Geophagus Pellegrini Setup

[minnnt]

I will do mate no worries.

Crowland isn't that far away, so if i come up with a blank at my local MA's i could just take a ride down to them. (obviously ring before hand to make sure they have them! )

 

[minnnt]

Here are a few quick snaps of them. Just took em with my phone so they're not fandabidosy.

They're about an inch and a half and are already standing up to the green sev that they're in with.

 

[Wills]

They look nice and chunky for that size Very nice!

Forgot to mention earlier - on the seriously fish Coumbia searchings it turns up a few quite funny/controversial populations of Gourami and Rosy Barbs, quite a fish geek thing but would be funny to have one of them in there and when people say its not biotope correct haha!!

Wills

 

[minnnt]

I like it! Maybe an oddball for the upper water column. Hmmm. Also like rosey barbs!

 

[Wills]

Tell you what would be really really really impressive if you could do it get a wild caught Columbian Gourami haha!! I have only one idea how you might do it.... Nelly has a house in Columbia and hes a crazy guy..... just saying he might be up for it hahaha!!!

The two varieties that were mentioned were Pearl and Moonlight, of the two I think the Moonlight are more "south american" looking if you know what I mean?

Wills

 

[minnnt]

*goes to send him a message on facebook* lmao! Now that would be fantastic!

 

[minnnt]

Ok, so I have added some more wood in an attempt to offer more cover for them againts the oscar. Will hopefully have them rehomed this week, if not then they will be off to wharf.

Stocking plans are:

4 geophagus pellegrini
15 emperor tetras
10 corydoras bilineatus

Will add the catfish if I come across one, but not essential.

Will also get some narrow leaved java fern and some wood/roots if I see some I like. Also considering a way of dimming the light a little as its too bright atm imo.

 

[Wills]

Sounds good What about floating plants to help dip the lights?

 

[minnnt]

Good idea! Would need a lot though! Lol.

 

[Wills]

So long as you dont have too much of a current in your tank they generally spread like wildfire. I had a trigon 350 once and they covered it on a weekly basis even if I took out like 80% of the plants lol.

But now I run FX5s there is no chance lol.

Wills

 

[minnnt]

Right... Not a great way to start the new year.

The wood i added (well, assuming it's the wood!) has leeched something into the water and has left me with THREE DEAD GEOPHAGUS PELLEGRINI and ONE DEAD SHOVELNOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Words cannot begin to describe how angry i am!!

The wood was scrubbed and soaked for a couple of hours before i added it. (Added yesterday afternoon) The water didn't seem too bad that came off of the wood so i decided to add it. The water this morning was super cloudy and stained yellow. Was labelled as Sumatran wood, which i have in all 3 of my other tanks and prompted me to get it again.

Luckily enough i managed to save my Oscar and Sev along with the Plec and Rainbow Snakehead. I thought i was going to lose the Oscar as he didn't look very good at all. Syphoned some water from another tank into two buckets and put two fish in each. I then proceeded to empty the tank with 3 5 gallon barrels. Checked on the the Oscar and he was laid on his side in the bucket seemingly on his last legs (fins!) I carried on with the water removal and then set about refilling it. Made sure the temperature was similar and added the fish back in. The Snakehead has gone into hiding which is pretty normal and the Plec, Green Sev and Oscar are seemingly recovering (the Sev and Plec seemed fine all along tbh, just showing signs of their stress colours) a little now and swimming around more.

Tank lights are off now and will check on them every hour. Will also do another water change later on just to ensure everything is fine and will test the water too.

Didn't have time to test the water as it was all systems go when i saw what had happened. In hindsight i guess i should have saved some in a glass to test afterwards.

Just to add, a 50% water change was done on Thursday evening and the stats are always good. Usually 0 amonnia, 0 nitrite and around 10-20ppm nitrate. Ph is roughly 6.8

Very peeved and upset. I guess this thread is kind of over as i don't really feel like keeping any fish what so ever atm.

 

[simonas]

bad times ,was just reading this thinking how cool a set up it will be

 

[minnnt]

Not good Simon... Not good at all. Feel like going to the LFS and beating them across the head with the wood, but i have no proof it was the wood... Realistically, it must be as that is the only thing i have added other than the 3 fish and they were fine until the wood was added.

 

[Wills]

Oh no!!! So gutted for you man I cant even begin to imagine it.

Don't give up off the back of it though this big wipes do happen and there are loads of ways it can happen - heater blow, tank crack, filter burst and indeed chemicals getting into the tank. But you just have to remember how much enjoyment you get out of this to keep it up.

You have done the right thing so far - only other thing I can suggest is something Star4 does where she holds the fishes gills under a filter outlet to flush them of any build up of chemicals - but I would only do this as a last resort. See how the fish are later on before you do an other water change - if you have any get some carbon in the filter as well which could help.

Also RE the shop I would 100% tell them what has happened at the very least they can stop selling that batch of wood as there is clearly something wrong with it and hopefully should in some way support you through it.

Was this your usual shop? That keeps the wood outside?

Hope this works out in some way, my only recent comparison to this is when I lost Elsie but I realise its not on the same scale - you were all set on a change around anyway so why not still go for a big change and reignite things once these fish have recovered somewhat.

Let me know if theres anyway I can help out
Wills

 

[minnnt]

Thanks mate. Means alot.

The wood was from the usual LFS but off of the shelf where the rest was from. It was root/branch like rather than a big chunk like the ones outside.

I believe they are shut today, but will nip in tomorrow. Gutted much!

Unsure on a change now tbh. Still want some Geo's, but can't accomodate the larger ones unfortunately, so may have to look in the opposite direction... Mikrogeophagus maybe? Or maybe go with a thought i had a while ago of Keyholes? Alot of people frown upon these as they can be a little bland, but i like them.

Unsure mate if i'm honest. Don't think i fancy the Pellegrini again, the whole thing has kind of put me off (Don't know why though as it wasn't the fish's fault!)

Maybe some stocking idea's/biotape idea's are needed again.

Thanks for the tip on the gill rinsing, will bare it in mind. The Oscar and Sev have now regained most of their colour and are swimming normally once again and begging for food!