I got new fish! Questions

[cowgirluntamed]

You want to avoid getting testing solution on your skin because they are all toxic. Put a piece of plastic wrap over the lid and then put your thumb/ finger over the top so the chemicals don't come in contact with your skin.

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You can distill water using the sun. Get a large plastic storage container (the dark colours work better so get black if you can). If you can't get black containers, just spray paint the outside of some clear containers black or wrap them in black plastic when out in the sun. Put the container in the sun or a warm room and half fill it with water. Get a clean 10 litre (2.5 gallon) bucket and add a few river rocks to it. Put the bucket in the water in the plastic storage container. The river rocks hold the bucket down in the water and stop it moving about. Put the lid on the plastic storage container and put a small rock on top of the lid near the centre.

As the water in the plastic storage container evaporates, the water vapour condenses on the lid and runs towards the centre of the lid due to the rock on top. It collects in the centre of the lid and drips into the empty bucket in the water. When the bucket is full, pour it into a water holding tank and you have pure distilled water. Then replace the bucket and top up the storage container.

The warmer the water the faster it works, so using a black container in the sun will create more distilled water faster. Having the water in a warm room helps, and you can use an aquarium heater to warm the water too. If you do use an aquarium heater, make sure it remains underwater at all times and the evaporating water does not leave it exposed to the air.

Even on an average property you could have a few containers doing this and collect a heap of distilled water, then use it 50/50 (or whatever combo you like) with well water.

I will try the plastic wrap. Maybe just wrap my thumb in it...lol.

As for the distilled....that process may work great in the summer here, but not in winter outside. I know it sort of depends on the temperature of the water....but how fast would it make it? would I be able to do water changes every week? I would probably end up filtering my well water with the zeolite and carbon and then figure out how much of that to how much distilled. Couldn't hurt to test it I suppose. if I was to use a heater too, how warm should the water get to? Just as hot as it can go?

 

[Colin_T]

You can distill water in the house, just have the container in a warm room.

If you use an aquarium heater, set it to maximum.

In Summer in Australia, I can get 10 litres per day from 1 container out in the sun. if you have several containers you obviously get more. You might need 5 or 6 x 200 litre containers out in the sun to get enough for a water change but you need to experiment a bit and find out how much you need. you might get enough from 2 or 3 containers.

If you put the containers in a glass house/ green house that will help warm the water up too.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

You can distill water in the house, just have the container in a warm room.

If you use an aquarium heater, set it to maximum.

In Summer in Australia, I can get 10 litres per day from 1 container out in the sun. if you have several containers you obviously get more. You might need 5 or 6 x 200 litre containers out in the sun to get enough for a water change but you need to experiment a bit and find out how much you need. you might get enough from 2 or 3 containers.

If you put the containers in a glass house/ green house that will help warm the water up too.

I wish I had a green house...that would be cool! Lol. Anyway.....so the container needs to be able to hold 200 liters of water or is that just the size of it? Seems like a pretty large container. Can a trash can work in this instance or just a tote? I'm not sure I have room for a lot of containers...but I could always try.

 

[Colin_T]

You can use any size container as long as it's clean and holds water. You want a container that can hold a 10 litre (2.5 gal) bucket for practical purposes. Smaller containers will also work but you need to empty the collection container more frequently.

A greenhouse is easy to make. A metal or plastic frame covered in plastic. For heating water cover it in black plastic. It doesn't have to be huge, you can make up a frame 10foot long x 3 foot wide and 2 foot high. Put the plastic storage containers in that and set them up, then cover the lot in black plastic.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

You can use any size container as long as it's clean and holds water. You want a container that can hold a 10 litre (2.5 gal) bucket for practical purposes. Smaller containers will also work but you need to empty the collection container more frequently.

A greenhouse is easy to make. A metal or plastic frame covered in plastic. For heating water cover it in black plastic. It doesn't have to be huge, you can make up a frame 10foot long x 3 foot wide and 2 foot high. Put the plastic storage containers in that and set them up, then cover the lot in black plastic.

