Tank Journal - Hillstream Temperate River

[fishprotector]

Good stuff, I may get six white ones then. That will up their numbers to 12. Have to wait a few weeks though as I am totally skint right now.

 

[fishprotector]

Here are some pics of the different sexes of Sewellia Lineolata:

Male:

Female:

and one of the females playing on the rocks:

Here are some pics of some of the new guys:

 

[Biulu]

Thanks for the pictures! I am still not sure about the difference though: is it with regards to the first lobes and the head? I see that with the female the transition between the head and the first lobe is fluent, whereas the male's head seems to be protruding more.

 

[fishprotector]

Thats the one From underneath, the front end of the males pectoral fins are squarer than the females.

 

[Biulu]

Ok, thanks! Does that mean then that I see a male in the last picture, or is it too soon to tell?

 

[fishprotector]

No, the last pics are of the new species I got yesterday (Pseudogastromyzon Myersi). The only information I can find on sexing them is that:

"Males have more prominent nasal tubercules, especially when sexually active"

Hmmm I guess my best bet is to wait and see if they decide to 'do' anything then ...

 

[Biulu]

Mmm, sounds a bit difficult.... I guess you are right; see if anything happens.

 

[fishprotector]

I have just come home after a 15 hour shift to a nightmare. Three dead goldrings. I have no idea what the problem is. The water stats are ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrates around 5. They seem to be lay on the bottom upside down with their pectoral fins curved in slightly. I put my big one dying down to old age but now I am not sure. They were all well acclimatised into my tank over at least one hour. I read about a species specific disease which is around, but they dont seem to have any white patches, which apparantly is a key sign. All the other tank mates including the sewellia spotted seem ok. The last remaining goldring is still active but we will see.

I have wanted this tank for ages but now wish I hadn't bothered. The cost of loosing four is depressing enough, but I hate loosing fish...

 

[thereverendturtle]

Sorry for your loss. Don't give up though its an awesome setup.

 

[Biulu]

Aaaww, that is too bad! Could it be an agression issue with the new ones? Food?

 

[fishprotector]

I have not seen any aggression between the two species, and at the moment the goldrings have a bigger surface area per fish so I would have thought they would be ok. You may be on to something with the food though. I have been giving them jbl nova tabs, tetra prima, algae wafers, bloodworm and egg white mixed with prawn, prima and algae. But, I have been working a lot recently though so not actually seen them eating.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

So sorry to read about your losses.

Unless you bought them altogether, it would be heck of a coincidence for all three to die of starvation on the same day. I would be more inclined to check...

• Water quality (although your test showed 0 ammonia or nitrite, might be worth doing a massive change anyway)
• Oxygen levels (how many powerheads/filters are firing at the water surface? Something similar to my 5x2x2 video is needed http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/381960-my-nellys-old-5x2x2/page__view__findpost__p__3207435 )
• A disease outbreak (perhaps brought in by the Pseudogastromyzon Myersi)
• Heater failure (too hot or too cold)

 

[fishprotector]

So sorry to read about your losses.

Unless you bought them altogether, it would be heck of a coincidence for all three to die of starvation on the same day. I would be more inclined to check...

• Water quality (although your test showed 0 ammonia or nitrite, might be worth doing a massive change anyway)
• Oxygen levels (how many powerheads/filters are firing at the water surface? Something similar to my 5x2x2 video is needed http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/381960-my-nellys-old-5x2x2/page__view__findpost__p__3207435 )
• A disease outbreak (perhaps brought in by the Pseudogastromyzon Myersi)
• Heater failure (too hot or too cold)

Thanks. I did a large water change last night before bed. There are currently two filters with their spraybars above the water so there is a lot of suface agitaton. The placing of the powerhead allows the bubbles that this creates to be distributed around the tank. Hopefully this will be enough? (Did you see the video I posted) The heater is working as I saw the orange light this morning. I have had it set at 20 degrees (confirmed by seperate thermometer) which I believe is a good temperature for them.

A disease outbreak sounds plausable, I will keep my eyes on the Myersi and see if they take a turn for the worst.

The only other thing that I can think of is that because the goldrings were sat in the shop for over 6 weeks in a 26 degree tank with no real flow that the shock got them. My ph is the same as the shops. I did acclimatise them properly (floated for at least 30 mins then added water slowly for another hour, but who knows.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I must confess I missed your video link earlier in the thread, it was only when re-reading after seeing your sad news that I spotted it...
[video]http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgEzsB_8QPM[/video]

To be absolutely sure about oxygen levels, I would definitely move the Koralia2800 up as close to the water surface as you can get it without an air whirlpool forming, so that the core of its flow breaks the water surface (probably needs pointing up a fraction). If feasible, you could then move the filter outs down low in the tank, at a height similar to what you have the Korallia currently (if not possible, it is not the end of the world, it means more surface aggitation). It's the whipping up of the water surface that is going to saturate the water with oxygen, without which their unique blood chemistry will not take up enough oxygen to meet the needs of the fish.

The shop tank setup sounds far from ideal but it sounds very familar, my favourite LFS uses the same spec (26C, calm water) for its array of unusual fish that includes sub-tropicals.

 

[fishprotector]

I must confess I missed your video link earlier in the thread, it was only when re-reading after seeing your sad news that I spotted it...
[video]http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgEzsB_8QPM[/video]

To be absolutely sure about oxygen levels, I would definitely move the Koralia2800 up as close to the water surface as you can get it without an air whirlpool forming, so that the core of its flow breaks the water surface (probably needs pointing up a fraction). If feasible, you could then move the filter outs down low in the tank, at a height similar to what you have the Korallia currently (if not possible, it is not the end of the world, it means more surface aggitation). It's the whipping up of the water surface that is going to saturate the water with oxygen, without which their unique blood chemistry will not take up enough oxygen to meet the needs of the fish.

The shop tank setup sounds far from ideal but it sounds very familar, my favourite LFS uses the same spec (26C, calm water) for its array of unusual fish that includes sub-tropicals.

I am working until late again, but will swap the koralia and the filters around when I get in. Hopefully that should help what is left. Oh and thanks for embedding my video, I still hadn't figured it out.