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I have 1 mickey mouse platy, 2 red and black platys, 4 rainbow tetra, 3 Columbian Red tail tetras, 2 buenos ires tetras, 2 plecos, 1 irridescent shark, 1 bala shark, 4 male guppies, 1 little chinese algea eater, and 1 White and black molly. I have had most of these for 2 months now. Recently, however, other than the bought of deaths to my fish world, I've lost 1 catfish, 1 black and white molly, 3 Mickey mouse platys, 5 female guppies, 1 male guppy and 1 red and black platy, I've noticed that my platys and my rainbow tetras are starting to get some sort of brownish black coloring along their dorsal fin areas. The tank has been treated for dropsy, which is what took several of the guppies, but prior to that, I had a guppy that would prefer to be off by himself. He ate, not much, but he ate. Then he would swim up to an object, and shoot himself across the object. He did this for about 2 weeks before he died. Now, my other platy is starting to act the same way. I am now treating the large tank with CopperSafe. The mickey mouse girl is starting to interact with the other fish a little more than she was doing before, but my main concern is if I should be worried about the fact that the platies and the rainbow tetras are getting the brownish color along their dorsal fins.

If anyone has any ideas, please let me know as soon as possible!!! THANKS!

Some, but very few, would-be hobbyists take my direct, no frills advice as a personal attack...

I'm sure this gal has a reason for her dislike of my direct approach to answering questions and that's her priviledge.

I can assure her that I'm only interested in helping, not insulting. I must remind her of someone she just doesn't care for.

--garyroland.

I mean, Mickey Mouse Platy. Never heard of it. Is it pretty? What does it look like?

Perhaps you should offer more explaination of why with your advice. Some of us know your advice is good, but for those that are new it might come across as harsh. It's also good to know why to do one thing instead of another if you think what you're doing is working (or else, why change? Because someone told you you're wrong or because you see why something isn't a good long-term fix?)... a bit of friendly advice.

Lilbabe99 - You can get New Improved Cycle (NIC) at most pet stores or LFS. If you ask someone there they should be able to find it for you pretty easily. And be careful who you tell off, because sometimes people will start refusing to answer your questions at all if you say they're being rude by giving it when you asked.

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It's not that I don't appreciate the help, it's that I don't like people with an attitude. So, thanks.

I also am planning on stopping my the lfs tomorrow on my way home from work, so I will see what they have. Who knows...hopefully! Anyway...thanks for all the help.

I just recently found new improved cycle in my local area (will use it for my new tank). Prior to that I was using a product called Stress Zyme mfg by Aquarium Pharmacuticals. According to the bottles, they both do about the same thing, so if you can't find cycle, try the Stress Zyme. Any time you have to medicate your tank it's not a bad idea to use one of these products to reintroduce beneficial bacteria back into your tank as some meds kill them off while curing the fish.

Well, I think I'm going to the lfs tomorrow, so I believe that I will be picking some of that stress zyme or nic for my tank! Thank you so very much for your help! Much appreciated!

StressZyme and New Improved Cycle are not the same...

New Improved Cycle is far superior and an entirely different product.

--garyroland.

Yes, go for the Cycle - it has the bacteria in it for you... the StressZyme is not much different from the ammonia remover. It has enzymes to break down ammonia. NIC has live bacteria.

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awww gary...i have the 2 exact same clown loaches

The two same Loaches??

You mean runts??

--garyroland.

Since I tend to be a purist when it comes to good water quality, never adding anything to my tanks that would not be in the fish's natural habitat, I would suggest you do the same.

If you'll purchase a bottle of the "New Improved Cycle" and dose according to product directions, your tank will take on a new and healthy attitude and promote a smile on every fish's face.

Which natural waters will I find New Improved Cycle at? I've always wanted to try it, and since you don't add anything that would not be in a fish's natural habitat, tell me where I can go and fill up bottles of this stuff please. PM me if you don't want everyone to know the secret location.

It is in the natural habitat although not in concentrated form of course The little bottle of NIC has the same species of bacteria that live in the fishes' native environments and break down the ammonia. You wouldn't be able to go to a jungle stream and collect the stuff because it's a concentrated culture of the bacteria. Someone got some from some environmental locale then refined it to get the diseases out, and cultured it to be a concentrate that you can add at a rate of something like a teaspoon to ten gallons to have a similar population of bacteria that the same number of fish would have in the wild. But I dare you to find methelyne blue in any jungle stream at any concentration!

EDIT: oh and speaking of those clown loaches, I found the exact same photo as GaryRoland's avatar in a new (to me... actually from 1966) fish book I now have. It's the picture of a clown loach from The Innes Book "Exotic Aquarium Fishes". The color plate is on page 562, labeled "Botia macracantha".

[span class="edited"][Edited by superlion 2004-08-01 01:51][/span]

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You've now revealed, as has one other hobbyist a while ago, the source of my avatar...

