Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Several updates

Been a little bit since I last blogged.

My large wild discus' HITH continues to persist. The first hole has sealed and healed itself, but a second one below developed as the first one was healing. This one doesn't seem to want to go away. I had to change the brand of bloodworms, and the discus doesn't like this kind as much as the last. At least it's eating, though. Food is dipped in garlic and I change out the water twice a week. I try to keep nitrates under 15 until the head heals up.

The little clown loach had to be returned to the Q-tank for another round of metro. He's skinny and not eating. He's hanging out beside the heater for the last few days... the metro doesn't seem to be working at all. I think he's on his last legs, er, fins. This will be the second clown loach I've lost to IP. The 3 inch loach is doing fine and remains in the living room tank.

I will not be adding any more clowns. The big guy schools with the balas and exhibits all the normal behavior of a clown with a small school. Also, I believe my clowns were eating the angelfish's dorsal fin.

If I do get more clowns, I'll only get two more and be sure they are the same size as my big one.

Two days ago I saw a big white spot on my black neon in the planted tank. I added 5 drops of Quick Cure. I did the same yesterday and today. No more signs of Ich. Tomorrow I'll do a massive water change and treat for three more days just to be sure.

I love the neon rainbowfish. His colors go great in with the neons and the plants. He schools with the lone hatchetfish, and he comes to the front of the tank whenever I come close, just like a cichlid. Some say neon rainbows need 29 gallons minimal and must be in a school. Well, it's the same for hatchetfish, if you go by what other people say or hold stock in the psychology of fish. Not being one to anthropomorphize fish, I do my homework in regards to adult size, contribution to bioload, and if the fish will live in my water conditions. Neon rainbowfish stay small and are hardy fish. They may not exhibit traditional schooling behavior, but it's not like the fish is suffering in a ten gallon without others of its kind.

This same argument is often made about discus. Several prominent online aquarists, including Pandora of Pandora's Aquarium, keep discus solely. Schooling fish don't need their schools, and they can live just fine without them.

- J
http://joshday.com

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