Unfortunately, I had to go out this evening and when I came back, found the living room had been left in darkness when the tank light went off. I had asked for the lamp to be turned on... Looks like I didn't avoid the Minnows being shocked tonight. I quickly went to turn the lamp on - it doesn't come on bright (well, at least not to me...whether it was too bright for the Minnows in this instance is another matter) - as it had only been about 10-15 minutes since the tank light was timed to turn off. I'll closely observe the Minnows in case any of them are injured or hurt in any way (I'll closely observe them fullstop).
Still Have Concerns
- Thread starter Kaidonni
- Start date
It happened again tonight, unfortunately I forgot to mention anything before going out and phoned home too late, hoping someone was around. I should have done it when I got where I was going. I'm just going to have to make the extra effort to turn that lamp on before I go out...
More questions, this time less worrisome. Based on the plants that I currently have (what would the grass-like plant be?) - including elodea (I added some the past weekend) - what is the best regimen for dosing Seachem Flourish Comprehensive? I dose 1ml the day after the water change, more than 24 hours after the Prime went into the tank with the new water, but maybe I should dose additionally in the week as I don't think the java fern are doing very well. I do have to bury the rhizome partly into the gravel or the plant will just be sitting on top, and will get disturbed during a water change (maybe I'll phase them out as this is probably no good). I have the light on for 7 hours now, 2pm until 9pm. Should I dose with other fertilizer in addition to the 1ml of Seachem Flourish Comprehensive, rather than just more of the same? What to look out for and how much to dose to begin with?
On a final note, I noticed that the temperature appears to go up to 23.5C, or even 24C, while the light is on. Back down to 21C - possibly lower - it goes when the light is off. It might be to do with it being warmer now, I'm not sure. I wouldn't think the lamp is too close to the tank to have any effect (can't remember when I noticed it, probably earlier in the day before the lamp went on due to the timing of the tank light turning off now).
More questions, this time less worrisome. Based on the plants that I currently have (what would the grass-like plant be?) - including elodea (I added some the past weekend) - what is the best regimen for dosing Seachem Flourish Comprehensive? I dose 1ml the day after the water change, more than 24 hours after the Prime went into the tank with the new water, but maybe I should dose additionally in the week as I don't think the java fern are doing very well. I do have to bury the rhizome partly into the gravel or the plant will just be sitting on top, and will get disturbed during a water change (maybe I'll phase them out as this is probably no good). I have the light on for 7 hours now, 2pm until 9pm. Should I dose with other fertilizer in addition to the 1ml of Seachem Flourish Comprehensive, rather than just more of the same? What to look out for and how much to dose to begin with?
On a final note, I noticed that the temperature appears to go up to 23.5C, or even 24C, while the light is on. Back down to 21C - possibly lower - it goes when the light is off. It might be to do with it being warmer now, I'm not sure. I wouldn't think the lamp is too close to the tank to have any effect (can't remember when I noticed it, probably earlier in the day before the lamp went on due to the timing of the tank light turning off now).
Don't worry about the temperature. there is not much you could do about this even if it was necessary.
The amount of fertilizer depends upon the number of plants and what species. Plants like Java Fern are slow growing, which means they use less nutrients and need less light intensity in order to photosynthesize. Plants that are faster growing, such as most of the stem plants and floating plants, need more light and nutrients. A once a week dose of Flourish Comprehensive will be sufficient for Java Fern and similar slow-growing plants. A second dose may be useful if you have some fast-growers, though this can somewhat depend upon other factors like fish load and feeding and light.
You don't want to be over-dosing fertilizers because any excess beyond what is necessary to balance the light for the specific plants (species and numbers) will only feed algae.
The other thing is to use the plant response to gage fertilization. If the plants are doing well, and algae is not increasing, chances are you have a balance (light and nutrients) for the tank. If plants are weakening, increasing fertilization for a few weeks may be needed, if the plants respond. It takes a few weeks for any changes to be noticeable, so when changing fertilization give it time to do something.
