forgot to add :)
OK. You might want to read over the active thread “Newbie with a fungus” which will enlighten you about what you could be facing.
Part of what is happening is when fish are overcrowded in a tank, they get stressed from the increased hormone levels in the water. When fish get stressed, their immune system falters and they start to have health problems or succumb to some minor bacteria that they would normally be able to fend off.
Since you’ve been cycling with fish and haven’t had your own test kit, your fish have probably had to endure ammonia and nitrite spikes which will also cause them stress and immune system weakening.
You should get a smaller tank, maybe a 10G tank or even just a 5G bucket or a sterilite storage box to use as a quarantine tank. This will come in handy many times over as you get new fish… or need to treat an existing fish.
You can also get a small sponge filter operated off of an air pump/stone. Whisper also sells a small suction cup mounted hang in tank filter for 3G to 7G tanks for under $10.00 that comes with it’s own air pump, line, etc. This is what I use and just add a piece of my already cycled filter media from one of my filter systems and it’s up and running and fully cycled for a small bioload.
Here’s a couple of DIY sponge filters that you can easily make if you have an air pump already.
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/management/Davies_Sponge_Filter.html
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_spongefilter.php
Here’s a couple of articles on setting up a Quarantine/Hospital tank.
http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_quarantine.php
http://www.flippersandfins.net/articelhospital.htm
Lenny Vasbinder Fish Blog - http://GoldLenny.blogspot.com (Links to any articles referenced in above reply are listed on the right side, alphabetically under Labels and also under Archives by Year, Month)
Category: Philippines Internet Koi Society
