Recent content by docpark

Welcome! Will your 55 be a freshwater or marine?

Welcome, William! And as a very wise person once told me, "the only stupid question is the unasked one." :)

Hi SeaSpace: Is there any chance something potentially toxic might have accidentally been introduced into the tank? An ornament, something spilled or sprayed near the tank? If so, you could try running activated carbon for awhile to see if that removes it. Does your water conditioner product...

Hi EMahn: At this stage I'd recommend that you focus on establishing the cycle and not worry about the ph and hardness. It's true that a higher carbonate hardness is associated with a more stable ph, but your original ph of 6.8 is fine for growing the nitrifying bacteria and getting the cycle...

What type of filter is it? If it's a power filter, you might be able to solve the problem by using a small air-driven filter, such as a sponge filter. Their flow is much less than a power filter's, and in such a small volume of water with a single fish it would provide enough filtration.

You could try slowly dropping the temperature down to around 80. Are you still reading ammonia and/or nitrites? If so, one possibility would be to add the water conditioner Prime, which will help lessen the toxicity of the ammonia/nitrite. Is he still showing signs of the fin rot?

Hi capromeryx: For a fry-only tank, a 10 or 20g with an air-powered corner/box filter, or two sponge filters, should probably be fine. Air-powered filters are gentle enough that you don't have to worry about fry being hurt by them. The advantage of the corner/box filter is that you can clean...

Hi Kgunn2128: Would it be possible to temporarily rehome your betta to the other tank while you finish treating the 55? If the Ick is still visible on the platys in the 55 but not on the betta, maybe you could keep him in the 10g until you're done with the full treatment? Once you've finished...

Hi King98: Matrix and de*nitrate are filter media that serve as sites for the growth of the bacteria that process nitrogen compounds like ammonia and nitrite. Stability and SafeStart are bacterial additives that are supposed to introduce the beneficial bacteria and help speed up the...

I hope so too. What are your water parameters currently?

Hi Ha28: It might. Beneficial bacteria do colonize the substrate material, so you're putting quite a few of them into your new tank. Do you have a source of ammonia for the tank?

Hi GobyMaster1127: I agree with Byron that the ph-altering chemicals are not a good idea. I have very hard well water with a ph of nearly 8.0. Most of the time it's just fine; I keep species that either tolerate or prefer rock water. In one of my tanks, though, I maintain a lower kh (and...

Hi Hannerbea: I agree with NickAu that it would be better not to try to change the ph artificially. I suggest that you get a reagent test kit for your principal water parameters (ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) and also a test kit for water hardness (kh/gh), and find the baseline ph, hardness...

Welcome! I think you'll enjoy fishkeeping.

************************************************** Hello Vorpal: I would begin with at least three more corys. They too need to live in groups in order to be healthy. What is the ph and hardness of your aquarium water? These are important to know as you consider which new fish to add. The...