On the Java Fern, the rhizome must not be buried or it will likely rot. Attach these plants to small bits of wood or rock; you can then place these where you want them. The true roots will grow down into the substrate if the plant is close, but the rhizome should remain above the substrate.
Byron.
The amount of fertilizer depends upon the number of plants and what species. Plants like Java Fern are slow growing, which means they use less nutrients and need less light intensity in order to photosynthesize. Plants that are faster growing, such as most of the stem plants and floating plants, need more light and nutrients. A once a week dose of Flourish Comprehensive will be sufficient for Java Fern and similar slow-growing plants. A second dose may be useful if you have some fast-growers, though this can somewhat depend upon other factors like fish load and feeding and light.
You don't want to be over-dosing fertilizers because any excess beyond what is necessary to balance the light for the specific plants (species and numbers) will only feed algae.
The other thing is to use the plant response to gage fertilization. If the plants are doing well, and algae is not increasing, chances are you have a balance (light and nutrients) for the tank. If plants are weakening, increasing fertilization for a few weeks may be needed, if the plants respond. It takes a few weeks for any changes to be noticeable, so when changing fertilization give it time to do something.
On the Java Fern, the rhizome must not be buried or it will likely rot. Attach these plants to small bits of wood or rock; you can then place these where you want them. The true roots will grow down into the substrate if the plant is close, but the rhizome should remain above the substrate.
Byron.
Thanks. I'll have to keep an eye on the plants, as currently the algae isn't growing fast at all, so I'm getting to the nutrient/light balance.
I was tempted to take some photos of the Nutrafin ammonia tests to demonstrate the faint readings I get using that test, but am wondering if this is any good due to how the digital camera will interpret the colours and how different computer screens will also interpret them (two monitors on my end, and the secondary monitor does make images brighter/more vivid in colour with the settings it uses). It's usually most noticeable when I hold the test tube against the paper rather than away, also (in daylight conditions, as of last weekend when I last did any tests).
I was tempted to take some photos of the Nutrafin ammonia tests to demonstrate the faint readings I get using that test, but am wondering if this is any good due to how the digital camera will interpret the colours and how different computer screens will also interpret them (two monitors on my end, and the secondary monitor does make images brighter/more vivid in colour with the settings it uses). It's usually most noticeable when I hold the test tube against the paper rather than away, also (in daylight conditions, as of last weekend when I last did any tests).
Had a mishap again tonight, feeding the pea. I whacked - or might have whacked - one or more of the Minnows with the knife. I cut the pea up into little pieces, scrape them on to the knife, and then dip the knife into the tank water so the pieces of pea come off for the Minnows. I decided to stir the knife a bit so the pea spread out a bit more, and that's when it happened. The Minnows always crowd around the knife, and I have to be careful. The knife is relatively blunt, with a serrated edge. I'll keep an eye on the Minnows, but I don't think any of them were injured.
Any comments on taking photos of tests? What about the knife? The fish have appeared fine since Sunday, but maybe I need to use something else after cutting up the pea, perhaps a spoon. I try not to use my fingers too much when handling food for the fish, even after having thoroughly washed my hands in cold water.
I'm also thinking of buying a roll of filter floss off of Amazon rather than spending £6+ for a pack of four polyester pads every four or so weeks. Just need to get the right thickness. Is this recommended? Does filter floss, such as this, suffice over standard brands? Is it better or worse in terms of the mechanical filtration? In my case, is it better than the polyester pads designed for Fluval 2Plus Internal Filters?
I'm also thinking of buying a roll of filter floss off of Amazon rather than spending £6+ for a pack of four polyester pads every four or so weeks. Just need to get the right thickness. Is this recommended? Does filter floss, such as this, suffice over standard brands? Is it better or worse in terms of the mechanical filtration? In my case, is it better than the polyester pads designed for Fluval 2Plus Internal Filters?
I wouldn't worry about handling the food, provided you wash your hands in plain water. I certainly would not go waving a knife or any similar object inside a tank; fish are curious, especially if hungry, and are likely to get close.
