Hi guys, I am a newbie - but did my due diligence and read about tank cycling and proper tank maintenance.
Bought from Dr foster and smith:
1 .Marineland Eclipse 12 tank(lights and biofilter in the lid)
2. African driftwood decor
3. Water heater 50W
4. Colonize new tank additive
5. Stress coat.
6. some plastic plants.
7. 3g quarantine tank.
8. Aerator pump/tubing and air stone.
9. Tesk kit (strips)
10. Bottomfeeder pellets and TetraFeed flakes
12. washed gravel bag.
- so far so good
put about 2 inches of gravel, plastic plants, small castle, driftwood and
filled the tank with filtered water from Aquasana under counter water filter
Added a tea spoon of colonize.
- let it stand with running filter for 2 days.(I was happy - was a great little project for kids.)
- here where the nightmare begins.
Went to Petland Discount(Brookly, NY -3815 Nostrand Ave)
After discussing my setup with store manager(woman in mid 40s) - she suggested I get 4 Glowfish and 4 fancy guppies to cycle the tank. (When I asked her - isn't it too many fish to start off? - She just smiled - saying its a very tiny fish for my setup - and they will be just fine. )
I went through Drip - acclimation process - to get the fish in.
- Well - one female guppy developed puffy lips on second day and the other seemed to be gasping for air. In two days the were both dead... - I removed them immediately from the tank.
-Four days later both guppies Males developed an Ick on their tails.
- immediately I started salt water treatment for them.
In about two weeks, everything seemed back to normal - all of the fish was alive, and the tank was nearing its cycle.
I decided to replace two dead female guppies and get a placo to clean the bottom.
- Went to the same store - and got two female guppies and a whiptail placo.
The guy handling the fish in the store was a bit rough catching a guppy and did a small damage to the side of it - which I only discovered at home.
- One day later - I realized - that it was not a damaged tail but a Cottony patch on the tail of the guppy(I did not know about fungus yet. )
- in two days that guppy died with tail completely falling off -
after that most fish started dying one by one - even though I isolated originally infected guppy.
- In desperation I started Salt treatment on main tank and Isolated the placo which seems unaffected. Its been eight days now - (I was adding 2sp per gallon for 3 days) - only one guppy and one glowfish remains in the main tank still alive - (Glowfish seems to be blind and Guppy has a split tail with some indication of bacterial infection on the tail)
At this point - it seems that there is fungus patches on Driftwood, also water has distinct moldy smell - also on the inside of the tank whole glass seem to be covered in tiny 2mm white worm like creatures(they move).
WTF is going on??????? I read about some of the infections - but how am I getting them all at once?
What do I do at this point - Disinfect everything with vinegar and start a new?
What are those worms ? - how safe is this tank now? – I have kids at home Please help !!!
Bought from Dr foster and smith:
1 .Marineland Eclipse 12 tank(lights and biofilter in the lid)
2. African driftwood decor
3. Water heater 50W
4. Colonize new tank additive
5. Stress coat.
6. some plastic plants.
7. 3g quarantine tank.
8. Aerator pump/tubing and air stone.
9. Tesk kit (strips)
10. Bottomfeeder pellets and TetraFeed flakes
12. washed gravel bag.
- so far so good
put about 2 inches of gravel, plastic plants, small castle, driftwood and
filled the tank with filtered water from Aquasana under counter water filter
Added a tea spoon of colonize.
- let it stand with running filter for 2 days.(I was happy - was a great little project for kids.)
- here where the nightmare begins.
Went to Petland Discount(Brookly, NY -3815 Nostrand Ave)
After discussing my setup with store manager(woman in mid 40s) - she suggested I get 4 Glowfish and 4 fancy guppies to cycle the tank. (When I asked her - isn't it too many fish to start off? - She just smiled - saying its a very tiny fish for my setup - and they will be just fine. )
I went through Drip - acclimation process - to get the fish in.
- Well - one female guppy developed puffy lips on second day and the other seemed to be gasping for air. In two days the were both dead... - I removed them immediately from the tank.
-Four days later both guppies Males developed an Ick on their tails.
- immediately I started salt water treatment for them.
In about two weeks, everything seemed back to normal - all of the fish was alive, and the tank was nearing its cycle.
I decided to replace two dead female guppies and get a placo to clean the bottom.
- Went to the same store - and got two female guppies and a whiptail placo.
The guy handling the fish in the store was a bit rough catching a guppy and did a small damage to the side of it - which I only discovered at home.
- One day later - I realized - that it was not a damaged tail but a Cottony patch on the tail of the guppy(I did not know about fungus yet. )
- in two days that guppy died with tail completely falling off -
after that most fish started dying one by one - even though I isolated originally infected guppy.
- In desperation I started Salt treatment on main tank and Isolated the placo which seems unaffected. Its been eight days now - (I was adding 2sp per gallon for 3 days) - only one guppy and one glowfish remains in the main tank still alive - (Glowfish seems to be blind and Guppy has a split tail with some indication of bacterial infection on the tail)
At this point - it seems that there is fungus patches on Driftwood, also water has distinct moldy smell - also on the inside of the tank whole glass seem to be covered in tiny 2mm white worm like creatures(they move).
WTF is going on??????? I read about some of the infections - but how am I getting them all at once?
What do I do at this point - Disinfect everything with vinegar and start a new?
What are those worms ? - how safe is this tank now? – I have kids at home Please help !!!