[Thothgirl]

We had a Ferret die last week. she was old and it wasn't unforeseen. however my husbands response was the same as a sudden death of a pet, aka the pet needs to be replaced. we had agreed when this round of ferrets go that we wouldn't get anymore. so instead he got 3 angelfish.

Luckily they are 2 dime size and 1 quarter size, but MAN the work involved. I wasn't expecting to get angelfish for a few more months so their 30 gallon home isn't ready (I also counted on 1) had to set up a new 10 for my betta and the cories and the angelfish managed to kick off a cycle in the original 10, so I have two tanks cycling at the same time, both with fish notorious for not surviving cycles. I am doing 2 gallons twice a day water changes on both tanks and liberal applications of stress coat to keep everyone up and going. seems to be working, no deaths! (woot!) and i am still cycling so making progress.

Also for the 30 He got some pretty plants, so I threw down some fert gravel for plants and planted the 30 and filled it with about 15 gallons, the 30 has no lights, no filter no heater, so I am changing 4 gallons a day, trying to maintain temp through sheer positive thinking and sharing a desk lamp between the 10 my betta is currently in and the 30 gallon for light. just GAH!

Oh and my Crypts in the original tank are melting cause why not? it is my first case of crypt melt and i have NO idea what to do about it other than slog on and focus on keep the fish happy.

so yah. thanks for letting me rant.

 

[Thothgirl]

Me again. and the angelfish wont eat, but I hear that is okay for at least a week and after that to get worried, I also figure they are crazy stressed out. and the 30 seems to be cycling, so at least there is some positive there.

I guess I am frustrated because I can't seem to impress upon my sweet that it's not just get a filter OR a heater OR a light for the 30, it's that i need all 3 and i need them NOW. and that after i get them, it will be a good week or 2 before i can put his angelfish in their pretty tank. given the i can have 1 of them now, I am leaning towards a filter, but heaters just went on sale so I will go with that.

Thank you for letting me rant again!

 

[Pippin]

I have the same problem with my family. My dad one day got two angels to put in our 55 with already had 6!

 

[Wiggyl]

I'm sorry you're having to do all that work, but it sounds like you're doing it right! I don't see that you're using prime or any ammonia locking device. Prime doesn't interfere with cycling and can make the water much safer for this fish... definitely look into it.

As far as I can tell stress guard is just to reduce stress/heal wounds & dechlorinate.

 

[Thothgirl]

didn't know that Wiggyl! thanks! I do have prime, but hadn't been using it due to not wanting to delay the cycle and extend everyone's suffering.

I did manage to get a filter and a heater for the 30, which will be here Wednesday! woo! The angel fish started eating, even if they do give me a very disdainful look when doing so. they also seem to only eat in the dark, which is not something I have come across looking for info on them, I think it might have to do with the tank size.

My AM levels have stabilized at .25 which is great considering that is where they were before hand. unfortunately my RITEs are still way too high, .25 for the tank with the angelfish and 2 for the tank with the betta and cories. thinking of doing a slog tonight. mostly testing, doing a two gallon change, testing again until i get it down to Zero. my RATEs are stable at 10 ppm and have been from the get go. Still doing the 12 hour tests so I have allot of pretty neat data from that. I am wondering if the rItes are so high in the second tank because it has never been cycled or that the plants in it are immature. will ask in another thread about the water/test cycle to get to zero.

went to petsmart to get more stress coat and the rest of the plants for the 30 and almost walked out with 2 betta's on the idea of "meh, allready doing all the work and in a week or so will have an empty tank" I got Vetoed HARD. lol.

thanks for the comments!

 

[Wiggyl]

I'm glad to hear you have prime. It can help make the nitrites non toxic too. Look up the dosage.

 

[Thothgirl]

On it!

 

[Thothgirl]

Boo-Ya!!! the 10g with the angelfish in it has cycled! 0, 0, 30 ppm baby! now just to keep the bioload down until the 30g cycles. the other 10 is at .25, 1, 30ppm. I think it is time to take a deep breath and let things ride for a day.

