Redtail Catfish FinRot

[Cestra04]

My 500 gallon stocked with 4 aros 2 RTC and a peacock with the weather recently had a bad spike in ammonia and nitrate, prior to spike ammonia .5, nitrate 20ppm. After spike (overnight) ammonia over 8, nitrate over 160, 2 arows dead, prior day had eaten normally and night time had shown no signs of bad health. Spike happens I do 70% water change use melafix and amgaurd to fight ammonia. Ammonia goes to 4, nitrate goes to 80. Next day 30% ammonia down to 2 nitrate still at 40-80, RTC develops FinRot. Today FinRot is even worse on bigger 22" but he hasn't lost color and doesn't look too bad. 16" lost all color FinRot looks awful was upside down once. Water change %30 ammonia .5, nitrate 20-40, used salt, artemiss instead of melafix aros show no sign of bad health nor does peacock. Help.

 

[Cestra04]

Kinda want to put the 16" in a 75 gallon by himself blast him with methalyne blue and artemiss let me know.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Sorry to hear. Can you please explain how is the cycling of your tank weather-dependent? To me it sounds you are underfiltered, that is uncycled.

IDK if this is fin rot, it could be as a consequential result of stress, but the direct impact is ammonia burn of skin, fins.

Melafix AFAIK has nothing to do with ammonia management.

IDK what atremiss is but in any case, it doesn't look like using medications and more chemicals will help you in the long run. It appears what will help you now and in the long run is making sure your biofiltration matches your bioload and then some.

 

[Cestra04]

Sorry to hear. Can you please explain how is the cycling of your tank weather-dependent? To me it sounds you are underfiltered, that is uncycled.

IDK if this is fin rot, it could be as a consequential result of stress, but the direct impact is ammonia burn of skin, fins.

Melafix AFAIK has nothing to do with ammonia management.

IDK what atremiss is but in any case, it doesn't look like using medications and more chemicals will help you in the long run. It appears what will help you now and in the long run is making sure your biofiltration matches your bioload and then some.

Filtration is 10k gallons per hour, water temp depends on weather if outside suddenly drops water temp will drop I don't use heater I heat the room, heater didn't kick on water dropped therefore parameters drop. Can't have good water parameters with sudden drops in temp with fish that need certain temp right? I'm not fully stupid trust me.

 

[jjohnwm]

If water temperature drops that would...if anything...slow down their metabolism somewhat and reduce the production of ammonia, not increase it...unless large amounts of uneaten food are left to decompose.

 

[Cestra04]

If water temperature drops that would...if anything...slow down their metabolism somewhat and reduce the production of ammonia, not increase it.

Huh makes sense. I dunno then like I said I keep up with it make sure parameters stay clean. But overnight they went from nice to death.they are back to nice aros and peacock are fine. Water is clean as air flow is getting stronger just in case. All I can think is weather. Guess I am stupid

 

[jjohnwm]

You mentioned that two aros died? Depending upon the time frame between their death and your discovery of it, perhaps that was the source of the ammonia spike rather than a result of it? I wouldn't think it would happen within just a couple of hours, but...

 

[Cestra04]

You mentioned that two aros died? Depending upon the time frame between their death and your discovery of it, perhaps that was the source of the ammonia spike? I wouldn't think it would happen within just a couple of hours, but...

I'd say last time I saw them was 9 pm to feed which all aros ate I saw them all eat.. about 11 hours I guess around 8-9 am next morning went in to turn lights on and saw one on the side straight up stuck in the corner, second aro was straight down floating inside tank. Prior test was done 2 days before that when checked out. After that death I took fish out did water change took out the hiding areas for catfish because I noticed fin rot on the bigger RTC, smaller had nothing and full of color. Did 70% like I said jardini dropped to bottom for a day while biggest silver didn't seem to be affected nor did peacock. Tested water it was terrible and cold not freezing but colder than usual. After that they were fine jardini came back up RTC swam around, bigger guy got color back. 2nd day smaller RTC is worse lost all color bigger RTC fin rot gotten worse, aros perfectly fine, parameters, ammonia 4, nitrate 80. Water change add salt melafix artemiss, today Bigger RTC fin rot a little worse yet somehow looks healthier. Small one upside down, flipped over while doing water change, ammonia 4, nitrate 80-160, after water change, salt artemiss, melafix, amonia .5, nitrate 40. Fish swimming.

 

[Fishman Dave]

Gonna start with the basics cos it’s what I see.
1 x 22” rtc
1x 16” rtc
4 x arrowana big enough not to be eaten by a22” rtc
1 x peacock bass big enough not to eaten as above
Pond size 500g !!!!!
Filtration 10000g per hr !!!!!!!

To me all the numbers are wrong and perfect for causing problems.
Pond is way too small for the fish in it and water turn over is too much for the quantity of water.
Is it the pump that is 10000gph
Is the filtration capable of 10000 gph through it? That filter will be almost half the size of the pond.
500g only equates to 7ft x 4ft x3 ft and that water being emptied and refilled 20 times an hour would be four arrowana living in a river.

Arrowana will lose interest first if temp drops much below 20 and you could start losing them much below that. 500g with a fast turn over like that will be good to pick up the heat from the room but works the other way if the room is cold and the water will cool faster. Depending how the pond is built and insulated it could also transmit cold through any concrete walls if used or un insulated liner adding to fluctuations.

Once you have remedied your current issues I think you may have to look at your current setup and change something.

 

[celebrist]

did you say your ammonia is normally at 0.5?