Broken Dorsal

Arrgh!  I woke up this morning and found out that my newest Ryukin broke the tip of his dorsal fin.  I have no clue how he did it.  There's only two filters and a "sponge filter" powered by an air tube [like this] (they're more like BB collectors than anything.)  At first I was annoyed because, well, it's like chipping a $200 vase, for the lack of a proper and less materialistic comparison.  However, it probably hurts him like the dickens and it's really not his fault. :(  I've added .01% salt and am watching the water. He'll be okay, though.

The Tri Color Ryukin!

He's here and he looks great!  I don't remember if I mentioned this in the last post or not, but I got this guy from www.goldfishnet.com.  Every week the site has an auction, and though the fish are a bit pricey, they are high quality, healthy, and absolutely gorgeous.

This being my first online fish ever, I was pretty nervous throughout the whole process because I didn't know what to expect.  But it all worked out!  I bid on the fish, the day after the auction closes, Tommy called and I payed, then I got the bin and filters ready whilst dealing with my current goldfish laying eggs all over the place and then.... waited.

As for the name... I'm thinking of something Hawaiian... but we'll see!

But I'm rambling and going off on weird tangents.  Here are the pics!

Acclimating in his bag

In the tub he goes!

Top View

8O

One of his auction photos (not mine)

The other auction photo

Wednesday :)

Well, it's official, the dream goldfish--a tri-color ryukin--will arrive Wednesday. :)  I really hope it fares well in shipping!  And I hope it will do well in my hands... My bank account would kill me if that were to happen.

I'm going to spend tomorrow getting its quarantine tub ready.  Pics to come!

A dream come true

I'm not going to say/post any pictures yet because I feel like that would jinx everything... but I just bought my dream goldfish.  Like, no joke.  I've wanted this type of goldfish for at least 2 years...

I'm so excited/nervous. :)

Giovanni in the 75 gal

Last weekend, Giovanni joined Vide and Phoebe in the 75 gallon tank.  He seems to be doing well  and is showing himself to be the gentle giant in the tank.  (With Phoebe being the piggy queen and Vide being the mellow fellow)

Tonight, though, I've noticed that Vide and Phoebe "seem off".  Whenever they swim, their fins are clamped, but when they're "floating", they have their fins back up (Vide especially is doing this).  Earlier today, Phoebe bottom-sat for a little bit, but she's not doing that much now.  Maybe this is just them swimming/resting against the current (There's a lot of action going on with the two filters and bubbly bubble wand.)  I'll keep an eye on them, probably start salting a little bit.  I admit that I added Giovanni one week earlier than I was supposed to... (He's been QT'ed for 3 weeks)  But he looked and acted great, been salted and treated with prazi,  as well as expelled healthy poos.  (Good poo is all the rage now.)  I will just wait and see.  I tend to over-analyze things and jump to conclusions when it comes to my goldfish.

Phoebe's Phoebe again

Phoebe's gone back to normal, thank goodness the buoyancy problem resolved itself.  It's really weird how it happened though.  RIGHT AFTER their second waterchange, she had problems righting herself.  I don't know if there was something in the water or if she just happened to show symptoms right after the change.  So she (and poor Vide) is fasting for a full day, then be fed peas.  I'm definitely going to be soaking their pellets longer. Goldfish with SBD are so frustrating to treat and watch. :(

Goldfish Measurin' III

I did my cuts in Photoshop, but I didn't save the process and I can't be bothered to re-do them.  I also didn't measure Phoebe, Vide, or Giovanni today; I just don't feel like it.

Anyway, from what I can see, he's around 52mm.  Which is 2.04 inches.  Not so much growth length-wise, but he's definitely gotten deeper.  I like how his tail is looking, too :)

Phoebe's also developing a bit of a swim bladder problem.  I admit, I don't really soak their pellets often.  Looks like I need to now.

Green Algae Bloom? And Giovanni.

I can NOT decide whether the new goldfish is male or female.  For now, I have decided to name him Giovanni. C:  I think the name suits him quite well.  I have a backup name for in case he IS a she: Giada. :D

It's Giovanni!

