My poor blue hippo

[Jason B]

He looks much better. The ich is not showing anymore except for one small one. He is still eating a ton and seems happy. They are eating all of the nori i am putting in there. Im wondering if me changing out the lights had something to do with it.

I have not added or changed anything except a carbon reactor instead of putting it in a bag.

Thanks again for all of the help.

 

[mrx66699]

are you running a phos ban reactor with gfo

 

[Jason B]

not at the moment. I am picking one up tomorrow but i was going to hold off adding it for a little while so not to stress him anymore.

im running one of these with carbon...
http://www.marinedepot.com/filters_kent_marine_phos_reactor-ap.html

im getting another one to run phosban in.

By the way i tested my phosphates this morning and they were high(1.0). I know that is bad for corals but i dont know if that is causing stress on the fish.

 

[billsreef]

SLOW DOWN--no more changes let your tank mature and avoid snake oils and miracle cures.
There's none

This bears repeating.

 

[billsreef]

In all the years of doing this I never QT my fish and ich always goes away once the fish are healthy and not stressed. I never lost a fish to Ich.

You've been lucky, or rather your fish have. After nearly 30 years at this on a professional level, claims like yours are definitely the exception. The number of hobbyists I know with years of experience that make that claim I count on the fingers of one hand.

 

[Dryfish]

sorry bout your hippo.

 

[Jason B]

Thanks. He is looking much better. No more ich.

feeding a little heavier and trying to beat the HLLE.

 

[Jason B]

I looked real close at him today and it is starting to look like the patch around his eye is heeling. It looks like some of the blue is coming back.

I have been feeding really heavy.
Morning: 2 x 2" by 8" nori sheets, 2 cubes gut loaded brine shrimp, 2 cubes of 50/50
Afternoon: Repeat

Ill try to get a pic but all i have is a phone.

 

[milspec]

In all the years of doing this I never QT my fish and ich always goes away once the fish are healthy and not stressed. I never lost a fish to Ich.

You've been lucky, or rather your fish have. After nearly 30 years at this on a professional level, claims like yours are definitely the exception. The number of hobbyists I know with years of experience that make that claim I count on the fingers of one hand.

I'm not saying if I had a stable system running besides my display I wouldn't use that as a QT. I just can't do it where I am. The risk of loosing three or four fish if something worse then ich gets in my tank, is not that much of a worry to me. I can't have or afford another 40 gallon system up and running in my apartment. I also don't like playing with water setting up and braking down a hospital tank on the third floor. Sure if you have the time and money and space to have a QT system up and running go for it. I would if I could. It would double as a frag QT and grow out system. I just got lucky and I only seen ich from time to time when adding fish. I swap out fish when they get to large for my 120. If I had a large system with a ton of expensive fish I definitely
would have a large QT and hospital system running. It wouldn't be worth the risk not to QT all fish.

 

[billsreef]

QT's really don't need to be all that large and expensive to set up. Unless your routinely buying large size fish, a mere 10 or 20 long will suffice for most fish for duration of a QT. Decor is best kept to simple, easily cleanable, and non reactive with potential medications...PVC pipe fittings are great for this, and dirt cheap. A small air pump, sponge filter, and heater...and your done

 

[johnwick]

Sounds irresponsible to me, to not quarantine. Saying it's not a big deal if you lose three or four fish? Seems like you shouldn't be in the hobby with that careless attitude for living organisms.

 

[illal]

I have been feeding really heavy.
Morning: 2 x 2" by 8" nori sheets, 2 cubes gut loaded brine shrimp, 2 cubes of 50/50
Afternoon: Repeat

So your feeding 8 cubes + Nori each day? :eek1: Sounds like a recipe for disaster

 

[mrx66699]

this should only be recipe for disaster if he didnt address the question of filtration first ......with the correct filtration he should be fine....

 

[Jason B]

this should only be recipe for disaster if he didnt address the question of filtration first ......with the correct filtration he should be fine....

I am running 3 layers of filter pads that i have been cleaning out every other day to pick up any of the extra food or small pieces of nori before it breaks down. Once i get the bigger skimmer hooked up it should take care of it. Right?

The fish are eating everything i put in. I thought it was a lot too but he has started healing.

 

[mrx66699]

get the other skimmer on as soon as possible .....keep up the feeding along with frequent water changes as you have been doing to compensate ......dont stop your feedings, keep a close eye on the params of the tank and just give it time without any additions or changes

 

[AquamanE]

So your feeding 8 cubes + Nori each day? :eek1: Sounds like a recipe for disaster

I agree.

MrX- Your advocating this feeding pattern. Remember this tank is relatively new (including biological), not to mention skimmer. Also, not sure, but its not your 350 gal, its much smaller.

Ide cut that by half at least.

 

[mrx66699]

Eddie ONLY because his fish are in need of all the proteins and nutrients he can get them to eat for the next few weeks......Poor feeding along with electrical discharge is what has gotten his fish in the sad shape they are in. Eddie I would normally agree slow and light on the feedings with a new setup........BUT he is doing weekly and BI weekly if needed water changes to combat the over feedings, this coupled with a new ETSS 800 he should have up and running this week which is rated for up to 400 gal which he has no where near this size of gallonage he should be fine....NOW THATS ONLY AS LONG AS HE KEEPS UP THE LG WEEKLY WATER CHANGES COUPLED WITH AGGRESSIVE SKIMMING AND DAILY MONITORING OF WATER CONDITIONS.....if he doesn't then by all means I agree he is headed for ruff waters with an aggressive feeding pattern and degenerating water qualities....

1. Quality water conditions monitored daily (lg weekly water changes coupled with lg aggressive over skimming to achieve this)
2. Larger than normal feeding portions of a good selection of various quality foods

His fish are already showing the signs of regaining some strength and visually looking better only after a week. If he backs off feeding the fish aggressively and beefing up their immune systems in the state they are in now they will only weaken .......

 

[mrx66699]

So your feeding 8 cubes + Nori each day? :eek1: Sounds like a recipe for disaster

Yes Al I would normally agree.....

 

[Jason B]

Matt, i just finished plumbing the skimmer and have it up and running. It still needs some fine tuning but hopefully that is the easy part. By the way thanks again for helping me repair it. Its holding the pressure like a champ. :dance:

Any extra fish waste or uneaten food is siphoned out during my water changes. I do, now if anything, over test my tank to make sure the nitrates and phosphates are not too high. I originally fed half of that but slowly increased the amount as long as they kept eating everything.

Skimmer has been running for 30 min...

 

[jcw]

I looked real close at him today and it is starting to look like the patch around his eye is heeling. It looks like some of the blue is coming back.

I have been feeding really heavy.
Morning: 2 x 2" by 8" nori sheets, 2 cubes gut loaded brine shrimp, 2 cubes of 50/50
Afternoon: Repeat

Ill try to get a pic but all i have is a phone.

How 'bout the side of fries with that? :lol:


just kidding


I add a drop of a liquid multivitamin and a drop of some fish oil (DHA, EPA, Omega-3) in the food I use. To be honest, it's cheaper than selcon.