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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

Wipe Out - Please help

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29 Jul 2008 19:29 #1 by Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens)
I have lost a number of young L066, Acistrus and aspidoras in the last 24 hours. I don't know they cause. The corydoras and baby angels in the same tank are unaffected.

In a separate tank where I transferred two plecs to last Friday all the adult plecs (quite a few) have broken out in some form of white spot. The spots are more grey/yellowy than white and all diffent sizes. The remained of fish in that tank are unaffected also. There was no sign of whitespot on the fish that died in the first tank, but I assume the instances are related.

I videoed soem alien nasties on the fin and tail of a freshly dead L066, see attached, there are two distinct sizes of circular bodies.

Anyone know what this is and what is the best treatment. I have added a diatom filter to the tank in the meantime, hoping to remove any free swimming organisms.

All shots in the video are at 400x



Daragh

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29 Jul 2008 19:39 #2 by serratus (Drew Latimer)
Daragh, look very like whitespot cysts??? Hard to tell on video, are they like \"bags\" with smaller spots inside \"spinning?\"

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29 Jul 2008 19:51 #3 by Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens)
Yes, exactly, but the cysts are not all the same size, some are ten times the size of others - would that be normal?

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29 Jul 2008 22:30 #4 by platty252 (Darren Dalton)
If you need a UV to add on with the diatom filter give me a shout.
I also have Malachite green and marine salt if needed.
If you use salt no more than 2 ppt for cat's or plec's. A bath wont do so you will have to add it to the tank and leave it for 2 weeks.
Or increase the temp to 30c(85f). Add extra airation to reduce stress. Remember a lot of meds reduce oxygen in the water so i think it is best not to add meds while the temp. is increased.

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29 Jul 2008 22:53 #5 by Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens)
Cheers Platy.

I have added Esha 2000 and raised the temp to 82. It was 78 anyway, I raised to 80 last night and 82 today.

Point taken about the oxegen levels but I am maintaining it above 6.0ppm. There is a 1000lph juwel powerhead, 4000 aquaclear powerhead, Eheim Wet 'n' Dray and the Diatom filter too, so plenty of circulation.

One thing I am wondering about now though is, would the diatom filter remove the Esha??? The wate rwent green initially but 30 minutes later it is clear again, I am not sure that always happens - thankfully I have not had to use it in a long time.

Daragh

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29 Jul 2008 23:02 #6 by platty252 (Darren Dalton)
I think the esha stays in the water for longer. It's been a while since i used it.
It is possible the diatom filter has removed some of it.

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30 Jul 2008 00:00 #7 by Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens)
I think it is more likely to be velvet than regular white spot. I was always unsure from the size and colour of the spots, but I thought spots too big for velvet, however I am definitely in the velvet camp at the moment. Someone on Planetcatfish suggested that too on the basis of the video.

Also based on teh level of progression since last night to tonight on the adults, I hope it is not too late for them, see article here:

www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/othprotist.shtml

I suspect you're right about diatom filter removing Esha, I have put another half dose in, it will either kill them or cure than. I removed the filter. I have lowered the water level slightly so that the pumps are agitating the surface more and I have blacked out the tank with newspapers.


Daragh

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30 Jul 2008 00:54 #8 by sheag35 (Seamus Gillespie)
Daragh, i'd have to agree with the velvet disease idea, after reading quite a good book on diseases here at home they recommend treatments that are formaldehyde or copperbased, but be wary the cysts are highly resistant to chemical attack, if it has infected fish internally which it can do it recommends metronidazole at a rate of 50mg/l daily for 10 days changing the water daily, also along with this they recommend cutting down or even out light levels and raising the temp to 82 - 86 f for three weeks
Seamus

Fishkeeping the Only way to get wet and wild

currently 25 tanks, and breeding is the aim of everything i keep
location:Limerick

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30 Jul 2008 09:36 #9 by adamireland (Adam Jackson)
platty252 wrote:

If you need a UV to add on with the diatom filter give me a shout.
I also have Malachite green and marine salt if needed.
If you use salt no more than 2 ppt for cat's or plec's. A bath wont do so you will have to add it to the tank and leave it for 2 weeks.
Or increase the temp to 30c(85f). Add extra airation to reduce stress. Remember a lot of meds reduce oxygen in the water so i think it is best not to add meds while the temp. is increased.


I would agree with what platty is suggesting above.. all meds need to remain at 100% for the course specified.. it is suprising how fast a strain can become resistant when exposed to half measures of meds..

Formalin & Malachite Green would be your best bet IMO

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30 Jul 2008 12:34 #10 by goldy (goldy .)
I have had 2 unexplained deaths in the last week. The only thing I did was to change the water. Since then there has been some funny behaviour similar to Ich in that they are twisting and flicking their bodies but no spots. Not all the fish are doing this and the 2 that were died inside 24 hours of displaying this behaviour. I have tested and retested the water and all is normal. Temp 26 Ph 6.8 nitrite 0 nitrate 90 (it comes out of the tap at 80). Ammonia is 0. I have increased airation as well.