 Also, for about the past week, I've had green water.  Every day it gets cloudier and cloudier.  My plan of creating a "green algae carpet" has backfired on me, I believe.  This weekend I'm going to do a HUUGE waterchange.  I really should be doing multiple huge waterchanges, but right now, finals have my attention.  There's no ammonia or nitrite, so that's livable.  They aren't suffering.

Oh look, there IS fish in there!

New Guy/Girl

There was a big goofy goldfish at PetSmart that caught my eye a couple weeks ago.  I ALMOST bought him/her, but refrained myself from doing so.  Each time I visited, he/she was there, being buried alive by three other pushy orandas but determined to get food from me.  His/her face is the cutest.

This week was the GoldfishConnection auction.  I bid on a ryukin and a ranchu.  In the middle of the week, I thought about that goofy goldfish time and time again.  So I told myself, "If I get outbid, I will take it as a sign to get that fish."  Secretly, I wanted that to happen.

Today, I was outbid on both of them.  HA!

Love that orange, and his/her silver is interesting

The scales remind me of a sumi-e painting

SUUUPER underexposed but this face was what totally seduced me :O

I flippin love this guy already.  Can't wait for Vide and Phoebe to meet him/her in a few weeks!

New Home

First thing's first:  Vide and Phoebe are now in their new fully cycled 75 gallon!

Happy!

Sweet shy little Phoebe's turned into one greedy, pushy little piggy since their time in the tank... :O

If all goes well today...

Vide and Phoebe may be getting in their 75 gallon. :D

YAY! Cycled! No! NOOOOO!

So I've been cycling my 75 gallon on the floor for about 2 weeks now.  Within the last couple of days, both ammonia AND nitrites rached 0.  Which means the cycle is complete and after a big water change, the tank is ready for fish.  So I was all happy face.  Then I discovered I had planaria.  Still happy face with a side of annoyed face.

Today was the day I decided to move the 75 aaaaall the way across the house and onto its stand.  I could not siphon anything out, so I had to bail water--which wasn't very fun, but I got it done quite quickly.  The whole time, I'm trying my absolute darnedest to keep my baby nitrifying bacteria alive.  The filter had to be turned off, but I ran water through it to sort of mimic as if it was on.  It wasn't off for even an hour.

We transported the tank.  All was well.  I filled up the tank, got the filter running, and praaaayed that the cycle wasn't broken.  I put in a couple of drops of ammonia in the tank and checked about 4-5 hours later.  The ammonia readings were 0.5.  D':

Now, I probably tested it way too soon.  In the morning, I will find out if I did indeed kill my cycle.  What would happen then?  I'd have to start ALL over.  From scratch.

It sucks because this cycle was REALLY quick.  :(  And I wasted it.

At least the planaria have been reduced.  :O  If they come back yelling "Haaaaay!" I swear I'll.... do something.

Goldfish Measurements II

Today was Nano and everyone else's measurin' day.  Guess how long Nano is now...

1-7/8 inches!

Kinda creeped out seeing him with no tail D:

Another View

Almost another half inch since last month!  Looking at him in the tank, he doesn't seem that big, but Once I scooped him into the container, he looked much bigger.

Here are Vide and Phoebe.  Both look to be at least 2.5 inches.  Urgh!  I want them to be in their big tank already!

Vide, just shy of 2.5 inches. 

Made a mistake here; subtract all numbers by 1/2.  So she's really 2.5

Either way, SOMEONE grew! :D

It begins!

The cycling has begun!  We kind of have a weird plan for the tank while it's cycling, but it's going to work out in the end.  I hope.  hehehe

Crappy cell phone pic of the tank.  :D

So because the dresser that the 50 gallon has been sitting on is actually BOWING on the top, we're having to move the 75 gallon from there to the floor in a no-traffic area.  I've ordered a proper stand online, so we'll cycle the tank on the floor, wait till the stand comes, and when the cycle is over, we'll empty out the water, move the tank to the stand, refill it, and off we go!

