Do you guys give the filter a thorough washing periodically? Understand the friendly bacteria builds up over time from bio cycle, but if you wash the filter completely inside out, will this upset water condition?
I wash the sponge about bi weekly, using together with bio rings in my hang on filter.
Thanks.
The important thing is to wash it with your waste tank water instead of tap water. If not enough, mix de-chlorinated water to make up the volume.
Ideally, I'll not use even plain dechlorinated water as the osmotic pressure of the clean water may be too hypotonic and cause the bacterias stress (not proven).
No need to wash too clean since the aim is just to remove enough gunk so that water can flow through
that could be the cause of the 3 guppies' death (1 suffered fin bladder inflammation) cos I used tap water to wash the filter
thanks...will have to take note to prevent further deaths.
Are you using any dechlorinator solution to treat your tap water before using it to change water for your guppies?Originally Posted by cyruslaguna
that could be the cause of the 3 guppies' death (1 suffered fin bladder inflammation) cos I used tap water to wash the filter
thanks...will have to take note to prevent further deaths.
Chlorine in our tap water will kill the bacteria in your filter as well as your fish eventually.
yes I do treat water with anti chlorine before introducing fish into it; leave it for 5mins before adding to fish tank when doing water change.
When I wash my filter media, I just rinse quickly under tap water to remove the gunk. I never worry about the filter bacteria conking out. They are tougher than we think they are. If you are paranoid about killing the bacteria, just rinse with the waste water during a WC.
Your guppies may have had those infections beforehand. Bladder inflammation can be caused by other factors too, and not 100% due to the filter washing.
Fish.. Simply Irresistable
Back to Killies... slowly.
stormhawk: Thanks again; they were fine when I got them from the fish shop so might be possible too.
What other factors should be looked into for guppy aquarium water? How often would you recommend filter cleanining? Do you scrub the interior of the filter?
I've learnt from Tristan that pH does not matter for guppies. How would you deduce that?
I will wash my media with the tank water only. Just rinse the ceramic rings and squeeze the sponge. No need to worry if not too clean. You can give the filter a scrub once every few months to spruce it up. For me i will scrub it only when its visibly ugly till i can't stand it.
Forgot about PH level for guppies. Generally guppies prefer neutral water and above. Anything from 7.0 to 7.5 should be fine. Hence its is prefered that we do not keep guppies with soil and too much DW/BW that will decrease ph level.
noted, thanks Terence, the guppies are doing fine now
They benefit from a little aquarium salt being added to the tank water. If you're not keen on that, some coral chips in a bag should help. They don't really like acidic water.
I never scrub the interior of my canister filter. The biofilm there also contains beneficial filter bacteria, and hence not advisable to scrub it super clean. Sometimes it's best for the tank to be a little "dirty".
Just don't overfeed, because guppies are greedy little piggies. Feed just enough to get their bellies round and fat. I never feed my fishes more than once, or twice a day. Too much fish poop without plants to clear the excess nutrients, can be nasty for the fish.
Guppies may be tough, but they are still fragile against certain diseases. The ornamental varieties, like veiltails etc. are much more fragile compared to the wild-form. That is why I never keep guppies other than the wild-form.
Fish.. Simply Irresistable
Back to Killies... slowly.
are wild guppies those tiny ones with paint-splashlike colours? Read some fellow AQers will go and catch these wild guppies in canals.
Wild guppies aka endlers. The normal peacok, tiger strains are cheap. There are also exotic ones that are dearer.
Endlers are not exactly wild. The ones we have in Singapore are cultivated strains, and many have been crossed with our normal guppies. Note that they are 2 different species, but hybridised in farms to produce some new strains, especially for fancy guppies.
Wild guppies here, are those with very short finnage, less colouration, some spots and a dash of color on their bodies. The ones you usually find in our drains are the "wild-form". Fancy strains like the delta tail types usually do not survive well in the drains.
See here for a picture that represents the "wild-form" that I am talking about:
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/img...ticulata_1.jpg
You can find them easily in feeder fish tanks, mixed with mollies and Gambusia (mosquitofish). I caught mine in a drain near my home, along with some Gambusia.
See this NUS page for further info:
http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/guideb...h/text/224.htm
Fish.. Simply Irresistable
Back to Killies... slowly.
Ah dear ah,
The main issue is you have over-feed (Once a day will do) and change water too much too frequently.
1. 40% water change
This is when you think the tank is really dirty enough for you to change
the water. 80% is in case of emergency like copper poisoning. i.e. when
you use too much copper to kill snails which end up killing the fish. 50%
change if e.g. too much CO2 injection causing all the fish to be padding
for oxygen.
2. Filter sponge.
I put the sponge on top of the toilet bowl, squeeze with my left hand, and
use the spray gun on my right hand. Keep squeeze until it is clean. The
filter canister is being clean only when there are significant algae built up.
3. Adding salt and buffer.
Too much salt will cause corrosion, anti-chlorine should do just fine. Just
don't overdo it. Buffer such as Bicarbonate of soda will increase the
hardness of the tank, so the ph does not drops that fast.
How fast does ph drops in planted tank? I'd say one day, measured before.
Once upon a time, one of my first few planted tank cycle, my dad went to
Yishun Chongpang to buy some guppies (male) and add to the tank.
They died of old age. So it is okay to have guppies in planted tank.
Guppies can survive in longkang (drains), so dirty water to them is
paradise. Black water are for amazon fishes. You can add a bit if you
like to but it is okay even without it.
i think the time you put the anti chlorine in is too short,you might want to leave the water for at least 1 day before adding into ur tank after adding anti chlorine.
Dont wash them too often, Only wash if the flow rate is very low . Its my expe!
My male guppy tank has built in filter but seems to have a high mortality rate. Could it be duebyo type of tank and filter combo? The flow is non-adjustable; now there's only 1 male remaining out of the 3 and I can't add salt as tank also houses panda cories.
Here is my current suggestion:
1. Post a pict of your tank now.
2. Measure your water ph, morning once, evening once.
Thereafter you can post the result here.
pH: 7.6 at 12:20pm today.
here's how the tank look:
http://schwarzison.multiply.com/photos/photo/79/40
The male's out for "work" at female tank so the rest in are only panda cories.
Do give me your advise!
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