Why are you replacing the filter pads so often? I'm not familiar with the filter, but if the pad is polyester rather than the pliable wool material, I would just rinse it and re-use. Unless it falls apart which allows water to get around it, it is good. I do replace the wool top pads in my canister filters at every cleaning, simply because rinsing them out causes them to fall apart somewhat, and it is easier. And that is what would happen with the floss you linked; every time it is rinsed it gets thin, out of shape, holes form, or whatever; this type of material needs more frequent replacement.
You can buy sheets of filter foam, and cut it to fit. Might not be any less expensive than the pads made for the filter if you don't replace them so often.
Byron said:
Why are you replacing the filter pads so often? I'm not familiar with the filter, but if the pad is polyester rather than the pliable wool material, I would just rinse it and re-use. Unless it falls apart which allows water to get around it, it is good. I do replace the wool top pads in my canister filters at every cleaning, simply because rinsing them out causes them to fall apart somewhat, and it is easier. And that is what would happen with the floss you linked; every time it is rinsed it gets thin, out of shape, holes form, or whatever; this type of material needs more frequent replacement.
You can buy sheets of filter foam, and cut it to fit. Might not be any less expensive than the pads made for the filter if you don't replace them so often.
The Fluval 2Plus Internal has two foam pads and a wool pad in-between. The foam pads last forever (although one half of the pad I replaced last year hasn't lasted nearly as long as a pad replaced 2 years before it...), the wool not so much. I used to rotate it around each week in the hopes of getting the most out of it, but am concerned that two weeks is too long to leave it in and it would start leeching things back into the water (ammonia, nitrates). Two weeks would be the maximum because it does fall apart then. At one week I need to be careful not to rub it too much when removing what gunk I can from the one end before I rotate.
The wool pads are intended to remove the minutest microscopic sized particles, often termed polishing the water. So it is important to keep these in good condition or they obviously won't do this. This is why I replace mine, which are always at the top of the canisters, as they easily become clogged. Trying to rinse them I find tears them out of shape, creating bare patches almost holes, and they usually don't fit back in.
Any bacteria removed by tossing these is very minimal. I would be less concerned about anything leeching back into the water than I would that particulate matter is not being removed. You have live plants, as I do, and these are the best filters when it comes to water quality. Water clarity is the task I expect my filters to perform, along with circulating the water. This is very simplistic I know (someone like TTA can really detail all this) but it is all I fuss over. If the filter becomes too clogged, water flow is reduced and then trouble can occur.
Almost ended up sucking a Minnow or a few into the gravel vacuum today. I don't know if the one I'm using currently is actually strong enough to pull them up (they might dart if it gets too close to doing that), or harm them, but still...
I just noticed that the one female Minnow is rather bloated all along her underbelly, from front to back (the bloated area has a sheen to it); but since I've currently got Minnow fry present in the tank, it's not unreasonable to assume that she is also now carrying eggs. More than one of the females could have been impregnated. I still worry about potential health issues such as dropsy and constipation, though. I always will worry.
I noticed today what appears to be a white spot or bump above the right eye of one of my male White Cloud Mountain Minnows.
I hope that it's just an injury and not white spot or anything else as nasty.
I did end up bumping a Minnow in the eye when I was taking some water samples for nitrate tests. The Minnows were swarming around the pipette, and I was a little too slow to remove the water in the pipett or respond to the crowding. The same Minnow did also sample the pipette to see if it was edible or not...
I hope that it's just an injury and not white spot or anything else as nasty.
I did end up bumping a Minnow in the eye when I was taking some water samples for nitrate tests. The Minnows were swarming around the pipette, and I was a little too slow to remove the water in the pipett or respond to the crowding. The same Minnow did also sample the pipette to see if it was edible or not...
Just thought I'd add that, it might be visible in the video, but it's very faint...both that male Minnow and another female Minnow at least (they are the two surviving Minnows from an earlier shoal) have a whitish/greyish dot in the centre of both of their eyes, not quite sure what it might be.
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