Welcome To The Jungle...

[Ny82]

Still having issues with the nitrites. It was upto 0.25 this morning so I did a 50% change and brought it down to 0.
I put the other wood back in and moved the plants around. They are still green and look lovely. The water lettuce has also spread really quickly! I'm happy with it now so will keep it like this.

Thanks

 

[Biulu]

Water lettuce together with sagittaria are known to be very effective nitrate removers, so I wonder what is going on...

Regarding the dying of the neons; I had a similar problem last week with cardinals. They were not properly acclimatised and come from water with a low mineral content. Once they get into water with a higher hardness, they can develop bacterial infections which cannot only wipe out your neons but also other ones.

I lost 7 cardinals and 3 rasboras due to this problem. As with you, the cories were not affected at all.

 

[Ny82]

Water lettuce together with sagittaria are known to be very effective nitrate removers, so I wonder what is going on...

Regarding the dying of the neons; I had a similar problem last week with cardinals. They were not properly acclimatised and come from water with a low mineral content. Once they get into water with a higher hardness, they can develop bacterial infections which cannot only wipe out your neons but also other ones.

I lost 7 cardinals and 3 rasboras due to this problem. As with you, the cories were not affected at all.

Oh that's awful. I love rasboras they so tiny!
Maybe it's because my water is very soft? It's been a few weeks now I don't have tetras at all. They were being chased by a female platy so my friend has my remaining 3 platinums.
The water lettuce has really spread already. There's lots of little ones branching off. I'm very happy I got it. It might help save one or 2 fry.
I really don't know why the nitrites spiked. They are on the decline they were upto 0.25 yesterday and i'm about to check them today. I'm trying not to change too much of the water and get back to square one if you know what I mean.
Just need it to stay stable now and at 0.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

I'd stop moving your plants round too much as well, swords have a habit of melting like crypts once moved and that won't help the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate issues.

 

[Ny82]

I'd stop moving your plants round too much as well, swords have a habit of melting like crypts once moved and that won't help the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate issues.

Ok thanks. I wont move them now, i'm happy with it so they are staying as they are.

 

[Ny82]

My tanks looking nice and green still. The nitrites have stabilised so the waters been spot on for about 4 or 5 days now and about an hour ago-I just noticed a tiny little baby! He was chilling in the slate cave with the cories. I couldn't catch him for ages, he is so fast so I lay the trap on it's side in front of the cave and he swam in The cutest little thing ever!

 

[Biulu]

Lovely! Must be a young swordtail. Any signs of other fry?

 

[Ny82]

Lovely! Must be a young swordtail. Any signs of other fry?

Oh no my swordtails have only been with me about 2 weeks. I suspect this is one of the rainbow platies babies, as neither of them have the gravid spot anymore. I don't see anymore this one was getting a bit too adventurous. He swam to the middle of the tank the fighter and the swordtails ignored him but the platies went straight for him my heart stopped but he went back to the slate. Then I made it my mission to get him!
He's sitting in the trap, I put some of the water lettuce in there with him and he's sleeping amongst the leaves

 

[Biulu]

Mmmm,but you only have female platies?! How long have you had them? Maybe they came already pregnant?

 

[Ny82]

Mmmm,but you only have female platies?! How long have you had them? Maybe they came already pregnant?

The 2 rainbow ones were showing a gravid spot a week after I got them! I did have male hi fin platies in the tank at the same time so it could be theres, could hv been from the shop.
It will be interesting to see what this baby turns out like! He is eating flake and is quite active, I hope he survives.

 

[Ny82]

Well I haven't updated my thread in ages! Here is what's been happening so far. After my tank cycled I got some lovely lyretail swordtails but was told they would be too big for my tank. I now have an endler male, 2 male guppies and 3 female guppies. I still have my baby platy who is now really big!
5 weeks ago my blonde female gave birth to 12 fry but she died. Then a week later my other blonde female gave birth to 11 fry. She survived. About 2 weeks ago I got the dreaded ich. I turned the heat up and treated the tank with salt for just over a week. Once the spots were gone I gradually turned the heat down and the cories were fine and the guppies were so sluggish. I lost a lot of fry. It's now been a week and a half and the spots are still gone. I have 9 of the first blonde females fry they are 5 weeks old and the size of neon tetras! They have bright red on their tails. I also have 3 fry who are 4 weeks old from the blonde female who survived. She dropped another 15 fry yesterday, I witnessed the birth which was a first for me. She is fine and swimming about.

So here are some pics. The tank is simplified as I lost a lot of plants when I started adding salt. It's so pathetic looking, but now the ich is well and truly gone I can start building it back up again.

Red tailed fry-taken last week at 4 weeks old

The new arrivals 15 of them. 1 day old.

 

[Ny82]

So my cabomba arrived yesterday finally, it's so big and healthy. I planted it and it looks really good. The tanks slowly coming together again.