Celcuis Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 (edited) Firstly m new to this forum Hi anyway I started a tank 1-1/2 months ago, conditioned with prime stocked it full of plants a piece of driftwood and sand and dirt I have a filter and a heater also going. soo last Saturday I went do to animates and brought 5 neon tetras and drip acclimated them into my 60L tank and they seemed good that Sunday I fed them a bit too much so their was quit a bit of uneaten food at the bottom they looked good swimming around that day but today I fed them in the morning a bit too much as well but the looked fine when I got home. I syphoned some of the food out and did a 10% water change and then after a while the my neons lost colour and started rapid breathing at the surface? their is also quite a bit of these small white hairlike worms I think palirnia or something lke that? i really need some help this situation is stressing me out?.. What do I do? any help would be appericiated thanks Edited February 27, 2017 by Celcuis Insert photo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 Your fish look "pinch gutted" (which means they have not been feeding) and your water looks cloudy . The latter means your overfeeding has caused a bacterial bloom and the bacteria are using all the oxygen up(that is why the fish are at the surface. You need to remove all the excess food and do a massive water change. Your fish may not have been well when you bought them (they are not showing any colour) or they are now stressed out by the lack of oxygen. Your stocking is low so there should have been plenty of oxygen. You only feed what the fish can eat completely in a few minutes. Celcuis and Silverdollarboy2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celcuis Posted February 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 Thanks for you info I realise I been feeding way too much and I won't do that agin they reason why I fed them so much was because they only ate a couple of really tiny pieces. I will look into "pinch gutted" and feeding fish in general. anyway I did a 20% water change and now the fish aren't on the surface, they swimmin like normal but still opening and closing their mouths pretty fast I will see till morning and hopefully do another water change if they are alive btw the picture is really bad the fish aren't that bad looking and they tank isn't that yellow/ cloudy. Alanmin i really appericiate your fast info Thanks I'm going to sleep now and hope my fish are gonna to alive in the morning.. i will update this post in the morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celcuis Posted February 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 Sorry couldn't update in the morning so in the morning I woke up to my neons gasping then I did a 50% water change and didn't feed them. and then when I came back home after work I saw them gasping so I went to my friends house and Barrowed a air pump and stone. Now The neons are fine and back into full colour I was wondering when I should feed them and how much? should wait untill the water completly clears? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 You will need to get the water back to full oxygen before you feed. They will not eat when they are stressed out trying to get oxygen. They will be OK without food for a few days and there is probably heaps still in there anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celcuis Posted February 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 yea I fed them a crushed pea and thy nipped at it last night. I have also seen them scavenge for bits of food on the ground. i will feed them when the water is clear and wince I've done another water change. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 Only a tiny amount that they can eat in a few minutes. Celcuis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 1, 2017 Report Share Posted March 1, 2017 What are your tank parameters ie ammonia, nitrite, nitrate? There may also have been a small ammonia spike created and adding a form of oxygen displacement will have also helped. FYI - a fish's stomach is the size of its eye so that is how little they need. Water changes will become your friend - if in doubt what is happening and you don't know what to do - do a water change while help arrives Celcuis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celcuis Posted March 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2017 I didn't get any test kits the fish are doing good now but the waters still a bit cloudy.the stomach to eye comparason you mentioned is really helpful I have another question... I'm plan on keeping only the 5 neons and 3 kuhlie/ coolie loaches in the 15 gallon 60 litre tank cramed full of plants so my question is can I go without a filter so only running 160/LPH air pump, heater and light? Currently I got a small internal filter but I feal like it doesn't do anything... Thanks:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celcuis Posted March 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2017 A quick pic sorry about the quality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colour_genes Posted March 1, 2017 Report Share Posted March 1, 2017 Yes, you do need some sort of filter/s in there. I'd leave in the internal filter you have already, and as you already have an air pump going, add one or two of the air-driven sponge filters ( this sort of thing http://www.hollywoodfishfarm.co.nz/product/aqua-one-breeder-sponge-filter-60-19885/) up to it, and then add some sort of filter bacteria (this kind of stuff http://www.hollywoodfishfarm.co.nz/product/api-stresszyme-1-89l-3/ That should help your water quality no end. Celcuis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celcuis Posted March 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2017 Nah I don't want to add more stuff/ tank filter as I want to have as less equipment visible.I am thinking of getting a canister filter...I will check out that biological supplement. