Just Need To Check!

[missPenguin]

Hi there,

I'm a newbie in every sense of the word. I hope you can forgive me for possibly asking stuff that may have already been asked, but I badly need some advice.

Just over 2 weeks ago I recieved a 126 litre tank c/w stand, heater and filter as a birthday present which i was thrilled about. I set up the tank that day and added the necessary de-cholrinator and 4 days ago added some cycle to encourage bacteria growth on the filter, with intent of buying my first fish. I have never owned tropical fish beofre, I used to keep goldfish years ago with not a huge amount of success [ acombination of bad luck and not enough knowledge]

Four days ago, just before I added my cycle [bacteria] I carried out my first water tests and was pleasently suprised to find my amonnia at 0.25, Nitrite at 0.25 and my Nitrate at 5.00. My ph was 7.6. I was informed the literature included with my test kits that i couldnt expect my ammonia and nitrite levels to drop to zero until i had added my first fish.

On the advice of a well known and very reputable aquatics centre whom I told the above results to, I purchased 4 platys [3 red wag tails and a blue mickey mouse platy] as I understand they are ideaal hardy little fish for beginners. The fish were introuduced to the tank by floarting the bag for 20 mins, adding a little tank water, leaving for 10 mins, repeating and then finally after another 15 mins which was the recommended in the literature that came wih the tank

My question is concerning the behaviour of the fish: They seem to dart around the tank qute a lot [been in there over 24 hours now, I have retested my water, no change from the above results] and are clamping thier fins slighly. Worse still the blue platy seems to have a hole in his tail.

Now I have purchased some whitespot treatment as a precaution [not added] and am about to hotfoot it out tomorrow to buy some fin rot but what I want to know:

1) Is the behaviour I described normal [I understand platys are active but peacful fish]
2) Do I have cause for concern about Blues hole in the tail [I should add it wasn't like that in the shop!]
3) Or am I being an over-anxious new owner?

I am sorry for rambling but I thought for the purposes of diagnosis, I should give as mush detail as possible.

Your help will be very very much appreciated!

Many thanks

 

[Chri$]

i can't answer your question about the hole, but i have two platys in my tank and they are peaceful but active fish. In fact as i look at the tank now my sunset platy is darting up and down the side of the tank, i would say this is normal behaviour for platys, i would be more worried if they weren't moving much and hiding all the time.

 

[WILDER]

There stressed if they are darting about, sadly when you use fish to cycle the tank there are no promises they will make it, there already suffering so can't see them getting through the cycle.
Livebearers are prone to bacterial finrot so you will need anti internal bacteria med by interpet, but it won't help with the cycling of the tank.

Also clamping of the fins is a sign of stress, i would preform a 20% water change.

 

[tttnjfttt]

The small hole could be from fin nipping, stress, poor water, or the beginning of fin rot. Exactly how big is the hole? Do he edges of it look to be a different color than the rest of the fish?

I hate to have to tell you this, but cycle is a waste of money. I have tried using it two different times, once to start up a tank and once to end a mini-cycle (build up of ammonia and nitrite in an established tank). It didn't work either time, and it took about a week for the mini cycle to end, which is what i would have expected without it. It is generally accepted here that the only thing that will work is Bio Spira, which contains live bacteria, but has to be handled correctly and constantly refrigerated to work.

Watch your water stats very carefully, and if they go above where they currently are, be prepared to do daily water changes to help get your fish through the cycling process.

 

[WILDER]

Watch out for this as well.
I'm not the writer of this article.

Tail and fin rot can be prevented by keeping ammonia and nitrite levels low, adding salt at regular intervals, and quarantine of new fish. Guppies are particularly susceptible to this disease, and you will first recognize it as a ragged edge on the tail fin. Healthy adult tail fins should have a fairly straight edge, though sometimes adolescents will have temporary ragged fins due to uneven growth. As the disease progresses, the other fins become ragged, and the fins develop a white (sometimes though not always, fuzzy) margin. Sometimes, the fins will also develop red bloodspots. If the disease is allowed to continue, your guppies will die. In most species of fish this disease is a combination of bacteria and fungus on the fins themselves, however guppies tend towards acquiring an internal bacterial infection which spreads to the fins. You may try the salt treatment (instructions given later), as this sometimes does the trick. If that doesn't work, an antibiotic such as tetracycline can be used. Let your pet shop help you. They will specifically need to know if you use a bio-filter as many antibiotics will kill your filter.

