Skin on Gar peeling- Thoughts/help?

Thekid

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
Sep 18, 2014
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So, you're saying i should be doing a regular weekly water change of 83%? That seems extremely off. Maybe at this point yes, that may work. But if it's suggested as routine, i disagree

I will be upping the changes asap..

Thanks fellas.
Try two a week and see what happens. I'd take it slowly to not shock the fish. Also you probably should add the bio wheel back in.
 
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pharmaecopia

Polypterus
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Aug 21, 2010
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Are you talking about buffering the water?

Reverse osmosis is the best fish safe water you can get other than the fact it has no ph. It's literally the cleanest water on the planet.
That is what I was referring to.

Ro has no kh, which is what prevents ph fluctuations.
 

MichaelE

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 27, 2005
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So, you're saying i should be doing a regular weekly water change of 83%? That seems extremely off. Maybe at this point yes, that may work. But if it's suggested as routine, i disagree

I will be upping the changes asap..

Thanks fellas.
It's fine, I've been doing weekly changes of 70-90% for years and years and not had a single problem yet (and that's with fairly delicate species like ATFs, payaras etc). Hell, I know some discus keepers that do daily water changes close to 100%.

I'm not sure what this idea of the dangers of large water changes stems from. Is your water that toxic? That can't be good for you.

Can you have a look at your ammonia and ph-levels so that something didn't bomb on you.
 

bacon

Plecostomus
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Sep 10, 2005
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^no, not worried about my water. ..just seemed excessive and a huge amount. But, after this incident, i looks to be what is needed. I realize how little water I was changing before...learned something at least during all this at least.

The gar looks to have made a full recovery and was eating massiveore off the sandbend this am. However, i may have 2 completely blind tems now. But, they were still able to find food. I really thought the gar was not gonna make it. He isn't shedding any more skin. I'm going to keep up on the aggressive water changes.
 
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bacon

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Sep 10, 2005
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I didn't take a pic when his skin was falling off...It was bad though. Here he is looking like a new fish. Water is a little cloudy, just did a water change.

20160206_200132.jpg 20160206_200251.jpg 20160206_200309.jpg
 

bacon

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Sep 10, 2005
378
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The gym
I had removed all the fake plants and decor to make sure yet was no waste left behind I was missing. I'll add them back again.
 

fuzzlebug

Candiru
MFK Member
Feb 3, 2014
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Good to see he's on the mend, this is probably my favourite gar on here, just cause of the journey he's been on with you.
 
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