60L Paludarium

[MattW]

I made a rookie mistake the other day.. that has made me disappointed with myself. I bought some new food which I crushed into much smaller flakes as an alternative to the other fish food I have at the moment. I then stupidly decided to do a test feed to see if the fish would like it (I've had fish reject dry foods before). It seems this little guy loved it too much and ate as much as possible including hogging an algae wafer meant for my oto's a few hours before. I completely forgot the overfeeding rule, especially with fish this size. After half an hour had passed since I put the flakes in I only noticed 5 fish. This one had begun to swim upside down below the floating plants and was struggling to move. After a few hours, it was gone. So yes I killed my fish by overfeeding it.. Something I've not done in a very long time. It has really frustrated me that a fish died this way.

 

[MaloK]

That's sad, I don't recall something like that happening to me, and I certainly over fed more than once.

Do you soak your flakes before or you use them dry ?

 

[Sparx]

I made a rookie mistake the other day.. that has made me disappointed with myself. I bought some new food which I crushed into much smaller flakes as an alternative to the other fish food I have at the moment. I then stupidly decided to do a test feed to see if the fish would like it (I've had fish reject dry foods before). It seems this little guy loved it too much and ate as much as possible including hogging an algae wafer meant for my oto's a few hours before. I completely forgot the overfeeding rule, especially with fish this size. After half an hour had passed since I put the flakes in I only noticed 5 fish. This one had begun to swim upside down below the floating plants and was struggling to move. After a few hours, it was gone. So yes I killed my fish by overfeeding it.. Something I've not done in a very long time. It has really frustrated me that a fish died this way.
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Oh what a little piggy I don’t recall losing any fish to over feeding either.. are you sure it wasn’t already poorly?

 

[MattW]

That's sad, I don't recall something like that happening to me, and I certainly over fed more than once.

Do you soak your flakes before or you use them dry ?

I had it happen with an ember tetra a long while back.

That's the one thing I didn't do . I did look up that when some flake foods come into contact with water they expand which I guess could have happened to this fish inside its stomach. But would that explain the swimming upside down and resting on the floating plant's roots?

Oh what a little piggy I don’t recall losing any fish to over feeding either.. are you sure it wasn’t already poorly?

I had that one rice fish with the white mark on its tail, but that did heal. That fish is still alive. Perhaps something else caused it but I can't tell what.

 

[MaloK]

That's the one thing I didn't do . I did look up that when some flake foods come into contact with water they expand which I guess could have happened to this fish inside its stomach. But would that explain the swimming upside down and resting on the floating plant's roots?

Yes, if the food created gazes inside his stomach it could cause severe buoyancy problems. And also compression of the swim bladder by the stomach can cause this.

 

[Sparx]

Yes, if the food created gazes inside his stomach it could cause severe buoyancy problems. And also compression of the swim bladder by the stomach can cause this.

Which can also lead to swim bladder infection.

 

[MattW]

Welp another death from this tank.. Another of my oldest Amano trio is dead. Its carcass was found after the water change today. It seemed like it had been dead a day or two. Which I'm thankful for as the last Amano that died must have been dead 3-5 days and caused a bump in parameter levels. Not this time thankfully. Now down to the last of the trio. Got them in early 2021 so a good lifespan for them as they were already large adults when I got them..
Now considering either getting a few more amanos or transferring the remaining one to my 90L that already has 4 amanos.

 

[Sparx]

Awh. The last one might be grateful of the new friends and larger tank to explore

 

[MattW]

Just a quick update. I've added in the hornwort from my 90L as a floating plant to allow more light towards the bottom for the crypt's. Had a lot of breeding activity recently, not seen any fry though. I suspect the ramshorns or amano shrimp are eating any dropped eggs. Did a trim of the emersed plants a while back new growth starting to emerge now. Spotted the nerite snail off for a walk today, seems to like it up there out of the water. Overall pretty good so far fish and plant-wise. Have noticed a spider has made refuge amongst the fern and peace lily but haven't managed to get a picture of it yet.

 

[MattW]

There is not much to add other than it has become a plant hotel which the DRF doesn't seem to mind. I have had a few fry turn up here and there, but none bigger than an eyelash seem to make it. Found the largest Otocinclus the other week in very bad shape. Torn fins even with chunks missing, cuts along the stomach, and a bent tail . It is still alive and does look better. It's an impossible task to remove this fish as it knows that behind that rock wall, nothing can get to it. This means I'd have to dismantle the whole aquatic section just to net that oto out..

 

[MattW]

Welp.. I found a dead Otocinclus this morning. It wasn't the one that had cuts and torn fins but instead was One-Eyed Willie Ive had OEW since Oct 2021 so I was wondering if it was old age.. however the state of the other Oto makes me think the cause of death may have been something else. The other one looks in much better shape now but still has torn fins and some cuts along the stomach but not as bad as the last post's pictures.

Still a plant hotel though

Torn Caudal Fin

OEW

 

[MaloK]

This brave fish requires a monument.

Sorry it's stronger than me.

 

[MattW]

The last Oto passed yesterday It healed up pretty well since I first saw it after it disappeared. The amount of visible blood was much less but heavy breathing was constant. The ricefish are doing well with fry spotted weekly but chances of survival are minimal. The tank has become a plant dumping tank. A lot of plants that were melting in the 90L are now in the 60L as an attempt to revive them. I think this tank is coming into its last stages now..

 

[MattW]

Bye bye

 

[MaloK]

What are you going to do with it ?