Hi everyone. I've been browsing the board for about 3 weeks now and sure learnt a lot.
I setup a 20 gallon long tank and right now it's still going through the cycle (which I didn't know existed at first). My three gold fish are down to one. I kept removing my power filter cartridge for medications (ich) not realizing I was pulling out the media area where the bacteria would want to start colonizing.
So finally I pulled out everything (except the water) and I installed an under gravel filter in addition. I was told this would draw water through the gravel and give the floating bacteria buddies a place to attach and live. Well I guess they were right because within 48 hours my ammonia droped to 0ppm. That was 5 days ago. Right now my nitrite is around 2-5ppm (hard to read those color charts). I expect within another 5 to 10 days it should drop (yes I'm adding cycle if it's worth anything to try and speed it up).
OK so now right in the begining my fish broke out in ich (two weeks after getting them). I got that cleared away with Mardel. It contains malachite green and chitosan. It's supposed to clear ich, velvet, and parasites. It how ever did nothing for these black spots that starting appearing on my fish a week or so after the ich cleared up. They got real bad until he started looking like a black fish.
He darted around all weird, rubbed himself on stuff. His fins were clentched up on his body, the fins were ragged and nasty looking, he'd just sit in a corner and do nothing. Else he'd swin directly into my power filter's outlet (not moving) as if to try and get lots of water through his gills. Quit eating.
So anyhow I try this "parasite clear" by Jungle. It did remove most of them and his fins healed, there are sticking out again. He's active, wants to eat (no food going in though till the nitrite drops). But there are still some black dots on him as seen in the picture.
Does anyone know what those black dots are for sure? Are they anchor worms? because that's the only thing the instructions say to treat for 3 weeks.
Sorry for the extra long first post but I tried to give a background on what's happening with the tank.
Thanks guys
Malcolm
I setup a 20 gallon long tank and right now it's still going through the cycle (which I didn't know existed at first). My three gold fish are down to one. I kept removing my power filter cartridge for medications (ich) not realizing I was pulling out the media area where the bacteria would want to start colonizing.
So finally I pulled out everything (except the water) and I installed an under gravel filter in addition. I was told this would draw water through the gravel and give the floating bacteria buddies a place to attach and live. Well I guess they were right because within 48 hours my ammonia droped to 0ppm. That was 5 days ago. Right now my nitrite is around 2-5ppm (hard to read those color charts). I expect within another 5 to 10 days it should drop (yes I'm adding cycle if it's worth anything to try and speed it up).
OK so now right in the begining my fish broke out in ich (two weeks after getting them). I got that cleared away with Mardel. It contains malachite green and chitosan. It's supposed to clear ich, velvet, and parasites. It how ever did nothing for these black spots that starting appearing on my fish a week or so after the ich cleared up. They got real bad until he started looking like a black fish.
He darted around all weird, rubbed himself on stuff. His fins were clentched up on his body, the fins were ragged and nasty looking, he'd just sit in a corner and do nothing. Else he'd swin directly into my power filter's outlet (not moving) as if to try and get lots of water through his gills. Quit eating.
So anyhow I try this "parasite clear" by Jungle. It did remove most of them and his fins healed, there are sticking out again. He's active, wants to eat (no food going in though till the nitrite drops). But there are still some black dots on him as seen in the picture.
Does anyone know what those black dots are for sure? Are they anchor worms? because that's the only thing the instructions say to treat for 3 weeks.
Sorry for the extra long first post but I tried to give a background on what's happening with the tank.
Thanks guys
Malcolm
