proportion of NH3 to NH4 is in equilibrium dependent on temperature and pH. The proportion of NH3 increases with temperature and pH.
So an "ammonia" reading that would be fine at lower temps or pH becomes toxic at higher temps or pH (because a higher proportion of that reading is NH3 and not NH4).
Right?
Thx!
Well for me it wasn't too hard as I live in a basement apartment in Canada, so I just turned the heat down in my apartment. I can always wear a sweater if I need to so I figure I should make it comfy for my fish if it is easy.
Well you got me all stumped on the ammonia issue as I probably should pay a little closer attention when I read those other posts. But eh fact remains that you tested the water and didn't get an ammonia reading so that should be the problem or else other fish would be showing the sign of it already.
I am still thinking it must be a bad batch of fish, though if it was internal parasites you should worry about the other fish in the tank, unless they were eating them.
Maybe you should try getting some more rosy barbs so that you can have a nice exciting school of them. You know that barbs can survive in the tank.
Well you got me all stumped on the ammonia issue as I probably should pay a little closer attention when I read those other posts. But eh fact remains that you tested the water and didn't get an ammonia reading so that should be the problem or else other fish would be showing the sign of it already.
I am still thinking it must be a bad batch of fish, though if it was internal parasites you should worry about the other fish in the tank, unless they were eating them.
Maybe you should try getting some more rosy barbs so that you can have a nice exciting school of them. You know that barbs can survive in the tank.
LOL, yeah, I guess I've proven that. I've had that fish through 2 moves and this is his second tank.
One of the LFS's said that a "bad batch" was a possibility. That since they were the last remaining of their batch, they had been in the other store a while and might have been stressed for some time, just waiting for a small nudge to push them over the edge. The transfer to a new tank might just have done it.
I'm hoping it's that and NOT internal parasites.
I hope I'm a little smarter now, I bought a slightly larger quarantine tank, have it all set up and cycling, preparing perhaps for another round of purchases in a month.
Here's a dumb question. If you aren't supposed to add more than 2-3 fish to a tank at a time (to give it time to absorb the load) but you should buy schooling fish in 6-8+ (so they feel at ease), which of these guidelines should you follow? Or do small, schooling fish represent such a small load that 12 of them is equivalent to 2-3 "normal" sized fish.
Thx!
One of the LFS's said that a "bad batch" was a possibility. That since they were the last remaining of their batch, they had been in the other store a while and might have been stressed for some time, just waiting for a small nudge to push them over the edge. The transfer to a new tank might just have done it.
I'm hoping it's that and NOT internal parasites.
I hope I'm a little smarter now, I bought a slightly larger quarantine tank, have it all set up and cycling, preparing perhaps for another round of purchases in a month.
Here's a dumb question. If you aren't supposed to add more than 2-3 fish to a tank at a time (to give it time to absorb the load) but you should buy schooling fish in 6-8+ (so they feel at ease), which of these guidelines should you follow? Or do small, schooling fish represent such a small load that 12 of them is equivalent to 2-3 "normal" sized fish.
Thx!
I would guess that adding a small school of rosy barbs or other small fish to your 75 gallon tank won't be too hard on the bio load as you only really have the plecos adding to it right now (though I hear they are really messy fish). Just keep that test kit handy and test a lot. Of course you can also make sure to reduce feeding during the early stages to make sure excess food isn't going to sink to the bottom and end up rotting and producing an ammonia spike.
