iluvguppies
Fish Fanatic
hi there everyone
Due to advice fm lfs we are about 3 weeks into cycling (with fish for the last 2 weeks) although we put in filter start from the beginning. We now know it was bad advice but too late so we are trying to do the best we can for the fish.
This last week ammonia is consistantly at 0mg/L and nitrites had dropped to 1mg/L ( not good I know but it was 5mg/L) for the last few days so I was pleased and the fish were doing well.
The tank is tropical; 65L; temp at 27C; pH 7.4; dosed with aquarium salt at correct level
I have 6 neon tetras and 5 guppies (2 male, 3 female). The tank is planted with fake plants and I have an internal 3 stage filter. Yesterday, on one of my female guppies (pregnant, I think) I noticed a strange mark on top of her head (2 actually, close together). It is really difficult to say if they are cotton wool type fungal growths or not because it's hard to say if they are raised or not. What I can say is that they appear white and don't seem to be getting worse. I thought at first they might be injury marks from one of the males being a little over enthusiastic but when I rang lfs for advice they said it was probably fungal infection. They advised to treat with interpet fungal and fin rot meds which I put in tank yesterday at correct dose. They also said the daily water changes (40-50%) I was doing ( to get rid of nitrites etc) was wrong and it was stressing the fish and I should only to do 1 or 2 a week at most and even then only 15%.
For the last week I've been feeding every other day on lfs advice about water quality (although fish seem starved as when i go near tank they all rush to surface and start looking for food). Since I put meds in yesterday I haven't changed water and tonight when I did tests ammonia was 0 but nitrites were back up to 5mg/L ....is this due to meds or because I didn't change water (or both).
What should I do for the best? All fish are active and eating well even the female guppy and other than these strange marks she looks well.
If I can I will post pic but in the meantime am i doing it right or should I be using diff meds.
I read on one thread that interpet fungal/fin rot isn't very good. If so what should i use and how long should i wait b4 adding new meds?
I only have the one tank so would have to treat them all.
Should I go back to daily water changes or wait ti lttreatment finished and if i should change water do i need to redose and if so how...by replacing just the litres removed or treating all 65L again?? the instructions arent that clear.
Many thnx for any help.
Nikki
Due to advice fm lfs we are about 3 weeks into cycling (with fish for the last 2 weeks) although we put in filter start from the beginning. We now know it was bad advice but too late so we are trying to do the best we can for the fish.
This last week ammonia is consistantly at 0mg/L and nitrites had dropped to 1mg/L ( not good I know but it was 5mg/L) for the last few days so I was pleased and the fish were doing well.
The tank is tropical; 65L; temp at 27C; pH 7.4; dosed with aquarium salt at correct level
I have 6 neon tetras and 5 guppies (2 male, 3 female). The tank is planted with fake plants and I have an internal 3 stage filter. Yesterday, on one of my female guppies (pregnant, I think) I noticed a strange mark on top of her head (2 actually, close together). It is really difficult to say if they are cotton wool type fungal growths or not because it's hard to say if they are raised or not. What I can say is that they appear white and don't seem to be getting worse. I thought at first they might be injury marks from one of the males being a little over enthusiastic but when I rang lfs for advice they said it was probably fungal infection. They advised to treat with interpet fungal and fin rot meds which I put in tank yesterday at correct dose. They also said the daily water changes (40-50%) I was doing ( to get rid of nitrites etc) was wrong and it was stressing the fish and I should only to do 1 or 2 a week at most and even then only 15%.
For the last week I've been feeding every other day on lfs advice about water quality (although fish seem starved as when i go near tank they all rush to surface and start looking for food). Since I put meds in yesterday I haven't changed water and tonight when I did tests ammonia was 0 but nitrites were back up to 5mg/L ....is this due to meds or because I didn't change water (or both).
What should I do for the best? All fish are active and eating well even the female guppy and other than these strange marks she looks well.
If I can I will post pic but in the meantime am i doing it right or should I be using diff meds.
I read on one thread that interpet fungal/fin rot isn't very good. If so what should i use and how long should i wait b4 adding new meds?
I only have the one tank so would have to treat them all.
Should I go back to daily water changes or wait ti lttreatment finished and if i should change water do i need to redose and if so how...by replacing just the litres removed or treating all 65L again?? the instructions arent that clear.
Many thnx for any help.
Nikki
