Moving glass catfish.

[scurrie]

I have been having a nitrate problem in my tropical tank. It's been really high and I've been doing 50% water changes EVERY day in order to keep it down. I've checked my tap water ; nothing. Even prime isn't helping. So today I come home, I lost a marbled hatchetfish, a rummy nose tetra and a swordtail. They have ick. A very bad case of ick, which I've never had before :/ so I raised the temp up, dosed them in parasite guard and was about to add salt when I realized my ghost cats were in there. And they're so sensitive to it.

So. This is what I need opinions on; I'm going to move them. They are showing no signs of ick at all they aren't even listless. It took me half an hour to catch them . I have a 5.5 gal tank with a betta, 3 cherry barbs and a zebra snail in it. However. It's completely planted. I think I'm going to put them in there. I'm drip acclimating them right now to that tank. If I do a small water change every day until the big tank is situated, do you think they'll live? I know this might sound awful, but if the barbs die, I can replace them. These glass cats have been alive for 3 years and I love them. I don't want to lose them.

So there would be 6 fish and a snail in a planted 5.5 with a 20 g filter on it.

Opinions?

[dnalex]

I won't address the stocking, because others more knowledgeable than I on tropicals will chime in, I'm sure, but I would like to say something about the ich. While it may very well be that the fish that you are planning to move are ich-free, it is also very likely that they have a few ich cysts on them, but are not (yet) visible to the naked eye. You run the risk of transfering ich to another tank when you move any of the inhabitants of a contaminated tank without also treating the new tank.

Good luck with everything!

[scurrie]

I won't address the stocking, because others more knowledgeable than I on tropicals will chime in, I'm sure, but I would like to say something about the ich. While it may very well be that the fish that you are planning to move are ich-free, it is also very likely that they have a few ich cysts on them, but are not (yet) visible to the naked eye. You run the risk of transfering ich to another tank when you move any of the inhabitants of a contaminated tank without also treating the new tank.

Good luck with everything!

I do realize the risk. I moved my betta out into a divided tank with my blue baby betta. So the only other fish in the tank are cherry barbs. If the tank does have a break out, because it's smaller it will be so much easier to treat with water changes and smaller amounts of meds. The large tank is being treated but they're dropping like flies and it's making me so upset because I cherish that tank I was trying so hard to keep everything down but the nitrates just kept going up and I couldn't figure out why. This apparently is just not my fish keeping week

I'm going to monitor it. If I see ANYTHING I'll try and figure it out. Because those glass catfish are my babies. And they're going to be a pain in the butt to treat if they do get it. Where they're scaleless, salt can be more harmful than ick. Most medications are terrible for them too. So I'm hoping that keeping the temp high and doing little water changes every day will TRY and prevent it. But we'll see I guess I'm not really looking forward to having to restock my big tank. I have 5 fish left and I'm treating their tank like mad. So I'm hoping they'll live as well . But thanks for your input and the reminder Alex! I appreciate it.

[Goldenhero]

Ich is extremely contagious so it's best to assume that everyone in the infected tank is carrying it. The white spots aren't visible until later on in the parasite's life cycle so just because you don't see the spots doesn't mean it's not there. One time when I had an ich outbreak in my tropical tank it was because I was stupid and put in new fish without doing a QT. Once I saw spots on the new fish I put them in a separate tank because my other fish weren't showing any symptoms yet. Within a day the other fish had spots too. Surprisingly everyone survived.

I believe you can treat ich with just the raised temp and water changes so if possible I would put the catfish in their own QT tank and just do that for them. I know QT'ing tropicals is a pain though, because they almost always need a heater in each tank unlike goldfish who usually don't. I would try not to expose any more fish to it but especially not the betta since I think they can be sensitive to salt and medications as well.

With fish keeping and sometimes life in general when it rains it pours. Good luck, I hope your fish pull through!

