Itching fish please help

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J

JohnnyRooster

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 8, 2008
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Ventura
Ok so I keep on asking about this but i cant get a straight answer. I'll explain my cituation. Can anyone help me.

I've had my tank for a month or so. I bought off this guy that's had it running for about 5 year. I was able to save the bacteria in my bio-ball tank so I think I got away with not having to cycle my tank, still not sure on that, but my ammonia is holding at zero. I did my first water change 2 weekends ago and after that I noticed that some of my fish started to itch and it seem to spread to all of them as time went. My ph is at 8.3, no traces of ammonia, my temp. is holding steady at 79f, I conditioned the water with NovAqua+ and AmQuel+. All my fish look great, have vivid colors, and they eat well. All that I've been told is to do is do water changes.

Well today I had time to, so I did about a 10% change. Well with in an hour of doing that the fishes are begining to scratch even more than they were before. Which makes me believe its the water. But what am I supose to do.

Has anyone else run into a similar problem? Or can give me any advise on whats going on or how to treat.
 
What kind of fish? 8.3 PH is on the high side too, unless you keep Africans or Saltwater!
Next water change I would use RO water (10%). See if the RO water makes a difference.
 
Definitely put some of your water in a separate container and take measurements. Check to see if the parameters are out of whack. Look for the usual stuff; ammonia, nitrites, nitrates. Look at the difference in PH levels.

If the water turns out to be OK, I would look at more water changes. 10% every couple of weeks seems on the low side.
 
It's an allergic reaction to something.

What size tank?

How big of a bio-load (fish)?

Filtration?

NitrItes?

NitrAtes?

Tap water chemistry?

Was that the chemistry the fish were in from the previous hobbyist?

Try only using AmQuel+ for the next two W/C's, you may be over-loading the fish.

Dr Joe

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JohnnyRooster;2200173;2200173 said:
Ok so I keep on asking about this but i cant get a straight answer. I'll explain my cituation. Can anyone help me.

I've had my tank for a month or so. I bought off this guy that's had it running for about 5 year. I was able to save the bacteria in my bio-ball tank so I think I got away with not having to cycle my tank, still not sure on that, but my ammonia is holding at zero. I did my first water change 2 weekends ago and after that I noticed that some of my fish started to itch and it seem to spread to all of them as time went. My ph is at 8.3, no traces of ammonia, my temp. is holding steady at 79f, I conditioned the water with NovAqua+ and AmQuel+. All my fish look great, have vivid colors, and they eat well. All that I've been told is to do is do water changes.

Well today I had time to, so I did about a 10% change. Well with in an hour of doing that the fishes are begining to scratch even more than they were before. Which makes me believe its the water. But what am I supose to do.

Has anyone else run into a similar problem? Or can give me any advise on whats going on or how to treat.
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Hi JR, I think President is right try using R.O. water and to heat r.o. to get the temp right, might have to do more than 10p.c. have you any Aqualibrium Aquarium salts, it might help. I use our English Famous Buxton Spring water, which is highly recommended so as not to use any tap water, it has a neutral p.h. I think that your p.h. is a little on the high side, but depends on what fish, I try to keep to 7.0ph neutral, but for discus lower 6.0 to 6.5. Let me know how you get on, can you see anything on the fish, such as white spots, otherwise all I can think of is take a little scale scraping and if you have the means analize under microscope, or failing that if you have a Fish vet.., they will do it for you.

Good luck. J
 
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