Whatcha thinking about now?

[Corvus]

Re: What Are You Thinking About?

You'd probably be best off w/a place that specializes in aquariums & fish.

I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me before, but potassium permanganate might be the best non-specific treatment. It generally kills or inhibits most bacterial & fungal growths. You can use a slightly higher concentrate as a bath for the visibly infected fish, and in a lower concentration to treat the tank w/the so-far healthy fish. PP should actually work on most fungal infections or early stages of columnaris or ich. It's also easy to neutralize if your fish turn out to be sensitive to it.

https://www.extension.org/mediawiki/files/f/f6/Use_of_Potassium_Permanganate_to_Control_External_Infections.pdf

If none of the pet stores around you carry it, check hardware stores - they might have it with stuff for ponds.

Thank you for the advice. It says it should only be used in established aquariums though, mine isn't even a week only yet. This stuff seems really dangerous to fish but I'm not sure what else to do about it so I'll tell my parents.

[ChainLightning]

Re: What Are You Thinking About?

Thank you for the advice. It says it should only be used in established aquariums though, mine isn't even a week only yet. This stuff seems really dangerous to fish but I'm not sure what else to do about it so I'll tell my parents.

In that context, your aquarium *is* established. What they mean to avoid is treating fish unnecessarily, for the most part, and introducing new fish to treated water. It sounds uber dangerous but it is, in fact, easily manageable.

My first thought, reading your initial post, was ich. Mostly because of the timing, here, when it developed. Virtually every experience I've had, with the shit, was *so* seemingly stress-related (like changing tanks) that my first encounters met with certain death - as I wrongly assumed that the stress would subside and the fish would regain its health. Like, nice new environment = happy, healthy fish. However, the tell-tale spots don't look like a general fuzziness, just [relatively] big white freckles showing up on the little guys.

Something else that occurred to me, shortly after that post was how the fish were introduced to a new tank... I didn't catch that post, so I'm unaware if it's a new tank, same tank and water but filtered, new water, or whatnot. I mean, one of the mistakes I made, way back in the 70's, was the weekly "cleaning the tank" - where I would remove and exchange something like more than 80% of the water, not knowing that the environment would then have to cycle all over again. I lost many, many fish due to being naive about their care and habitat.

I'm really thinking that we need an Aquaria thread for such in-depth chatting. Seriously, I've got a ton of horror stories, that I've experienced, over the years, with keeping fish. All the way up to and including promiscuous Angelfish that pretty much turned out food for a tank-mate... that got impatient. Little, tiny baby angel food. "That come from the belly of *that* fish? I bet if I tear open that belly, I could get more!" The bastard.

Ah well we can rattle the trees down all on our own if necessary. I'll bring the booze, you got the music?

We're actually doing fairly well, here, given the amount of time that I/we have help around, to get stuff done. Several of the trees that were blocking my way, to the main campsite, have been [re]moved. Enough so that, yesterday, I spent a little over 6 hours on the mower, just doing the lawn, the path, and the main camping area. Not today, but later this week, I'll devote another day to clearing the path to the riverside camp(s). At that time, I'll have easy access to all the camping crap that was left out from last year or the year before. Damn kids.

I just need to get a tube, to put in the right front tire of the mower, and someone to put it in, and probably tubes for the trailer, as well. The 4-wheeler isn't up to snuff but it *is* running. It just isn't running *well*.


Music. Last week, I was in the garage trying to get my "big" stereo to make some noise. It's dead. That sux major donkey testes. Cool stage lights, in there, but no music. I'm going to have to hit up a thrift store, Goodwill, or Salvation Army and see if I can get a half-ass decent replacement. Otherwise, I just steal my mom's "boom box" that doesn't much "boom", at all. As for booze, I gave that mess up over 28 years ago. Now, it's simply Mountain Dew, water, iced tea or one of the sports drinks, like Gatorade, depending on the circumstances, though that Dew is the mainstay.


-------------------------

My ex-wife will be stopping in, tomorrow, to pick up her (now) youngest kid, to take him back down to Iowa for his brother's wedding, this coming weekend. It seems that nobody wanted me to know about it until the last minute - cuz it would "stress me out", apparently. But I haz spies.

Just kidding, it was simply inadvertently "leaked".



Lastly, I'm thinking about how much effort it would take to move my entire computer and 32" monitor out onto the back deck. It is WAY gorgeous outside! And here I am taking a *forced* day off from activities - 5 PM and still in my jammies.

[Corvus]

Re: What Are You Thinking About?

