Question
aquarium set-up
Hello! Thank u so much for your time and help in advance--
First, the set-up:
7 gallon planted tank (cycled for one year)
whisper 100 hang on back filter(with ceramic rings & sponge with carbon insert removed)
60 watt terrarium grow light clamped above
one male betta
4 corydoras pygmy catfish
approx. 30-40 snails
PH 6.6
0 nitrite NO2
0 nitrate NO3
0-.25 ammonia NH3/NH4 (2 tests had different results)
10 degrees GH
3-6 degrees KH
tank kept between 78- 80 degrees
a 50% water change once a week w gravel vacuum
a 25% water change mid week without gravel vacuum
i add a cap thread daily of Flourish Excel organic liquid carbon
lights are on a 9am-9pm timed cycle
i use Seachem Equilibrium, but have been unclear how much and how often to use
i mostly adjust tap water with StressCoat conditioner and use PH down if i need to, but also have Seachem Acid Buffer which I haven't used in a while
I put Flourish plant supplement once a week with 50% water change
FEED:
New Life Spectrum betta pellets- one or two at a time, am & pm
(will sometimes put in Hikari freezedried bloodworms instead)
New Life Spectrum H20 stable wafers for corys & snails-- a quarter or less of wafer at a time, once a day-sometimes twice (havent been able to tell if corys are lacking food from snail population explosion)
Essentially, even though all the tests are fairly good, my betta, Django keeps getting eyecloud that will go away after medicated treatment, but seems to keep coming back. He got finrot (which u can see a bit of on his side fins in the picture) back in October of 2010. It has stopped receding,and I think they are slowly growing back, but after many cycles of Nitrofurazone and Furazolidone (Tetris Fungas Guard and API's FURAN-2), I finally stopped putting it in the water about two weeks ago, bc I felt it wasn't good for the corys (who have showed no sign of illness except listlessness) and plants, which havent been doing as good lately,either. (They have started to go transluscent and have torn/dying- rusty brown algae.) Then, just past few days, there is another sign of eyecloud returning! Also recently there will be some film/oiliness on the top of water, sometimes right after a water change-- which I skim by hand and top off, but feels like it seems the water is dirty. I don't know what to do!!!
I got this used aquarium a year ago and it had a hood that is no longer possible to get a bulb for- so I rigged the grow lamp for the plants, but what I notice is that it seems harder to keep the water clean with an open top. It also evaporates and I have to top off water..... I also have my doubts about this filter.... I have tried to keep water as clean as possible,but it must not be if bacterial infection keeps happening. It doesn't seem good to keep putting these meds in for so long. Yet, his fins have not completely grown back, either. Something interesting is that they never affected his big fan/tail fins- only his two side front fins. He has been active with a good appetite the whole time.
I recently researched that Corys are very intolerant of salt, chemicals, and medications. At one time in October, I had been instructed to add a bit of Salt to the tank in order to help w the eyecloud and finrot--- I stopped when I got snails...
I started with 3 snails and now they are a huge population.... I am wondering if they are throwing the balance off? I got them to clean and eat algae, but perhaps their waste is too much at this point?
At this point I am wondering if you recommend separating the betta from the community aquarium to continue medicating him (how and with what?) separately
Should I remove some or all of the snails?
How do I properly clean my filter every week? I usually just rinse it in the drained tank water and try to make it not feel scummy/slippery to the touch-- am i killing valuable biological bacteria?
Or, do u think I should keep everyone together in the tank, and do more frequent water changes without adding meds?
How do I properly use the Equilibrium.
I had decided to put the corys in with the betta because i saw that they were recommended as compatible, but I recently researched that Bettas prefer water at 80 degrees, corys prefer it not over 78--- corys also prefer PH lightly more acidic-- I have had two corys die within the year, both within the past three months. Is this an incompatible combo based on their needs?
And.... finally- when I vacuum i dont put the vacuum right onto the gravel so that i don't stir it up and shake up the substate ---
yet i dont know what is needed for optimum cleanliness-- should i suction all the sections of exposed gravel, even if it makes water cloudy?
Thank YOU Thank you THANK YOU!!
I so appreciate any insight or help u can offer!
Crystal, Django, the Catfish Cabaret, and the SnailTown
Answercrystal,
The first think I noticed in the picture is the snails at the top. When they go to the top, it usually means there is a water problem. Either not enough oxygen or ammonia and nitrites are up. With a reading of ammonia, which should read zero, there should be and most likely are some nitrites in the water. I would stop adding all the things you are using and just use a good water conditioner. Betta water temp should be at 82 degrees at all times. I would either remove the corys and the snails, or remove the Betta. When you vacuum the tank, you are supposed to clean the gravel. When cleaning, leave about 1 inch of gravel on the bottom untouched. This is where the good bacteria is.
In the 7 gallon tank you are over populated by a few fish. Betta's thrive when they are by themselves. I think that when you stop adding all the things you are adding, make his water 82 degrees, and vacuum the tank properly your fish will all start to do better. I would remove quite a few of the snails. If you do the changes and the fish are the same or things get worse, let me know.
Urgent - Fish are really sick
Question
Gray slime on filters
My mom passed away and I
Puffers
Question
Hey, I bought red eyed puffer at the local pe
my giant goldfish
Question
my fish 012309
...my huge goldfish (once tiny)
Betta with large lump under head
Question
Betta
Hi Jaymie,
I have had my male be
Columnaris/Costia?
QuestionBosmani with bumps
Scales missing