Thanks again Colin! You've given me a lot of ideas. I may have to buy a few things to test them out and see what I can do.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

@Colin_T

Do you have a picture so I can see what your setup looks like for the solar distiller? I'm trying to find the best way to set one up and I have an idea but not sure. I was thinking a trash can with maybe even a five gallon bucket but can it float a little at first? I dunno.....lol. my brain wants to be confused. Lol

 

[Colin_T]

A plastic trash can is fine, but avoid galvanised.

You want plastic containers so you can put a small weight on the lid to cause the lid to sag a bit in the middle. This allows the condensation to run towards the middle of the lid and drip into the empty bucket in the container.

You need something in the empty bucket to stop it floating around. I just use a couple of rocks and they weigh the bucket down in the water and stop it moving about. If the bucket moves around it can tip over and you lose the distilled water, or the bucket moves away from where the condensation is dripping form the lid and you don't get any water.

This photo is of the basic design. I use a black storage contain but can't see into it so used a clear container for demonstration purposes. You can use any colour container but black is best because it heats up faster.

There is a green bucket with a blue handle inside the clear plastic storage container. There is a rock sitting in the bottom of the green bucket to stop the bucket floating around.

There is a can of fruit on the top of the storage container to cause the lid to sag a little bit so the condensation drips into the green bucket. You can use anything on the lid, I only had a can of fruit available so used that. But a rock, bag of flour, a bottle of milk. It doesn't matter what you use on the lid as long as it causes the lid to sag a bit in the middle so the water drops there.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

A plastic trash can is fine, but avoid galvanised.

You want plastic containers so you can put a small weight on the lid to cause the lid to sag a bit in the middle. This allows the condensation to run towards the middle of the lid and drip into the empty bucket in the container.

You need something in the empty bucket to stop it floating around. I just use a couple of rocks and they weigh the bucket down in the water and stop it moving about. If the bucket moves around it can tip over and you lose the distilled water, or the bucket moves away from where the condensation is dripping form the lid and you don't get any water.

Yeah, I understood that. I think I may use the trashcan lid upside down or even just get some black plastic for the top before the lid.

On the container on the inside...does it touch the bottom and the water go around it or can it float and go down with the water level? I can always make something to hold it centered I think...

 

[Colin_T]

I use a rock to stop the green bucket floating around but if you can make something to stop the container moving about that is also fine. I have seen people use string to tie each side of the green bucket to the sides of the storage container. Others use netting and hang the bucket in the middle to stop it moving around.

It doesn't matter what you use as long as the collection container is under the area of the lid where the water drips.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

I use a rock to stop the green bucket floating around but if you can make something to stop the container moving about that is also fine. I have seen people use string to tie each side of the green bucket to the sides of the storage container. Others use netting and hang the bucket in the middle to stop it moving around.

It doesn't matter what you use as long as the collection container is under the area of the lid where the water drips.

Thanks a bunch for the picture! I believe my mind is a little less confused now. I'm sure I can come up with something to get it done. I will update you on the progress and how well it works! I think I will start a new thread next time though. This is getting long. Lol. I will continue to monitor my tanks without a water change (unless I can at least filter it really well first) and then if the distiller works I can start having better water for my fish!

 

[cowgirluntamed]

@Colin_T

Ok...one more thing....another glowlight tetra started swimming nose down and is pale. I took a couple of pictures before it got behind some plants. Could this be neon tetra disease? They seem fine one minute and not the next....should I take the fish out and put it down? Is there anything else I can do? I believe most of the ones that have died have had swimming issues right before death.

Upper left corner shows the paleness.

Here you can see the nose down position.

 

[Colin_T]

The glolight in the picture appears to have a cream coloured body. Does the fish have an opaque/ creamy colour to the muscle tissue in its back and body?
If yes it is probably Microsporidian disease. It is a muscle wasting disease that causes the muscle tissue to turn cream/ white. There is no treatment or cure for it other than trying to keep the tank conditions really good and hope for the best. If conditions are good then the infected ones usually die and the others are fine.

