Pegasus

At least it seems to be working... YAHHHHHH

My apologies errr.... TankMate. You did after all sign some of your posts by the other name

It "apparently" lifts the pH more readily through the process of water flowing over it, and again "apparently" becomes inaffective after a time, so will need changing. It does this slowly, unlike the stuff (baking soda) you have been adding. Your tests may vary once you add it to your filter. Hopefully it will not be a short term buffer and will stabalize your tank long term, plus be a lot cheaper in the long run Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Quite true, and apparently prolonged high temperatures do shorten the life of some cal fish that live in cooler regions naturally. 75degF was (in early days) the "norm" for most fish, but nowadays if you keep them in the "green" bit on the themometer it should be safe, but not always correct for your type of fish, which brings me to this point. I bought four themometers. On testing them all in the same tank I found there was a descrepancy of +- 2degC either way on them all, and one was reading 87degF when in fact the temp was 80F. One.... A glass one with a suction cup had an air lock in the red line, which gave an erronious reading, and in the end I scrapped two of them and bought some from a different source and brand. I suggest you check the thermometer with a known good one. I don't use the stick on type as I like to know the temp is stable in all areas of my tanks as I use seperators on occasions. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Good advice Terry, but your should read... Don't add ANY fish till you get your probs sorted out What's the latest Rusty, how are they doing ??

Hi there Jaze.... Welcome to the NZ Fishroom. Sounds like you're well into your plants and fish he he. There's another site attached to this one. Click on the twin fishes at the top of the page. There's a fish and plant survey that might interest you. Real nice having you here and hope you find lotsa interesting posts. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Ira, Stuff I have here is pretty fine also, and I can imagine it would tend to turn the water cloudy if it wasn't rinsed first. Tie it in a bit of old stocking and put it in the filter once its clean. Be interested to know if it does alter the pH, and how quickly, and by how much Can't really see it restricting the flow much. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Rusty, No prob with the multiple postings He He. :) It's sometimes the only way to try to find the answers, as I have had to do on many occasions. Reducing the feedings and quantity of feeds plus regular water changes should eventually get you back on track, and hopefully in the meantime you won't lose any more fish. Keep us posted on the progress. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Dennis, Sounds as if the tanks might have had a single heating system, or a single filtration setup at some time. So what are you going to breed in the tanks ? Hi Ira, It's gonna mean a lotta work, and possibly some problems I haven't thought of along the way, but I intend to set up at least ten as a trial unit to evaluate the benefits or pitfalls. I'm trialing ten because I can get ten in a line easily on one level. Because they will be mainly breeding units I may have to use an additional heater on the odd one if the occasion arises. Also I need to make the system on a modular basis so that I can easily extend the pipes as more tanks are added. I will be more than pleased to post the results once I get some Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi there Merlin, glad you could join us. Pleased to see you are reading the posts, it's a good way to start learning. You are our 200th Member. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Dennis, Brand new. Is that 19 tanks at 2.5 foot. ? You must have got the bug as well he he Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Caryl, No... Not my good wife, but my son has vacated it (several times I might add) and this time it seems to be for good, so ....... HERE COMES BILL'S FISHROOM :) It even has a hot water cylinder ready for conversion GEEZ.... I forgot your disk... must do that tomorrow :oops: Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Great news (for me he he) Sometime this week I am puchasing and taking possesion of 40 two foot all glass tanks :) This will bring my tank stock to 47 he he. Decided to use the old bach for my fishroom. Now at approx 110lbs each, my only worry is the floor, but then again I have to worry about the ....... worry.... worry.... worry... Isn't it GREAT Getting there slowly.... the bug has bitten once again. Looks like I'm gonna need to work on my DIY heating system. Happy Days are REALLY here :) At Last But we ain't finished yet Bill (Pegasus)