This tank feels like a monster to me.  I get nervous just thinking about how much it weighs!  On the other hand, I get excited thinking about how happy it's going to make Vide, Phoebe, and the rest of their future siblings. :B :B :B

As of right now, I'm loading up the tank with ammonia.  (Which I FINALLY found at Johnny's True Value.  And it was the last bottle. D:)  It's annoying, testing the water a lot, but after tonight, it should just be daily tests and ammonia addingsesses.

I'm feeling a bit hopeful for a fast cycle, since the filter (should be) established.  The filter floss filled with the BB was literally falling apart, so I'm putting on new floss while keeping the old, dirty ones pinned behind them.  Anyway, should be interesting.  :O

Excited, Excited, Excited

Excited, excited, excited, excited, aaaaaand...

Excited.

Today, I bought my 75 gallon tank from PetSmart!  I'm so excited!  With PetPerks, it was $218 for the tank, lights, and cover.  Tomorrow we're going to move Pebbles the cichlid back to school, where both he and the tank belong.  After that, we're going to fill the tank up, start the cycle, and pray the tank will be ready for Vide and Phoebe in a short amount of time.

I simply can NOT wait 'til I see these guys in the 75!  Not to mention I'll have room for 4 more goldies... :D :D :D

Did I mention that I'm excited?

How to Treat Ich - With Salt

This is kind of a more organized personal note to myself, but if others need this information, all the better!  This treatment has worked for me before, and is much better than using harsh meds.

Supplies
You need:

1. A heater.
2. Aquarium Thermometer
3. Pure salt.  Sea salt, kosher salt, pickling salt, or aquarium salt will work.  As long as there are NO other ingredients listed than salt.  I personally use Alessi Sea Salt with no problems.  (May be available in your local grocery store)
4. Aerator.  If you have a lot of water agitation going on with your filters, you may not need one, but if you've got a bit of a "quiet" filter, it's good to have one just in case.  Heat depletes the oxygen level in the water, so you need to make sure your goldie won't be gasping for air during the treatment.

Treatment
Very slowly, turn the temperature of the tank up to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (27 deg. Celsius).  Rise the temp 1-2 degree increments per day to avoid shocking your goldfish.

Do a 50% water change.  Get your salt.  Add 1 TEAspoon per gallon. (for 50 gallon owners, that's 1 full cup of salt).

12 hours later, add another dose of 1 teaspoon per gallon.

Another 12 hours later, add yet another dose of 1 teaspoon per gallon.

Every 3 days or so, do a 50% water change to suck up any eggs/parasites that have fallen off.  When you do this and replace the water, add in 1 teaspoon of salt for whatever amount you've taken out.  (so if you do a 50% waterchange for a 10 gallon, add in 5 teaspoons for 5 gallons.)

Keep this up for a MINIMUM of 2-3 weeks.  Even though the spots may disappear within the first week, the ich isn't completely treated. That just means the eggs (which are the white dots) have hatched and they are free-floating.

If your fish has stopped flashing, scraping itself, and the white spots don't return after the 3 week mark, then the ich has been treated.  It's ALWAYS better to err on the side of caution and wait at least a week after proclaiming the death of the ich to stop your treatment.

Nano's 2-month Anniversary :B

As of this day, I have kept Nano for two months!  It both feels like it was a much shorter AND longer amount of time.  Now, two months is nothing to brag about--especially in keeping goldfish--but I NEVER remember days like these.  So he gets another post to himself.  So there!

Finally got a cute picture of him :D

Side view time!

Recognizing a Stunted Fish

Last night, after viewing a forum topic about how to recognize a stunted fish, I realized that my beloved PetSmart, from whom I buy all my fish that are supposed to be babies, may actually be supplying me with a few baby-sized adults.

Fish are stunted through two things: their environment, and their diet.  Pet stores overcrowd their goldfish tanks, therefore, the ammonia will build up if there's not proper filtration.  In addition, the physical space offered in PetSmart's (or any pet store's) tanks are only enough for maybe one goldfish to live and grow.  If the goldfish live in this environment long enough, you may end up buying a stunted fish that will never grow to be the big 8-incher you've been dreaming of.

