Post by Jennifer Vals on Sept 4, 2012 18:52:04 GMT -6
Hello All,
I haven't posted much on the site- but I introduced myself awhile ago.
I am perplexed. I am an experienced fish keeper, but I'm new to having a tank here in TN. I started up a new 90 gallon tank recently, and it's been two years since I last had a tank due to moving from PA.
So here's the background: over the summer, I collected some driftwood from the TN river, here in Knoxville, and then I soaked it for a month. After soaking, I boiled the pieces twice. Then, I placed the driftwood in my tank, filled the tank with water, substrate from the tanks I had two years ago (it's been unused for two years, in other words), rocks, and then added plants. I’ve had a fishless tank for a month and a half. The tank had a couple of snails, and then there was a white growth on some of the driftwood pieces that has subsided. I noticed some little tiny white bugs. I also had some algae, brown mostly that got on the glass and seemed to grown in “hairs” on the driftwood. The water was clear (no tannins) and I tested it- the PH was hard- 8.2 but otherwise, all seemed ok. Just last Thursday, I added some five little loaches and two bristle nose plecos, hoping the latter would clean up the algae a bit. I eased the fish into the tank over a three hour period, aware that I had a high ph.
I realize this is a “new” tank and that it needs to cycle, so to help it out a bit, I kept a close watch on the ammonia, and added a pouch of “used” substrate from an established tank, as well as added “Stability” from BIOCHEM to get the biofilter going. In hindsight, I should have purchased hardier fish. However, this is where I’m perplexed: The loaches have all but died off, and one of the plecos has died off. The other isn’t looking so good. One of the loaches developed a white spot on its head, and the other loach that is still alive and active, but looks bloated as of today.
I imagine that it's not just cuz the tank isn't cycled. This seems extreme, esp given that I've tested the water and it's within the right parameters. I'm now wondering if it's the driftwood? Please let me know if you have any advice.
Thanks,
Jennifer Vals
I haven't posted much on the site- but I introduced myself awhile ago.
I am perplexed. I am an experienced fish keeper, but I'm new to having a tank here in TN. I started up a new 90 gallon tank recently, and it's been two years since I last had a tank due to moving from PA.
So here's the background: over the summer, I collected some driftwood from the TN river, here in Knoxville, and then I soaked it for a month. After soaking, I boiled the pieces twice. Then, I placed the driftwood in my tank, filled the tank with water, substrate from the tanks I had two years ago (it's been unused for two years, in other words), rocks, and then added plants. I’ve had a fishless tank for a month and a half. The tank had a couple of snails, and then there was a white growth on some of the driftwood pieces that has subsided. I noticed some little tiny white bugs. I also had some algae, brown mostly that got on the glass and seemed to grown in “hairs” on the driftwood. The water was clear (no tannins) and I tested it- the PH was hard- 8.2 but otherwise, all seemed ok. Just last Thursday, I added some five little loaches and two bristle nose plecos, hoping the latter would clean up the algae a bit. I eased the fish into the tank over a three hour period, aware that I had a high ph.
I realize this is a “new” tank and that it needs to cycle, so to help it out a bit, I kept a close watch on the ammonia, and added a pouch of “used” substrate from an established tank, as well as added “Stability” from BIOCHEM to get the biofilter going. In hindsight, I should have purchased hardier fish. However, this is where I’m perplexed: The loaches have all but died off, and one of the plecos has died off. The other isn’t looking so good. One of the loaches developed a white spot on its head, and the other loach that is still alive and active, but looks bloated as of today.
I imagine that it's not just cuz the tank isn't cycled. This seems extreme, esp given that I've tested the water and it's within the right parameters. I'm now wondering if it's the driftwood? Please let me know if you have any advice.
Thanks,
Jennifer Vals
I gots plenty of buckets! ty david!