Edited October 7, 2013 by Goldenhero

[scurrie]

Ich is extremely contagious so it's best to assume that everyone in the infected tank is carrying it. The white spots aren't visible until later on in the parasite's life cycle so just because you don't see the spots doesn't mean it's not there. One time when I had an ich outbreak in my tropical tank it was because I was stupid and put in new fish without doing a QT. Once I saw spots on the new fish I put them in a separate tank because my other fish weren't showing any symptoms yet. Within a day the other fish had spots too. Surprisingly everyone survived.

I believe you can treat ich with just the raised temp and water changes so if possible I would put the catfish in their own QT tank and just do that for them. I know QT'ing tropicals is a pain though, because they almost always need a heater in each tank unlike goldfish who usually don't. I would try not to expose any more fish to it but especially not the betta since I think they can be sensitive to salt and medications as well.

With fish keeping and sometimes life in general when it rains it pours. Good luck, I hope your fish pull through!

I wish I had another QT. I don't though. (Mine is currently occupied by an oranda) So I guess technically I'm using this one as a QT. Cherry barbs are darn hardy so if they do get it, I can dip the crap out of them and they should be fine. I could do a bucket with a heater and airstone. That wouldn't be too bad but then again I've already exposed the cherry barbs because of my actions without really thinking. They still look really good today. So I'm hoping they'll be ok! I have it cranked to 86 in the big tank. The glass actually feels warms :3 but that's because my house is 62 right now. I raised the little one to 83-84 and I'm just going to keep a close eye on them.

And AMEN to life pouring. I woke up 10 mins before my organic chemistry class this morning, thinking it would just be another class. Only to get there and see everyone taking an exam. I had no idea. I just started crying haha. Life is just a pouring on Sierra right now. But I'm off to a 12 hour shift so I'll check back later!

[kaylaj2355]

Ich is extremely contagious so it's best to assume that everyone in the infected tank is carrying it. The white spots aren't visible until later on in the parasite's life cycle so just because you don't see the spots doesn't mean it's not there. One time when I had an ich outbreak in my tropical tank it was because I was stupid and put in new fish without doing a QT. Once I saw spots on the new fish I put them in a separate tank because my other fish weren't showing any symptoms yet. Within a day the other fish had spots too. Surprisingly everyone survived.

I believe you can treat ich with just the raised temp and water changes so if possible I would put the catfish in their own QT tank and just do that for them. I know QT'ing tropicals is a pain though, because they almost always need a heater in each tank unlike goldfish who usually don't. I would try not to expose any more fish to it but especially not the betta since I think they can be sensitive to salt and medications as well.

With fish keeping and sometimes life in general when it rains it pours. Good luck, I hope your fish pull through!

I wish I had another QT. I don't though. (Mine is currently occupied by an oranda) So I guess technically I'm using this one as a QT. Cherry barbs are darn hardy so if they do get it, I can dip the crap out of them and they should be fine. I could do a bucket with a heater and airstone. That wouldn't be too bad but then again I've already exposed the cherry barbs because of my actions without really thinking. They still look really good today. So I'm hoping they'll be ok! I have it cranked to 86 in the big tank. The glass actually feels warms :3 but that's because my house is 62 right now. I raised the little one to 83-84 and I'm just going to keep a close eye on them.

And AMEN to life pouring. I woke up 10 mins before my organic chemistry class this morning, thinking it would just be another class. Only to get there and see everyone taking an exam. I had no idea. I just started crying haha. Life is just a pouring on Sierra right now. But I'm off to a 12 hour shift so I'll check back later!

Booooo life! So sorry you're struggling. We are here for you!!

[Goldenhero]

Ich is extremely contagious so it's best to assume that everyone in the infected tank is carrying it. The white spots aren't visible until later on in the parasite's life cycle so just because you don't see the spots doesn't mean it's not there. One time when I had an ich outbreak in my tropical tank it was because I was stupid and put in new fish without doing a QT. Once I saw spots on the new fish I put them in a separate tank because my other fish weren't showing any symptoms yet. Within a day the other fish had spots too. Surprisingly everyone survived.

