Advice needed desperately

[Kryten]

Here is the problem:

I have 4 platys, one who does nothing other than stare at the thermometer, 6 (will get more) neon tetras who do nothing but hide behind a pump with a betta, who also does nothing

All water parameters are within recommended i.e. zero nitrite, pH 7.0, temperature 27 degrees, nitrate at less than 5, and everything else fine

Do you reckon that it will help to increase the power of the pump,as I currently have it running at less than half power, will this help to make the water less yellow and help to make the fish more active. I also want to do another 10% water change even though I did one 4 days ago, to help further improve the water quality

Any advise would be great, as I am new to this hobby and have so far had few problems, until now

 

[Angel Lady]

did you do a salt bath on the platys?if not I would strongly recommend one livebearers thrive on salt as for the neons I dont know much at all about them I know that they cannot stand the salt. I would try the salt on the platys again if the salt didnt work the first time.I hope they get better.

 

[Gabe]

I think I would turn up the power on your pump. It might help and if it doesn't at least it won't hurt anything. I say it's worth a shot. Oh by the way, how long have the fish been in the tank for? Just curious.

Gabe

 

[Kryten]

Three of the platys are absolutely fine, they shoal all over the place. I am not too bothered about breeding either and I can't salt bath because of the neons

The fish have been in the tank for a mixed period. The platy that is really lethargic and almost motionless has been in for two and a half weeks, added a fortnight after the tank cycle began. The other platys have been in for almost the same length of time and really healthy. One was a bit fin-nipped but is growing back really well

The neons seem a bit lethargic, but may be hiding from a dominant male in the shoal so I am going to add at least six more over the weekend to bring the shoal back together.

I will do one more water change tonight and really up the power of the pump, as I suppose if it is not pumoing at full capacity, there may not be enough oxygen, or too much algae and bacteria in the water, making swimming round an effort

Anything else you can add will be cool

 

[angelphish]

You said your water is yellow. That's usually a sign of amonia unless you have some decoration (wood or such) that is discoloring the water. If the amonia level is high, you need to do partial water changes more often and possible a better filter.

 

[Kryten]

Ammonia is zero in the tank but I do have two pieces of decorative bogwood in the tank. Is this the likely culprit of discloured water

I currently use two normal fluval 2 plus foam filter pads. What would be better for cleaning the water

 

[Elisabeth]

Bogwood needs to be soaked for a few days before its put in the tank or else it will release tannins into the water which will make it tea coloured.

 

[Kryten]

I soaked the woor for nearly a week, but didn't seem to have any effect

Is there any way that I can remove the yellow color from the water. For example, I have a fluval 2 plus, is there a different filter medium that I can use to clear the water

 

[cichlidmaster]

Put some activated carbon (NOT CHARCOAL) in the media chamber of your filter.

This will draw the discoloration from the water. Make sureto rinse the carbon very well. You can rinse it after you put it in the media container.

CM

 

[Cindywindy]

Kryten,

The colouration of your water is a natural occurence of the wood that you are using. The release of tannins is what makes your water softer and slightly drops the pH, which are the desired effects of drift/bogwood. Some people consider the colouration of the water to be a cosmetic faux pas, but after several water changes, the water colour fades and will eventually return to normal. The minor annoyance of the golden/tan colour is temporary.

Because of the unknown phenomenon in your water, I think it would be foolhardy to add any more fish to your tank, IMO. Your problem does not sound as if it is a schoaling problem, it sounds like a mystery disease process ... and to add any more fish to the mix at this point is just asking for trouble.

Please keep in mind that water changes are never a bad thing, and your fish will thank you for it. Never underestimate the power of providing clean water, and in fact, many ills can be corrected with just a simple water change of 30-40% once or twice a week. In addition, I would avoid the addition of salt since not all of your fish tolerate it and it could actually make the situation worse.

Are you vacuuming the substrate when you change your water ? This is very important as well, as it will eliminate any disease-causing bacteria that may be lurking in your substrate.