Becka Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 I bought a Biube for my husband's Christmas and we set it up as per instructions last weekend. The ceramic media at the bottom is now growing a very attractive mould which has attatched itself to one of the tetra's, which is now dead. I know that the ceramic media plays host to helpful bacteria but does this bacteria look hairy and mouldy or should I be treating this growth as a problem? Any advice would be gratefully received. Kind regards, Becka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Is the mould the sort you get from when a tank is in sun light? Have any of the other fish got it? If it is only the one, it is prob nothing to do with the mould. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Did you set up the Biube, add the liquid conditioners and let it run for at least a week before stocking it? You also need to add fishes very gradually (as per instructions) to allow time for the micro-environment to stabilise. If you have a problem or have stocked it too quickly then you might well need to start again. I recommend that you phone Reef One to ask them - they are very friendly and helpful. http://www.reef-one.com (01603) 710 029. They also have a full set of instructions to download from the site. I've had a BiOrb since they came out and have never had a problem with mould, so I can't help you much more I'm afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 I get a bit of mould on mine because it comes into contact with direct sunlight I just need to get a blind on the kitchen window which would stop the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becka Posted December 15, 2007 Author Share Posted December 15, 2007 Thanks for your very quick replies. The tank is away from sunlight to prevent a build up of algae but I think the problem might be that we put fish in after leaving it to run with the water conditioners for just over a day. I'll do as you suggest and phone reef one when they open on Monday to find out if i need to empty out and start afresh - I hope not! Thanks again, Becka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 It's difficult now because you already have fish in it - where will you put them when you clean it out? I reckon that you can get away with a good clean and a third water change, but it will be a hard slog because the natural environment hasn't had a chance to build up. You really need to add the fish one at a time (or two if they are realy small) then wait a week before adding more. I am concerned about what you call mould rather than algae When it's up and running, maintenance should be minimal and it should be a joy to keep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becka Posted December 15, 2007 Author Share Posted December 15, 2007 The last fish has died. We were very careful to follow the instructions which said to leave the tank for 24 hours before adding either one large fish or three small fish and we opted for the three small. On reflection, I think the mould might be caused by uneaten food although we fed them a tiny amount of the suggested food, they didn't seem overly interested in it hence it sank to the bottom uneaten. i'll leave the tank running and phone Reef One on Monday to see if they can point me in the right direction. Thanks for all your help. Becka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Mould on the fish sounds suggestive of white spot. It's a very common parasite that can often be dormant on fish until they are stressed (as with a move to a new tank). You may just have been unlucky and your fish brought the white spot from the shop. You can buy treatments from most pet shops. Try searching google images to see if it looks familiar. Depends on the shop you got them from - some seem to have it worse than others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becka Posted December 16, 2007 Author Share Posted December 16, 2007 Thank you, hadn't thought about white spot. I'll have a look on google! Becka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperman Posted December 16, 2007 Share Posted December 16, 2007 It could also be a fungul infection such a fin rot or mouth rot, these look like little tufts of cotton wool or a little white spiky wig. Whitespot looks like a coating of sugar. If it is whitespot it helps to raise the temperature of the tank to about 28 degrees whilst treating it with the chemical. This speeds up the life cycle of the whitespot parasite and makes sure you get the next generation within the treatment period as well. I would recommend buying an Ammonia test kit and a Nitrite one too and do not add anymore fish until both test zero and then only stock gradually. If you have any ammonia present do a partially water change and add some 'Cycle' concentrate bacteria to boost bacteria filter levels. Generally if you keep the water quality correct you will have no problems. Any problems I have had in the past I have brought on myself by either overstocking or putting off water changes. Another tip is don't use more than one medication at a time. Let us know how you get on. Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becka Posted December 16, 2007 Author Share Posted December 16, 2007 It looked like cotton wool on the middle of the body which might indicate some sort of rot. I'll have to look into this! I think the testing kits that you suggested might be of great benefit to monitor the tank environment. Isn't it strange that this is my husbands tank and I'm doing all the legwork! I can see this becoming yet another animal maintenance issue put my way! A bit like the dog hair issue and cat litter tray issue, they're my domain too! Thanks for the great information everyone, it's much appreciated. Becka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted December 16, 2007 Share Posted December 16, 2007 Hope you get it sorted Becka - it can sometimes a bit of time to get it running smoothly, but once it is it should be very low maintenance! Just start off with cheap fish! Thanks Kev - it's a few years since I kept fish and I couldn't remember what that cotton wool like disease was called! Can remember what it looked like though Good point about raising the temp too - that does help doesn't it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperman Posted December 16, 2007 Share Posted December 16, 2007 The medication you need is 'Interpet no 8' anti fungus and fin rot. It costs about £8 but you will only need to use it once. After that you will keep the water quality right and you will have no further problems. Ammonia and Nitrite test kits are very useful. Check this site out. http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/home.php I subscribe to this mag and they are extremely helpful. Good luck, Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becka Posted December 19, 2007 Author Share Posted December 19, 2007 The tank now seems fine, the mould has disappeared and the new fish that my Husband bought are thriving. I wonder if the original fish weren't very healthy to start with? Anyway, thank you for all the information and as they say, 'every day's a school day'! Becka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Glad to hear it Becka... sounds like a duff batch of fishies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Hi, It's too late but I was going to suggest Danios as your first fish. We bought 4 to use while we 'cycled' our 60 litre Biorb nearly 2 years ago and they have so far gone through 4 tank changes and survived an escape attempt where they all jumped into the back of the tank and had to be retrieved blindly with a net. Very hardy little fish (having said that they'll probably all now drop dead!) Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