I suppose you just had to tell everybody. Can't keep a secret in these Forums anymore.

Dosing the New Improved Cycle or Bio Spira I always considered "natural" since they contain friendly bacteria found in nature.

It's the chemical concoctions that hobbyists dose that drives me crazy.

There's a product that claims "Aloe" provides, or benefits, a fish's slime coat. Of course Aloe is a natural, plant-derived product but to claim it will somehow stick to a fish once dissolved in tank water I find preposterous.

If you've ever smelled the gel in an Aloe leaf you'd think twice about putting it in, or on anything.

Ever smelled a dirty armpit??

--garyroland.

Ever smelled a dirty armpit??

LOL, good one.

I find there to be a little too much voodoo involved in those bacteria products myself though... can't see spending money on something I can do myself.

What gets me in particular is this - if company A holds the patent on bacteria 1 and 2, and they are the " correct, nitrifying bacteria", which no other company can use due to patent law, then what do companies B through Z use? Also, why would comapany A need to refigerate their bacteria or it will die when others can keep theirs on the shelf forever and a day with no fridge and it "be fine." ? If the bacteria is being held in an ammonia base, wouldn't it eventually starve on the shelf?

Too many questions for me to shell out money for it when I can just run extra media in established tanks to seed my tanks with. Why bother with the stuff?

Oh, and those aloe things always befuddled me. I could understand it if your fish got a sunburn or burnt itself on the stove while cooking supper, but why it would belong in an aquarium product besides that is beyond me. Maybe if aloe was an aquatic plant I'd go along with it. It's like with this one dechlorinator I saw at the store...it contains " natural herb additives " or something, and does not list what that is. You email the company and they won't tell you because its proprietary. It's suppossed to help calm the fish or something to that effect. Maybe it's cannabis? I could imagine the feeding the next morning... 4 cubes of frozen blood worms, why aren't they full yet? Don't even think of walking by the tank with some cheese doodles.

LOL... that's pretty good

GaryRoland - I got the book last Friday at a used book store It was $8.50 and free for me because my dad had store credit The maps in it are really nice! Actually, it's interesting to look in there and see what fish are coming back into popularity. Some out-of-date stuff, but a lot of good information that's harder to find now... is your pic from the 19th edition too?

Anyway, how did this get onto the topic of aloe in fish tanks now?

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Yes, my Innes fish book is the 19th Edition Revised...

I purchased the book new in the '60's and now you've made me feel really old.

Some of the disease treatment section is a little outdated but then again the info in some areas us still useful.

Jake has a good ongoing perspective about dosing concoctions to tank water but should be informed that the "New Improved Cycle" has its bacteria encapsuled in 11 "flocs" and the product possesses a preservative.

The bacteria is dormant/sleeping just waiting to come alive at the first sign of dilution in tank water. It's almost like an alarm clock that rings at the first sign of water.

Keeping "Bio Spira" cold maintains a slow "respiration" for bacteria, sort of like a bear taking a winter snooze.

My Aloe comment was aimed at the awful sweat odor the gel has. I have a giant Aloe plant outside that has grown into a monster that I wouldn't consider falling into.

--garyroland.

Just an update, I got a bottle of the NIC, treated my tank, and unfortunately at the same time, I also ended up with a bunch of new fish. But they have been in my tank for 24 hours, and are still swimming, and my little mickey mouse platy is doing great! She's really getting much better. And she has stopped shooting off of things! YEAH!!! I'm hoping that I'm just a stop-over tank for some of these fish, but if not, well, oh well. I know that I have a couple of Blue Gouramis, 2 or 3 Kissing Gourami, 2 baby platys, 2 older platys, a few danios, more buenos ires tetras, and I think that I have some black tetras. And I might possibly have some barbs, but I'm not sure...and there are several more that I haven't identified, but from the person that I got them from, they all get along wonderfully! And most are relatively small, for now...but by the time they get bigger, they will have other homes...I hope!

Thanks again for all the help!!!

wow..garyroland has been nothing but helpful, LILBABE99..I don't even see how you got offended. he's fixed probs I have had. maybe one shouldn't be so sensitive/defensive when soliciting help from those who really do know mostly everything about the fishes

First of all, do not leave this area because you think someone is giving you an "attitude". Gary freaked me out at first too, but don't take it personally. The man knows his stuff!! He told me my water was smelling strange because of "sloppy housekeeping" when nothing could have been further from the truth in my opinion and at that time. In the long run, perhaps he was right. I was cleaning enough but probably overfeeding. ANYWAY, please do not feel unwelcomed here. You are very welcomed here. This website is awesome and I am going through some bad things right now with my tank and am so glad to have support. So hang in there. NOW, my real question: What is a Mickey Mouse Plec? NEVER heard of one! Welcome aboard, small fry