Lizzy Posted June 17, 2002 Report Share Posted June 17, 2002 I have a male bristlenose...its probably about 4 years old now... being my only living original fish, I am quite fond of it. But over the last few days I have noticed that when it sucks on the glass its tummy looks mouldy, it looks like it has changed texture and colour on his tummy. It doesn't look normal Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 17, 2002 Report Share Posted June 17, 2002 Because it lives on the substrate, it is more prone to disease from bacteria in the gravel. Do you syphon the substrate regularly? Perhaps it is picking up greeblies from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted June 17, 2002 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2002 Yeah I syphon it once a week.... I've tested the water and it seems ok too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted June 17, 2002 Report Share Posted June 17, 2002 Hi Lizzy Good to see your posts, and welcome. Is the mouldy look there all the time, or not. Just wondering if it might be the algae off the glass clinging to the underside of the fish, which would give a "Mouldy" look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted June 17, 2002 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2002 its there all the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 17, 2002 Report Share Posted June 17, 2002 Perhaps it is mouldy because it has got wet :lol: My bristlenoses sometimes get quite odd looking on the top of their bodies - they get all patchy but it doesn't seem to bother them. Is its behaviour normal and is it eating well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted June 17, 2002 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2002 I know what you mean by patchyness... that happens sometimes when they are stressed... he seems to be moving around well and eating well... the other bristlenoses in the tank look ok. Maybe if no one has any more suggestions I will just keep an eye on it and let you know if it recovers or not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulkeepeR Posted June 17, 2002 Report Share Posted June 17, 2002 no no no, do not do a gravel siphion, I don't do a gravel siphion no more then once a month, just changing the water will be fine, if you do to many siphons then your breaking down. I remember when my pleco was doing that, and it was becuase my heater cracked and stoped working, whats your temperature in the tank? Also the pleco may not be geting enough nutriants, try throwing some cucumber in the tank, and if you can find a peice of driftwood I would throw that in thier as well, plecos will eat that stuff like icecream. If none of those things work, then take a water sample and post it here. they only get moldy like that then they are really stressed out, its just some kind of reaction to stress. If all of your water prams are ok then I would go ahead and asume it has a sickness, It might me a fungus so I would treat it with some aquarium salt, a little higher temperatures and add just a little melafix and see if hye gets any better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 18, 2002 Report Share Posted June 18, 2002 What do you mean by, "If you're siphoning you're breaking down"? I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that it was bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 18, 2002 Report Share Posted June 18, 2002 Syphoning can be bad depending on filtration and substrate depth. Undergravel filters with a thin layer of gravel can develop problems if you syphon them because you are sucking up all the good bacteria which were growing in the plates. My substrate varies in depth and is over 10cm in places. If I do not syphon it occasionally it can compact and develop 'dead' areas forming nasty bubbles of bad greeblies (I hope I am not getting to technical for you ). Syphoning keeps turning the stones over and the baddies to be sucked away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted June 18, 2002 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2002 I have that common run of the mill fruit salad stones and I guess its probably about 5cm thick. I'm using a power filter. Its not an undergravel filter. So should I keep syphoning each week or not? :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted June 18, 2002 Report Share Posted June 18, 2002 Personally I would but others might have other ideas If you have done it for a week with no improvement in the fish then obviously you might as well stop as it is not helping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midas Posted June 18, 2002 Report Share Posted June 18, 2002 I agree with Caryl. I would of thought it was better to siphon too much than not enough, especially if you are not using it for undergravel filtration. Better to have it aerobic than anaerobic I would have thought, otherwise dead spots and anaerobic bacteria which can be bad may develop to undesirable levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted July 11, 2002 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2002 Hi...Just wanted to let you know that daddy bristlenose is looking a lot better now... the mouldy appearence is gone. I moved him into a different tank where the stones are a different texture. Still don't really know why he went like that cause the other bristlenoses were uneffected. But I am pleased he is fit and well again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelj Posted December 24, 2006 Report Share Posted December 24, 2006 I just rescued a female bristlenose (as far as i know) on trademe. The fish was optional (if wanted). When I picked up the tank, the water was really smelling, the submersible filter hadnt been cleaned in who knows how long (the filter foam was dark brown, covered in slime and crap and half dissolved away), only gravel and a small plant in the tank (no wood or hiding places). and fish looking faded, patchy and unhealthy. I spent the night cleaning the tank, replaced filter media, added aeration and driftwood and treating with melafix. She should be alot happier now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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