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Something you could try to do instead of just dumping them in is:

1. Put the bag in the water to get the temp right
2. Put the fish into a small bucket (still in the store water)
3. Slowly start adding your tank water to the bucket.
4. When you get mostly your water in the bucket scoop the fish out with a net and put them in your tank.

This way you are not adding anything from the water of the stores into your tank.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Ok...I will try that, I've changed my mind, as I think it's sorta unfair, I'm gonna just stick with the neons, but exchange any dead ones for some live ones until I get a good batch I can't seem to locate all of them in the tank, but there are 2 more that aren't looking good that I think will be dead by the morning

I don't know tons about them but I have heard that they are not easy to keep.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Ok thnx for the help....I guess we will have to just see how things go

lookin_around,

Many of us have problems with Neons, including myself. The way you added them sure did not help the matter, as has been mentioned before a slow acclimatization to your tank water is a necessity. I would suggest you look at your filter intake as the dead ones will be stuck there.

I personally am very unsuccessful with Neons, I think I purchased about 20 over a 6 month period and I have 2 left. Various people state that Neons are becoming so sensitive because of excess inbreeding at the fish farms (or something like that). Also, I think they should not be added to tanks that have not completely settled yet.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Yea....well after seeing the massacre this morning in my tank, I think I may steer away from neons...I have found 8 dead ones....but I can't find the other 2....I don't know if they are there or not..or if the lady didn't really give me 10

Sorry to hear that lookin_around,

Next time you add fish make sure that you do it nice and slowly. Tetratech uses a method where he lets tank water drip into the bag with the fish for over an hour (depending on the fish even way longer). I use a cup and add small amounts of water every 10 minutes.

On the bright side, things can only get better .

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Ok...Thnx I will definitely do something like that next time. I am still wondering about the other 2. If they aren't in there I have a feeling I won't be getting the 4 bux back for them if the lady didn't give me all 10...I got them at petsmart which was probably a mistake, so I will check my LFS but they do not normally have anything interesting there. How would gourami's do in my tank? I saw some yesterday that looked kewl. They looked kinda big though. And would they do good with a couple of Blue rams, becuase I eventually want to add a pair of those, I jsut don't know how far from now it will be

Ok, well I got some Harlequin Rasboras instead of more tetras, cause I didn't wanna deal with them all dieing. Right now I am doing that drip thing so they can get used to the water like you guys suggested. I got 7 as that was all that they had left. Thnx for your help and we'll have to see how things go....I heard you talking about a sort of sub-species of rasboras..Is thatimportant...my rasboras have some red on their dorsal fin and tails, if that helps.

lookin_around,

Well, congratulations on the new fishies .

Did you actually get the money back from the LFS? If you would have come to me to get the money back and you would have told me how you introduced the Neons I would not have given you anything (no offense).

There are many different Rasboras out there and there are 3 forms of Harlequin:

The common Harlequin as can be seen in the picture in the middle of [link=This Page]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Planted%20Aquaria/65470_5.html" style="COLOR: #ff6633[/link].
The Harlequin Rasbora Hengeli as can be seen [link=Here]http://www.rasbora.de/Zierfischgalerie/NOThengeli.jpg" style="COLOR: #ff6633[/link].
And the Harlequin Rasbora Espei as can be seen [link=Here]http://www.rasbora.de/Zierfischgalerie/NOTespei.jpg" style="COLOR: #ff6633[/link] and in many pictures of my [link=125G Tank Log]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Planted%20Aquaria/64425.html?200512081209" style="COLOR: #ff6633[/link].

You can see that the biggest difference between the common Harlequin and the other 2 is the size of the black triangle. The Espei have a larger orange area than the Hengeli.

