I shouldn't have opened my big mouth....:-(

[auntiejude]

Just a few days ago I was remarking how lucky we had been with out axies and our tank. I was discussing with hubby how we had done our research, gathered information, done some reading, (and spent a small fortune) to ge things right for our axies, and how we had made our own luck in not having any problems.

Of course, that was the point that things started to go wrong....

We've had a nitrate spike (50g/L+), so we did a couple of big water changes in an attempt to improve the situation while we figured out how it happened. We decided pellets that don't get eaten probably break down and contribute to nasty nitrogen products, so we have decided to only use them for emergencies only. We have bought a couple of plants and changed the charcoal layer in our filter, and we're monitoring it.

Then yesterday we noticed Freckles doing an impression of a eel, scratching at her gills and having a real fidget. We assumed it was water quality irritation, and added some tea to soothe her skin. On closer inspection she appeared to have fungus on one of her gills, so I have just given her a salt bath. Some of the fungus came off with a cotton bud while I was trying to have a better look, and she's looking a bit better. But she's still squirming. I am going to continue the salt baths for a few days and see how she goes.

And the worst bit? We go on holiday in 6 days - leaving my 15 year old son and my mum to look after them! I hope we get sorted before we go, or I'll spend all holiday fretting....

Anything else I can do?

 

[Alkylhalide]

Nitrate spikes are a lot easier to fix then ammonia or nitrite. And a lot less harmful. What were your other readings? Did you move all your ornaments and hides and siphon all the poop and possible rotting food lingering in there?

How much and how often do you feed your lotls? They should be eating all their food before it goes back anyways. Try earthworms?

What is the temp in the tank?
Yes plants will help absorb the nitrates for you a bit. Just keep doing 30% or so water changes daily and test daily.
I would really suggest testing your other chemicals as well, since nitrate shouldnt be doing this much harm to your axie.

In the meantime i would recommend putting your axie in a tub of fresh dechlorinated water doing 100% water changes daily. That way the water is fresh everyday for the little guy.

I mean i guess if all else fails you can get your son/mother to do the 100% daily water changes in the tubs if you cant rectify the tank situation. At least the water is clean everyday no need to worry about chemical levels.

And remember to wipe out the tub daily as well.

 

[auntiejude]

Thanks Alkyhalide. I tested all the water parameters and nitrate was the only one high (ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 50g/L+). It's come down since we changed the carbon filter. I poop-scoop regularly, and move ornaments around to clean when I do the weekly siphon and water change - thats how I doscovered the uneaten pellets hidden under a rock. Their staple diet is worms(1 or 2 each), with the occasional serving of river shrimp, waxworms or brineshrimp, we were only trying pellets because my son was having a few problems (he's squeamish and is scared the axies will bite him!) with wriggly worms.

It's unlikely that the nitrates have anything to do with the fungus - probably more to do with the heatwave we have here - temp is running at 21-23C, we're controlling it with fans and ice bottles. I'm continuing with the salt baths for a few days.

I can't put Freckles in a separate tub while I'm away, if my son can't handle live earthworms he'll never cope with transferring an axie. Mum won't touch them either but is OK with the worms. And none of them like being in tubs anyway - they seem determined to bash at the walls as if one more headbutt with crack it and let them out!

 

[Alkylhalide]

Oh trust me i know they hate tubs! Lmao ive had to put mine in the fridge before we got ac and the heat was so high.

Well as far as i can tell you are okay with tank parameters. Do bigger water changes daily and it should be okay. You want the nitrate under 40ppm 10ppm being ideal.

I have a suggestion for you but you do not have to take it if you dont want to but its just ive learned it takes a lot of stress off me by doing this. And ive had a lot of people agree wit me but it really is a preference more then necessary.

Have you ever thought about removing the carbon media completely out of your tank?
I was having such a hard time with my nitrates and stuff and my tank water started to get cloudy and i panicked and went to change my filter media, just the act of taking it out made my tank so cloudy i could not see my lotls. So i panicked some more.
I decided to take the carbon media out of my filter altogether. I replaced it with bio mass and cut up sponge in its place. So i have a 100% natural biological ftration goin on right now and i love it to death! Its so much stronger, i dont have to worry about paying to buy carbon media every 4weeks i just rinse the media with tank water every once and a while.

The only thing is is i have to clean up the poop manually. Because i have no physical filtrAtion just biological.

Its just a suggestion though! I find it so much less stressful with no carbon.

 

[auntiejude]

I have a 4-layer filter - coarse sponge, bacterial layer, activated charcoal and fine felt filter. Seems to work quite nicely (judging by the yuck that comes out when we clean it!) but I think the charcoal may have been exhausted. I'll look into other filter too.

I've done another 50L water change, the new filter has been running for a few hours, and nitrates are down to about 25g/L.

And Freckles has forgiven me for the salt bath :wink: and nibbled my finger when I fed her.

 

[Alkylhalide]

Hehe thats good to hear

Well i mean replacing the carbon layer with something else. That way you dont have to worry about replacing your media unless ofcourse it starts to fall apart. Other then carbon, all you need to do with the rest of your media is to rinse it out in your bucket of tank water(from a water change) every once and a while. Though the package says to replace every 4-6weeks carbon is the only one you need to change, the rest its more of a money making scheme.

But if you like it like i said its preference and after having a hard time with carbon and the fact that every month you have to replace it or its bad news, i am so happy to be carbon free in my filter. I replaced it with bio mass for a 70gallon tank and two 20gallon sponges(i cut them up for even more surface area) and it fits all snuggly lol

 

[bichogrilo]

In my humble opinion, and because i had administrators help me a while back with the same comments i would also remove the carbon from the filter and replace it with more bio filters.
Carbon really is something you have to help set up a filter but shouldn't need over the long term.

 

[Alkylhalide]

carbon is just a pain in my behind!
It gave me nothing but problems. But since I got rid of it everything has been wonderful! Its beautiful.

I believe my filtration is stronger now that I took the carbon out(I was able to fit a LOT of stuff in the space where the media was before hehe)

My tank is almost 100% natural, the only chemical I use in my tank is dechlorinator.