how to raise macmasteri fry

[macmasteri]

Water pollution seems to be rising. This is to be expected because the fish are growing larger but the the size of the tank and water volume is the same. Solution? See my reply #11.

Totally agree with you Mike. Tanks
They need a new tank
But I have to start a new tank.

Can it be pop-eye wat this fry have?

What is the quickest way to cycle a tank?

Old filter media and fill it with water from the old tank, where they now in?

 

[macmasteri]

Measured my water

Temp 24°C
Nitrate NO3 beweent 10 and 25mg/l (measured with JBL test strips) Its now licht pink, earlier it was always lichter pink 10mg/l
Nitrite NO2 0mg/l (measured with JBL test strips) that always white
Gh >14°d (measured with JBL test strips)
Ph more than >7.6ph (with drop test) earlier it was 7.2pH
Kh 8 (with drop test) earlier it was 4kH


I do every day 15% water change with 80% rain water and 20% tap water. Need I do more changes and only with rain water?

How can I lower the pH and kH?
There is peat in the filter for 4 months now. Will it be necessary to change it?

 

[Mike Wise]

You biological filter seems to be working fine, so overcrowding and increased BOD seems to be the problem. You don't mention your ammonia values. It can become toxic quickly at higher pH values. Best tests are the Nessler reagent types which more accurately show free ammonia.

The best way to start a new tank is to use substrate and water from an established tank together with an established/inoculated sponge filter.

Your KH is rather high for lowering your pH. Your best bet is to lower the KH by diluting it with distilled/RO/rainwater. If the peat has been in the filter for 4 months, then it was exhausted months ago.

 

[macmasteri]

You biological filter seems to be working fine, so overcrowding and increased BOD seems to be the problem. You don't mention your ammonia values. It can become toxic quickly at higher pH values. Best tests are the Nessler reagent types which more accurately show free ammonia.

The best way to start a new tank is to use substrate and water from an established tank together with an established/inoculated sponge filter.

Your KH is rather high for lowering your pH. Your best bet is to lower the KH by diluting it with distilled/RO/rainwater. If the peat has been in the filter for 4 months, then it was exhausted months ago.

Thanks Mike,

What de you mean with BOD?



So I start up a new 200l tank 2 days ago. With 160l of rain water and 40l of the established tank. Put filter media over fom the other tank.
Measured with test strip 10mg/l of NO³ and 0mg/l of NO².


But how can I be sure that I can put the fry in their new tank?

 

[Mike Wise]

BOD is Biological Oxygen Demand. Do a search here or on line. Basically, BOD measures the biological (fish + micro-organisms) oxygen demand of a system. A simple way to look at it is that the higher the BOD is, the more polluted the water. Increasing oxygen content of the water by aeration typically won't do any good. You need to reduce the organic concentration in the water. There are basically 2 ways to do this: 1) reduce the bio-load of the system or 2) dilute the concentration of organic compounds in the water.

Test your new tank by putting some test subjects (fish) in it. If all goes ok, then add a few fry every day - checking to see if the water parameters remain stable. Or you can do as I do. Put all the fry in and keep an eye on their behavior. If they act normal and the water stays stable, then you are fine. If not, you can always put them back where they were.

 

[macmasteri]

BOD is Biological Oxygen Demand. Do a search here or on line. Basically, BOD measures the biological (fish + micro-organisms) oxygen demand of a system. A simple way to look at it is that the higher the BOD is, the more polluted the water. Increasing oxygen content of the water by aeration typically won't do any good. You need to reduce the organic concentration in the water. There are basically 2 ways to do this: 1) reduce the bio-load of the system or 2) dilute the concentration of organic compounds in the water.

Test your new tank by putting some test subjects (fish) in it. If all goes ok, then add a few fry every day - checking to see if the water parameters remain stable. Or you can do as I do. Put all the fry in and keep an eye on their behavior. If they act normal and the water stays stable, then you are fine. If not, you can always put them back where they were.

Tanks Mike,

I read about the Oxygen probleme when i did a check on the net about the Pop-Eye. Pop-Eye can be the result of an overproduction of Oxygen in the water. Bud there can be so many reasons for the Pop-Eye. So the other fish still do very well, but i change every day 20 a 30% and its dificult to hold the population of Hydra under controle with all the food i put in my 144l tank. The fry they need their new tank!!!

