Help! Black ghost knife fish in distress!

[Obxfiction]

I'm new to the forum. Forgive me if this post doesn't belong here. We lost everything in the flooding from Hurricane Matthew. Me tanks were without heat, filtration, and aeration for 4 days. Once I was able to rescue my fish, I was only able to put everyone into a 30 gallon hex. We are in a temporary apartment and unable to relocate the fish to a bigger tank until Dec. The ammonia was at one point, off the charts. I have been doing good daily water changes and adding Stress Coat and Prime. My dojo loaches answer the knife fish developed a white film. I treated for ich and fungus, to no avail. The loaches died. Badger, the ghost knife, looks bad. I don't know what's wrong with him. Yes, I know he's in a small, crowded tank for now, and I need to get the ammonia down. I'm trying, but it just doesn't get below 1-.5. The nitrates are 20, nitrites .5, Ph 6.0, hardness 0, current ammonia . 5, temperature set at 83. I'm constantly trying to alleviate the ammonia. Has anyone seen this before? We are really attached to him...have had him a year and a half and he's been healthy and happy. Once we move into our new home, he has a 170 gallon bowfront to call home. Thanks for any help.

 

[Munroco]

Poor guy, wish I knew the answer. Maybe you could foster him out to a friend or even your LFS who might have a spare tank till you get you problems sorted.

 

[Byron]

I'm not much with disease, and one cannot guess or things can worsen, which may have been the issue with the loaches. But I can offer a few suggestions on related issues mentioned.

To the ammonia, I wouldn't worry. The pH is 6 and provided it remains on the acidic side, "ammonia" is actually "ammonium" and this is basically harmless. Even otherwise, Prime detoxifies ammonia by changing it to ammonium and this change is permanent.

Provided your tap water is reasonably close (and with many water changes it will now be so) continue with daily water changes of 50-60% of the tank. I would not use StressCoat any further. This contains aloe vera, and recent scientific studies have shown that aloe vera is damaging to fish gills, even causing death. This stuff has been building up, so I would do the water changes to remove it and not add further. At the very least, something like this causes stress, and when fish are having problems you do not want to be adding stress but removing it if at all possible.

Prime I suppose is OK, since you seem to have nitrite and nitrate. Is the nitrate from the source water (have you tested your source water alone for nitrite and nitrate?) or occurring within the tank? It should not be the latter with only the one fish and frequent water changes. Keeping nitrate as low as possible will help. And nitrite of course should be zero.

BGK live in very dimly-lit waters, so keep the tank light off. Provide a space for the fish to hide. Both these will reduce stress.

Byron.

 

[NickAu]

Even otherwise, Prime detoxifies ammonia by changing it to ammonium and this change is permanent.

Not according to Seachem

Prime will bind ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate for 24-48 hours. At which point, if they are still present, will be released. Of course, we are more concerned with ammonia and nitrites, rather than nitrates.

http://www.seachem.com/support/forums/forum/general-discussion/1803-prime-questions

 

[Byron]

Not according to Seachem


http://www.seachem.com/support/forums/forum/general-discussion/1803-prime-questions

I will email Seachem when I post this. I have their previous assurance that ammonia becomes ammonium and remains ammonium regardless of pH or time. Nitrite and nitrate are somehow "bound" (they told me they do not really know how) and these do reverse after 24-36 hours, again becoming toxic. In all cases, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate will still show in aquarium tests whether bound or not.

They seem to have changed their thinking, as your citation is indeed on their website now. Sol I will check this. Thanks Nick.

Byron.

 

[NickAu]

No probs Byron, I am only going by the info provided by Seachem, I do not use the stuff I hate the smell.

I only use and recommend, Sure its expensive and you use more of it than prime but I love the stuff and so do my fish.
Easy-Life Filter Medium — English

 

[NickAu]

LOL@ the " disagree " for simply stating what Seachem says about their product.

 

[Byron]

LOL@ the " disagree " for simply stating what Seachem says about their product.

I didn't do that...odd we can't see who has liked, agreed, etc.???

 

[Essjay]

I didn't do that...odd we can't see who has liked, agreed, etc.???

Yes you can. Or at least you can see who likes a post or agrees with it.

Nick can look at the alerts section of his profile and it gives who has liked, agreed etc as well as who has replied to a post.

 

[NickAu]

I know who did it I saw the notification Its a newish member.

 

[Byron]

Yes you can. Or at least you can see who likes a post or agrees with it.

Nick can look at the alerts section of his profile and it gives who has liked, agreed etc as well as who has replied to a post.

Yes, I'd momentarily forgotten that...I see "likes" etc for my posts in the Alerts. But I still can't see who has liked etc another member's post in a thread, so if for example you post something I agree with, and I do an "agree," Nick can't see who has agreed with you. I think this would be useful.

 

[Byron]

I will email Seachem when I post this. I have their previous assurance that ammonia becomes ammonium and remains ammonium regardless of pH or time. Nitrite and nitrate are somehow "bound" (they told me they do not really know how) and these do reverse after 24-36 hours, again becoming toxic. In all cases, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate will still show in aquarium tests whether bound or not.

They seem to have changed their thinking, as your citation is indeed on their website now. Sol I will check this. Thanks Nick.

Byron.

To follow up as I have now heard back from Seachem...they are now advocating that Prime's detoxification of ammonia to ammonium is not permanent, and the ammonium reverts back to ammonia after 36 hours. Now we know. B.