Epic Overhaul/Builds: 3D Backgrounds 300g-125g-120g

[joecoulson]

Circulation, surface agitation maybe? Just a thought. What about area's in the BG that you cannot get to and clean, maybe some built up food or poop (although it's pretty new and that's less likely)

I know I have some rocks that are leaching right now and I'm doing heavy water changes to combat the water tint.

 

[JK47]

Circulation, surface agitation maybe? Just a thought. What about area's in the BG that you cannot get to and clean, maybe some built up food or poop (although it's pretty new and that's less likely)

I know I have some rocks that are leaching right now and I'm doing heavy water changes to combat the water tint.

There is a small hole on the right side of the BG from thinning it out too far, the outside edges are sealed. If it were excess buildup, the disolved organics would be high. They are not. O2 levels are fine, I have an airstone running 24/7 along with one of the FX5 returns is pointed at the surface and has been since day one.

maybe the silicone was not cured all the way. ge1 or ge2 both need to be cured from my understanding. Same with the pond foam does that need to be cured all the way as well. Yes the other tanks are fine but dont think you used as much in them as u did in this one. just food for thought.

Thanks for the feedback, that is what I was thinking as well with the curing time. I will admit though, I thought at the time the curing time for each item was excessive.. Since the very beginning of this thread I've said some of the things I am trying have not been done so I really want to accuratly nail down what the issue is to avoid causing a myth getting spread around. Gotta be a value add to MFK or your just a google right lol?

To clarify the timeline for each item used I went back through the thread, here they are:
11/13 siliconed BG together inside tank (1 tube clear GE2)
11/14 sprayed pondfoam (6 cans)
11/15 Carved pondfoam
11/16 Added silicone and sand above pond foam (1 tube black GE1)
11/18 Damien helped me flip up tankright
11/19 added sand and water for first since BG, no fish
11/26 drained and moved tank, added styro under it, filled with water again
11/28 Still soaking, no fish

I was not able to find the day I moved the fish but added the fish at some point after 11/28. It actually took me days because I had to buy a new heater and wait for it to warm up. 50% WC every snday since and 80% the last 3 days.

 

[Muni]

GE2 is generally avoided due to the "anti-mold" inhibitors which are thought to be bad for fish. I have never seen any hard proof of it but always erred on the side of caution. I hope you aren't the first one to prove this.

I understand about wanting to identify the issue. I'd do the same if it happened to me as I used several things that have never been tried before.

 

[JK47]

GE2 is generally avoided due to the "anti-mold" inhibitors which are thought to be bad for fish. I have never seen any hard proof of it but always erred on the side of caution. I hope you aren't the first one to prove this.

I understand about wanting to identify the issue. I'd do the same if it happened to me as I used several things that have never been tried before.

Thanks for understanding, I don't want to contribute to a read and it's gospel going forward type thing. Lots of us do things to try and move the hobby forward. It just doesn't always work lol.. GE2 was told to me by no less than 3 people, no longer contains the same moldicides that it once did. The current Home Depot brand doesn't list them anymore apparently.

After trying to narrow it down, I disagree with that and say it's still toxic IMO but am not sure how to prove it?

 

[Muni]

I don't see how it could be tested without the use of a lab equipment humanely.

The only thing I can think of other then chemical testing would be testing two identical set ups with live fish. BUT any fish I'd be willing to poison to death probably would be immune to the damn stuff, i.e. goldfish.


As far as not containing the old style moldicides. I can believe that since most companies change the products over time to make them safer or cheaper to make. So it's gonna change in some fashion. Very little information is giving on those damn tubes anyways. You would have to go to the MSDS sheets to get any real information then you would have to know what your looking at since MSDS sheets are mostly just technical, chemical listings.

 

[JK47]

I don't see how it could be tested without the use of a lab equipment humanely.

The only thing I can think of other then chemical testing would be testing two identical set ups with live fish. BUT any fish I'd be willing to poison to death probably would be immune to the damn stuff, i.e. goldfish.


