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Old 07-16-2007, 04:27 PM   #1
salt creepette
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trouble with 50 gallon, advice appreciated!


It all started when I replaced the gravel in my 50 gallon tank. I did get rid of four of my larger fish before I did this. I kept two large dishes of the old gravel in the tank to provide biofilter and seed the new gravel. I expected a cycle and got one; I did a couple water changes and used amquel to bind some of the ammonia. Nonethless, I did lose two tiger barbs. A month after I changed the gravel and the cycle evened out, I went and got six new barbs. (I had only three to start with.) I lost a couple more barbs (all other fish doing fine...african reedfish, algae eater, two clown plecos, albino shark), and couldn't figure out why; I couldnt SEE any ich or anything. Then a week later I could see the ich. So, I began treating with Kordon's Rid Ich (malachite green and formalin) which I have used successfully several times before in my fishkeeping years. I awoke on the second morning after treating to a very cloudy tank and three more barbs on the brink of death, with ammonia testing around 2.0-3.0ppm. They twitch, breathe heavily, and can't stay upright, along with their fins rotting away. I did a 40% water change, added ammonia binder and carbon to absorb the medicine. Water tests for very low ammonia at the moment. Now I am just kind of sitting, waiting wondering what to do, if anything. Most of the fish are doing just fine, eating etc (of course with the chaos I am barely feeding them and when I do its with blender mush soaked in zoecon and beta glucan), but the barbs are just driving me crazy with all the dying and fin rotting. I did get them from the same place, but they looked healthy in the store. Anyone have any insight???
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Old 08-06-2007, 09:44 PM   #2
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could the O2 level have dropped? not sure, just trying to help and give you a bump.

cloudy usually means bacterial bloom.

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Old 08-06-2007, 11:12 PM   #3
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I don't know anything about fish medication, if it were me I would probably be doing the same thing you are, lots of water changes, and letting everything settle.

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Old 08-06-2007, 11:24 PM   #4
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I think somehow I had messed up and killed the bacteria with the meds; I ended up putting carbon back in and leaving everything be. After a couple more deaths (two more of the new barbs) and everyone balancing back out (couple weeks), I noticed the scratching going on so I removed carbon and very carefully used malachite green/formalin (quick ich) again for three days with no ill effect on the biofilter. things are okay now. one of the fish I thought for sure was a gonner (dorsal and tail fin COMPLETELY gone) has continued to eat and is now regrowing fins. go figure; I guess some fish really do have a stronger will to live than others!

Lesson learned: don't disturb the biofilter (I had vacuumed the gravel on the initial water change the first day of treatment...I thought I was doing a good thing by 'sucking up the encysted ichs on the bottom of the tank'....) and be meticulous about dosing meds (I measured but its possible that I overdosed by a tiny bit esp. because the water level in my tank was a little below topped off)
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