How can you tell legitimate babies from stunted older goldfish?  In my reading, I came across two consistent answers: eyes and fins.  If the area above and below your fish's eyes are equal to or less than one eye-height, then your fish is most likely stunted.  Bulging eyes are also an indicator of stuntedness.  In terms of fns, if a fish's tail fins seem disproportionately big to the fish's body, that is also a clue of stuntedness.  Here's pretty helpful photo-manipulation of a normal vs. stunted ranchu.  (From this thread in RafflesGold.com Forums)

There are other signs, depending on the breed of goldfish, of stunted growth.

As a bit of a lengthy side note, the easiest (personally) goldfish to identify stunting would be the Oranda.  I remember that my Petsmart often carried "young" orandas around 1.5 inches that had impressive wen growth.  Seeing this and comparing them to Nano, I would get discouraged.  Now I realize that Orandas take about one to two YEARS to develop some wen.  This means that these Orandas in PetSmart should have been much bigger in their size for their age.  So with Orandas, in addition to the eyes and fin obervations, wen + small size = stunted.

Ryukins and fantails are more tricky though, unfortunately for me.  I guess it all comes down to: if the fish just doesn't look right to you, pass.

Cichlids and Dead Filters

So it's pretty much accepted that I'm going to have to buy myself a 50 gallon tank and let Pebbles the Cichlid commandeer the one he is in right now.  I am torn between getting less gallonage, but with more monies in my pocket, to getting many gallons, meaning more goldfish, but less monies.

There is Craigslist.  But I'm scared of Craigslist. D:

And the freakin sponge filter I've been running has died.  So I'm back to square one in terms of keeping the tank comfortably cycled for Phoebe.  She's exhibiting signs of stress from ammonia again, even with twice daily water changes.  (This is just in the past day or so, though)  All I can really do is add in extra prime to let it neutralize the ammonia until its time for a water change.  She's gone through this before though, she can go through it again.  Got a new biofilter in the process though.

I just can't wait till these guys are in their 50 gallon.  I will be all happy-face.

New Goldfish Measurements

Now I may be jumping the gun a little bit in naming and measuring my two new goldies.  But I can't help it.  They seem to be really improving, and it gives me motivation to do all my water changes and medicating.

Phoebe could not have picked a more perfect spot to swim in. :)  Looks like she's exactly 2 inches! :D

Phoebe gettin' measured

Vide was a little more difficult because he was so distracted by Phoebe.  Eventually I had to put my hand between the tanks to block his view.  He looks to be 2 inches as well!  (Red dots are the half-inch markings)

Vide being semi-cooperative

Also, Vide started eating from my hand today, finally!  Phoebe's getting pretty close, I think she'll do it pretty soon. :B

Nano is 1.5 inches!

Today I got the official length for Nano: and he's grown about half an inch since I first got him!  I never measured him when I first got him in August, but I tell you, he was TINY.  c:  He never swam straight over the ruler, So I did a very quick and primitive cut around him in photoshop to see his length.

He's a-growing! :)

Boring Water params

I need to quickly jot this down before I forget.  Here's the Oranda's tank before her second WC:

Ammonia - .25
Nitrate - 5.0
Nitrite - 0

:(  I think my nitrate test is broken.  I shouldn't be getting anything.

New Fish and Quarantine

Friday, I brought home two beautiful new goldies:

The Oranda.  Totally considering naming her Penelope!

The Ryukin/Fantail.  Still thinking on a name for him.

They're very sweet with lots of personality.  The only problem with them is that they have parasites; a very common issue, but an issue that makes me mega nervous.

These guys are being quarantined for at least a month.  This is my first QT, like, ever.  I'm still nervous about their parasites, but hopefully everything will turn out okay.  I really love these fish.

Each fish has a ten gallon all to themselves.  One is cycled, but one is not.  This is where I'd like to stress the absolute importance of having a cycled tank.  Even though its just QT, administering medicine and taking it out every day can get expensive and tiresome.  So you don't really NEED to cycle a QT, but it's so much easier if you do.

