1. What is the size of your tank?
120ltrs (approx 30g) measures 80cm (31") long, 34cm (13") wide, 41cm (16") high.
2. What are your water parameters? State the brand of test kit used.
Ammonia: 0, Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: somewhere between 0-5ppm, (I can't see any colour in the tube besides the yellow, but I assume there has to be some in the tank) PH: 6.8, GH: unknown, KH: unknown. Api "master" kit.
3. Is your aquarium set up freshwater or brackish water?
Freshwater.
4. How long the aquarium has been set up?
Over three years.
5. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them?
1 CT betta, full size, approx 3" - very old, has been in the tank since it was set up and was full size when we brought him home and 1 synodontis nigriventris (sp?) approx 2" has been in the tank for almost 12 months.
6. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)?
The catfish was quarantined for a few weeks, betta was first occupant.
7. What temperature is the tank water currently?
24°c (approx 75°f according to google)
8. Are there live plants in the aquarium?
Yes, there is three varieties of anubias (sp?), a bunch of hygrophila corymbosa (sp?), java moss, java fern, bolbitis (sp?) banana lilies, pennywort (floating) and duckweed, all have been in there for over 8 months, most recent addition was the pennywort which was added in December. Décor also consists of two different kind of wood and a chunk of tigers eye (rock). There's also a balls load of BBA that I'm not sure how its even alive with little to no nitrate, but its going stupid in my tank.
9. What filter are you using? State brand, maintenance routine and power capacity.
Its a DIY PVC filter hooked up to an aquaone 103 power head that pushes 1200ltrs/hr from memory. PVC tube is 24" long and about 6" round (I measured the length, can't exactly get in to measure the diameter) The pipe is stuffed with 3 different pads (starting with large gap sponge and leading to fine wool) and at the very end just before the water enters back into the tank is a bunch of ceramic media (aquaone "bio noods") that take up about 6" of pipe, I will attach pics at the bottom to give a better idea. The pads usually get cleaned fortnightly, but if I'm being honest they may go up to 4 weeks without a clean. The water goes through a spray bar to re-enter the tank.
10. Any other equipment used (aside from heater and filter which are two very important components of the tank)?
Nope, just the filter (above) and a 200 watt aquaone heater.
11. Does your aquarium receive natural sunlight at any given part of the day? What is your lighting schedule (assuming you do not rely on sunlight for our viewing pleasure)?
No natural light, the tank lights are on from 9am until 5pm everyday.
12. When did you perform your last water change and how much water was changed? How often do you change your water? Do you vacuum the substrate?
I've been slack, I usually do daily 50% on the tank but I've been slacking off a little. The last change (not including the one I done this morning when I noticed it) was Friday 29/7 (it's now Tuesday 02/8) and I changed out 80ltrs, before that the water was changed on Tuesday 26/7 and I changed 60ltrs. I have sand and do a "poop vac" once a week, last one was done Friday 29/7. I use seachem prime and aquasonic conditioning salts for all his water changes. I changed out 60ltrs (50%) this morning when I noticed his scales and fluff. Test readings are from before the water change, and didn't change at all after I'd changed the water.
13. What foods do you provide your fish? What is the feeding schedule?
Daily I feed 1mm NLS thera+a, I usually put 2-5 pellets in for the catfish at around 9pm, and Bruce eats 2-3 pellets per feeding, and gets fed twice a day. Once a week they get frozen bloodworms (usually on Wednesdays, roughly ¼ of a cube) once a week frozen brine shrimp (usually on Saturdays, roughly ¼ of a cube) and the odd half a shelled pea for the catfish as a treat, but this he gets maybe once a month - if that. On the days that they get frozens Bruce only has his morning pellets. Anything that hasn't been eaten within a few mins gets netted out. Oh, and everyone fasts from Sunday night to Monday night every week.
14. What unusual signs have you observed in your fish?
The catfish is fine. Its Bruce (betta) I'm worried about, his scales looked raised this morning, kind of like dropsy and he has a small patch of "fluff" on his fin, none of it was there yesterday. I was going to move him to a 20ltr qt tank but I really don't want to stress him out if I can help it. He's really old, and I'm wondering if maybe his age is compromising his health?
15. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis? If so, what treatments did you use? State your reasons for planning ahead of proper diagnosis.
No, I thought I'd get some advice from the more experienced before dumping chemicals in my tank. I'm really hoping I can fix it with large daily water changes, so I don't have to move him, if I have to move him I will, but I'd like to be able to keep him in his tank if I can.
16. Insert photos of fish in question and full tank shot if necessary.
You can see his scales are raised, and on his top fin at the very tip there is a ball of fluff that sort of resembles an uneaten pellet, but can't be an uneaten pellet because 1. Its stuck to him, and 2. I net out the uneaten food before it gets the chance to grow fluff. Sorry about the terrible pic, it was the best I could get.
Bruce - complete with raised scales and fluff.
Filter (outside) I can't actually get it apart to show the inside (hubby does filter maitnance) but you get the idea.
Thanks in advance for any help, if I've forgotten anything just ask and I'll do my best to answer. I'm sorry if the way I've answered the questions is confusing, again, just ask if you need them clarified and I'll do my best. Please MFK, help me to help my Bruce!
