eartheater doing BARREL ROLLS?
- Thread starter darwinvsjesus
- Start date
the tanks been up for about one year, but i upgraded from a smaller tank that was up for several months before that one, and i used all the gravel and one of the filters from the previous established tank. it's not new tank syndrome. everything in the tank, parameter wise, is perfect. water is pristine. except for the effing ich that i've just noticed.
I got a small 2-3" Geophagus brasiliensis a couple weeks back, he did the barrel rolls the second I dropped him in the tank for an hour or two. Then the next day was fine, he ate and swam around fine for a couple days. Then one day later I found him at the bottom. All the other fish are fine... No idea what his deal was.
see, that happened with my FIRST geo. I returned him (petsmart, 14-day guarantee) now a second one is doing it. i couldn't beat the price though. 5.99! but this is starting to worry me. i love these little guys, and i don't want this to happen to all of them!
I wonder if my water is to hard for them, I have pretty hard water. Aside from that everything should be fine. No Ammonia or Nitrites and 10ppm Nitrates with 7.0ish PH. Drip system keeps it very stable...
I want to get more too but I fear it may happen again.
I want to get more too but I fear it may happen again.
It's too early for me to call this a victory, but my geo is right side up again today.
I have been treating him with Metronidazole and Sulfa.
I would highly recommend treating all the Abalios with this combo. I also used Maracyn-I the first day, but haven't since. I don't know which of these meds is doing the work so he continues to get a cocktail of both.
So far I've found metronidazole to be the most effective medicine I've ever used. I bought it in bulk from DFS and am glad I did. I would say order a big bottle of it in pill form from there but get a small amount at overpriced LFS rates for the next few days as well and treat immediately.
I'll be honest, I was certain this fish was a goner. And again, I'm still not leaping for joy or anything, but he is right side up and relaxed today after being upside down for a week and freaking out whenever I went near the tank.
Anyway, in your case, this is a lesson not to trust Petsmart fish. By all means, buy them, but quarantine them first. Luckily 86 degree heat and salt will fix the ich so you should be OK as long as you do that. But you need to medicate everyone now because the barrel rolls could be a bacteria-based swim bladder issue, and now you don't want to take any chances.
I have been treating him with Metronidazole and Sulfa.
I would highly recommend treating all the Abalios with this combo. I also used Maracyn-I the first day, but haven't since. I don't know which of these meds is doing the work so he continues to get a cocktail of both.
So far I've found metronidazole to be the most effective medicine I've ever used. I bought it in bulk from DFS and am glad I did. I would say order a big bottle of it in pill form from there but get a small amount at overpriced LFS rates for the next few days as well and treat immediately.
I'll be honest, I was certain this fish was a goner. And again, I'm still not leaping for joy or anything, but he is right side up and relaxed today after being upside down for a week and freaking out whenever I went near the tank.
Anyway, in your case, this is a lesson not to trust Petsmart fish. By all means, buy them, but quarantine them first. Luckily 86 degree heat and salt will fix the ich so you should be OK as long as you do that. But you need to medicate everyone now because the barrel rolls could be a bacteria-based swim bladder issue, and now you don't want to take any chances.
youre right. but before i buy the metronidazole, i'd like to point out that, there is indeed a serious ich bloom. i just noticed it recently. i hope this wasn't the problem, but it seems like it could be. all of the other geos are okay, except for having ich, and they don't appear to have it that bad. i don't know. both the barrel rolling geos are dead. i am incredibly unhappy with this. to make matters worse, i'm going out of town for a week starting in 2 days. my fish seem totally healthy otherwise, so i'm not sure what to do. i love all these guys, and i want them to be healthy. i can't risk letting someone else medicate them while i'm gone. none of my friends are experienced aquarists, at all.
since i'm leaving in two days, i'm going to watch the geos very closely and see how it goes. if i have to, i'll get the medicine on monday and try to show the person taking care of these guys how to do it before i go.
86 degrees, really? isn't that really high? i've got her at 83 right now. i've got 1 tsp salt per gallon of water in there, and wondering how safe an increase in each will be.
i've got 3 young severums, one BN pleco, one small Dempsey, a moonlight gourami ( 6inches), the geos, obviously, a and a RTS. Can these little guys handle that?
since i'm leaving in two days, i'm going to watch the geos very closely and see how it goes. if i have to, i'll get the medicine on monday and try to show the person taking care of these guys how to do it before i go.
86 degrees, really? isn't that really high? i've got her at 83 right now. i've got 1 tsp salt per gallon of water in there, and wondering how safe an increase in each will be.
i've got 3 young severums, one BN pleco, one small Dempsey, a moonlight gourami ( 6inches), the geos, obviously, a and a RTS. Can these little guys handle that?
I wasn't around this weekend, but yes, really, 86. Don't mess around. Crank it the hell up and make sure the ich is dead.
I don't even use salt (any more than I do already, anyway).
Of course, it has been years since I have encountered ich because I don't buy new fish that often and I keep my SA tanks at 83 all the time. So 83 does seem to keep it away nicely. But don't take chances. 86 for sure kills it right away.
Just make sure things are well aerated and they'll be fine. If you don't have pumps, take an inch or so off the water level (or wait a few hours and it'll evaporate that much anyway, heh.)
I don't even use salt (any more than I do already, anyway).
Of course, it has been years since I have encountered ich because I don't buy new fish that often and I keep my SA tanks at 83 all the time. So 83 does seem to keep it away nicely. But don't take chances. 86 for sure kills it right away.
Just make sure things are well aerated and they'll be fine. If you don't have pumps, take an inch or so off the water level (or wait a few hours and it'll evaporate that much anyway, heh.)
well, the good news is, it appears the ich has been defeated. i did a combo of ich attack! and salt. then when i ran out of IA, i raised the temp like Daveb said. the ich was nowhere in sight for 2 days before i left, and i have someone keeping an eye on the tank now and so far, so good. I lost 2 geos to that barrel-roll disease, but the other two are looking great. one, in fact, has his fins up allll the time and (i'm not kidding you) chases away my 3.5 inch jack dempsey over a good hiding spot in the tank. that little geo is a real hardass.
so, thanks for your help guys, i think i can live with the loss. I am keeping the salt and temp up in the tank at least for the next week till i return home, in case anyone was curious.
so, thanks for your help guys, i think i can live with the loss. I am keeping the salt and temp up in the tank at least for the next week till i return home, in case anyone was curious.