Hi AJ, I'm pretty keen to try breeding some of these long finned mountain minnows. Is there any chance of contacting your friend direct in order to buy some ? If not have you any available yet ? Regards Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Ira, I have at this very second a bag of oyster grit that my daughter bought at the local village supermarket for a few dollars. It's sold as Bird Grit, and is available just about anywhere that doesn't sell spare bulbs for lighthouses Don't know if it would keep your pH up enough, but is readily available, is clean, and even comes in a plastic bag. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi TankMate, According to your other post on "another board" he he... your fish are 8cm is not really a small fish. Haven't really worked out how many you have/had, but this is irrelevant, as the danger was "Putting all the fish in over such a short period" You are FAR from in the clear.... Do the water changes Gill Redness... Possible damage due to high ammonia levels, eg, the membranes of the gills are burned. Water Changes, salt treatment 1tblspn to 5 gall if possible... depends on fish type) NOT applicable to loaches and most catfish. No Excrement... Possible constipation or bloat due to the foods you are feeding. (Need to change the food to something more palatable... try offering some live food... segregate if you have a hospital tank and add one table spoon of Epsom Salts per five gallon of water.) Pop Eye... (Exophthalmus) Gas Buildup behind the eyes... Mainly caused by high bacteria levels. (Could also be an internal bacteria infection) It is also possible that the fish was stressed or harrased and has bumped the eye against something, and IF this is the case, the swelling could go down over the coming days. The salt treatment sometimes works, or you could try some type of available medication. Just to make sure you have your readings correct, get your water tested by the shop, or a friend if they have a decent test kit. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi TankMate, Geez.... Where do we start The most important thing we needed to know was your tank size. CLOUDY WATER: Definite signs of OVERFEEDING, Something dead in the tank, or high bacteria, plus,... unless you are running a huge tank you are way overstocked. ALL these lead to unstable conditions. You say about you feeding, This "Scooping" thing you do... How much do you "Scoop" ? Four times a day is a lot to be feeding most fish in "Scoops" A three week old setup is far from established, and should have very low numbers of fish untill it becomes established, even with all the stuff you seemed to have added. Three weeks with the amount of fish you have is suicide, for your bank balance and your fish, and to say you have only done a single water change of 25%..... Your ammonia levels must have been through the roof, which is more than likely the cause of all your fish losses. The thing is how do we stop you losing anymore fish. The cloudy water means trouble, so lots of water changes are going to be needed. Do a 50% ASAP, then 30 to 40 percent daily till the water clears. Run a filter of some sort with Activated Carbon (continuously). This might help remove some of the toxins in the water. FEEDING: Reduce to one feed a day, and only feed what they can clean up completely in five or so minutes. They won't starve. Personally I would definitely STOP feeding the Still trying to absorb it all, so I'll let a few others comment. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Just a little tip for anyone setting up a tank that doesn't have a spirit level of a decent size. Get a long length of clear air tube and fill with water. Attach one end to one end of your stand or tank (use selotape or a peg) Take the other end to any other point around the base. Hold it at the same level of the tank or stand. The two water levels in the tube should match. They use this method to level decks and patio's up. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

WOW TankMate,... Welcome to the forum. First question is what part of the Pacific do you own. With all those fish you surely need it. I think we need to know a bit more about your water conditions, tank size, pH, temp and such. Just reading the above it seems loke you have high levels of something in your water. What other foods do you feed ? What medications or additives have you used to date ? What Water changes do you do, and how often ? How long have you had the tank setup ? When did the probs start... and what was the last thing you added before they did ? Have you checked for dead fish under rocks etc, ? What substrate and filtration are you using ? Is the water cloudy at all ? How often do you feed ? What are your present readings of the water ? Can you post a bit more info ? Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Janet, Welcome to the forum. Always nice to see new members. Nice size tank you have there... What do you intend to put in it ? Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Good thinking Cat Woman he he. Just don't switch it off and leave it in the tank if it is an established filter. So pleased your fish is back to normal. Right, your next project is a Discus breeding program

Hi Cat, I was a bit concerned about reading your post as I was thinking the worst, but am delighted your discus has pulled through. Bloat tends to affect Angels as well as they tend to gorge on the food. Feeding lesser amounts at one go usually helps with a good break in between feeds, which gives them time to digest what they've eaten. Fill up a bucket with old tank water and stick it in the garden. You will get lotsa mossie larva which can be an extra variety for them.

Cute little guy you got there Ira, and a choice pic. Hi Dennis, are you meaning Puffers, or the Monos and Scats. Last time I saw a Mono was in Hollywood I think, about ten or twelve years back he he. (might be wrong) The names I have (which are probably out of date knowing my books) are Monodactylus argenteus and M. sebae for the Mono, and Scatophagus argus for the Scat... both nice fish, but can't imagine them being with pencils as they (pencils) like soft acid water, preferrably tannin stained (yellowing)

Choice to see you here Phillip, glad you decided to join. Welcome to the NZ Fishroom. Lotsa great fish there you can tell us about, and plenty of good reading here to keep you interested. Regards, Bill (Pegasus)

Hi Ira, What's the tech name for them. I had a few hundred in my shop many years ago but they were slightly brackish if I remember right. Had them in with Monos and Scats. Real nice fish, but had an appitete that kept some keeping up to. Their eyes ARE fascinating, and I think this is one reason they sold so quickly. Can't remember what species they were though, but they loved big brine shrimp and most live foods. Scats and Monos are not a fish you hear much about these days. Mind you, I don't get out a lot to view the shops. Seen any on your travels ? Regards, Bill (Pegasus)