 

[Thothgirl]

And now.... had to put 2 angelfish in the 30 and pull one out. Porthos (they are named after the musketeers) was getting nipped, hard by my guess is Athos. Aramus is looking at bit ragged around the edges but Porthos's fins are BAD. did a switch-a-roo. so Myr is back in his tank, I like to think muttering to him self about damned disrespectful kids (which is full cycled) Porthos is in the "mostly" cycled tank with TONS of stress coat so he can heal, and the cories and the other two angels are in the 30 which i got the filter and heater for today. the cories are looking fine and they LOVE the room. you can see them trying to find the edge of their world

If I had this all to do over again... I would have put this in the tank journal section.

Oh, if Aramus tomorrow is nipped on then I might switch and put Athos in the 10. I know he has to be the one nipping because he is the only one with no fin damage. though it is cute Aramus has claimed a mason jar as his own and woe be it to anybody who swims by.

I have been liberal with the stress coat and prime. will have to get more prime on Friday. still doing crazy amounts of water changes and probably will until every tank reads cycled.

 

[IXOYE]

I think bacteria in a bottle (Tetra Safe Start) could help jump start your cycle. Sure did work for my 20 gal, in just one week. Used 2x amt needed and had perfect water test readings in a week. Maybe sooner, but I had to wait for API test kit to arrive in mail. I was so surprised by good test results so soon. We are going on week 4 now, just do 25% weekly water change. I only have 2 moss balls in there, fake plants, hope to get some live ones soon..... An internal filter with sponge and Biomax filter media...had Larry Guerry in tank whole time, and I was nervous about harming him in process, but worked out really well....

 

[Thothgirl]

was thinking about going ahead and getting some of that. will have to wait until friday though. I have the tank seeded with decorations and gravel from the already cycled tank. if I can I will take your advice. thanks!

 

[Thothgirl]

Boom! second 10 cycled! Mwahahaha!

Had a talk with my sweet about what to do if we have to separate the angels for their survival. he jumped right to "more tanks?" SIGH! I told him in no uncertain terms no new tanks for at least 3 months, we stock the tanks we have and that's it! it's is weird to be the one putting my foot down on this one.

I will admit, I think I have fallen in love with the angelfish. Myr is happy and content and working on the biggest bubble nest I have seen. it is golf ball size and shape.

 

[IXOYE]

I LOVE Angel fish, and have the opposite problem, of wanting MORE tanks/fish, than I am "allowed". So great to see how things are going so well, that the 10s are cycling, and hope the 30 will be easy, and quick too! Love to read the adventure, keep posting updates!

So sorry for the other pet loss. It's hard. I've had all sorts of pets, all my life, and as they have aged and passed, refuse to replace- at this stage in my life, because of the HUGE attachment and sadness and difficulty of loosing. So, now, we just have FISH. There is attachment, and "loss", still, but its not quite the same. I can see me getting more fish to replace any loss, in the future. We'll see.... Funny, seems I will always need something to "obsess" over. Right now, it's my FISH! And I do want MORE- HA!

 

[Thothgirl]

One of the reasons I got into fish was that I couldn't take our ferrets dying. I have kind of an overdeveloped Mothering instinct so I get really attached and take it hard when we lose a pet. I called it at Bear, Zee, and Koan because I knew I couldn't take anymore ferrety death (over the 6 years we have had ferrets we have lost 3)

The thing about the less tanks is we live in a small 1 room apt. I think it is 500 sq feet. the 5 tanks I have planed are pretty much the max in regards to room. 3 10s, the 30 and eventually a 55. so 3 betta tanks, the angels which will eventually be angles/lampchop rasbora/emerald cories (it's his tank he gets to stock it) and then a gourami/molly/platy/my cory (sterbai, julii and albino) tank for the 55.

I am planning on getting 6 mollies and 6 platys for the 55, with 2 black, 2 dalmatian and 2 silver for the mollies. I think that will look AMAZING! hoping to be able to do a similar thing with the platys.

I am hoping to get the angel situation worked out soon if only because that means I'll have an empty tank! darn... have to get another betta... shucks even.

 

[Thothgirl]

Moved the rest of this over to the journal section:

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=391098