I believe you can treat ich with just the raised temp and water changes so if possible I would put the catfish in their own QT tank and just do that for them. I know QT'ing tropicals is a pain though, because they almost always need a heater in each tank unlike goldfish who usually don't. I would try not to expose any more fish to it but especially not the betta since I think they can be sensitive to salt and medications as well.

With fish keeping and sometimes life in general when it rains it pours. Good luck, I hope your fish pull through!

I wish I had another QT. I don't though. (Mine is currently occupied by an oranda) So I guess technically I'm using this one as a QT. Cherry barbs are darn hardy so if they do get it, I can dip the crap out of them and they should be fine. I could do a bucket with a heater and airstone. That wouldn't be too bad but then again I've already exposed the cherry barbs because of my actions without really thinking. They still look really good today. So I'm hoping they'll be ok! I have it cranked to 86 in the big tank. The glass actually feels warms :3 but that's because my house is 62 right now. I raised the little one to 83-84 and I'm just going to keep a close eye on them.

And AMEN to life pouring. I woke up 10 mins before my organic chemistry class this morning, thinking it would just be another class. Only to get there and see everyone taking an exam. I had no idea. I just started crying haha. Life is just a pouring on Sierra right now. But I'm off to a 12 hour shift so I'll check back later!

Haha I've never taken any kind of chemistry class so right off the bat you're better than me. And eek, 12 hour shifts. Don't forget to take care of yourself as well as the fish!

Edited October 7, 2013 by Goldenhero

[scurrie]

Ich is extremely contagious so it's best to assume that everyone in the infected tank is carrying it. The white spots aren't visible until later on in the parasite's life cycle so just because you don't see the spots doesn't mean it's not there. One time when I had an ich outbreak in my tropical tank it was because I was stupid and put in new fish without doing a QT. Once I saw spots on the new fish I put them in a separate tank because my other fish weren't showing any symptoms yet. Within a day the other fish had spots too. Surprisingly everyone survived.

I believe you can treat ich with just the raised temp and water changes so if possible I would put the catfish in their own QT tank and just do that for them. I know QT'ing tropicals is a pain though, because they almost always need a heater in each tank unlike goldfish who usually don't. I would try not to expose any more fish to it but especially not the betta since I think they can be sensitive to salt and medications as well.

With fish keeping and sometimes life in general when it rains it pours. Good luck, I hope your fish pull through!

I wish I had another QT. I don't though. (Mine is currently occupied by an oranda) So I guess technically I'm using this one as a QT. Cherry barbs are darn hardy so if they do get it, I can dip the crap out of them and they should be fine. I could do a bucket with a heater and airstone. That wouldn't be too bad but then again I've already exposed the cherry barbs because of my actions without really thinking. They still look really good today. So I'm hoping they'll be ok! I have it cranked to 86 in the big tank. The glass actually feels warms :3 but that's because my house is 62 right now. I raised the little one to 83-84 and I'm just going to keep a close eye on them.

And AMEN to life pouring. I woke up 10 mins before my organic chemistry class this morning, thinking it would just be another class. Only to get there and see everyone taking an exam. I had no idea. I just started crying haha. Life is just a pouring on Sierra right now. But I'm off to a 12 hour shift so I'll check back later!

Haha I've never taken any kind of chemistry class so right off the bat you're better than me. And eek, 12 hour shifts. Don't forget to take care of yourself as well as the fish!

NEVER take organic chemistry. It will slowly rot your brain. Until you forget you have tests on days. I just FINALLY got back from my shift. But now I'm sitting, on Koko's and seeing that my glass cats show no signs of ick yet :] Wahoo.

[fantailfan1]

I have nothing to add other than a great way to get through organic chem is to form a study group. And if the guys you study with are gorgeous pre-med students, that helps A LOT!!

Good luck with everything! I sure hope your luck improves.