Hope this helps,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

No they wouldn't let me get my money back, but they let me exchange them. So I got the Rasboras since I have heard nothing but good things about them. Mine are just the common ones, which is fine with me, I still like them. I should be getting my flourish excel sometime soon. I had to order it off of bigals, so shipping is the only thing left

hey lookin,

Congrats on the harlies, you won't be disappointed. Great schoolers, and they'll GLOW if you keep their water clean. Just to add some info on them: In general males will be a darker shade of red with darker black markings and darker red around the eye. This will be most prominent in the dominant male of the group. The best way to tell the sexes apart actually is to look at the tringle itself. See pic below: notice that on the bottom of the tringle there's a little edge that sticks out, circled in red. That signifies a male. On females the black line will go straight down with no edge jutting out.

Anyway, just wanted to give you some extra info. Good luck!



NowherMan6 attached this image:

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Back in the saddle!

Yep, I had 5 HRs that I actually cycled a tank with about 2 1/2 years ago (didn't know much, still don't) and they all made it through perfectly. I had them for about 1 1/2 years until one got a red patch on it's belly and one by one they fell like dominos.

My Scapes

Thnx nowhereman. I will have to check that out when I get home. Maybe I will get some pictures...if I can manage to capture those guys...they swim a lot and are almost always moving. I dropped a lil bit of food in this morning and they seemed to enjoy it.

Ok, I am now home. I think I have 1 or 2 males out of the 7 rasboras. I tried to get some pictures, but it was hard, those buggers swim so fast. Well here are the best 5 out of about 15 or 20.
Numero Uno
Numero Dos
Numero Tres
Numero Cuatro
Numero Cinco

Sry they're not all that great, and plz excuse the algae, I checked my order for the Flourish Excel, and it barely shipped out today, so I have to just wait I guess.

lookin_around,

They are pretty nice pictures and the quality isn’t too shabby either .

It might be just the angle at which we see the fish in “Numero Tres”, but it looks like it has a spinal deformity. Is there really such a major bump on one or your Harlies?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Yea there seems to be about three fish with that large "bump". Is it something I should worry about?

lookin_around,

As I mentioned in my last post, it could be that this is a spinal deformity. That could be a sign of high inbreeding or illness. And I only say it COULD be. I would suggest you look at as many Harlequin pictures as you can and compare yours with these. And, maybe you also could get a side shot from the ones with the bump so we can see it in profile.

Keep us posted,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Hey,

NowherMan6 just posted a few good shots of his Harlies, maybe that might help in identifying if there is an issue or not.

Here is the link

Ingo

Edit: scroll down on that page

Last edited by LITTLE_FISH at 10-Dec-2005 16:24

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

The bumps on the heads of my Harlies look like his. Sorta like the picture labeled "The big female".

Well, then all is good

Guess that means you have 3 girls in your gang.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Nice shots, lookin.

My harlies developed that bump as they got older... kind of remdinds me of how full grown tiger barbs look when they're older. Nothing to worry about IMO.

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Back in the saddle!

Haha...hmmm I wonder what I'd have to do if they bred in my little 29

Well, I just went to the pet store...and they were having their blowout christmas sale...and all fish are half off..so I got 3 more femailes. 1.50 each...they didn't have very many

lookin_around,

So how many fish did you add in the last few days?

Remember, a major increase in fish can lead to a cycle.

Be on top of your water changes. Do you have an Ammonia test kit?

Don't want to scare you, just make sure you watch the parameters.

Ingo

PS: Never can have enough Harlies

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

The only fish I've added this week are the harlies...I now have 10 of them

lookin_around,

This means that you had 4 Otos to begin with? If so, and you just added 10 Harlies then you increased your waste producing load by 250%.

Just keep an eye open on the Ammonia.

Ingo

Last edited by LITTLE_FISH at 11-Dec-2005 17:12

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Alright, will do...how often do you think I should test the ammonia?