 

[missPenguin]

There stressed if they are darting about, sadly when you use fish to cycle the tank there are no promises they will make it, there already suffering so can't see them getting through the cycle.
Livebearers are prone to bacterial finrot so you will need anti internal bacteria med by interpet, but it won't help wih the cyling of the tank.

Also clamping of the fins is a sign of stress, i would preform a 20% water change.

Thanks guys, I wasn't sure about the water change as i didn't want to upset the fish further and my water tests haven't chnaged.

When do I need to do the water change? I appreciate I need to do it A.S.A.P but it's 10.40pm over in the uk and I need to be at work tomorrow 8a-5am [after which I'll get my fin rot treatment].

I'm an over anxious new onwener arn't I ?

 

[WILDER]

http/www.petfish.net/articles/Bettas/finrot.php

I would preform it now sorry but if they are darting about and the fins are clamped they are stressed, also increase aeration, and add two table spoons of salt with just having livebearers in the tank.

 

[tttnjfttt]

Any ammonia and nitrite will stress the fish. I'd say you should be fine tomorrow because they are still low, and your fish are going to be dealing wiht alot higher levels in the coming weeks while the tank cycles. Just make sure you begin daily changes tomorrow and test the levels daily

 

[missPenguin]

The small hole could be from fin nipping, stress, poor water, or the beginning of fin rot. Exactly how big is the hole? Do he edges of it look to be a different color than the rest of the fish?

I hate to have to tell you this, but cycle is a waste of money. I have tried using it two different times, once to start up a tank and once to end a mini-cycle (build up of ammonia and nitrite in an established tank). It didn't work either time, and it took about a week for the mini cycle to end, which is what i would have expected without it. It is generally accepted here that the only thing that will work is Bio Spira, which contains live bacteria, but has to be handled correctly and constantly refrigerated to work.

Watch your water stats very carefully, and if they go above where they currently are, be prepared to do daily water changes to help get your fish through the cycling process.

The unsual thing about the hole is that it is very uniform in size, nearly a perfect circle! I would say it probably is about 20% of the total tail which at the mo is approx 1cm long. All this is very confusing !

 

[tttnjfttt]

Ok, i take back my previous post. Do an immediate water change. You want the water pristine to help fight fin rot. Also, if you have aquarium salt, add that as well (1 tablespoon for 5 gal)

 

[WILDER]

When they get holes in the tail it's bacterial finrot and need promp attention, good luck.

 

[missPenguin]

What type of salt should I use?

I only have comon table salt in the house! Also, one of you is saying to do the water change now [incidenly, I should have sia d they are not permanlt clamping thier fins, just interrmittently] the other says it will be fine tomorrow.

The light in the tank has switched off and the fish seem slightyl more settled. I also meant to mention that the blue guy is OBSEESED wth his refelction!

 

[WILDER]

Table salt is fine never had any problems with it, but introduce it gradually, it's a tablespoon to 5 gal, but start of with one then build it up over a few days.

 

[missPenguin]

lights off in the tank and fish seem to swimming about peacefully with fins up!

Thouroughly confused!!!!!

 

[tttnjfttt]

you need to use aquarium salt. I've also heard of pure sea salt being ok, but most table salt also has iodine in it, which you need to avoid.

When i first read this, i assumed small holes in the fin, like 1 mm, not 1 cm. I've treated smaller holes in my bettas just with clean water and salt, but yours is definately bacterial for how large it is. Also, becasue that hole is so big that fish is going to need every ounce of strength to survive a cycle with a bacterial infection, so give them better water quality starting now.

Turning the lights off is one way to help a stressed fish. I've done that with one of my fish who went from being very pale to acting normal