Hoplias HITH

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Update: nitrates at 20ppm this morning, was able to feed a dozen vitachem soaked massivore last night, condition seems to have improved. Will perform another water change this evening.
Edit: ordered the other meds recommended, will arrive Monday.
 
Another water change, cleaned one of the filters (sun sun 304b). Nitrates at 10. Added metro and vita-chem. Going to wait on the epsom salt, feels like I am already adding too many chems. Fish is active and appears to be healing.
 
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Is it normal for wolves to eat only every 3 days or so? He will refuse food for a couple days and then eat like a pig- 15 or so massivore pellets for an 8" fish. Heard this was normal for some predators?
 
These fish "should" thrive on lack of hardness, but some buffer might help stabilize things, if fluctuations are whats causing issues... very interested to hear about your woes.
 
I have water issues & have been using Wondershells to bring up the hardness.
I'll write more about this later.


Or you could save yourself some money, and use crushed oyster shell, sold as chicken grit at most local farm feed stores. Even crushed coral purchased in bulk would be cheaper, and get the same job done. I doubt that you would need much to help stabilize things in between water changes.



Since your water is soft, it may also have a low alkalinity (low buffering capacity) which may make more regular water changes neseccary. You could call your water provider to find out those parameters, or it may state them on your water bill.
Low buffering capacity means its easier for uric acid and other metalbolism by-products and acids to build up, to ruin water quality, and can create high nitrates, much faster between water changes. This is why any text book standard water change routine is nebulous, because different cities, different states may all have different water parameters dictating how many, and how frequent water changes may needed to maintain a tanks water quality, which the different species of fish may need.

+1
 
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Or you could save yourself some money, and use crushed oyster shell, sold as chicken grit at most local farm feed stores. Even crushed coral purchased in bulk would be cheaper, and get the same job done. . . .

I'm 100% sure it would be cheaper.
 
Ill be able to accurately test kh and gh by the end of the week. I do have some room in a filter tray or two for some crushed shells... guess Ill fill one up and see how it goes.
 
Added coral to filter of 90g tuesday. tested kh and gh today in 90g and unaltered 20g.
20g: 0-1 dkh, 20-30 ppm gh
90g: 1-2 dkh, 40-50 ppm gh
Ph in all tanks 6.5.
 
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