10 Gallon Build Log

DKRST

My dogs tried to drink them, so a lid might be recommended! I wouldn't worry too much about moving when showering. It won't change the water temp that much!

Calmwaters

Just wanted to say I like the way the tank looks. I have Ember Tetra as well and they are one of my favorite fish. I hope yours make it ok.

DKRST

Re: the MTS - they'd be fine in the 5 gallon with no loaches. When you want some for your 10g, just drop in an algae tab as bait, wait a few hours and grab what you want to transfer!

You can hand-pick the bigger MTS out to avoid/reduce the risk of introducing pond snails to your 10 if they are not already there.

bigehugedome

Thanks, means alot. I really like it being on my desk, as I work from home alot, and I can see all three tanks sitting at my computer chair, but I love the sand and the Ember Tetra in this one. I'm assuming since they lived this far with the ICH all should be well since I already began treatment, and they look better already.

bigehugedome

DKRST: I have been busy, but I got the snails, almost if not all of them seem healthy. I am keeping them in a container for now but may but them in the five. Thanks again!!!!!

I know about the life cycle of ICH so I understand why we raise temps, and when you are able to actually kill the parasite, but when should I start to see results? The fish seem better, as they are not rubbing on stuff, but the two are still covered. They look miserable :(

Byron

I've noticed in my two treatments of ich with Coppersafe that the spots will be on the fish (different fish/different spots, I don't know, but spots on fish) for several days, then gone. I'm actually not sure exactly, but could have been just under a week. Once the temp is at 85F and Coppersafe added, leave it for 10 days. I let the temp lower naturally by just turning down the heaters at 7 days this last time. Then I did a 50% water change on day 10 by which time the temp was back to normal. No additional Coppersafe. Worked both times.

bigehugedome

Cool, hopefully everything works out. I treated late Monday night, and it is now Friday so lets see how the weekend goes.

Another thought (which could be compleatly stupid because I dont remember my high school science classes), I noticed some blueish spots on my substrate, under the lid of the tank. The color of coppersafe just happens to be the same blue color. Does all of the coppersafe (or Prime, excel, any dosed liquid) spread throughout the tank sufficiently? How about in sponge filters where this is little water flow??

Byron

Not sure what the blue on the substrate may be. When I add any liquid to a tank, be it Flourish, Coppersafe, etc, I add it at the top closest to the filter return so the flow carries it into the aquarium. Water conditioner I add where the Python is, obviously, as the fresh water from the tap is entering there.

DKRST

Glad you received the snails. Any issues, please let me know. Regarding the coppersafe in the tank, I'd recommend several really good water changes before you put the MTS in the tank. You can always drop a few MTS into the tank after the water changes to see if they survive any residual copper. My MTS survived a treatment that killed pond snails and ramshorn snails - they are tough but not indestructible. You won't always see the MTS after introduction, since they burrow. Eventually, to check the post-coppersafe survivorship, just drop in an algae tablet and keep an eye on it for snails.

Good luck with the ick treatment!

bigehugedome

There seem to be less spots on the two infected fish, so that's good news. It will be one week today that I started treatment. However, I did wake up to a dead tetra today, one who had no ich spots. His fins were completely missing. It looked like the others may have attacked him. I have no other explanation since they were all alive last night.

I will do a water change in a minimum of 3 days from now. Then go back to my normal schedule. I will not add new fish until I get back from vacation at the end of the month, but I would like to add the MTS before I go away so the person house sitting does not have to deal with the container everyday.

Every now and then, maybe 2-3 times a day, an air bubble pops up from the sand. Should I be moving the sand around by hand every now and then before I add my MTS?