I Make Gum
New Member
Tank Set up and parameters:
10gal gravel substrate. Hang on back filter that uses activated charcoal. Conditioned tap water. Immersion heater 50watt. 2 air stones. temp usually steady at 80 F (27C) although lately the weather here has been up and down so keeping the tank steady is tougher. It does not usually drop below 75 F (23.8C). Tank is well established (about 8months old). I use ammonia neutralizing rocks (Aqua Clear Filter Insert ammonia remover) that works really well. I use liquid chemical water testing kit.
I tested water on 05/24/08 (before water change on the same day)and results were: this is before i bought the guppies.
NH3/NH4: less than 0.25ppm and greater than zero.
NO2: Slightly greater than 0ppm, the color was just slightly darker than the 0 reading on the card but not even close to the 0.25ppm color
NO3: between 80ppm and 160ppm
pH: 7.0
I will test the water again today and then post those results also.
Tank members:
1 Japanese algea eating shrimp
1 apple snail
1 bristle nose pleco
1 rainbow shark
1 betta
1 molly (1 inch, 30mm)
3 live plants
ramshorn snails and trumpet snails (these guys are all small and are used for food for my dwarf puffers who are in a separate tank--don't flame me they need snails the same way gerbils need to gnaw their teeth down)
4 guppies
first, i know i'm overstocked. I measure the water all the time and keep a close eye on them. i diligently change my water
So, all that said,
The situation:
I am new to guppies. Like a dummy, I did not quarantine my prized new fish. I bought 5 (3 tequila sunrise guppie and 2 blue/yellow, all males--no room for breeding) on May 27th in the evening (Wednesday). On the evening of the 29th I saw one on the bottom of the tank dying of severe and dramatic tail rot, almost completely down to the base of the tail and fungus on his fin on his side. I immediately removed him from the tank and placed him in quarantine where he died by this morning(Friday). I have been doing a lot of reading on the internet and have now removed the other 2 tequila sunrise guppies after seeing the very beginning signs of tail rot. I am now treating them with Pimafix and Melafix. They are swimming around happily and eating. When I looked at the dead guppie carefully and he had signs of fin and tail rot, fungus and septicimia. I noticed the septicimia lesions this morning. he was upside down yesterday and it was hard to see the top of his body where I saw the lesions.
My Questions:
The guppie who died had looked fine in the morning (or I just didn't notice). It seemed like tail rot started first due to how badly damaged the tail was when he died. How quickly does the disease progress? Could he have been fine in the morning and almost dead by the evening? These guppies are very small, about 1/2 in from nose to tail base. Could he have had it from the store? I looked at the fish carefully before I chose them. I have never gotten sick fish even though they are only from the LFS. ALso, when the worker was transferring the fish out of the tank, he dropped the fish. He put him back into the tank and we watched him recover from that. He looked fine after a little bit so I asked to get him cos he was really pretty. Could that have caused the fin/tail rot? I know that stress brings that on then with my overcrowded tank, the fungus and septicimia could have been in the water already.
Last question, from what I've read, preventively treating my 10gal tank may be harmful to the rest of my fish and other creatures, correct? Should I just keep a close eye on the tank or does it not hurt to treat it just in case? I can swap the guppies in quarantine with the apple snail and shrimp. Put the guppies back in the 10 gal tank and treat the whole tank if I need to treat the other fish. That way the apple snail and the shrimp will be ok. What about the rams and trumpet snails?
Thanks for your help in advance.
-Gum
10gal gravel substrate. Hang on back filter that uses activated charcoal. Conditioned tap water. Immersion heater 50watt. 2 air stones. temp usually steady at 80 F (27C) although lately the weather here has been up and down so keeping the tank steady is tougher. It does not usually drop below 75 F (23.8C). Tank is well established (about 8months old). I use ammonia neutralizing rocks (Aqua Clear Filter Insert ammonia remover) that works really well. I use liquid chemical water testing kit.
I tested water on 05/24/08 (before water change on the same day)and results were: this is before i bought the guppies.
NH3/NH4: less than 0.25ppm and greater than zero.
NO2: Slightly greater than 0ppm, the color was just slightly darker than the 0 reading on the card but not even close to the 0.25ppm color
NO3: between 80ppm and 160ppm
pH: 7.0
I will test the water again today and then post those results also.
Tank members:
1 Japanese algea eating shrimp
1 apple snail
1 bristle nose pleco
1 rainbow shark
1 betta
1 molly (1 inch, 30mm)
3 live plants
ramshorn snails and trumpet snails (these guys are all small and are used for food for my dwarf puffers who are in a separate tank--don't flame me they need snails the same way gerbils need to gnaw their teeth down)
4 guppies
first, i know i'm overstocked. I measure the water all the time and keep a close eye on them. i diligently change my water
So, all that said,
The situation:
I am new to guppies. Like a dummy, I did not quarantine my prized new fish. I bought 5 (3 tequila sunrise guppie and 2 blue/yellow, all males--no room for breeding) on May 27th in the evening (Wednesday). On the evening of the 29th I saw one on the bottom of the tank dying of severe and dramatic tail rot, almost completely down to the base of the tail and fungus on his fin on his side. I immediately removed him from the tank and placed him in quarantine where he died by this morning(Friday). I have been doing a lot of reading on the internet and have now removed the other 2 tequila sunrise guppies after seeing the very beginning signs of tail rot. I am now treating them with Pimafix and Melafix. They are swimming around happily and eating. When I looked at the dead guppie carefully and he had signs of fin and tail rot, fungus and septicimia. I noticed the septicimia lesions this morning. he was upside down yesterday and it was hard to see the top of his body where I saw the lesions.
My Questions:
The guppie who died had looked fine in the morning (or I just didn't notice). It seemed like tail rot started first due to how badly damaged the tail was when he died. How quickly does the disease progress? Could he have been fine in the morning and almost dead by the evening? These guppies are very small, about 1/2 in from nose to tail base. Could he have had it from the store? I looked at the fish carefully before I chose them. I have never gotten sick fish even though they are only from the LFS. ALso, when the worker was transferring the fish out of the tank, he dropped the fish. He put him back into the tank and we watched him recover from that. He looked fine after a little bit so I asked to get him cos he was really pretty. Could that have caused the fin/tail rot? I know that stress brings that on then with my overcrowded tank, the fungus and septicimia could have been in the water already.
Last question, from what I've read, preventively treating my 10gal tank may be harmful to the rest of my fish and other creatures, correct? Should I just keep a close eye on the tank or does it not hurt to treat it just in case? I can swap the guppies in quarantine with the apple snail and shrimp. Put the guppies back in the 10 gal tank and treat the whole tank if I need to treat the other fish. That way the apple snail and the shrimp will be ok. What about the rams and trumpet snails?
Thanks for your help in advance.
-Gum
my fish are spoiled!!!!