At least once a day, preferrably twice

It is a big tank (relatively speaking ) and the fish are small, but it is better to be careful than sorry.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Hey, I came home today from school and noticed one ofmy ottos had some sort of injury on him. He seems to be acting normal, but I don't know what I should do about it. Here are some pics

1
2

that happend to my rummynose tetra, it spread and he died, I was told it was a bacteria that works like necrotizing facitus ... flesh eating bacteria... I don't know if thats true but it claimed my rummynose within days I didn't know what to do and had to seperate the ones infected they all perished.

lookin_around,

Yeah, that doesn’t look good.

I cannot tell you what it is, but I had one Oto with a white spot on his back as well, I saw it the first time a few hours after adding him to the tank so I assumed it might have been an injury from the netting and transport from the LFS. He didn’t show any signs of distress at all, but within a few days I found him dead. No other fish (Espei and other Otos) seem to have been infected.

As harsh as it may seem, maybe you should let him go to fish-heaven. Or you could quarantine him, if you have a setup for this case. Once again, better safe than sorry.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Well, I do have a 1.5 gallon that I set up last night...it has no bacterial colony or algae in it for food...Would I be able to put him in there? If not, what would you recommend me to do?

Just a guess, but it looks like neon tetra disease, I had a white cloud get it and die of it, but the other fish didn't get it. It is usually fatal. Moving him may stress him and he could die from that. You haven't added other fish to that tank yet have you? If not I'd leave it,observe the fish's behavior,maybe raise the temp a bit (to speed up progression of the disease). Try furazolidone as a treatment, this controls secondary infections and helps with false NTD.(recommendation from The Manual of Fish Health)
Isolation is recommended, but tank conditions should stay the same. The new tank hasn't cycled. You could cycle with ammonia and move him in three days maybe. Hope I'm wrong and that it's really nothing.

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus

Well I went ahead and luthenized(sp?) him this morning, so he's now in fishie heaven

lookin_around,

Sorry, but it was maybe the best for the little one

Ingo

PS: Keep an eye on the others for similar symptoms. I didn't have any additional losses of the same kind.

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Hey, y'all...Well it's been about 5 weeks now. SO I thought I'd share some pictures.
First is a full Tank shot the day after a water change, and trimming of the staghorn algae and some plantsTank

Next is a shot of my Crypt Wendti which is doing quite nicely IMO. I think I am going to move it to the front left corner, as was suggested to me in chat. Crypt

I have been watching the tank, and lately I noticed one of my ottos tends to occasionally go to the top of the water, and "sucks" on the surface, he is the only fish that does it, so I know that it isn't a lack of O in the tank. Otto

Next is just a shot of one of my harlequins. Some of them are turning quite redish. They are just so hard to photograph Harlie

Oh yea...Just recieved my Flourish Excel tonight, so I will start that tommorow to see if it helps. Should I just go by the instructions on the bottle for it, or do I need to overdose a lil bit for it to make any sorta difference?

Thnx for all your help guys

lookin_around,

Looking good

Your crypt is really nice and I agree that Harlies are hard to catch on a photo. You got to wait just for that split second when he/she is not moving.

About the Oto on the surface: I have not seen that before but it doesn’t look good to me, maybe you should create a post in the Hospital.

Did you turn off the filter for the pictures? It seems like there is no surface agitation whatsoever.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

No, the filter was on for the picture, he was just on the opposoite side that the filter is on.

I think your Oto is OK. I've read about this behavior before. Basically when there isn't a lot of surface agitation or movement you can get a pretty thick protein build-up on the suface of the water. Apparently this stuff is very nutritious and Otos have been reported to float upside down at the suface like yours to feast on the stuff. Nothing to worry about, just keep an eye on the little guy to be sure.

Very nice tnak, by the way

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Back in the saddle!

Thanks for the Oto info, I would have freaked out if mine would have started to do that


lookin_around - About the filter being on in the picture: Do you have enough current in the tank so water one the opposite side of the filter gets exchanged?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Yes, I have an oto that basically is upside down all the time, whether he's on plants or as yours is on the surface. When I first saw mine I thought it was dying, but after watching him he seems fine.