120ltrs (approx 30g) measures 80cm (31") long, 34cm (13") wide, 41cm (16") high.
2. What are your water parameters? State the brand of test kit used.
Ammonia: 0, Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: somewhere between 0-5ppm, (I can't see any colour in the tube besides the yellow, but I assume there has to be some in the tank) PH: 6.8, GH: unknown, KH: unknown. Api "master" kit.
3. Is your aquarium set up freshwater or brackish water?
Freshwater.
4. How long the aquarium has been set up?
Over three years.
5. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them?
1 CT betta, full size, approx 3" - very old, has been in the tank since it was set up and was full size when we brought him home and 1 synodontis nigriventris (sp?) approx 2" has been in the tank for almost 12 months.
6. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)?
The catfish was quarantined for a few weeks, betta was first occupant.
7. What temperature is the tank water currently?
24°c (approx 75°f according to google)
8. Are there live plants in the aquarium?
Yes, there is three varieties of anubias (sp?), a bunch of hygrophila corymbosa (sp?), java moss, java fern, bolbitis (sp?) banana lilies, pennywort (floating) and duckweed, all have been in there for over 8 months, most recent addition was the pennywort which was added in December. Décor also consists of two different kind of wood and a chunk of tigers eye (rock). There's also a balls load of BBA that I'm not sure how its even alive with little to no nitrate, but its going stupid in my tank.
9. What filter are you using? State brand, maintenance routine and power capacity.
Its a DIY PVC filter hooked up to an aquaone 103 power head that pushes 1200ltrs/hr from memory. PVC tube is 24" long and about 6" round (I measured the length, can't exactly get in to measure the diameter) The pipe is stuffed with 3 different pads (starting with large gap sponge and leading to fine wool) and at the very end just before the water enters back into the tank is a bunch of ceramic media (aquaone "bio noods") that take up about 6" of pipe, I will attach pics at the bottom to give a better idea. The pads usually get cleaned fortnightly, but if I'm being honest they may go up to 4 weeks without a clean. The water goes through a spray bar to re-enter the tank.
10. Any other equipment used (aside from heater and filter which are two very important components of the tank)?
Nope, just the filter (above) and a 200 watt aquaone heater.
11. Does your aquarium receive natural sunlight at any given part of the day? What is your lighting schedule (assuming you do not rely on sunlight for our viewing pleasure)?
No natural light, the tank lights are on from 9am until 5pm everyday.
12. When did you perform your last water change and how much water was changed? How often do you change your water? Do you vacuum the substrate?
I've been slack, I usually do daily 50% on the tank but I've been slacking off a little. The last change (not including the one I done this morning when I noticed it) was Friday 29/7 (it's now Tuesday 02/8) and I changed out 80ltrs, before that the water was changed on Tuesday 26/7 and I changed 60ltrs. I have sand and do a "poop vac" once a week, last one was done Friday 29/7. I use seachem prime and aquasonic conditioning salts for all his water changes. I changed out 60ltrs (50%) this morning when I noticed his scales and fluff. Test readings are from before the water change, and didn't change at all after I'd changed the water.
13. What foods do you provide your fish? What is the feeding schedule?
Daily I feed 1mm NLS thera+a, I usually put 2-5 pellets in for the catfish at around 9pm, and Bruce eats 2-3 pellets per feeding, and gets fed twice a day. Once a week they get frozen bloodworms (usually on Wednesdays, roughly ¼ of a cube) once a week frozen brine shrimp (usually on Saturdays, roughly ¼ of a cube) and the odd half a shelled pea for the catfish as a treat, but this he gets maybe once a month - if that. On the days that they get frozens Bruce only has his morning pellets. Anything that hasn't been eaten within a few mins gets netted out. Oh, and everyone fasts from Sunday night to Monday night every week.
14. What unusual signs have you observed in your fish?
The catfish is fine. Its Bruce (betta) I'm worried about, his scales looked raised this morning, kind of like dropsy and he has a small patch of "fluff" on his fin, none of it was there yesterday. I was going to move him to a 20ltr qt tank but I really don't want to stress him out if I can help it. He's really old, and I'm wondering if maybe his age is compromising his health?
15. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis? If so, what treatments did you use? State your reasons for planning ahead of proper diagnosis.
No, I thought I'd get some advice from the more experienced before dumping chemicals in my tank. I'm really hoping I can fix it with large daily water changes, so I don't have to move him, if I have to move him I will, but I'd like to be able to keep him in his tank if I can.
16. Insert photos of fish in question and full tank shot if necessary.
You can see his scales are raised, and on his top fin at the very tip there is a ball of fluff that sort of resembles an uneaten pellet, but can't be an uneaten pellet because 1. Its stuck to him, and 2. I net out the uneaten food before it gets the chance to grow fluff. Sorry about the terrible pic, it was the best I could get.
Bruce - complete with raised scales and fluff.
Filter (outside) I can't actually get it apart to show the inside (hubby does filter maitnance) but you get the idea.
Thanks in advance for any help, if I've forgotten anything just ask and I'll do my best to answer. I'm sorry if the way I've answered the questions is confusing, again, just ask if you need them clarified and I'll do my best. Please MFK, help me to help my Bruce!
