Delhezi Bichir Growout Thread

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Speaking of scaping, I’m redoing it to look natural...besides the barrels, which sparky loves, and the moon rock, which the catfish love. I just need to collect some manzanita driftwood.
I recommend getting sandblasted wood. The bark peels off the normal one and makes a huge mess.
 
Ok. I'll look around. Is there any way I can sandblast my own wood?
I’m sure there is a way, I’m not sure of one though. Most online sellers have both for sale, you could even get a sample pack like I did (one regular one sandblast).
 
Probably be cheaper to sand the wood by hand. Sure it takes more time, but if you don't have the equipment already, then hand sanding will work.
 
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A terrible day has occured.

Over the past week, I went to Joshua Tree. I left my most trusted friend and gave him specific instructions. He fed the tetras around 2 TABLESPOONS of flakes TWICE A DAY. My fault for trusting him, but I still showed him 2 times. Anyway, he put too much, and when I came home, the bottom was riddled with flakes. I do an immediate water change of 85%. Test ammonia - .25 ppm -. Oh crap! The ammonia probably converted to Nitrite. Nitrite: around 2 ppm. 4 80% water changes later, my prized male floated around, and I could touch him, and he would flinch only, not swim away. He is breathing rapidly, la-dee-da, we know it is Nitrite Poisoning. I go to bed at 2 in the morning because I did water changes with a two-hour period in between. As I am going to sleep, 2 other big ones start to act the same way. Now I am freaked. I tell my dad that there is little chance they survive. I didnt have aquarium salt. I posted asking for help, but there was nothing I could do. I had iodized table salt, and other salts that wouldn't work. I go to bed.

I wake up in the morning. I run to the tank. Every Tetra is breathing heavily. I look around for the big tetra. He isn't there. I finally find him in the barrels unmoving. He was dead. I pull him out. I realized this: He is THE PRETTIEST Congo Tetra I have seen ANYWHERE, even on google. I mourned him for over an hour. I was planning on posting him for the POTM. I go to school; my face red from tears. I was so attached to that fish. He used to eat out of my hands, and jump out of the water when I held food above. I buried him in my fish grave outside. After school, I got API Aquarium Salt, and dosed the tank according to Rocksor's suggestion. I turn the heat down to 76 degrees. As I am writing this, everything is fine. I will gather some pics of him to commemorate the one and only Buddy, the best (in color, and in swagger) Congo Tetra ever to walk the fish tank. :rip :rip :rip
eca1ee0d-f931-4b81-9a6c-310928593a5a-jpeg.1457516
2a194ce7-04de-4e96-bc72-7fa17602be4b-jpeg.1457515
 
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Reactions: Deadeye
A terrible day has occured.

I posted asking for help, but there was nothing I could do. I had iodized table salt, and other salts that wouldn't work. I go to bed.
Any sodium chloride salt would have worked as well as the aquarium salt. I've had no problems using iodized salt, pickling salt, or ice cream salt on fish. Some have used pool filter salt.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Deadeye
A terrible day has occured.

Over the past week, I went to Joshua Tree. I left my most trusted friend and gave him specific instructions. He fed the tetras around 2 TABLESPOONS of flakes TWICE A DAY. My fault for trusting him, but I still showed him 2 times. Anyway, he put too much, and when I came home, the bottom was riddled with flakes. I do an immediate water change of 85%. Test ammonia - .25 ppm -. Oh crap! The ammonia probably converted to Nitrite. Nitrite: around 2 ppm. 4 80% water changes later, my prized male floated around, and I could touch him, and he would flinch only, not swim away. He is breathing rapidly, la-dee-da, we know it is Nitrite Poisoning. I go to bed at 2 in the morning because I did water changes with a two-hour period in between. As I am going to sleep, 2 other big ones start to act the same way. Now I am freaked. I tell my dad that there is little chance they survive. I didnt have aquarium salt. I posted asking for help, but there was nothing I could do. I had iodized table salt, and other salts that wouldn't work. I go to bed.

I wake up in the morning. I run to the tank. Every Tetra is breathing heavily. I look around for the big tetra. He isn't there. I finally find him in the barrels unmoving. He was dead. I pull him out. I realized this: He is THE PRETTIEST Congo Tetra I have seen ANYWHERE, even on google. I mourned him for over an hour. I was planning on posting him for the POTM. I go to school; my face red from tears. I was so attached to that fish. He used to eat out of my hands, and jump out of the water when I held food above. I buried him in my fish grave outside. After school, I got API Aquarium Salt, and dosed the tank according to Rocksor's suggestion. I turn the heat down to 76 degrees. As I am writing this, everything is fine. I will gather some pics of him to commemorate the one and only Buddy, the best (in color, and in swagger) Congo Tetra ever to walk the fish tank. :rip :rip :rip
eca1ee0d-f931-4b81-9a6c-310928593a5a-jpeg.1457516
2a194ce7-04de-4e96-bc72-7fa17602be4b-jpeg.1457515
So sorry to hear. That was a beautiful tetra.
 
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