AboutBenty Expertise GOT A QUESTION ABOUT:
Basic needs for specific fish, illnesses, best tankmates, breeding, water chemistry, tricks to safely cut corners, and/or “stupid” questions? Maybe I can help! :)
I like to explain why you do things in aquariums (like why to use spring instead of distilled, or what pH numbers mean, ect.) so you understand why and not just taking someone’s word for it. I also like giving answers where you have two choices so you can choose which is best for the time and money you can commit to your fish. I understand how tight money can be and how expensive fish related things get.
I will NEVER leave you with an “I don’t know.” Ever. I hate that. That would waste your time and that's just mean. :)
Puedo contestar tus preguntas en español también.
Experience I have had tropical fish since 1999. I currently have: a 55gal, ten 10gal, 3 five gallons, three 2gal, and a bunch of jars and bowls. At the time I'm typing this, I have: 14 angels, 13 goldfish, 73 bettas, 12 barbs, 5 catfish, too many guppies, 4 gouramis, 2 plecos, 10 loaches, bunch of swordtails, and probably a few others, lol.
I love to rescue fish. I've had everything from mutant danios, to one eyed goldfish, to my newest adoptee, a 2 year old betta with a MASSIVE tumor problem. He was brought to a pet shop and left there because the lady didn't know what to do with him. He's pretty scary looking. One of the guys at the store there I know let me have him. :D YAY! Elephant Man lives in a gallon bowl with pretty stones in my bathroom.
Plus!!!
I sell: veil, delta, halfmoon, plakat, and crowntail bettas as well as halfblack and blonde tuxedo fancy guppies. Ask me about it sometime.
Expert: Benty Date: 6/15/2008 Subject: New Fish Intro into a tank where fish died
Question I am sad to report that my family lost our beloved goldfish, Mickey and Minnie, tonight. While we never expected them to live forever (they were just your run of the mill "feeder fish")... they were part of the family and we have had them for a couple of years. They grew rapidly and always seemed hardy and active. When they died, Minnie was about 7” long from tip to tail and Mickey was about 6.5” long.
A week and a half ago, my daughter and her babysitter dropped three "carnival fish" in with Mickey and Minnie. Whatever these carnival fish had, it claimed their lives quickly and rapidly infected our Mickey and Minnie with whatever ravenous bacteria or virus they had.
Quickly my evening ritual turned to reading everything I could on the internet as fast as I could. I also talked at length with the people at our local fish store. I did a 50% water change and started treating it with Melafix and Pimafix to try to cover as many bases as possible. Evidently, it wasn't fast enough or the right stuff. However, over the past week, we have changed the water, the gravel, changed the fake plants, and changed the filter from a penguin with a bio-wheel that hangs off the back of the tank, to a huge one that sits under the tank and creates a current (a fluvul???). (I know that is vague, but that just went in last night, and I haven't read about it, yet). We set it up without any carbon - just filters, ceramics and stars...)
I got ahead of myself, I am sorry.... Mickey started presenting symptoms first. He started looking "fuzzy" - thought to be "velvet" and started looking red around the base of his tail and on his underside. Sadly, he was on the bottom for a couple of days (I thought he was constipated). The red could have been developing and I didn't know.... Two days ago, Minnie started presenting the same redness around the fins, tail and underbelly. She also started looking "fuzzy" yesterday.
Although Minnie was looking pretty good through Mickey's diagnosis, she caught up rapidly to him... (using "him and her" completely arbitrarily - we have no idea). All day today, neither ate and Mickey's fins were "down" and he was just moving around slowly. Minnie was hanging at the top of the tank and didn't move too much. He tail was starting to look like it was beginning to fray.
Sadly, when we came home from dinner, Minnie was dead and stuck facing up in a "tree" and Mickey was on his side, also dead, lying on the bottom of the tank.
I am sorry for going into gorey detail, but I can’t direct you to link of a photo (I don’t know how). We all would very much like to get more fish. We enjoyed them SO much! I am so nervous about this tank, and these supplies.
Since I don't know exactly what killed them, I am not sure how to make sure that I am not jeopardizing another fish. I know a new tank environment is stressful enough, let alone one that is carrying a residual bacteria or virus.
After another 50% change yesterday, the tank was at pH of 7.5, with 0 for its nitrates. The water was a little soft (does this contribute to the problem?) since I use tap water with a tap water "fixative". I would estimate the tank at 75-78`, but that is a guess... It is a 26 gallon tank.
If I need to throw everything out and start over, I will. But over the past week, I have spent almost $450 on new rocks, new accessories, new filter, new chemicals, new “meds”, etc etc etc. I would love to use the new stuff, if I can, safely.
Again, SAFELY, is my concern. I am a PURE beginner of fish care, but took pretty good care of Mickey of Minnie (until this week) and would like very much to try again. How do I ensure that the tank is safe, and if it is/will be, what should I do to set it up to prepare for an introduction of new fish?
Your time and attention are greatly appreciated. Thank you. Thank you . Thank you!
Answer Let me say that first you are a GREAT fish keeper-- you look up on the fish, you do all you can for the fish to be happy and healthy, you ask questions, you named your fish (Ok, so that's just something I think everyone should do, heheheh). You cared about your two little babies. I'm truly sorry what happened to them. :( I would be crushed.
Making sure this doesn't happen again...
Don't throw away anything yet! Fish stuff is crazy expensive, as you well know! Everything can pretty much be used safely again. Disinfect the tank and everything in it but the gravel. Give the gravel a good salt bath (1/2+ cup salt to one cup water) and leave in the sun for a day or so (UV rays SLAUGHTER bacteria). Here's a great site for how to do that. Don't throw away anything yet. http://bettatalk.com/sanitization.htm
What may have happened...
By "fuzzy" do you mean any of these pictures. (Just copy and paste these links into the address bar.)
By the way it was fast and spread, it was totally a bacteria. Melafix and primafix aren't good antibiotics and fungicides. They are really weak. Better, stronger medicines like kanamycin, ampicillin, tetracycline, and ethromycin are FAR better. They are in products like Kanaplex, Maracyn-TC and Maracyn-EM. Stuff works great. I use them myself when I bring in sick fish.
NEVER mix new fish with your old fish. You need to quarantine new fish in a little tank or bowl or at LEAST a cup for a week to a month to see if they get sick. Carnival fish are treated HORRIBLY! There's no laws (outside of Italy and Germany) that see fish as animals. There's laws to protect mistreatment of dogs and cats but none for fish. Carnivals buy the fish cheap and treat them cheaply. They are just for money. It's harsh.
Soft water is great actually for almost ALL fish! Good stuff right there.
Go to the library. They have great books on fish keeping usually. Go to a local little petshop and ask ANY question you have. Bigger chain store employees seem to know next to nothing these days. Ask what a person has (fish wise) before you take ANY advise or info from them. Fish people aren't offending and would tank your ear off about their tank(s). Ask what problems they have faced with their tank and what they think is the hardest and easiest part of fishkeeping. Pick their brain. Fish people LOVE to talk about fish! (I've rambled on replying this and it will probably be like 20 pages by the time I'm done, lol). Asking questions can safe fishes lives in the future.
Don't give up either. Clean the tank. Get some new little guys. See what the stores have and do some research on them. If they are something you still want, GO FOR IT! It's WAY too rewarding and fun to give up. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have 15+ tanks myself, lol.
If you have any problems or questions or emergencies or anything, feel free to email me! :)
bentyisthecoolest@yahoo.com
I may not reply for a day or so if I'm really busy with life but I will eventually, heheheh.