My Scapes

I think its being exhcanged...The water just moves a lot slower on the top on that side....but the output of the filter fans out against the glass on the opposing side,and provides cirulation under the surface.

I'm not sure that I got my otto that had the infection out fast enough, because I just noticed that one of my harlequins has the same infection and in the same spot as well(on the tail). He/she is just sorta staying in one spot, not enerjectically swimming back and forth like the others. He is bein a loner right now too. What should I do?

lookin_around,

Definately post in the Hospital forum about it, maybe somebody knows more.

In the meantime, if you have a QT then take the Harlie out of the main tank as soon as possible.

I personnaly tend to panic in such situations and I would be very tempted to euthanize the fish (if I didn't have a QT). But this is only me and might not be needed in general.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

The only thing I have is a 1.5 gallon hex, w/ some clippings I threw in there to try...should i put him in there?

EDIT: Well, as I was takin some pics of the sick harlie, I noticed another harlie who is freequently swimming upside down under the Ludwigia Repens, and shakin her tail a lot...and then flipping over and doing it on another leaf. Occasionally a male(I think) will come over and do it right next to her, they are doing it as I type this message as well....is this breeding? It is quite oddd w/e it is
Crazy Harlies

Last edited by lookin_around at 21-Dec-2005 11:51

Well,

Yes, this is breeding

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Ok...I guess I'll have to see if anything happens there.....Should I QT the sick one in my 1.5 gallon?

I would say you should QT the sick one.

Is that tank cycled? If not then you should make sure to change loads of water each day (at least once). She would be the only fish in there, right?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Yes, she would be the only one, and I just set it up about 3 days ago...w/ no fish in it, so it's not cycled, I was just gonna do plants in it for a long time, but thats now changing...haha

Well...I QT'd her, but it was too late I guess. She died a few hours later. I posted in the hospital and was given a link to different diseases as to what it may be. But the closest thing I could see that could be it, was maybe Ick, I know nothing about it though.
In the meantime, I've taken a pic of my tank with the Crypt moved over, which I did before I noticed her infection. I'm not sure if I like it or not, maybe it will look better when the leaves aren't pressed up against the glass
tank

lookin_around,

Yeah, I don’t know if I am too wild about the current position of the crypt. It is a lovely specimen that I believe deserves more attention than being tugged into the corner. That also leaves you with a long wooden frontier almost all the way across your tank length. Now it seems like there is a plant (or plants) missing that is almost the height of the wood.

Your Ludwigia is growing very nicely in the back there .

About the Harlie girl, sorry to hear that . I would say that this is not Ich, there are no spots but a cottony area. If I would have to take a wild guess then I would say it is Cotton Mouth, which does (to my knowledge) not always start at the mouth and could be anywhere at the body. It is white and fluffy and, depending on the strand, can kill within 24 hours. You for sure did the right thing when you took the fish our and put it in QT. I would say read up on that illness and see if it matches your Harlie’s symptoms.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Yeah, I don’t know if I am too wild about the current position of the crypt.
I agree as well. It's pushing up against the glass and doesn't look natural. As Amano would say "catastrophic"
I would move it back.

Also your gravel looks very loose. Is the hairgrass rooting and sending out runners.

My Scapes

yea I think I will move it back.

As for the hairgrass, it still hasn't really done anything. It is just sorta, slowly dieing. I remember confirming that it was grown emmersed, so I figured I will just let them do their thing and hope they come back. Is there anything special I need to do.

I have been adding flourish excel for about 2 days now

If it's emmersed growth that's dying off, let it die. When it starts to die, but before it turns brown, yank it out if you can. I don't know the texture of hair grass so maybe you can't. But if you can, get rid of that stuff before it turns brown and rots. Take it out from as far down as you can, dont just break off the tips. Try to keep it clean and it should grow back healthier.

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Back in the saddle!