tnfishlady
New Member
I have a 36 gallon that apparently lost some of the bacteria that controls the nitrogen cycle. Actually I've plain had numerous issues in trying to keep fish healthy and alive in the last few months. I had thriving mid-sized aquariums many years ago, and don't remember having the issues I'm having now. My suspicion is the fish, in general, are more sensitive now. Anyway ...
The aquarium was set up with mature media a couple of months ago, and put 4 zebra danios in, and purchased 5 von rio / flame tetra. After a week, after checking that ammonia and nitrite was zero, I purchased 5 harlequin rasbora. I also had about 15-20 baby platies in a net breeder that were thriving and growing. A few weeks later, the next addition were 5 cardinal tetras, which died within a week with no symptoms of illness. Then I tried adding 4 small angelfish, all which died within a few days, showing some cloudiness on their fins and some clamped fins. The baby platies died within the next week (largest was probably around 1/4 inch), again showing some clamped fins and cloudiness on their fins.
At this point I did a 30% water change, and a week later, with no more signs of illness and all water parameters fine, I purchased 5 blue rasboras. Within 48 hours, I noticed at least one Harlequin rasbora having bottom fins that looked clamped and white. Within a day or two, 2 or 3 others were affected. After looking at the Mardel products I chose to dose with MarOxy, and with little improvement added Maracyn 2 in the mix 36 hours later. There was a little improvement at first, then it seemed to get worse. After 5 days of Maracyn 2 plus MarOxy, I changed 40% of the water, and added carbon back to the filter. About 24 hours later, I removed the carbon from the filter and started using Maracyn, which within 2 - 3 days, the fish were fine. After completing the treatment I did a 30% water change and re-added the carbon. It has been probably about a week and a half since I completed treating the fish.
Mardel products state they have tested their products and none of the products listed below had shown any disruption to the biological filtration / bacteria. But I have a Seachem ammonia monitor in the aquarium and noticed within 36 hours after treatment, the monitor was showing alert for ammonia. Testing with API ammonia test revealed the ammonia level is around .25 ppm. Nitrite was tested a day or two later and shows .25 ppm as well. This has been stable within the past few days. Interestingly enough, I have a Salifert ammonia test kit, and it continues to not detect any ammonia, but the nitrite test agrees with the API test.
All fish seem fine, no signs of illness, and they are active and eating well. I've added half doses of Prime to help detoxify the ammonia / nitrite.
Would the antibiotics caused some of the bacteria to die? This is the only explanation I can think of. Is there anything else I should be doing, other than water changes, to try to help solve this issue? I'm going to change a filter media cartridge out of another aquarium today and cut up and add the filter "floss" media to the filter on the 36 and hope that helps, although the aquarium it is coming from only had 3 small goldfish in it at this time.
Another possibility -- I use a drain/fill hose attached to my water faucet to fill the aquarium. Water from the tap is is matched closely with the aquarium water before adding it, but is chlorinated. Just before adding the water I put in Prime at about 1 1/2 times the dosage of the water amount I am adding back in. Could this be an issue?
Other stats on the aquarium:
Temperature -- 77 degrees Fahrenheit
PH -- around 7.2
Lightly planted with Cryptocorne species plants
Aqueon power filter plus air driven bottom corner filter filled with gravel, a mix of carbon and phosphorus removing media, and some floss
I had a piece of Mobani wood in there for a while but the water was continually dark and the wood had some cloudy slime on it (which I've read is harmless, but I think it helped killed the Anubias plants I had tied to the wood). I removed the wood after antibiotic treatment, and with the water changes and addition of a lot of fresh carbon, the aquarium is nearly clear now.
Any comments and/or advise would be appreciated.
The aquarium was set up with mature media a couple of months ago, and put 4 zebra danios in, and purchased 5 von rio / flame tetra. After a week, after checking that ammonia and nitrite was zero, I purchased 5 harlequin rasbora. I also had about 15-20 baby platies in a net breeder that were thriving and growing. A few weeks later, the next addition were 5 cardinal tetras, which died within a week with no symptoms of illness. Then I tried adding 4 small angelfish, all which died within a few days, showing some cloudiness on their fins and some clamped fins. The baby platies died within the next week (largest was probably around 1/4 inch), again showing some clamped fins and cloudiness on their fins.
At this point I did a 30% water change, and a week later, with no more signs of illness and all water parameters fine, I purchased 5 blue rasboras. Within 48 hours, I noticed at least one Harlequin rasbora having bottom fins that looked clamped and white. Within a day or two, 2 or 3 others were affected. After looking at the Mardel products I chose to dose with MarOxy, and with little improvement added Maracyn 2 in the mix 36 hours later. There was a little improvement at first, then it seemed to get worse. After 5 days of Maracyn 2 plus MarOxy, I changed 40% of the water, and added carbon back to the filter. About 24 hours later, I removed the carbon from the filter and started using Maracyn, which within 2 - 3 days, the fish were fine. After completing the treatment I did a 30% water change and re-added the carbon. It has been probably about a week and a half since I completed treating the fish.
Mardel products state they have tested their products and none of the products listed below had shown any disruption to the biological filtration / bacteria. But I have a Seachem ammonia monitor in the aquarium and noticed within 36 hours after treatment, the monitor was showing alert for ammonia. Testing with API ammonia test revealed the ammonia level is around .25 ppm. Nitrite was tested a day or two later and shows .25 ppm as well. This has been stable within the past few days. Interestingly enough, I have a Salifert ammonia test kit, and it continues to not detect any ammonia, but the nitrite test agrees with the API test.
All fish seem fine, no signs of illness, and they are active and eating well. I've added half doses of Prime to help detoxify the ammonia / nitrite.
Would the antibiotics caused some of the bacteria to die? This is the only explanation I can think of. Is there anything else I should be doing, other than water changes, to try to help solve this issue? I'm going to change a filter media cartridge out of another aquarium today and cut up and add the filter "floss" media to the filter on the 36 and hope that helps, although the aquarium it is coming from only had 3 small goldfish in it at this time.
Another possibility -- I use a drain/fill hose attached to my water faucet to fill the aquarium. Water from the tap is is matched closely with the aquarium water before adding it, but is chlorinated. Just before adding the water I put in Prime at about 1 1/2 times the dosage of the water amount I am adding back in. Could this be an issue?
Other stats on the aquarium:
Temperature -- 77 degrees Fahrenheit
PH -- around 7.2
Lightly planted with Cryptocorne species plants
Aqueon power filter plus air driven bottom corner filter filled with gravel, a mix of carbon and phosphorus removing media, and some floss
I had a piece of Mobani wood in there for a while but the water was continually dark and the wood had some cloudy slime on it (which I've read is harmless, but I think it helped killed the Anubias plants I had tied to the wood). I removed the wood after antibiotic treatment, and with the water changes and addition of a lot of fresh carbon, the aquarium is nearly clear now.
Any comments and/or advise would be appreciated.
