Help with diagnosing

[Colin_T]

Apparently (according to dr googly on the interweb thingy), water lettuce is allowed into California. However, it doesn't do well in aquariums especially if they have a cover. The water lettuce gets mouldy and rots. But it does well outdoors in ponds.

-------------------------
There are several types of Vallis. Narrow Vallis is better than Giant Vallis.
Giant Vallis can reach 6ft long and has leaves about 1/2 to 1 inch wide. It likes cool water and tends to rot when put in aquariums.
Narrow Vallis can reach 3ft long but it normally only gets to 2 ft long in tanks. It's leaves are about 1/4 inch wide and it does well in most aquariums.

You can also get Twisted Vallis and Variegated Vallis, and both do ok in a tank but they like lots of light.

Vallis aren't that good at removing nitrates due to their slow growth in aquariums. Ambulia is a better choice, as are the Hygrophilas, (H. polysperma is the best for tanks), but most of the Hygrophilas are apparently illegal in California too. One would think considering the amount of pot that gets consumed in your state, they would have no issues with aquatic weed

 

[Byron]

The faster a plant naturally grows, the more nutrients it requires and thus is well suited to tanks where you want ammonia/ammonium and other nutrients removed more rapidly than the bacteria can manage. Plants are faster at assimilating ammonia for example. Floating plants are the fastest growers because they have the aerial advantage. Leaves at or above the surface can take up CO2 from the air, and for aquatic plants this process is about four times faster than when submersed and CO2 is taken in from the water. And being closer to the tank lighting, light is usually no obstacle either. Hence, fast growing plants.

Water Sprite, the best floating species being Ceratopteris coornuta, is without question the best aquarium floating plant. Several of my tanks have this as the main floater, and it all started with one plant purchased in 1996. I toss out plants every week because they grow so rapidly and produce so many adventitious plants from the alternate fronds (this is a true fern) that they can literally choke the surface if not regularly thinned out. All my tanks are well covered, and I have never had issues from this. The photo shows this plant floating in my 40g flooded Amazon forest tank.

Alternate plants that do similar are Water Lettuce, Pistia stratiotes, and Tropical or Amazon Frogbit, Limnobium laevigatum. You might have issues from US Department of Agriculture over the latter, as "Frogbit" is banned in some states, perhaps federally. I acquired some "Amazon Frogbit" several years ago from a local fish store, and it flowered; I posted photos of the flowers on another forum on which I was active at the time, and the Admin sent me an email that someone from the US Agriculture Dept has emailed him and pointed out this plant was banned in the US. Turns out the plant I had actually acquired was one of the temperate species, the European Frogbit Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, a very invasive species that was introduced into Canada in 1932. It has since spread quickly and by 2003 was known to occur throughout much of southeastern Ontario, southern Quebec, northern New York and Vermont and eastern Michigan. "Frogbit" is classified in several states including California and Washington as a noxious weed. It is likely that some aquarium plants are in fact not L. laevigatum but one of the other two. The leaves are basically identical among species, but the flowers are distinctive, which is how the Agriculture fellow spotted it.

The smaller floating plants are effective though not as much as the afore-mentioned substantive species. Salvinia is a nice plant, larger and less "messy" than duckweed.

 

[Jade.T107]

Somebody please help me I’ve had 2 guppies die and have shredded tails (my other 4 have badly shredded tails too) I treated fin rot and did a water change etc it’s still happening I think the guppies may be hurting each other as in my tank I have 4 guppies 2 adf frogs 2 ghost shrimp and two small nerite snails all of these guys are super docle and I know it wasn’t the shrimp because I just got them (after one guppy died) I have no idea what’s happening to my fish any suggestions greatly appreciated

 

[Byron]

Somebody please help me I’ve had 2 guppies die and have shredded tails (my other 4 have badly shredded tails too) I treated fin rot and did a water change etc it’s still happening I think the guppies may be hurting each other as in my tank I have 4 guppies 2 adf frogs 2 ghost shrimp and two small nerite snails all of these guys are super docle and I know it wasn’t the shrimp because I just got them (after one guppy died) I have no idea what’s happening to my fish any suggestions greatly appreciated

I suggest you begin a new thread, as more will see it and you will get a better response. But as I am responding...the frogs are one possible source of fish nipping. As are the guppies, depending upon water and space.

