Tank Evac!

Question
QUESTION: Just in case you dont remember, I started out with some GLOfish and ended up adding various loaches and algae eaters. Tonight my first tank was completely gutted and cleaned due to an infestation of some sort of fungus carried by the driftwood you said would be okay. None of my fish have died so far, but a strange wavvy jelly grew on all the surfaces in my aquarium, starting with the reptile driftwood we both thought would be okay. Well now I know that you cant cheap out on such important things, even in a rush. I cleared everything out of the adult tank, and I intend to rince the rocks and everything else and re-fill it. I have the same filter for the second tank I got to keep the babies in. (yeah I didnt have it in me to give them away) so the tank wont have to cycle again, but I want to know if I'm handling this right. Right now they are unfortunately in the 1.5 gallon tank, but I took the filter from the big tank to use in there until I can set up the other tank again. I also have so many problems feeding my little pleco pair. I have a VERY small common pleco in my baby tank (He's only an INCH long!!) and a rubber lip one in my other tank. Little man in the baby tank seems to eat more, but I cant make either one of them eat their veggies! The Little Man has a nice round belly from the wafers, but I know this wont last. The rubber lip just wont eat anything. How can I get them to eat their veggies?!?! I tried cucumbers, sweet potatos, zucini (sp) and any other strange veggie I can think of! What am I doing wrong? HELP ME!!!

ANSWER: Hi Kelley,

I'll adress the issue with the Plecos first. They are not eating the veggies, because it has not been prepared. You need to blanch/parboil the vegetable before putting it in. Blanching the veggie will soften it, therefore making it more palatable to the Pleco's rasping mouth. Try putting a small piece into a shallow dish with water, and microvaving it on high for 20 seconds. Cooking the veggie might also be better. You can also try romaine lettuce... if they don't eat, but still have nice bellies, then they are getting enough to eat from the tank's algae (unlikely in 10-gallon)


Right now, the big filter is running in the 1.5 gallon, so you will want to turn the output on low, because a strong current will stress fish in such as small space. It's a good thing that you have another tank to run the filter in, because the beneficial bacteria will die if exposed to air and dries out.

You are doing the right thing. The adult GloFish can be added to the main tank after you finish cleaning it, unless you've already done so. I'm sorry the driftwood did not work out.

Good Luck, and Happy Fishkeeping!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello again. As for the plecos, I DID prepare those veggies. I cooked them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, and they WERE soft. They werent falling apart or anything but that would be messy. How should I cut them then and should I take the seeds out? My rubber lip pleco is terribly pale right now, and I can't tell if shes been eating at all. The algae wafers disapear, but I cought the loaches nibbling on them and those little guys are FAT. I drained all the rocks and rinced them with hot water. I scrubbed out the tank with a plain rag and then put the rocks in and re-filled it. I kept the old filter cartrage. It's been exposed to the air but its still wet. I'm going to let it circulate for a little while then put them back in. (tap water treatment of course)

That one little rubber lip pleco just wont eat though! I'm going to keep her in the little tank for the night to see if she eats something, but how can I get her to eat?! Im at work all day and I dont really have the energy to cook the little stinker a 7 course meal. I really think her belly is caved in, but I've done everything I can. Is there a special way to prepare the food to make them gorge themselves?

and what was that wavy clear jelly stuff?

ANSWER: Hi Kelley,

I'm very sorry about the misunderstanding about the food.

You're doing all the right things with the tank set-up. Keep in mind that the beneficial bacteria will die quickly if there is no ammonia source (fish waste.) Since you are planning to run the filter and tank for a few days before adding fish (good idea), I recommend that you might want to add a few bits of fish food in the tank every day, to provide an ammonia source. Of course, net out the food when you are adding fish, to prevent excess ammonia for when the fish come.

As for your Pleco, stress is most likely a factor in her unwillingness to eat. I don't think that it is a problem with your Wafers or veggies. Try doing some 10% water changes every day, and add some stress reducer (your tap water conditioner might have stress reducing properties, if it's Aqua Plus, Stress Coat, or AquaSafe.) Add an extra dose of that, if possible.

The mysterious jelly-like substance was most likely a fungus spore that was in the driftwood. Once exposed to ideal water conditions, it multiplied (through mitosis, if you want to get really technical).

For the future, see this quick guide to properly preparing driftwood. It offers a through explanation on how to prepare it to make it safe.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=857

Once again, I'm very sorry about the misunderstanding - it will not happen again!

Best wishes to your aquariums and fish, and have a great day, Kelley!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I do have some questions about making the veggies for them. Am I supposed to remove the seeds? If so, I'll have to cut them up and down wont I? I've been rubbing garlic on them, but no luck. I tried microwaving them in water today, but I did it with little slices, and when I cut out the seeds, to try it, there was hardly anything left. I need to know what kind of pieces I should put in there. That will also help me pick them out at the store. In your experience what is the BEST way to prepare vegggies, and what differient ones should I try. Which one worked the best for all the fish you've had? There are so many choices, cucumbers, zukini, lettice (which I dont how to fix, and I dont even know what baby spinich looks like. Is brocoli a good one, and how do I make it for them? I put things in there to "present" them their food (on a rock and fake stump) so I can tell if they munch on it. I need ANY and ALL advice on what makes the cute little things eat their veggies! I just broke down the one tank, but I already put the fishes back in, and it looks great. The filter cartrage didnt dry all the way outm which is good. My rubber lipped pleco has her good color back (how can I tell if shes really a girl?) and seems to be moving around more now that they're in the fresh tank. If it starts to cycle again I can take the used cartrage from my other tank, and just replace it. Now that I look at the baby tank compared to the fresh new tank, the baby tank kind of looks yellow. Up close it looks clear and all, but side by side with the other tank it looks a little darker. Will that go away or should I get something for it? The filters I have in there seem to be doing a great job, and since I'm not adding any more fish to the ones in the adult tank, do I still need to upgrade filters? I cant get a stronger one for the baby tank yet, they're still too small. What do you think?!

Answer
Hi Kelley,

You don't have to remove the seeds from the cucumber/zucchini. I simply cut the horizontally into small thin circles. You could cut them lengthwise too, but I never do that. It's more of a matter of personal preference. The skin can be left on, as some Plecos will eat the skin too, while others will flat-out ignore it. Different Plecos (different individuals, not different species) will sometimes prefer different veggies. Here's how I prepare mine (anything similar will work).

-I cut up the zucchini (courgette), into thin rounds about 1/8-1/4" thick.
-I wrap it in a wet paper towel (the disposable ones)on both sides, and microwave it on HIGH for about 30 seconds. You can also put it in a shallow dish of water.
-It takes time for the Pleco to realize that there's food there, so leave the veggie in for at least 12 hours. After 2 days at most, the veggie should be removed.

If your Pleco is acting normal, and has his/her regular color, then I wouldn't worry about it. It's probably getting enough to eat, (perhaps at night).

The yellowness in the baby tank is most likely caused by poor water quality, or previous use of medication. Performing 10% daily water changes for one week will get rid of it - don't get any chemicals to clear it up, as they can damage the beneficial bacteria.

As for the filters, can you specify the brand and model of the one for your main 10-gallon adult tank? If you could, that would be great.

Finally, it's rather hard to tell the difference between males and females, especially if you only have one (you can't compare it to the other). Males have flat, streamlined level foreheads, while females will have more plumper foreheads, especially during breeding time. The mouth of a male may also be bigger. Also, females have smaller barbells. Barbells are the small 'whisker' things near the mouth. If your Pleco lacks barbells or has short, stubby ones, it's most likely a female.

I hope this helps, Good Luck!