I forgot to update the group on the fish as well. It was bumpy for a little while but things seem to be going smoothly now.
At the beginning of April I noticed one morning that 1 of the Geo's tails was completely gone, like someone ate it off. This Geo was the runt in the group and I assumed either the other Geo's were picking on him and/or the stingrays ate his tail at night. I left him in the tank and started feeding more and dosed the tank with Melafix to help the fish heal. I noticed at this time the Datnoid also had a cloudy eye and probably pop-eye. I got him out and put him in the quarantine tank to try and dose some extra medicines. Picture below is when I noticed the Geo's tail was very chewed up.
This next picture (below) was taken the day after the 1st picture (above). I'm not sure if the bones just fell off because they were exposed or if there was continued bullying that night. At this time, I put another large piece of driftwood in the center of the tank to try and break up the line-of-site between all the fish across the tank, to ease aggression. I think this has helped some and creates more hiding places.
The Datnoid passed away a couple days later. Not sure what caused the pop-eye and cloudy eye. The only thing I could think of was my Nitrates run between 20-30ppm so it could be that, but none of the other fish seem bothered by it. I purchased a sulfur denitrator that I am going to install once I get the sump completed.
The Geo's tail healed back almost completely to the point you couldn't tell it was ever gone. Then about a week later he was dead floating on the surface one morning. I think the stingrays were pinning him to the sandbed and suffocated him. Then a week later another Geo was dead, floating at the surface one morning. So now I'm down to 5 total.
The picture below is the Geo with the tail almost completely healed, a day before he passed away.
And that pretty much brings us back to present day on the fish deaths. Below is the fish stock as of right now:
1- Bushy nose pleco
1- Cactus Pleco
1- Flagtail
4- Silver Dollars
5- Topajos Geophagus
7- Clown Loaches
2- BD Hybrid Stingrays
Here's a picture of most of the fish, the clowns are very curious and personable now in the tank. They always come to the glass when I'm around.
The female stingray (in picture above) is definitely bigger than the male now, probably 12-13" diameter. While the male stingray (pictured below) is probably in the 10-11" diameter range. Also, the male loves playing in the bubbles as pictured below.
At the beginning of April I noticed one morning that 1 of the Geo's tails was completely gone, like someone ate it off. This Geo was the runt in the group and I assumed either the other Geo's were picking on him and/or the stingrays ate his tail at night. I left him in the tank and started feeding more and dosed the tank with Melafix to help the fish heal. I noticed at this time the Datnoid also had a cloudy eye and probably pop-eye. I got him out and put him in the quarantine tank to try and dose some extra medicines. Picture below is when I noticed the Geo's tail was very chewed up.
This next picture (below) was taken the day after the 1st picture (above). I'm not sure if the bones just fell off because they were exposed or if there was continued bullying that night. At this time, I put another large piece of driftwood in the center of the tank to try and break up the line-of-site between all the fish across the tank, to ease aggression. I think this has helped some and creates more hiding places.
The Datnoid passed away a couple days later. Not sure what caused the pop-eye and cloudy eye. The only thing I could think of was my Nitrates run between 20-30ppm so it could be that, but none of the other fish seem bothered by it. I purchased a sulfur denitrator that I am going to install once I get the sump completed.
The Geo's tail healed back almost completely to the point you couldn't tell it was ever gone. Then about a week later he was dead floating on the surface one morning. I think the stingrays were pinning him to the sandbed and suffocated him. Then a week later another Geo was dead, floating at the surface one morning. So now I'm down to 5 total.
The picture below is the Geo with the tail almost completely healed, a day before he passed away.
And that pretty much brings us back to present day on the fish deaths. Below is the fish stock as of right now:
1- Bushy nose pleco
1- Cactus Pleco
1- Flagtail
4- Silver Dollars
5- Topajos Geophagus
7- Clown Loaches
2- BD Hybrid Stingrays
Here's a picture of most of the fish, the clowns are very curious and personable now in the tank. They always come to the glass when I'm around.
The female stingray (in picture above) is definitely bigger than the male now, probably 12-13" diameter. While the male stingray (pictured below) is probably in the 10-11" diameter range. Also, the male loves playing in the bubbles as pictured below.