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted March 1, 2017 Report Share Posted March 1, 2017 I wouldn't add biological supplements. Your problem has been biological overload from too many bacteria. Your biological load from that small number of fish will be low and will be the actual load from your actual fish. This will then culture the actual bacteria your tank requires (so long as you give up overfeeding). Celcuis and Adrienne 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 2, 2017 Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 What size and brand is your 'small' filter? You might be surprised as sometimes small filters are pretty powerful. Celcuis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celcuis Posted March 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 Well the filter isn't bad it conseals into the background pretty well but I think the nutrients are still in the water but the the actual filter is a 80gallon per hour I run sponge and filter floss in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shilo Posted March 3, 2017 Report Share Posted March 3, 2017 Filter is the correct size as commonly work on a flow of 5 times the tank volume per hour (15g tank x 5 = 75g / hr). In this case it sounds like it was simply overloaded (over feeding & lack of water changes) & thus it looked like it wasn't working. A filter with sponge and floss in it will be working 2 ways: Biologically and mechanically. It will be mechanically filtering out any largish particles in the water by trapping them and the surface area inside the floss & sponge would enable bacteria to grow to turn harmful ammonia into nitrites and eventually less harmful nitrates. What you want to do for the filter to be efficient is once a week wash the floss & sponge in siphoned off tank water (not tap water especially if chlorinated!). This will unclog the pores of the media by removing any mulm which consists of large particles and dead bacteria & allow more "real estate" for healthy bacteria to grow. You want the healthy bacteria to survive the cleaning process so don't use any chemicals or dry it out at all. Water changes are still a must even if the filter is working at peak efficiency. You can do either 10% per day or 35% twice a week or 50% per week (easiest option). By cutting down on the feeding and doing the above your tank water should be crystal clean. Celcuis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celcuis Posted March 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2017 Thanks Shilo for you info I will do 50% water changes every Saturday and also start feading a pinch every other day. I have some more questions 1.do you think the 5 neons and 3 kuhlie loaches can be housed in tank with its current equipment 2.i brrowed the air pump from a friend so I'll have to return it later so do I need to purchase my own air pump or I was thinking of getting the sun sun 400 liter per hour canister filter (come with a spray bar output)for $40 new on trade me. 3. (Totally unrelated question).. I've got a piece of driftwood from Taupo which I have boiled once and been soaking it out Side for almost 2 months now and it still won't sink. How do I water-lodge this? Drill heaps of small holes.. Boil it more.. ? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shilo Posted March 3, 2017 Report Share Posted March 3, 2017 1. the stocking is fine with the current tank & pump size. 2. Air pump won't be needed. It would have helped because the bacteria bloom had depleted the oxygen level, I wouldn't worry about getting another once the tank is up and running properly. You could get another filter if you want but the current one is fine. 3. I have a piece of drift wood that has been in the tank for 2 years and still insists on floating. You could weigh it down with a rock or glue it to a tile (hot glue gun) and cover the tile with substrate to hide it. Celcuis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celcuis Posted March 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2017 Thanks Shilo for the answers I'll try and glue the drift wood to a rock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celcuis Posted March 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2017 Hot gluing driftwood to a rock didn't work out however I have attached the driftwood to a rock using regular thread (not sure how long it'll last though) I've rescaped my whole tank today I think it looks a whole lot better than before I'll try post a pic in the morning. Thanks to all you guys for clearing my mind up.really appericiate you humble advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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