 |
Previous Message | All Messages | Next Message |  |
| RE: Help with Rainbowfish |
Erik Leung
|
|
|
Hi Caleb, If your other fish - particularly the SAEs - are not showing any negative reaction to the current parameters, then I would not suspect C02 excess presently. As your tank ramps up and fills in you'll find you're probably near the sweet spot for C02 dosing. Bubble counting isn't the most accurate (nor should it be the primary method for tracking C02), but combined with eyeing the plants & tracking your pH/KH, you'll have a good idea as to what's working. You can leave your C02 injection as is (or drop it down a bit as you see fit) and simply add some surface agitation to see how the 'bows respond. You can also limit/shut down C02 injection or increase surface agitation at night. In the end, my hunch is that the rainbows came in with a bug that broke through after the fish were bagged, sitting on the auction table, hauled back to your home etc. This is an ordeal and the immuno-response for many fish will be diminished. As they adjust and are helped along by your good water quality (watch for rising N02 in this new setup as you seem to be doing already!), try feeding them some attractive grub; live brine for example, so that they have some energy to recover. These are in fact a hardy and robust species that should fare nicely in your setup. The fact that they are not gasping at the surface is clear indication to me that C02 is not an issue. Additionally, SAE's are often the first to respond badly to C02 imbalances, especially with their reduced swimbladders... they are rheophiles (river-dwellers) that show their sensitivity to the above more quickly. Cheers, Erik Leung e-aquaria.com -----Original Message----- From: Caleb [mailto:cal-@ousd.k12.ca.us] Sent: Monday, April 07, 2003 7:01 PM To: detr-@topica.com Subject: Help with Rainbowfish Hi Everyone, I need a little help. I acquired a group of eight Bosemani Rainbowfish at the meeting last week and added them to a newly setup 75 gallon tank. They first night they behaved normally (active, curious, all over the tank), but for the last three days they spend ALL their time at the top of the tank day and night. I don't see them gasping for air, but they also show little interest in food. My first fear is that the tank is oxygen deprived. I have a glass cover over most of the tank to protect the lights with a few 2" holes for plumbing and electrical in the back. Could this seal in too much CO2 and not allow O2 gas exchange? I started using an air pump four hours ago, but nothing has changed. However, none of the other fish are exhibiting this behavior (1 large angel, 7 tetras, 12 ottos, SAEs). These other fish appear normal. This is my first group of Rainbows so I'm not familiar with their behavior. Can anyone out there with experience tell me if this is normal? Can't seem to find an answer on the web. All sites indicate that this is an easy species with a wide tolerance for tank conditions. Here's the stats on the tank: One week old, fully planted. CO2 injection (3 bubbles a minute, too much?) East Bay MUD water Schultz Aquatic Soil with sand and some rocks on the surface Lighting = 4x32 watt T8, high output with mylar reflectors pH = 6.5 KH = 8 CO2 = 77 (is this interfering with O2 uptake?) GH = 8 NO3 = 5 ppm NH4 = 0 PO4 = 2.5 ppm (a little high, ODed on the Fleet enemas) Fe = 0.2 ppm Any suggestions? Thanks in advance! Caleb |
|
Previous Message | All Messages | Next Message | |
