Hi Chris,
If this Bio-Clean product works (and it may, I'm not questioning it), then
with the newly set up tank being cycled, there definitely should be a
nitrate reading -- even one with a low level as would be expected, after the six
days of being set up with three large fish in it. -- although the nitrate
scale is in increments of 0.5 ppm (and there may not yet be enough to register
a 0.5 ppm minimum).. If this product doesn't work however, then there
should be a definite ammonia reading as this is the first waste product tio spike
during a cycle, at around 10 days into it.
There are still a lot of important fact not mentioned, which would be most
useful here. No where do I see the size of this larger tank which was just
cleaned. How many liters are we talking about here?
I also have never seen the size of these Blood Parrot Cichlids mentioned
anywhere, and I've read through every one of your messages. It would be
helpful to know their size. You're right though; the Blood Parrot Fish (Hybrid
Cichlid) does not get as large as the Parrot Cichlid (Hoplarchus psittacus).
This latter fish get between 38 cm. (15") and 46 cm. (18"). At 8 years old
though, These Blood Parrot Cichlids would certainly be fully mature, and
full size. They would be expected to be a minimum of 20 cm. (8") or up to
about 30 cm. (12"). depending upon which two Cichid species were used to make
the hybrid. If they're not that size, I might suspect they may have been
stunted as a result of housing them in too small of a tank over the 8 years.
Stunted fish often have health issues from this constant stress of being kept
in an inadequat sized tank for an extended time. Of course, I don't know
yet if this condition exists in these fish, but am explaining the result if
this possibility exists. Dawn is correct in stating the needed size tank for
these fish, hoping that's what size they're being maintained in.
There one extremely inportant water parameter of which the results were
never given -- and which I suspect has differed enough from the temporary 120
liter tank having the old water, from the newly set up larger tank. What is
the pH of the old water and what is the pH of the newly drawn tap water now
filling the larger newly-cleaned tank?
I noticed that a dechloramine was used, although I don't know if the tap
water contains only chlorine or whether it contains chloramine. I'm sure that
the correct water conditioner was used, as all fish would be dead within
the first 10 minutes if this weren't the case; it's just that I don't know if
the correct term had been used.
By my question above pertaining to pH, this is where I suspect sufficient
shock/stress has been given to the fish to have them contract body Fungus --
are you are right -- this cottony substance sounds unmistakenly like this
disease. Dawn has a good point of not adding more stress to these fish with
medications, but I would at least start treating them with salt -- at a
minimum rate of one teaspoon per 3.75 liters, the first day, and the similar rate
each day afterwards, for a total of 5 days. If the fish still look strong
at the end of 5 days, you may add another same amount of salt on the 6th
day. There are Fungal medications that are not very stressful however -- even
though this topic may be controversial to Dawn -- but in lieu of the
progressive salt treatment I just outlined about, I would add Furan 2 initially,
and add with it only enough salt to total 3 days worth. Temperature should
be raised to 26.6 o C. This will increase the activity of their immune
system, as their metabolism is raised. If they're in an adequate sized tank of
clean, newly set-up water, oxygen should not be an issue here, but it's
always good when treating sick fish, to increase the aeration whenever possible
to ensure maximum oxygen concentrations.
Ray </HTML>
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