Here's a side-by-side schedule to tell you what I mean:

Originally I only did one water change per day for the Oranda, but after freaking out about her head-standing and going on to Kokos Goldfish World  (I love that site), it was reccommended to do more w/c.  Even after one day of doing so, she seems so much better.   So twice a day it is.

Even without the second water change, there is a LOT of work involved in a tank that is not cycled compared to a tank that is.  And the only reason I'm changing the Ryukin's water every 3 days instead of every week is to add the Prazi (which becomes inactive after three days)

IN ADDITION, I should be testing the water at least once a day to see the progress of the tank.  I don't really have time to do so until the weekends, but if I can squeeze in a test, I will do it.

Anyway, I'm really happy to have them.  Right now I'm scrambling to find a cheap 50 gallon and cycle it, since Pebbles the Cichlid will probably get the one I have now. :(  Hopefully everything will work itself out.

Tanks, Cichlids, and Goldfish

So quite a lot has happened since last post!

My mom brought home her Rio Grande Cichlid (I THINK that's what it's called) named Pebbles to put in my empty 50 gallon after seeing him going crazy in the tank in her classroom.  This guy is about 5-6 inches long, pretty deep bodied.  The tank he was in was a 15 gallon at best, being low and wide.  There is a plethora of gravel in there, hosting all sorts of bad bacteria, and also limiting his space even more.  (I mean, there's a good 3-4 inches of gravel in there.)  The crazy activity was him swimming frantically, banging the glass, and trying to jump out.  Now that he's in the 50 gallon, however, he's been much calmer and overall, happier, according to my mom.

Pebbles the Cichlid

The kids at her school miss him, (were actually angry that he was gone, haha) and I don't blame them.  He's very personable and interactive.  What my mom and I are thinking of doing is to take the 50 gal back to the school (where it came from anyway), leaving him in there, and I would buy and cycle a 75 gallon that was on sale at petsmart for my future goldfish.  If it's not too over my already strict price range, though. :B  50 gal would be my lowest, though.  I still want a big tank.

As far as new goldfish go, I've been told that my mom may be given a goldfish from a very kind man at the school.  So we'll see!  Either way, it's about time I get another goldfish.  I've learned what I've learned from my calico ryukin, and I feel more prepared now.  Especially to resist the temptation of not quarantining and not fully cycling.

We'll see what happens, though.  Nothing's set in stone yet.  The only thing on the agenda for Nano is to get some anacharis!  He's been picking at the brown algae on my fake anacharis, and I think it's time for some real plants.  Oh!  And I decided to buy some Pro-Gold from GoldfishConnection for him.  It seems to be getting great reviews, and I need some sort of staple to mix in with his zucchini, peas, broccoli, and bloodworms. ;)

Nano :)

I'd like to just dedicate a post to Nano, who's been such a good boy/girl. :)  Unfortunately due to a technical failure of my main memory card, I don't have too many pics available of him when he was little.  I do have some more recent though!  Enjoy :)

Day after I got him, I think...

Just yesterday. :)  Not much change, but his belly's getting deeper

Goldfishconnection.com Review

I recently ordered some Prazi from Goldfishconnection.com and had a great experience.  Even though I never got to use it on my Ryukin (RIP), I hope that this little amateurish review can help those who are thinking about ordering from goldfishconnection.com

The ordering, processing, and shipping was lightning fast.  At around 10:00am, I ordered my Prazi before going to class.  When I came back, I recieved an email stating that my order had shipped at 10:32am.  32 minutes!  I was VERY impressed!  This might be a one time thing, I don't know, but it certainly earns a big ol' gold star in my book.

I ordered on a Friday, the 3rd of September, and received the package on 7th.  For me, that is VERY nice.  Especially since I have the horrible habit of ordering things on or near the weekend.

The only cons are that:

1.  When you order, your cart says you have 2 items when really you ordered 1.  The shipping is considered the second item.  Nothing serious, just a little confusing.

