I found this guy at the LFS today...

ryanoh

ryanoh

Large Fish
#1
Mar 22, 2010
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#1


... which is awesome because I really wanted to give GBR another go. You can see in that picture he's in pretty rough condition, but I'm not sure what's wrong with him. His fins are certainly in bad shape though. I put him in my 1o gallon platy fry grow out tank to QT him, and I added some ich medicine to the water just incase, and I also added a tsp of salt to the tank to help keep his fins from getting infected. Anything else I can do to help this one make it?
 

ValRasbora

ValRasbora

Superstar Fish
#3
May 2, 2009
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0
Atlantic Canada
#3
oh poor guy :( he looks really gorgeous, even if he is sick. The white edges look like fin rot to me... it's caused by stress, poor water conditions and bad nutrition. So good food, perfect water, salt and melafix should treat him. I think I heard higher temps. are helpful too (de-stressing). Good luck! He should pull through.
 

ryanoh

ryanoh

Large Fish
#4
Mar 22, 2010
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#4
The buy online link on that site isn't working for me. :/

I fed the fry some flakes like I usually do, as well as some antibacterial/antiparasite food just to help his QT go back faster, but he didn't seem interested in any food yet. I'll give him a few days not eating before I really start to worry about it though. I was thinking fin rot as well, but they had him in with some African cichlids at the store so I'm not sure if they were bullying him or what.
 

ryanoh

ryanoh

Large Fish
#7
Mar 22, 2010
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#7
Sounds good. I'll get some of that the next time I go to the store.

It may be too early to tell since the fish isn't really showing much color yet, but I'm thinking he might actually be a she?
 

ryanoh

ryanoh

Large Fish
#9
Mar 22, 2010
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#9
For some reason the image isn't showing up for me either. I'll try and take another one later tonight and I'll post it.

Here's a reupload of the original picture.
 

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ValRasbora

ValRasbora

Superstar Fish
#11
May 2, 2009
1,202
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Atlantic Canada
#11
if/when you buy the garlic juice make sure it has no vinegar or oil in it. You can also make it by chopping up a few cloves (2-4 depending on how much you're making) and then brewing them like tea-- yes I have made garlic tea......
 

Kiara1125

Kiara1125

Superstar Fish
#12
Jan 12, 2011
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Florida
#12
Aww. The poor thing. I know that you will get him to become beautiful in no time!! He was with Cichlids you say?? Ugh. I would like a GBR for my 150 Gallon, but my lfs never carries them. He says that the pH around here is too low for them, even though the pH in my tank is around 7.2-7.6. They never use any pH buffers.
 

ryanoh

ryanoh

Large Fish
#13
Mar 22, 2010
858
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#13
He was in with some African cichlids, but they just had them labeled as "mixed cichlids," so I couldn't really tell you what kind.
My pH is around that level too without any buffers, so here's hoping that he makes it. I got 3 from the same LFS a few months back and they all died, and gave my tank a serious case of parasites, so this guy is in QT for a while even if he starts to look healthier.

I've never quarantined a fish before. What's the correct amount of time to make sure he isn't going to spread a disease to everyone?
 

skjl47

skjl47

Large Fish
#14
Nov 13, 2010
712
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0
Northeastern Tennessee.
#14
Hello; I did use a two week quarantine for a long time with good results. A while back there was a discussion on this forum about a disease that takes longer to show up and the general theme was that four weeks is needed. Do not recall what the disease was, but it was nasty and hard to do anything about. I have since gone to four weeks QT.

My guess is that most of the common diseases or problems will show up before four weeks. I lose patience but have decided not to take a chance on my main community tank as some of those fish have been around for several years. Better to lose some new fish and much easier to clean a bare QT tank.

I do not have any substrate in a QT. I do have an air powered sponge filter and an air powered, bubble up HOB filter. I also keep some live plants (hornwort in my case, but there are several free floating plants that will work.) and ramshorn snails in the QT.
 

ryanoh

ryanoh

Large Fish
#15
Mar 22, 2010
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#15
This is probably bad practice, but the tank I'm using for quarantine is also what I use to keep my platy fry before they get big enough to give away. It has gravel on the bottom and a small HOB filter, and I had some floating fern and anarcharis in it but they were melted from some medication I had in there.
 

skjl47

skjl47

Large Fish
#16
Nov 13, 2010
712
0
0
Northeastern Tennessee.
#16
Hello; Yes plants need to be removed when using some medications. Methylene blue dye used to be a common medication for fungus and wounds ( and maybe ick???). Plants , filter media and carbon would take up the methylene blue and have a blue tint. This is another reason for no gravel as it will hold organic material that may interact with medications. It also becomes another thing to clean and disinfect in the event of a disesae outbreak. The Methylene blue dye also stained air tubing permanetly and fingers for a long time.

I do not medicate a QT as long as things are normal. I condition the water the same as any tank and hope to merely hold the new fish for a while. Using a disease free QT as a fry tank makes sense. A QT with some plants and snails seems to hold a cycle ( I have one fish in right now to help maintain the beneficial bacteria.) A QT tank can quickly become a hospital tank.
 

Kiara1125

Kiara1125

Superstar Fish
#17
Jan 12, 2011
1,142
0
0
Florida
#17
Well, Ryan, your GBR doesn't look all that sick, just beat up. I would keep him in QT and let his fins grow back, but keep a watchful eye in case anything happens. I wouldn't worry about the fry unless if they get affected (are they even in the tank right now?). I would feed him live and freeze dried foods, as they hold the most nutrients, to speed up the healing process. If you can, take another picture, but from his side. If he has blue spots by the black markings on his back, then it's a female.
 

aakaakaak

aakaakaak

Superstar Fish
#18
Sep 9, 2010
1,324
0
0
Chesapeake, Virginia
#18
Doesn't looks sick to me either, just very beat up. That happens with the boys when they're cramped in a small tank with several other cichlids at the fish store.

Slowly bring the heat to 85. Reduce the lighting. Melafix and pimafix if there is nothing else in the tank. Soak sinking foods in garlic juice. He'll look awesome in a month or less.
 

Kiara1125

Kiara1125

Superstar Fish
#19
Jan 12, 2011
1,142
0
0
Florida
#19
+1 Jeremy

Good advice!! I don't know where to find garlic juice without vinegar or oil. Anyway, my Betta loves the Hikari Micro Wafer Pellets that I have. She went crazy for them today. She likes it when they sink. She stalks them and eats them. I have to get a video of her. It's hilarious!! She's already a little bit bigger then my biggest female Platy (2 in.). When I got her, she was half the size she is now. She grew that fast within 3 weeks!! And Jeremy!! I HAVE to see a picture of your Tiger Platies!!
 

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