Re: sick fish

[BigJohnW@webtv.net (John Wubbolt)]

Ok, here goes my 2 bits worth of experiences with sick fish.  Im
probably going to piss someone off by saying that I NEVER use
medications of any sort......closest i get to putting anything into my
tank, chemical wise, is Tap water conditioner to dechlor my tap water.

I have been raising and breeding apistos, cichlids and other species of
fish for over 13 years now.... i used to try this stuff and do that
stuff to my water to try and save my "sick" fish.  In all that time,
i've learned that major water changes..... raise the temp a little and
watch your fish, has gotten me through a whole lot of bad times with my
fish, actually not a whole lot of bad times.   Maybe im lucky , maybe i
am careful....  I dont know.   I dont add new fish to established tanks,
never keep Neons or lots of little tetras any more, they cause too many
problems, I keep my fish as 99% species tanks only.....i have very
little "community tanks.... ie mixed species"....   this in turn i think
cuts down on my problems..... I very rarely ever use "dither" fish...
just another thing that can cause problems....

When, and if I do see a problem, I do big water changes.... 75% changes,
maybe once or twice a day..... maybe raise the temp in the tank a few
degrees...... I DONT use Salt at all.... i find no beneficial use for
it... yes, it helps ease stress on the gills they say, allowing fish to
breath easier for a few minutes, but then you gotta deal with the salt
in the tank, and the problem still isnt solved... Salt only goes in my
Molly tanks, they are brackish water fish to start with.....

Doing Water changes most of the time eliminates what was causing the
problems in your tank to start with..... fish just dont get sick for no
reason..... a chilled tank doesnt cause ick either.... I know , i lived
through the ice storm , fish tanks got down into the lower 40's and with
over 100 tanks, when the power came back on a week later.... and tank
temps went back to normal..... NOT ONE outbreak of Ich..  Ick is in all
tanks at all times, whether you realize it or not, stress causes the
outbreak.... which means your water conditions caused your fish to be
stressed... not the temp...ammonia or nitrate or nitrite levels were
up..... this caused your fish to be stressed...

Water changes....Water changes...water changes....  watch your fish,
look at every tank each day.... see what's going on in there.   

Ok, off my soap box, I'll shut up now... Oh Scotty.... I can use shields
now!!!!

Tundra John


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