I have two Axies about 5inches long. They loved in a 10 gallon tank and thrived in it for 3 months as I got their 25gallon tank a DIY background. In this small tank I never checked water parameters, temp or even cycled it properly and the Axies grew up just fine and never had health issues. I also has a cascade underwater filter. It had a strong flow but I put a large fake plant in front of it and all was well.
Then once I felt the 25g tank was ready (after soaking and water changing to prevent chemical leech from the sealant if it had any) I filled it with sand, hairgrass and feeders to be sort of sacrificial test subjects. I thought if they lived the waters good and the Axies will have food to eat.
Two days go by and the feeder guppies were alive and well so I added the Axies.
On the fourth day all the feeders died. I assumed it was from hunger. I cleaned them up and noticed my Axies were becoming lethargic. They even refused to eat, and spat up anything they did swallow. I tried fringing them to no avail.
On the fifth day I moved the fake plant from I front of the filter as it was beginning to break. I notice the flow was fast but my Axies weren't bothered by it and could easily hide from the flow if they needed so I left it while I went to work.
Once I got home I noticed my Axies gill frills were almost completely gone! And that they were now stressed.
I headed straight for petsmart and a new aqua clear 30, which works great and has little to no flow to bother them. I then got a water testing kit.
Everything was fine but the ammonia, it stays at .25-.50. I've been changing to water 25% every day now and it still stays in the same range. I also noticed my temperature was at 25'c! I quickly got a large fan, frozen bottled water and cranked the ac. But it still at 21'c since last I checked.
But I never checked these parameters before and my old small tank was usually at 23'c when we have a humid heat wave live I am now and my Axies were fine then. Why is it now they are lethargic, emaciated, stressed and refusing to eat?
What can I do to save them!!
Then once I felt the 25g tank was ready (after soaking and water changing to prevent chemical leech from the sealant if it had any) I filled it with sand, hairgrass and feeders to be sort of sacrificial test subjects. I thought if they lived the waters good and the Axies will have food to eat.
Two days go by and the feeder guppies were alive and well so I added the Axies.
On the fourth day all the feeders died. I assumed it was from hunger. I cleaned them up and noticed my Axies were becoming lethargic. They even refused to eat, and spat up anything they did swallow. I tried fringing them to no avail.
On the fifth day I moved the fake plant from I front of the filter as it was beginning to break. I notice the flow was fast but my Axies weren't bothered by it and could easily hide from the flow if they needed so I left it while I went to work.
Once I got home I noticed my Axies gill frills were almost completely gone! And that they were now stressed.
I headed straight for petsmart and a new aqua clear 30, which works great and has little to no flow to bother them. I then got a water testing kit.
Everything was fine but the ammonia, it stays at .25-.50. I've been changing to water 25% every day now and it still stays in the same range. I also noticed my temperature was at 25'c! I quickly got a large fan, frozen bottled water and cranked the ac. But it still at 21'c since last I checked.
But I never checked these parameters before and my old small tank was usually at 23'c when we have a humid heat wave live I am now and my Axies were fine then. Why is it now they are lethargic, emaciated, stressed and refusing to eat?
What can I do to save them!!
