Expired fish meds?

well, if Surfer Boy is poopin' that's good.

2003 is old, I'd just throw that out and start new.

I would increase the dose of the old stuff

amazing it was still on the shelf huh.
Big -ish store.. could not have been in the store that long though. Aqua Tech.. on Anderson + Burnett.

Im going to let them know tomorrow in case they get an entire batch of expired meds.

Up the dose..

not a bad idea.
I treated today, I can just add one more and call it a wash...

do you run an air line, and What plants...

(I use a plant supplement that does wonders for them)

a little dab will do ya.

(going to read the fine print after I dodge the tank kitten)

I don't know anything about fish, but I think it's a pretty good name for a band--just say "Expired Fish Meds" and picture it lit up on a marquee somewhere....

Im sorry.

I started this thread and then abandoned it. Not on purpose though.

Surfer boy died. And i am almost puzzled as to why.

When I put him in, my water was perfect. It had sat for about 2 weeks with plants, substrate and a teeny tiny bit of fertilizer.

My lights are perfect, my plants are healthy. Yes, I do have a bubbler, though I think i am going to just keep this underwater filter because I can remove the carbon and it will still work as a wonderful way of moving the water, bubbling, and is a quick fix filter if I need it.
My heater is set where it needs to be... no ammonia , well less then >.02..

I dont get it.

So now, my question is the decoration.

I have 2 stones. One limestone which has always been in there and I purchased brand new when I re-started my tank..

My other rock is just.. a rock with holes in it. It is a perfect size and hiding spot for my ghost fish.. if I ever get one

THAT rock... was in my 55 a few years ago.
I had a cichlid tank . 2 Peacocks, one Dempsy, an electric blue and a 2 foot pleco.
One of my Peacocks was continually laying eggs on this rock. One time her nest got a fungus . I think it was because they just sat there un fertilized. I guess sort of 'rotted'.
I removed the rock, scraped off the eggs and placed it back.
She did this again and again. And the eggs kept getting a fungus.

My fish, after being alive for years began to die for no reasons apparent to me. I even purchased a microscope so that I could eyeball the parasites in the water and I saw nothing that alarmed me. So I stopped the tank, sold the pleco and it has sat dry for 3 years.

This rock, I put in this tank.. and voila.. puffy fungus?
Possible? The rock has something in side of it?
I mean.. how can a warm thriving , wet environment needing fungus still be alive?

I also found a shell from the BEACH in my tank ( thank you Jillian.... grr)

So, Im really ..REALLY wondering if one of those two are the culprit.
Im going to boil the hell out of that orange stone.. maybe just get rid of it all together, do a complete water change and start alllll over again and hope my plants survive this.

Decorations? Holding fungus? Can that be true?

I have lots of shells in my small tank, and have for years.

doubt the shell did it, go tell Bean yer sorry...

Do you have kits (like this one) to test the PH etc. of the water? Given what you are trying to do there's so much that can go wrong and kill a fish. I'd be testing everything and making sure the water has cycled before adding any fish.

Im going to run this water for a while before I ad anything to it.

I live very close to one of my favorite fish shops in austin. They test my water for free.
I have hesitated on buying a home test kit simply because at the store, not only do I get results for free, but I get advice and products all in one swoop.

but you are right.

i should be doing this more often , at home .

not necessarily.
I of course did not say anything to little Miss ..

But, there are things in salt water, and real ocean water that can kill fresh water fish.
Its just like one of us going over seas to another country and wondering why we get sick. Different areas, different molds, pollens etc..etc..etc

Hey, if they are testing the water for free and it's convenient I'm not sure home testing is going to do much more.

I usually find the home kits cheaper than the stores but free is hard to beat.

well, with home testing ( and be wary, here comes the nerd in me)
Home testing allows me to watch the PH to the point.
i can tell with in a few hours after feeding for example, if THAT is causing an issue.
I can tell immediately after putting in new decorations... water changes... soil cleaning... etc.
That, unless I am willing to drive to the store everytime I so much as look at my tank, is not something they can provide me but I can get with a home test kit. As much of a nerd as I am about this, I really dont see why I dont have a home test kit.

I think i was just a tad on the arrogant side thinking I could just put this together because " i knew it all" .... ugh.. how many times have I gotta learn that lesson.

But, again, I come back to the endless knowledge these people have. And when I take in a water sample , if they see one thing out of place, I get a barrage of ' how to fix its' after the test is done.
Maybe i will get a simple dip stick test for basic upkeep, but take the water to them for the exact/ish numbers.

I also noticed my plants are not pearling. I think I have more smaller issues then I realize..
I need a microscope.

Fly spray or indoor insect killer for plants? what other houshold chemicals do you use. carpet/floor cleaner?

sometimes they just die.

I dont use any indoor pesticides , no sprays, no room scents, no scented candles, no carpet powders and when I dust, I only use warm water. I am a chemical hating person so that isnt the issue thank goodness.


Surfer boy didnt just die though.
He had white puffy spots on his skin and red patches in his gills. He had an infection . One that COULD have been caused by a bad water combination.
And he was in my tank doing well long enough before he got sick, for me to conclude that I did something to add that nasty stuff to the water.

I took out my old decoration.
I think I am just going to throw it out.

I will do a 70% or higher water change later today and start the cycle over again.
Maybe getting the remaining antibiotic out of the water will help my plants to pearl