 

[Jade.T107]

I suggest you begin a new thread, as more will see it and you will get a better response. But as I am responding...the frogs are one possible source of fish nipping. As are the guppies, depending upon water and space.

I just started a new thread! And I’ll be sure to watch my frogs...they are pretty much blind though and are bottom swimmers and the guppies are top swimmers so I didn’t think that there’d be a problem! Thank you for your help!

 

[Alyssasunshine9]

Somebody please help me I’ve had 2 guppies die and have shredded tails (my other 4 have badly shredded tails too) I treated fin rot and did a water change etc it’s still happening I think the guppies may be hurting each other as in my tank I have 4 guppies 2 adf frogs 2 ghost shrimp and two small nerite snails all of these guys are super docle and I know it wasn’t the shrimp because I just got them (after one guppy died) I have no idea what’s happening to my fish any suggestions greatly appreciated

If you read up on this thread there’s some good advice regarding doing a 75% water change and cleaning the filter. You can also add an extra dose of API stress coat to promote fin regrowth. Make sure your water parameters are good and keep your fish well fed so whoever is fin nipping won’t want to anymore.

 

[Jade.T107]

If you read up on this thread there’s some good advice regarding doing a 75% water change and cleaning the filter. You can also add an extra dose of API stress coat to promote fin regrowth. Make sure your water parameters are good and keep your fish well fed so whoever is fin nipping won’t want to anymore.

I’ll definitely be sure to try that thank you so much! How much do you recommend feeding the guppies?

 

[Byron]

I’ll definitely be sure to try that thank you so much! How much do you recommend feeding the guppies?

This is the old thread again...you have the new one and it is better to stay with one thread. Members will respond to this one, other members to the other, and that is not the best advice. We need to be aware of what each of us is advising

 

[NickAu]

You can also add an extra dose of API stress coat to promote fin regrowth

Why? How? API stress coat is rubbish and that's where it belongs, It wont do anything that regular large water changes will do.

Adding an extra dose is really bad advice, you should NEVER exceed the recommended dose of any product.

 

[Alyssasunshine9]

Adding an extra dose is really bad advice,

Do you have a product recommendation that you believe is superior to API stress coat for treating your water during water changes? I have used for 10+ years with majority good results but am open to new suggestions. I agree, one should never exceed recommended doses. It states in the directions on the back of the product “Double the dose to replace slime coat and to repair damaged skin and fins”.

 

[Alyssasunshine9]

Why? How? API stress coat is rubbish and that's where it belongs, It wont do anything that regular large water changes will do.

Adding an extra dose is really bad advice, you should NEVER exceed the recommended dose of any product.

 

[Colin_T]

Any idea what the ingredients are in the API Stress Coat?

Dr Googly says it contains Aloe Vera but there is no other information. Aloe Vera has two types of gel in the leaves. One type of gel heals and the other type poisons. Presumably they are using the healing gel in the water conditioner.

Humans can ingest the good Aloe Vera gel and it does not harm you, although it doesn't taste that nice either. However, I have not heard of any company or individual that has researched the long term effects of fish being exposed to Aloe Vera. Fish do not naturally come in contact with Aloe Vera so it's possible they cannot use it or tolerate it in large amounts. If Aloe Vera was an aquatic fresh water plant, I wouldn't worry, but it is a terrestrial plant found in dry areas and fish don't naturally come in contact with it.

------------------------
The only thing you really need in a dechlorinator is Sodium Thiosulphate, which breaks down chlorine. You can double, triple or even quadruple dose this stuff and not harm fish. All dechorinators should contain Sodium Thiosulphate and that is all they really need.

If you have chloramine in the water supply, then use a dechlorinator that contains Sodium Thiosulphate to break down the chlorine and something else that binds with the free ammonia so the filters can use it before it harms the fish.

If you want to use dechlorinators that contain other products, that is fine too but unless you know exactly what is in them, you could be wasting your money on fancy labelling.

Contact the company that makes the dechlorinator and ask them exactly what is in the product. You don't need to know how much of each product is in the bottle, just the actual ingredients so you can then research those items and see if they are fish safe, or whether they are toxic if over dosed, or they are just a gimmick.

 

[Jade.T107]

. You can also add an extra dose of API stress coat to promote fin regrowth. .

I just bought some today as I’m desperate to keep these guys alive I’ll be sure to put a dose in! I’m very thankful for all of the help from everyone and would love to continue discussing in my new thread!