2.  No tracking.  This is more of a personal thing.  Some people like to know where their packages are so that they can time exactly when the package will arrive.  Others don't really mind.  I personally like the option of knowing where my order is, but I didn't think very much about where the Prazi was while I was planning for San Antonio, getting through the first week of classes, and tending to my Ryukin.  I simply wanted it to get here. Which it did, and quickly.

That was my experience.  Goldfishconnection.com had the best Prazi price I could find, and I will definitely be shopping there in the future.

Death

Yesterday, the Ryukin died while I was coming home from San Antonio.  Its depressing.

Ugh

This morning I had a huge scare and thought my Ryukin was dead.  He was sandwiched between two plants, slightly tilted on one side, and breathed VERY shallowly.

Upset, I decided to use the net to either coax him to move or scoop him out.  He then darted across the tank, acting all normal again!  I was relieved, but still worried and wierded out.

Since yesterday he's been putting his nose under the lip of the plastic containers that have my plants in them, then floating as if in suspension, or like he's standing on his tailfin.  Today he wedges himself into the corner of the tank.  I hate that there's more things going on.... I've been changing the water religiously every day, treating it... I don't know...

He was like this a lot.

On some good news, however, I've finally bought some prazi from goldfishconnection.com this morning.  Maybe this will help.  I plan on writing a review in hopes of helping others who are thinking about ordering from this site as well.  So far, it's looking really good; It's already been shipped!  More specifics to come in a future blog post

A little better?

A few people did reply to my post, and gave me the advice to try bloodworms on him, since he might be sick of the flakes (which don't seem to be very good anyway).  I tried it, and he ate them!  He's eating to this day, so I'm very happy.  He's still looking miserable, but for now, I'm happy he's eating again.

Also what was recommended was using Prazi [$19.99 for 10 grams] to get rid of some possible gill flukes.  From what I've been told and researched, Prazi is very gentle, very effective, and very economic (for my needs, at least) as far as dosages go. (a 10 gram bottle treats 1,000 gallons)  It can be a bit expensive, but www.goldfishconnection.com has the cheapest price that I can find and is in the list of recommended stores on kokosgoldfish.com.

In addition to the suggestion of Prazi, I've taken up doing daily 25% water changes to keep the ammonia down as the tank cycles.  He enjoys the water changes, and perks up whenever it's time to clean.  From what I can tell on my test strips, the ammonia is going down little by little.  (Meaning that the light-green color is getting more and more yellowish)

Next on my list of "To-buy"s is some drop-test kits.  I've heard good things about Aquarium pharmaceuticals, but they are, also, expensive.  In my personal local Petsmart, the kit goes for about $32.  On Amazon, it goes for $19.90.  Which is a price I'd MUCH prefer.

So yeah, probably a good amount of spending ahead.  Kids, this is why you CYCLE YOUR TANK, and QUARANTINE YOUR NEW FISH.

Mr. SadRyukinMan Doesn't like eating now :C

This goldfish is just worrying me to death.  Now he's not eating!  I've decided to do the unthinkable and... POST IN A GOLDFISH FORUM OMGOMGOMG.

Not just any forum, though... but kokosgoldfish.com's forum.  Those people seem to really know what their talking about, and I hope they'll help a pathetic n00bie-b00bie like me. D:

I'll see what happens, or if I get any replies.  If nothing happens, I guess I'll just move him in with the fantail, switch filters, and hope and hope and hope that this solves the problem.

There are not very many things more frustrating than an animal that won't eat. D:

Mr. SadRyukinMan :C

The Ryukin has been favoring the bottom of the tank for the last two days.  My hypothesis is that the ammonia and the ich are starting to wear on him.  He had a SUPER long thin translucent string of poo.  Which could mean stress, parasites, or constipation (but it's most likely stress/parasites).  I'm very hesitant on feeding him antibiotics... I don't want to stress him out even further.

Ryukin with translucent poo.  And it got LONGER!
(Fullview for extra pooey details)  

I did a 50% water change today (to mainly make myself feel better) but he's acting the same way.  Of course the tank is only in its first month of usage and is far from being completely cycled.  I shouldn't have added fish so early... but then again, I probably wouldn't have gotten this guy if I hadn't been careless.  Live and learn. :(

I'm debating on whether to temporarily put the Ryukin in the 26 gallon (fully cycled).  However, I don't want to introduce ich to this tank as well.  I dunno, really.

