- Have you tested your water?
- Yes
- If yes, what is your ammonia?
- 0 or 0.25
- If yes, what is your nitrite?
- 0
- If yes, what is your nitrate?
- 20-40
- If I did not test my water...
- ...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.
- Do you do water changes?
- Yes
- What percentage of water do you change?
- 41-50%
- How frequently do you change your water?
- Every week
- If I do not change my water...
- ...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.
Hi All, brand new member here. I did read the sticky post concerning info and I hope to not miss any points.
I am not new to aquariums but am new to monster fish. Two months ago I adopted a tank with some inhabitants. That tank was a 60gal and came with a 12” Oscar (I believe female), a 10” Jack Dempsey (I believe male) and an 8” common pleco. I was able to move the tank and all its setup without crashing the cycle. The fish however were listless and not eating. After much research it was clear that this was not enough tank space.
Two weeks ago I bought a brand new 90gal tank for these three fish. Here are the contents: 2 HOB filters (Emperor 400 and 350 with sponges, no carbon). There are two programmable heaters (500 and 300w) set currently to 79°. There’s a bubble bar and a power head well. Lots of plastic plants, two midsize pieces of driftwood, and a huge plastic root system for hiding.
Water comes from our well. It comes out at PH 8 and is rather hard (8). I treat it with Stress-Coat when filling the tank.
API Master Test Kit params: PH 8, Ammonia 0 or .25, Nitrites 0, Nitrates I try to keep to 20 but before WC it gets around 40. I want to do 50% WC weekly but have been doing them more frequently.
Fish problem: Oscar is lethargic (to my eye, dangerously so). She’s very timid and hides in the corner most of the time. I can get her to eat a little each day (cichlid pellets, thawed krill, Monster Medley). She enthusiastically ate some feeder shrimp last week but these are not readily available here. Also she ate a Tetra I put in there. I have tried thawed, peeled frozen shrimp many times but she simply refuses to eat them.
She almost never poops. Tiny tiny little bits of red-brown poop occasionally.
Worried about constipation, I did an Epsom bath for 30min in a 20-gal tank. No poop. I then treated the whole 90 tank and that night she pooped a little. But that also raised the KH considerably so I did a 50%WC today.
Also worried about possible parasites (no white poop though) so I did one treatment of API General Cure yesterday.
bottom line: lethargic, listless, refuses food, no poop, no physical symptoms: no bloating, spots, injuries, anything like that.
I am not new to aquariums but am new to monster fish. Two months ago I adopted a tank with some inhabitants. That tank was a 60gal and came with a 12” Oscar (I believe female), a 10” Jack Dempsey (I believe male) and an 8” common pleco. I was able to move the tank and all its setup without crashing the cycle. The fish however were listless and not eating. After much research it was clear that this was not enough tank space.
Two weeks ago I bought a brand new 90gal tank for these three fish. Here are the contents: 2 HOB filters (Emperor 400 and 350 with sponges, no carbon). There are two programmable heaters (500 and 300w) set currently to 79°. There’s a bubble bar and a power head well. Lots of plastic plants, two midsize pieces of driftwood, and a huge plastic root system for hiding.
Water comes from our well. It comes out at PH 8 and is rather hard (8). I treat it with Stress-Coat when filling the tank.
API Master Test Kit params: PH 8, Ammonia 0 or .25, Nitrites 0, Nitrates I try to keep to 20 but before WC it gets around 40. I want to do 50% WC weekly but have been doing them more frequently.
Fish problem: Oscar is lethargic (to my eye, dangerously so). She’s very timid and hides in the corner most of the time. I can get her to eat a little each day (cichlid pellets, thawed krill, Monster Medley). She enthusiastically ate some feeder shrimp last week but these are not readily available here. Also she ate a Tetra I put in there. I have tried thawed, peeled frozen shrimp many times but she simply refuses to eat them.
She almost never poops. Tiny tiny little bits of red-brown poop occasionally.
Worried about constipation, I did an Epsom bath for 30min in a 20-gal tank. No poop. I then treated the whole 90 tank and that night she pooped a little. But that also raised the KH considerably so I did a 50%WC today.
Also worried about possible parasites (no white poop though) so I did one treatment of API General Cure yesterday.
bottom line: lethargic, listless, refuses food, no poop, no physical symptoms: no bloating, spots, injuries, anything like that.