Healthy tetras? or not . . .

[danbr]

Hi there,

Just looking for abit of advice, i have had a tank up and running for about 2 weeks and fish 13 cardinal tetras in for 1 week. I have noticed some of the tetras have pointy bellies. Not sure if it is anything to be concerned about, the fish look relatively healthy and are moving well.

Is this normal?
Here is a video of them: http://sendvid.com/3eaeeq1x

The tank is 190L and these are the only fish in the tank, ammonia, nitrate and nitrites are all zero ppm and i'm doing water changes every 3/4 days around 35-40% HMA filtered.

I am going tomorrow to get some mature filter media.

Any help would be great,

 

[Byron]

I wouldn't worry about the belly, I suspect that may be overeating. How much do you feed?

If I may offer some advice, you need more "decor" in this tank, these cardinals are acting stressed. Water conditions may be part of this too, if cycling wasn't completed. Rather than mature filter media, you would be better with a bacterial supplement. The problem with filter media is pathogens (disease, parasites, etc). Media from other people's tanks,or worse yet store tanks, is not a good idea.

Bacterial supplements include Tetra's SafeStart, or Dr. Tim's One and Only, or even Seachem's Stability. Test as you have been, and do a water change if ammonia or nitrite show up.

Is that plant live or artificial? Just got a quick glimpse in the video. If live, that will help you some. Some floating plants should be acquired; cardinals do not appreciate bright lighting from above, and having white sand makes it worse for the fish. Some more chunks of wood, plants, dried leaves can deal with the white sand.

Byron.

 

[danbr]

Many thanks for taking the time to reply.

I feed once in the morning and once at night, just a pinch and is all gone in 15-30 seconds. The tank light isn't on for that long throughout the day and they get stressed when i'm stood near the tank, when standing back they shoal nicely.

The plant is live and i also have some more plants coming tomorrow and possibly a couple of bottom feeders.

I have this wood to go in the tank also:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Natural-W...var=670968219715&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

It used to be that getting mature filter media from a reputable breeder worked well in getting the bacteria needed in the filter, does the tetra safestart actually work? Can it be added while there are fish in the tank?

The ultimate goal is to get discus in a couple of months and i want to make sure that the tetras and couple of corry's are settled and disease free before getting the discus.

 

[Byron]

The wood is fine, very nice. You will need to get it waterlogged or it will float for weeks. I would reduce feeding to once a day, preferably early in the day, with "day" meaning the daylight period for the tank lighting. Wait at least an hour after the tank light comes on before feeding, this applies to any fish (except nocturnal species). You can miss a day a week, or two; never feed prior to a water change or similar disruption.

"Couple of cory"...Corydoras are shoaling fish and need a group, just like the cardinals and discus for that matter. I would suggest a group of 9-12 cories. Remember the discus need warmth, 82-84F, much higher temperatures than most cories can manage, cardinals are OK with the higher temp. Corydoras sterbai is often used with discus for this reason, though not every cory specialist will even agree with this combination.

It used to be that getting mature filter media from a reputable breeder worked well in getting the bacteria needed in the filter, does the tetra safestart actually work? Can it be added while there are fish in the tank?

Yes you can use these with fish. The principle is the same, you are seeding the filter with live bacteria. The products I mentioned are the best available, the SafeStart and the Dr. Tim's are the top, but I have used Stability. The problem with using filter media or substrate from someone else's tank is the risk of introducing pathogens and/or disease. We quarantine new fish, and the reason is exactly the same, to prevent introducing disease. Every aquarium is biologically different, and pathogens of various sorts will live in an aquarium with fish, and while those fish in that environment may be fine, introducing those pathogens to your aquarium could be disastrous.

 

[danbr]

Sterbai Cory are what i'm looking at and thought 6 would be a nice shoal of them as i don't want to over crowd the tank, it's only 190L. And around 10 rummies.

Would adding the corys with the safestart and plants be okay?

 

[Byron]

Sterbai Cory are what i'm looking at and thought 6 would be a nice shoal of them as i don't want to over crowd the tank, it's only 190L. And around 10 rummies.

Would adding the corys with the safestart and plants be okay?

I would have a larger group of cories, at least 9. We often have to consider "minimum" numbers to accommodate smallish tanks, but this is never in the fish's best interest and you can't have "too many" from the fish's perspective. The more the happier and that means healthier.

Rummynose tetra is a tetra that needs a largish group; ten is a decent number but I would want more. This is a strong shoaling fish. I seem to be on a numbers roll here, but it is for the good of the fish.

Live plants, if some fast growing are included (floating work best for this) will deal with "cycling."

I don't know the dimensions of this 190 liter tank, considering you intend a group of discus...

Byron.

 

[danbr]

Okay, thank you for your help. And would adding these fish now be okay?

What plants have you been successful in keeping alive. Around 8 years ago when i kept fish i couldn't keep any plants alive with nutrients and substrate.

 

[Byron]

Okay, thank you for your help. And would adding these fish now be okay?

What plants have you been successful in keeping alive. Around 8 years ago when i kept fish i couldn't keep any plants alive with nutrients and substrate.

The heat is another issue for plants. I have a tank with Chocolate Gourami that need 80F, and the plants never do as well as they do (same species) in my other 7 tanks. Amazon sword plants usually fare OK.

I would want to have the plants clearly growing before adding more fish. Without plants, you have to rely on nitrifying bacteria.

 

[NickAu]

What plants have you been successful in keeping alive.

Crypts, Anubias, Blue Stricta, Water sprite ( Floating ), Ambulia and Glossostigma all seem to grow well at 26deg c and low light,