Got myself in a pickle...Help please

[drudnick]

I recently had a 26G finish cycling. I got a pair of Kribs about a week ago, and sure enough 2 days later, they are having a good ole time. Right before I actually bought the Kribs at a LFS, I ordered a few Cacatuoides which came in on Thurs, and as those more experienced could imagine, not such a good mix. Anyways I was forced to move the Kribs to a tank not yet cycled. They were doing fine for a week or so, looked like they were courting again, and getting ready to mate. I go away for weekend, come back and the female looks to have built a nest in the ceramic pot, carrying most of rocks from back and spitting them outside the pot. The male however is lethargic and not moving. Just sitting at the bottom. Tested water, ammonia is very high. does the chemical ammonia remover work, and if so are there any dangers to using it. I dont want to rely on it, but in this case I dont know what other things to try. LFS said only thing water changes are only thing that helps, didnt even try and sell me any ammonia remover. Please help. Just as the female looks ready to breed, the male is struggling.

 

[lab]

Since you already have a tank with a filter in function, I suggest that you take some of the filter material from this filter and put it in the filter of your new tank. If you only have a sponge as filter material, give it a good twist into the new filter.
Either of these two solutions provide your filter with bacteria that breaks down the ammonia to nitrate (the process is actually a bit more complex, but this is all you need to know right now), which is harmless to fish in small concentrations and can be removed by water changes.
This should help your filter to do what it is supposed to and hopefully your troubled male.

regards,
Lars

 

[traco]

A water change will help. Do you have Prime? It will help with the ammonia and you can double or triple dose if needed. Also as Lars said if you have any filter material from your established tank and put in the new tank, that will help also.

 

[drudnick]

Well the ammonia is very very high. The male looks drunk, if a fish could be drunk. If he tries to swim, he floats sideways alittle, and bumps into whatever is in his way. The feamle right now is pissed, because she has a nest dung, and is trying to get him in there. Shes nudgong him and he just floats away like a man walking on the moon. How long does ammonia take to kill him? Female looks almost like shes attacking now that he is helpless...He got caught in a high plant, and she pushed him out, he fell all the way to the ground and crashed into it. Will moving him into the established tank temporarily help him, or no? Al I know is I have a pissed off female ready to breed, waiting in her nest for him

 

[drudnick]

Whats prime?

 

[drudnick]

Also if I were to do a water change right now, how long does it usually take for the fish to get back on his feet so to speak. The female and danios arent even close to being affected, yet the male is

 

[Fatts]

50%-75% water change now, then check NH3. If it is still showing up use "Prime" / "AmQuel" something that removes clorines and clorimines (or use Ammonia Lock). You gotta do something though or he may not be around in the morning. I also lower the temp too.... that lets the water hold more O2 and it slows down the metabolism of the fish.

Don't worry about her, she'll get in the mood again. You need to focus on him

 

[drudnick]

Will moving him to another tank help? Or no...

 

[Fatts]

If you have one then yes, if it is cycled move her too. The ammonia level will affect her, even if it is not showing up yet

 

[drudnick]

If she is moved alone, will she have problems with the cacatuoides? I was told they can live with them, as long as they arent breeding? originally what made me put them in this tank, was their aggression towards the cacatuoides

 

[fishgeek]

put him in a floating chamber in the cycled tank on his own

move the female and watch for aggression

andrew

 

[drudnick]

Well the male didnt make it. Woke up this morning and he was down. Moved female into established tank. Aggression is there, but not at an alarming rate right now. Hopefully they can temporarily coexist until I can move her back to other tank and give her a new male.