Speaking of the 26 gallon, Mr. Red Cap (almost named "Nisshoki"... if I can ever remember that.) is doing very well!  (The 0.5 ammonia reading I had last post has gone back down to 0.  Not sure what happened...)  He ate a good 1/4th of jumbo brine shrimp today.  He's about a little over an inch right now, not counting the tail.  Cuteness!

Camouflage, ENGAGE!

New Baby Red Cap Oranda

Last night I moved the comet out and bought a "Red Cap Oranda" to put in my 26 gallon tank. Yay!

This guy was one of the last two red-capped ANYTHING in the store, and as a family was getting their 6 comets to put in two bowls, (which made me a little sad.  Learning so much about goldfish is opening my eyes to just how much abuse they get just because of how cheap they are) I stood next to the red caps, quickly "gauging" their health.  (Basically whether they had ich or not and if they're swimming right)  I eventually got my fish, talked to it, headed home, and put it in my tank.

Water Parameters:

50 Gallon
Nitrates:  0-20
Nitrites:  0
Hardness: 150-300
Chlorine:  0
Alkalinity:  40
pH:  7.2-7.8
Ammonia:  0.5


26 Gallon
Nitrates: 0-20
Nitrites: 0
Hardness: 150
Chlorine: 0
Alkalinity: 40
pH: 7.2
Ammonia: 0.5 <--huh?

Battling the Ich Monster

I'll start off with a couple of shots of my Ryukin in the 50 gallon. :D

I think it's shrugging at me. D:

Sadly, the black moor is no more. :(  His death was very very sudden, but in retrospect, probably not totally unexpected.  Cause of Death?  Probably a mixture of the stress of medication, the stress of the .5 ppm ammonia, and the stress of those white-dotted bastards.

R.I.P, Cool lil' Dude :C

My local PetSmart currently has an ich infestation on their hands.  After arriving at the store, I began my bolting to the fish section, throwing helpless women and children left and right while maintaining my usual dramatic slow-mo. After a good while, I picked out my two favorite goldfish that seemed disease-free.  Of course, just because you can't see the ich on them that day doesn't mean they're not infected.  So unsurprisingly, this past week's project was to get rid of the ich on my new fish.

I started medication with Jungle Labs' Ick Guard, I believe.  (The bottle itself states that it clears ich.)  Using the reccomended dosage, I treated for a couple of days until I ran out.  During the actual medication, I'd read how medications can be stressful to fish, and I decided to use this opportunity of running out of meds to try to research another route to go.  Yes, yes, a rabidly panicking fish owner constantly changing her mind. D:

On August 10th I switched from medication to treatment with un-(or is it non?)iodized salt and heat.  I turned up the temperature (slowly) to 82 degrees and added 50 teapoons for 50 gallons (which equals to about 1 cup) 3 times within the first 24 hours.  And... the white spots have cleared after about 4 days of maintaining the temperature and adding in lost salt after water changes!  The Ryukin seems to be doing well, but is rubbing up against the plants erratically once in a while.  So I guess this is when the ich is at it's most annoying.  I'll keep this up for the lifespan of the ich (which from what I understand is about 2 weeks).

Updates to come!  Wish me luck! D:

This Week's Water Parameters

50 gallon

Nitrates - 0
Nitrites - .5-1.0
Hardness 300
Chlorine - 0
Alkalinity - 40-80
Ph - 7.2
Ammonia - .5

26 gallon

Nitrates - 0-20
Nitirites - 0
Hardness 150
Chl 0
Alk 40
Ph 7.2-7.8
Ammonia-0

The 50 gallon needs some work.  Ammonia is up, as well as nitrites.  For some reason Hardness is off the charts.

The 26 gallon's pH is the only concern.

WOO!

My tanks!

Quick introduction to my tanks!

My 26 Gallon (if I remember correctly...):  Currently has one blurry Comet ;)

The 50 gallon.  Getting ready for some goldfish!