3d Backgrounds And Vanishing Fish

[lgarvey]

Hi,

I did a 'head count' today and realised I was one fish missing. So I started removing rocks and so on but there was no fish to be seen. Then I noticed that the fish had squeezed behind the 3d background and died. Explains the recent ammonia spike.

Anyway, I see other fish swimming behind them and whilst the tank is running I don't think I'll succeed at fixing the gaps. So, instead, I am thinking of pulling the backgrounds off and ditching them. However, I wonder how easy a job this would be, especially removing the black silicone and so on. Does any one have any ideas? smile.gif

L

 

[Sparnon]

Hi there dude,

Have you ever thought that maybe you should just take some of that stuff out of the tank for good?

Seriously if your fish are getting trapped and dying in your decor I'd suggest a rethink. After all decor is there for your enjoyment, and serves no beneficial purpose to your fish, and if it's KILLING your fish then it immediately makes itself pointless. Why not just replace it with a load of plants or something? IMO they look way better than any stupid background ever will, and they're good for the tank and fish.

Another thing is that sometimes fish will jam themselves in somewhere when they want to die. I've had a few sick fish do that just before they've lost the battle with an illness. Something to do with feeling more secure when they're weak. Bad side is that you can't find them until you start getting funny water readings.

Sorry if I'm coming across a bit blunt. Not criticising your decor I just happen to know that 90% of it is pure industrial grade crap as far as fish are concerned and it takes up valuable literage that you could be using for other things.

 

[lgarvey]

This is what I'm contemplating -- removing the 3d background.

There's no plants in the tank, as they're mbuna and would shred / move them. There's quite a few stacked ocean rock, but they help the mbuna avoid agression, and also help buffer the pH.

I would remove the backgrounds if I could easily get the silicone off as well. They're fixed pretty tight. Alternatively, I think I could get some more foam and plug the gaps. Hmmm. Might be an easier solution.

L

 

[Sparnon]

This is what I'm contemplating -- removing the 3d background.

There's no plants in the tank, as they're mbuna and would shred / move them. There's quite a few stacked ocean rock, but they help the mbuna avoid agression, and also help buffer the pH.

I would remove the backgrounds if I could easily get the silicone off as well. They're fixed pretty tight. Alternatively, I think I could get some more foam and plug the gaps. Hmmm. Might be an easier solution.

L

Hmm,

First of all, unless it's scratched or abrazed nothing should be able to get a permanent hold on glass. It's smooth surface is very very smooth even at electron microscope level, so barely anything can get ahold of it. Silicone can be removed by a glass scraper, which you can get from any good DIY store, and they're normally used for getting plaster, paint, silicone and sealer off of windows after a DIY job. So if you can get the background to part with the silicone then you've already done the hard bit. A sharp knife should do it to be honest, silicone isn't exactly tough. Just mind the fish when you're doing it.

Secondly, rocks probably aren't going to help do anything to the pH unless they're dissolving limestone or something else into the water, or they're absorbing something out of it, which you really don't want because you won't be able to control it. It's much better to use off the shelf products because that way you can gaurantee results as well as predict them. I never suggest rocks for an aquarium personally, just because of the number of times I've read about people having problems with them. Large pebbles are better, since they reduce the risk of fish damaging themselves against them, and their smooth surface makes them easier to clean. Rocks are often jagged, and fish can become badly stuck when wriggling between them, resulting in damage.

 

[mezzic]

It happened to me, best way to stop them swimmin behind it is to find the gap and block it up with gravel or a plant failing that remove it using a wallpaper scraper to carefully peel of the background and on break it and a stanley knife blade to scrape the silicon off
hope you succeed and not loose any more