As far as not containing the old style moldicides. I can believe that since most companies change the products over time to make them safer or cheaper to make. So it's gonna change in some fashion. Very little information is giving on those damn tubes anyways. You would have to go to the MSDS sheets to get any real information then you would have to know what your looking at since MSDS sheets are mostly just technical, chemical listings.

I agree with not being able to prove it. I've been racking my brain trying to think of a way. Right now its less important than saving my fish so I'm not as motivated as I could be.

IMO a tank bred adult severum is pretty close to as tough as they come. Yeah he has had a really good life but still.. I manage a food grade DC with HAZ goods as well. Material safety data sheets are something I can have interpreted very easily. Will that help?

 

[DaveB]

Not another mystery plague. This sucks.

My first instinct is also that toxicity from the silicone seems odd and unlikely. But you're experienced enough to rule everything else out. The only other thing I can think of is if something temporary happened - that circuit went out and they lost temp and air for a while, etc. That would explain a sudden health issue only in that one tank... but they'd also have improved by now.

I'd get them all out of there immediately and into water you're positive is clean... if you haven't already, of course.

Keep us posted on the severum. Hopefully he's doing better. Sevs and Uaru are similarly hardy (ie, I'm convinced my Uaru are invincible and will be both shocked and devastated if I ever find one dead for any reason) so it's awful to see the rott upside down like that. Good luck treating him. Are you doing anything other than clean water? Salt? Meds of some sort?

 

[JK47]

Not another mystery plague. This sucks.

My first instinct is also that toxicity from the silicone seems odd and unlikely. But you're experienced enough to rule everything else out. The only other thing I can think of is if something temporary happened - that circuit went out and they lost temp and air for a while, etc. That would explain a sudden health issue only in that one tank... but they'd also have improved by now.

I'd get them all out of there immediately and into water you're positive is clean... if you haven't already, of course.

Keep us posted on the severum. Hopefully he's doing better. Sevs and Uaru are similarly hardy (ie, I'm convinced my Uaru are invincible and will be both shocked and devastated if I ever find one dead for any reason) so it's awful to see the rott upside down like that. Good luck treating him. Are you doing anything other than clean water? Salt? Meds of some sort?

There is no mystery plague. These fish were happy, healthy and breeding in this tank before I took it down and instsalled the BG. The OH's spawned in the holding tank while they were waiting.. Watching this slowly unfold tells me something is leaching. Against what most would do, I am not moving any of the fish. I am going aggressivly go after the root cause and make sure all are well taken care of. Medications aren't the answer. Large WC's, carbon to help absorb anything leaching seem the most pratical way to deal with this, if I am correct about the problem.

Not many people can take a fish upsidedown with it's head burried in the sand and turn it around. I am on day #3 bringing him back and he is still fighting. He is upright, breathing normal. Still hading and not eating but getting better (fingers crossed). Another 80% WC is going to happen in about 3 hours.

 

[DaveB]

ah, carbon and clean water should work, especially if it isn't something that can continue to leech. That said, if it's leeching at all, I would worry that somehow the presence of water is making it so it can't cure 100% (fwiw I have no idea how this stuff works, what is required for it to cure, what curing really even actually means, etc) and that the only final solution will involve removing it from the tank anyway... in which case the fish would have to come out either way.

Are the geos improving? That's great that the severum is back to upright and normal breathing. Upside down is tough to come back from but I've done it, and if any fish can it's a severum. Is he in a QT or in the main tank again? Sorry, was unclear on if he stayed in with the others when they were breathing harder/hiding or if he came out the instant you found him upside down, as would be my instinct (QT and tons of salt).

 

[Dmarty]

On the bottom? Yeah those are real. It's that time of year so I have been trying to find a local hardwood I can stock up on leaves from. I don't care for those in the tank right now though, so they come out tomorrow. Those I actually pulled out of a bag of another species.

These are drying right now... Should be in the tank by Sunday?

View attachment 555120

i never would have thought to use leaves like that