- Have you tested your water?
- Yes
- If yes, what is your ammonia?
- 0-15 (depends on the day, the algae crashed recently)
- If yes, what is your nitrite?
- 0
- If yes, what is your nitrate?
- ~10-15
- 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?
- 21-30%
- 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.
Hey,
So we have a pretty chill tank that functions well. Just before this, the ammonia was at like 15 ppm, nitrites at 0 and nitrates at like 10. The reason for the slight imbalance is our algae decided to die off. It tends to cycle from around 10-15 to 0 between tests. The bichir is well established, but we added a few floating plants cause he likes to lurk. It was just a bit of duck weed, since we don't really have the bioload or light to support other plants. This is a 45 gallon tank with a small male senegal bichir (7ish inches), 1 bronze corydora (I can't explain it but he and the bichirs are buddies) and two pictus cats. We also have 3-4 nerite snails and 4 cone snails.
The day before his bloat he was given frozen bloodworms and bit at the duckweed a bit. After eating he was laying on the bottom, but that's completely normal behaviour for him. I noticed the cucumber, which is rarely put in for the snails, had grown a bit of bacteria overnight. Not normally something I would worry about. The bichir was found floating at the top. He is still alert and can swim, just can't seem to sink. We have dosed for two days with Maracyn 2 and epsom salts. The water has turned milky overnight after the first dose of Maracyn 2. Apparently he pooped this morning. His normal diet is new life spectrum medium fish pellets.
Is this dropsy and what is the timeframe for this? Do we need different meds?
So we have a pretty chill tank that functions well. Just before this, the ammonia was at like 15 ppm, nitrites at 0 and nitrates at like 10. The reason for the slight imbalance is our algae decided to die off. It tends to cycle from around 10-15 to 0 between tests. The bichir is well established, but we added a few floating plants cause he likes to lurk. It was just a bit of duck weed, since we don't really have the bioload or light to support other plants. This is a 45 gallon tank with a small male senegal bichir (7ish inches), 1 bronze corydora (I can't explain it but he and the bichirs are buddies) and two pictus cats. We also have 3-4 nerite snails and 4 cone snails.
The day before his bloat he was given frozen bloodworms and bit at the duckweed a bit. After eating he was laying on the bottom, but that's completely normal behaviour for him. I noticed the cucumber, which is rarely put in for the snails, had grown a bit of bacteria overnight. Not normally something I would worry about. The bichir was found floating at the top. He is still alert and can swim, just can't seem to sink. We have dosed for two days with Maracyn 2 and epsom salts. The water has turned milky overnight after the first dose of Maracyn 2. Apparently he pooped this morning. His normal diet is new life spectrum medium fish pellets.
Is this dropsy and what is the timeframe for this? Do we need different meds?
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