Northo frys, salinity and frogbits....

[hobbit6003]

Well, now I'm about to wet the northo eggs that I've gotten, I'm wondering if frogbits can take a little bit of salinity. I intend to use just alittle bit (probably a pinch to a litre of water) to prevent possiblity of a velvet attack.

I've thought of using java moss, but considering the only place I can put these fry containers on, the water temp may be a tad bit high for these mosses. Also, frogbits can help shade them, both plants and frys.

Well, does anyone of you had such a combo before?

Cheers,

Kenny

[TyroneGenade]

What are your water parameters? If you have hard, well buffered water you do not need to worry about velvet. In any case adding salt to soft water is not bright.

I was discussing this recently with Ian Sainthouse and he claimed that on average the Nothos who got the anti-velvet salt treatment didn't live as long as those who didn't.

Wet the peat and spoon out the fry to a new tub. Add some Java moss (it can take the heat!) or any other plant. Then begin feeding. Add a few snails to eat the uneaten bbs. Change 50% of the water each day and you should be fine.

The leading cause of velvet is not soft water but poor water quality.

Best of luck

[hobbit6003]

Hi Tyrone,

Yeah, that's my consideration, salt in soft water, hmm.....

That said, however, I've gotten great success with salt in the fry tank of Bettas, which was probably below par in the department of husbandry. In contrast to fry tanks with the same standard of husbandry but without salt (NaCl), those were the ones getting velvet like we'd with chicken pox.

Anyway, I think the moss, frogbits and the snail combo should work quite well with the northo fry container. I'm already doing that to my Pseudomugil gertrudae frys, minus the moss. Those tubs which is almost totally covered with the frogbits are keeping the water temperature cool, despite those soaring temperatures in my house and those bush fires now rampant just across the highway where I live! I guess the moss should do relatively well, with those floaters covering the surface.

And yes, the key to keeping away diseases, is of course good tank hygiene and husbandry.

Cheers,

Kenny

[whuntley]

That depends on the virulence of the disease.

We get velvet in baby Notho tanks because the cysts seem to survive in the damp peat.

A mild strain may do little damage, but I once had a super-strong strain of velvet that wiped out several species before I got it stopped. That was in my hard Fremont water, BTW. That particular strain came direct from Africa with some *korthause* eggs, as I recall. With that strain, hard water, clean water, and the most scrupulous husbandry were helpless. The only effective answer was Jungle's "Velvet Guard" which I think is just salt and acriflavin. [It might have been their "Velvet Cure" which may be different.]

Memory is still my second-shortest thing. I planned to take a memory improvement course, but I forgot to enroll.

Salt and a bit of acriflavin are good preventatives. Add a wee bit of Seachem's "Equilibrium" o/e if you have too-soft water, to bring the other electrolytes up a little. It will not harden your water and will keep the salt from becoming toxic to fish, inverts and plants.

There's no substitute for really clean water with plenty of oxygen, of course, but some isolation and good anti-contagion technique is a useful addition. Use meds when appropriate.

Wright

[hobbit6003]

That depends on the virulence of the disease.

We get velvet in baby Notho tanks because the cysts seem to survive in the damp peat.

A mild strain may do little damage, but I once had a super-strong strain of velvet that wiped out several species before I got it stopped. That was in my hard Fremont water, BTW. That particular strain came direct from Africa with some *korthause* eggs, as I recall. With that strain, hard water, clean water, and the most scrupulous husbandry were helpless. The only effective answer was Jungle's "Velvet Guard" which I think is just salt and acriflavin. [It might have been their "Velvet Cure" which may be different.]

Memory is still my second-shortest thing. I planned to take a memory improvement course, but I forgot to enroll.

Salt and a bit of acriflavin are good preventatives. Add a wee bit of Seachem's "Equilibrium" o/e if you have too-soft water, to bring the other electrolytes up a little. It will not harden your water and will keep the salt from becoming toxic to fish, inverts and plants.

There's no substitute for really clean water with plenty of oxygen, of course, but some isolation and good anti-contagion technique is a useful addition. Use meds when appropriate.

Wright

Hi Wright,

Oooh.....sounds like yo've a Ebola-like strain of the oodiunium.

Well, I do have Equilibrium, while my gH for my local tap water measures only about 3-4dH.

I think I'd just hold my horses on salt addition, as I do not know if my floaters can take to it or not. I've gotten a total melt down of them before in another tank (not due to salt), and it was rather messy.

However, I'm sure I do have enough fire power in my medicinal war chest, which should come in quite handy if there's an outbreak of oodinium...can't miss them....after years of betta keeping, I should be able to spot them even there're only some psecks on the fins.

Cheers,

Kenny