The article on Velvet looks like it could explain your symptoms. I hope that it is not something that is in the water though and that it is not going to be a repeat of the wipe outs had by myself and others in the area around Christmas. As before the funy behaviour is confined to the 1 tank yet the other 4 tanks have had the same water changes with the same water. Like you Daragh some of the fish are effected and others are not?

Keep us posted about the effectiveness of the treatments you use. I know that at Christmas nothing that I treated the tank with worked and it took about 8 weeks to bring the tank back to normal.

good luck

Nessa

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30 Jul 2008 13:38 - 30 Jul 2008 13:53 #11 by adamireland (Adam Jackson)
i hope you drink bottled water Goldy? that is way above accepted norms.. i would be thinking abut introducing a trickle tower in your system to reduce the nitrate level.. TT's on your system can reduce your nitrate for little expense. 50ppm is acceptable in drinking water for humans but should be well below..

i would be looking at external parasites and F&MG and a raise in temp. if that doesnt work then potassium permanganate would nuke anything in the tank besides Ich. But anyone reading this please dont rush down to get PP.. and nuke your tanks.. its a substance that needs careful administration and exact dosage.

i would use the F&MG first as it holds some anti bacetria properties where PP doesnt.

Long term exposure to high NitrAtes will cause lots of problems for your fish.. anything above 40ppm is not good but short term exposure to high levels is ok

if anyone needs help with PP treatment PM me ;)

HTH

Adam
Last edit: 30 Jul 2008 13:53 by adamireland (Adam Jackson).

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30 Jul 2008 20:58 #12 by goldy (goldy .)
thanks for that adam. I have started treating with contraspot this has F&Mg in it and it was the only effective thing the last time round. I filter my water here but overall the quality of it has slowly been getting worse over the last few years. I have notice a marked rise in the amount of chlorine in the tap too.

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30 Jul 2008 21:27 - 30 Jul 2008 21:42 #13 by platty252 (Darren Dalton)
I agree the water has gone down hill over the last 7-8 months. Very unpredictable in ph and hardness.
I use tap water as little as possable these days. If i have to use tap i will use easy-life FFM as a dechlorinator.
Nessa i think you need to test your Nitrate test kit. Your readings are ridiculously high.
Add some floating plants to your tanks to soak up some of the nitrate's.

Darren.
Last edit: 30 Jul 2008 21:42 by platty252 (Darren Dalton). Reason: FFL instead of FFM

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30 Jul 2008 22:54 #14 by Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens)
Thanks Seamus and Adam for suggested treatments, they came too late though, I waited for replies here or other forums very late last night and then went with Esha Exit. It claims to treat Oodinium. I also blacked out the tank and increased the temp.

This evening there appears to be no change, but at least no deaths either. A few of the plecs had been hanging around the filter outlets despite high oxygen levels, but they are not doing that now. I lifted the newspaper covering the tank and flicked on the light for a second (to inspect for bodies) and plecs were darting every which way - which I see as a good sign, a sick fish is less likely to scare easily.

I will keep my fingers crossed and see how this treatment goes, I think it is a bit late to swith now. Also I have none of the alternatives to hand, which is something I will sort out as some I get through this, one way or the other.

Goldy, Platy is right about the swings in pH and hardness, but I have not seen any nitrates in the water, are you sure the test kit is not out of date? It would be worth getting a sample tested by someone else or a shop to verify. Hopefully your fish will be ok.

Daragh

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30 Jul 2008 23:42 #15 by platty252 (Darren Dalton)
The fact they scattered when the lights came on is a good sign.
Fingers crossed.

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31 Jul 2008 03:02 #16 by sheag35 (Seamus Gillespie)
I have to agree i've yet to see fish that are really ill scatter when disturbed, things are hopefully on the up best of luck with it Daragh hope all goes well
Seamus

Fishkeeping the Only way to get wet and wild

currently 25 tanks, and breeding is the aim of everything i keep
location:Limerick

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01 Aug 2008 18:27 #17 by Sean (Fr. Jack)
Daragh_Owens wrote:

I think it is more likely to be velvet than regular white spot. I was always unsure from the size and colour of the spots, but I thought spots too big for velvet, however I am definitely in the velvet camp at the moment.

Daragh


Good post

That would be a ecumenical matter!!!

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01 Aug 2008 21:56 #18 by Daragh_Owens (Daragh Owens)
Great to see you back online Sean.

Update, no more deaths. The fish have much less spots, but look a bit secondhand. I am still keeping my fingers crossed.

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03 Aug 2008 04:11 #19 by sheag35 (Seamus Gillespie)
Great to hear Daragh, hope they continue on the mend
Seamus

Fishkeeping the Only way to get wet and wild

currently 25 tanks, and breeding is the aim of everything i keep
location:Limerick

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04 Aug 2008 15:54 #20 by goldy (goldy .)
glad to hear the fish are recovering. thanks for all the tips on treatments too. same for me since I started treating with contraspot, no more deaths and the funny behaviour seems to have stopped. Hopefully that is the end of it for now anyway

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