Now for the new 200l tank I ll start this weekend with the 'subject' fish. Its a Guppy who was alsio the first one in the 114l.

How can i see that there no Nitrite peak will show up0?

 

[Mike Wise]

If the guppy survives a day, then it is time to add a heavier load of fish, like half or all of the mac fry. Then check your nitrites daily. Are you using an inoculated sponge filter in your newly set up tank?

 

[macmasteri]

If the guppy survives a day, then it is time to add a heavier load of fish, like half or all of the mac fry. Then check your nitrites daily. Are you using an inoculated sponge filter in your newly set up tank?

My filter is a biofilter how is on 1 side of the aqua with 3 chambers: 1st with heating in, 2en filterpart with on top mechanical flees then chemical with peat and carbo then the bio part with zeolith and Eheim biomech and on the bottom i have the sponges. The flees, carbo and sponges come form my older tank.

Thats realy quick Mike, one day after the Guppy and then next day already fry!!! On the Dutch forum they shout at me to wait 3 a 4 weeks.

 

[Mike Wise]

It appears that you are using a mechanical/chemical filter, not a biological filter. In this case I would definitely wait longer or change filter media every few days until the biomedia part of the filter fully matures. Sponge filters have a definite advantage in this respect; instant inocculation and instant full (relatively) biological filtration.

 

[macmasteri]

It appears that you are using a mechanical/chemical filter, not a biological filter. In this case I would definitely wait longer or change filter media every few days until the biomedia part of the filter fully matures. Sponge filters have a definite advantage in this respect; instant inocculation and instant full (relatively) biological filtration.

Thanks Mike for the great advice you give me.
I have followed your tips.
Put in the Guppy a week a go and ordered a Spong filter and put it in two days ago with 25 fry. Today NO² still 0mg/l and put in 10 more fry.
Could you explain me why a little sponge filter is so mutch beter then me 10l block on the side of the aquarium with 15x12x10cm of sponge, pipes, 3l of bio rocks and the other stuff?

 

[Mike Wise]

Sponge filters only work instantly (fully mature biological filtration)is if properly inoculated. A new non-inoculated sponge works no better than any other new biomedia. Sponge filters are just easier and faster to inoculate. Do a search here on sponge filters and how to quickly activate them. Basically all you need is a bucket, dirty water from an established tank, and the sponge filter.

 

[macmasteri]

Ok understand, the sponge filter is not better than my inoculated filter.
I do not have inoculated the sponge filter! Luckily I used inoculated sponge, pipes and other stuff in my filter. Alsow fill the tank with the dirty water of the filter from the other tank.
Tomorrow i have planned a gravel cleaning from the other tank. Do you think its still need to do a inoculation of the sponge filter?

The fry do great in the new tank, there are now 45 in.

 

[Mike Wise]

Yes. You only need a little 'grungy water' to inoculate a sponge.

 

[macmasteri]

Hi all,


Me fry are now 92 day old after free swimming. The biggest are now 3cm and some little coloration shows up. There is a big difference between the biggest and the smallest.

Does someone now at what age you can sex them?

When I look here on the forum there are people how say that they can see the sex afther 2 months!!!

Is there somting i do wrong? There are still +/- 70 fry left from 1 nest. So I allmost have 90% or more survival rate.

 

[Mike Wise]

No, you're doing nothing wrong. Sure, some domestic strains, like A. cacatuoides reds can be sexed with some accuracy at 2 months, but not most species. I personally don't try to sex until they are 3.5cm/1½"/6 months old.

 

[macmasteri]

No, you're doing nothing wrong. Sure, some domestic strains, like A. cacatuoides reds can be sexed with some accuracy at 2 months, but not most species. I personally don't try to sex until they are 3.5cm/1½"/6 months old.

thanks Mike, then they are on schedule. the biggest are 3cm

 

[macmasteri]

Day 105

They are all in the new aquarium. In this tank they grow much faster

 

[macmasteri]

day 110

 

[macmasteri]

now more than 6 monts
still growing slowly