From: pprior@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Paul A Prior)
Subject: Re: Beginner seeking lots of advice
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 21:00:43 GMT

In article <1gdisjINNbhv@menudo.uh.edu> TECHVSH@admin.uh.edu (Vickie S. Hyland) writes:
>Hi, fellow netters.  This is my first post, I'm new to fish and have 
>dozens of questions.  But today I had a sick fish that I need advice on.

Welcome!  Did you fill out the survey? <G>


>
>My setup is a 29G Oceanic aquarium, freshwater, UGF, AquaClear 301 
>Powerhead (540L.P.H.), temperature 76, Aquari-Lux 20W aquarium light 
>which is on 10-12 hours per day.  The tank cycled for 3 weeks before the
>water tested good for fish.  I have 14 smallish plants, most are

How did you cycle the tank without fish in it?



>prospering and putting out new growth. (The ones that don't will not be
>replaced.)  And one decorative castle with several cutouts.
			^^^^^^^^^^^^^
			I can only imagine... <G>


>
>Last Tuesday evening I got my first fish, 4 Marble Angels about 1 inch,
>and 2 corys (what kind? spotted with black stripes over eyes and dorsal
>fin) about 2 inches.  Until this morning all was great, fish eating and
>swimming well.  One angel didn't eat this morning, didn't swim if he
>could help it, tried to stay either at the top of the tank or in a plant
>where he could anchor himself among the leaves, and often was in a
>mouth-upward position.  He died before lunch.  The other angels were
>around him a couple times, so I don't think they were avoiding him.  Any
>ideas?  I'm feeding Tetra Ruby flakes, is this good?  Do I need to
>replace this fish with another to make even pairs?   I'd rather not. 
>The other five fish seem as active and hungry as ever.

Well, if you added all these fish to a non-cycled tank you may be
getting ammonia poisoning.  Assuming your tank is cycled for the
moment another strong possibility is that you got a bad fish.
the other angels were probably around him trying to see who would
get the eyes, so don't expect them to avoid another sick fish.

Tetra Ruby flakes are fine, but variety should be one of the goals
of feeding fish and I suggest you get at least a couple of other
types of food as well.

You do not need even pairs.  By the time those angels get big enough
to pair off and mate the tank will be too small as it is.

>
>I'm doing a 4 gallon water change today and cleaning the gravel.  All my 
>water tests are still good, except nitrates are slightly high now. 
>Still in the "good for fish" range though.  Is this "new tank syndrome"? 
>How slowly should I add new fish?  I tested the water from the tap to
>see what it is like.  I add Zip drops, and sodium biophosphate to reduce
>pH from 8.5 to 7.0, but the ammonia and nitrite tests for this water are
>high.  Will the bacteria in the tank correct the tap water? 

What other water tests have you run?

I wouldn't add any more fish for a couple of weeks.

One of my personal rules of fishkeeping is to match the fish to the water,
and not the other way around.  Adding buffers and the like usually ends 
up with a fluctuating water chemisty status which stresses the fish.
I would leave the buffers alone.

What kind of levels of ammonia and nitrite are in your tap water?
The bacteria in time would correct the levels, but again if you really
have high levels the varience stresses the fish.

>
>I also seem to have algae, there is a reddish-brown "stuff" growing on 
>the castle, some of the plants, and the front glass.  What should I do
>for that?  Or is it good?

Well, the fact that it is growing over the castle is good... =8^)
You'll have algae as the tank gets established.  Just keep up your
maintenance and it will eventually subside.

>Enough for now, this is getting long, but send along any other advice 
>and information, I have lots more questions.  Especially on how to do 
>water changes, what equipment to use to vacuum gravel, plants, and 
>algae.

Please read the FAQ.  Personally I wouldn't be without my Python
for water changes, but if you just have one small tank you may
do just find with manual suction and a bucket.

Cheers,
Paul

-- 
--------pprior@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu----(614) 621-8240----------------
Paul A. Prior    Ban anchors, not reef tanks    Nuke Gay Whales for Jesus  
3rd year medical student		        
The Ohio State U. College of Medicine   Tobacco Kills- Please don't smoke!
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