I have stoped the disease spreading by using salt, but the levels were quite high and I don't know if tetras will tolerate the levels I used. But you could try adding salt to the tank for a couple of weeks and see if it helps.

You can try adding 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres of tank water. 48 hours later add another 2 heaped tablespoons of salt so there is a total of 4 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres (5 gallons).
Keep the salt level like this for 2 weeks then do daily 10% water changes (for a week) to dilute the salt. then do bigger water changes after that.

This level of salt might affect some plants but most should be ok.

You can try salt even if the fish has a normal coloured tissue, it helps sometimes when nothing else has.

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The fish does not have neon disease.

Neon disease is a bacterial infection that starts eating the fish, usually from the back below the dorsal fin, and it kills fish very quickly. But is quite distinct in appearance, and is treated with anti-biotics. True neon disease is uncommon in aquarium fish and most neons die at the importers or shops long before any customers get near them.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

The glolight in the picture appears to have a cream coloured body. Does the fish have an opaque/ creamy colour to the muscle tissue in its back and body?
If yes it is probably Microsporidian disease. It is a muscle wasting disease that causes the muscle tissue to turn cream/ white. There is no treatment or cure for it other than trying to keep the tank conditions really good and hope for the best. If conditions are good then the infected ones usually die and the others are fine.

I have stoped the disease spreading by using salt, but the levels were quite high and I don't know if tetras will tolerate the levels I used. But you could try adding salt to the tank for a couple of weeks and see if it helps.

You can try adding 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres of tank water. 48 hours later add another 2 heaped tablespoons of salt so there is a total of 4 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres (5 gallons).
Keep the salt level like this for 2 weeks then do daily 10% water changes (for a week) to dilute the salt. then do bigger water changes after that.

This level of salt might affect some plants but most should be ok.

You can try salt even if the fish has a normal coloured tissue, it helps sometimes when nothing else has.

------------------
The fish does not have neon disease.

Neon disease is a bacterial infection that starts eating the fish, usually from the back below the dorsal fin, and it kills fish very quickly. But is quite distinct in appearance, and is treated with anti-biotics. True neon disease is uncommon in aquarium fish and most neons die at the importers or shops long before any customers get near them.

It did look like it was in the muscle but I will double check in the morning when their lights come on. if so, should I go ahead and put the fish down so it doesn't suffer?

As for salt, I'm fine with that. But I've only ever used one level tablespoon per five gallons and that was for a fungal infection in a couple of black neons. (Appeared to be columnaris but not sure it truly was. Salt was the only thing that worked.) I will try the dose you suggest though if it will hopefully help. (I know, no guarantees).

oh....I should probably remove my nerite snail though, right? It probably won't like the salt? Is it OK to just stick it in another tank (with my 3spot gourami and other nerite and mystery snail)? It won't transfer this disease?

As for the water changes, I've got some supplies on the way so I can at least start filtering the well water. I need to buy the trashcans I was going to use (the store I work at was out) so was planning on that today. I've got a gallon of distilled water so I'm going to do some tests to see how much I need to make to cut my well water down eventually. What should I aim for do you think? Or do you think I should just stick with filtering my well water out really well for now?

 

[Colin_T]

just try filtering the well water to remove ammonia and whatever else the carbon can remove.

don't put the nerite snail in with other fish because microsporidian is highly contagious. I have no idea if the snails tolerate salt but you can wash it with soapy water, rinse well, and then put it in a plastic bucket with some water from another tank while you treat the glolights. Snails close their operculum when stressed and this will allow you to wash it without harming the animal inside.

You could also leave the snail in the tank and it should close the operculum and stay shut up in its home while there is salt in the water.

 

[seangee]

I'm no authority on snails but my understanding is nerites will only breed in brackish water.