Dying?

[coyemuse]

sand vac?

 

[WILDER]

Just hoover the sand with a gravel vac.

 

[coyemuse]

need to get one...

 

[WILDER]

OK.
With the fish being buried under the sand dead, I thought it might be best to hoover the sand.

 

[coyemuse]

Okies. yeah slowly getting all the equipment i need...

 

[coyemuse]

I did a head count today... and Im missing 2 orange platys too.... I feel like a bad fishy mama for not noticing....

 

[WILDER]

Check filter. Ornaments, sand.
Need to find them if there died.

 

[coyemuse]

thats what i did yesterday with the water change. Im wondering if the dead one I found is one of them...

 

[WILDER]

I would maybe do the same as yesterday again.

I had to look for fish before now. Even had to remove all plants. I used to hate it as I never did like finding dead fish.

 

[coyemuse]

How often can I do a 50% water change without stressing the fish? I still have high pink on the less accurate test strips

 

[WILDER]

Liquid test kits are more accurate. I did once try the test strip cards but it was hard to read the ammonia reading.

Maybe do 2 50% water changes a day. Need to match temp. As if you go over 2 degrees either way, then it will stress the fish. Fish can break out in whitespot, swim bladder, columnaris.

 

[coyemuse]

So if Im waiting and only doing 50% once a day, thats fine? I know liquid tests are more accurate, I finally found a place online that will ship to me.

 

[WILDER]

If water quality in ammonia, nitrite are high I would preform at least 2 daily 50% water changes.
Increase aeration.

That's good news. At least you will get more accurate readings with liquid test kits.

 

[snazy]

If you have a nitrIte reading, although the tests are not accurate, its more likely showing lower than the actual nitrIte reading.
I wouldn't worry stressing the fish with larger or more frequent water changes because the nitrIte will kill them otherwise.
Not sure what fish you have, but if they have no problem with salt, you can temporary add 1tablespoon per 5 gallons. It will neutralize the toxicity of nitrItes(at least most of them) and help the fish breath, until the tank is stable. Make sure the salt is dissolved first and also keep up with the water changes. Once you dose the whole tank, only add the relevant ammount to treat the amount of changed water only. Salt doesn't evaporate.
This may help of the type of disease the fish have anyway if it is columnaris.

 

[coyemuse]

The corys got moved to the fry tank, but I still have the syno and my BN so im trying to minimize how much salt theyre exposed to. But Ill keep up the water changes. The pink i was worried about is the nitrate pad. as it was very dark. its got significantly lighter after just 2 water changes. the fry tank is on point for its stats (as in ideal according to the colors) but I cant wait for the liquid kit. the two fish shops here (local "wee fishie" and chain "Petco") have been out of liquid kits for about 5 months.... and I look at least twice a week