We couldn't find potassium permanganate but after describing it the pet store people recomended these broad spectrum anti fugal/anti bacterial tablets. They seem to have lots of good reviews online so we're going to try them and see if it helps.

And aquaria thread would be pretty neato! I didn't realize so many people here had fish

- - - Updated - - -

A soon as I put the medicine in the sick fish started moving very fast and erratically. It's floating belly up now but it's still alive, the gills are moving and it darts sometimes. I think it's dying

- - - Updated - - -

The other fish seem okay, they're moving a lot up they're not turning upside down or crashing into things. The fungus ha already started to break up on the one fish though.

[Corvus]

Re: What Are You Thinking About?

The fish is dead

[Ophidia]

Re: What Are You Thinking About?

The fish is dead

I'm so sorry Hopefully the other fish will be helped by the treatment.

[Corvus]

Re: What Are You Thinking About?

I'm so sorry Hopefully the other fish will be helped by the treatment.

I'm thinking it had some kind of reaction to the medication since it's condition got so much worse after I put it in. I'm not too attached to them yet so I'm not terribly broken up but I didn't want Henry to die, especially since it looked rather painful (I know fish don't experience pain in quite the same way as other animals but it did not die very quickly and the erratic movements showed a lot of disorientation and it just seemed really unpleasant). I really hope the other fish are okay. I'm worried that my two other silver dollar are going to be stressed out now. Since they're schooling fish they should be in groups. I don't really want to get (nor feel safe yet getting) another silver dollar. There's new bubblers, heater, and gravel coming in the mail (we ordered it when we got them because the heater and gravel is kinda old and the gravel is a little ugly) it should come soon. It'll give me an opportunity to clean everything again. To it's defense the medicine did break up a lot of the white fluff, even if it may have killed the sick fish. I think that was mostly it being so weak to begin with though.

I've had fish for less than a week and one has died. Why do kids get fish as pets, they seem so much easier to kill compared with other animals.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: What Are You Thinking About?

The fish is dead

I'm sorry to hear that, Corvus.

Generally, I've found that the meds offered by pet stores are pretty effective in dealing with fungus infections. I can't remember the specific meds I used to use, but they tended to turn the water blue for a day or two, and they were quite effective (I used to be obsessed with tropical fish. For a while, I had 7-9 tanks going).

Should it happen again, just pop into a pet store, and for a buck or two you'll get a pretty effective cure.

Best wishes...

- - - Updated - - -

I've had fish for less than a week and one has died. Why do kids get fish as pets, they seem so much easier to kill compared with other animals.

My daughter went off to college, and got a pet goldfish.

The goldfish developed parasites that had to be pulled off with tweezers.

Once she got that taken care of, she brought it home for mom & pop to take care of.

The goldfish, while digging through the gravel, got rocks stuck in it's mouth.

I had to fish it out, and pull the gravel out of it's mouth with tweezers.

A couple of days later, it happened again - this time, I was too late with the tweezers, and the fish made the journey into the great beyond.

But, on the other hand, I once had a goldfish that jumped tank. By the time I found it, it was dry and crispy. For some reason, I tossed the obviously long dead fish back into the tank.

The little booger revived, and lived on for another 4 years.

Life is peculiar...

[Corvus]

Re: What Are You Thinking About?

That's the medication I got. Little tablets that dissolve and supposedly turn the water blue, though in my case I got more bright green.

From what I understand goldfish are terrible though. I'm going to need to get something for the silver dollars to school with but I'd rather not get a silver dollar again. Your goldfish story firmly makes me think we need an aquaria thread if only to share stories like that!

[Arella]

Re: What Are You Thinking About?

But, on the other hand, I once had a goldfish that jumped tank. By the time I found it, it was dry and crispy. For some reason, I tossed the obviously long dead fish back into the tank.

The little booger revived, and lived on for another 4 years.

Life is peculiar...

I can't believe the goldfish revived! That is amazing. Just shows that they can be tougher than people give them credit for. I'm actually considering putting up a shelf sometime so that way I can get one of those small fish tanks to put a Betta fish in.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: What Are You Thinking About?

I can't believe the goldfish revived! That is amazing. Just shows that they can be tougher than people give them credit for. I'm actually considering putting up a shelf sometime so that way I can get one of those small fish tanks to put a Betta fish in.

Weird thing was that it completely lost the skin and scales on on complete side of it's body. But, it went on with the business of living. Nature is constantly amazing!

[ChainLightning]

Re: What Are You Thinking About?

I don't have fish, at the moment. When my marriage hit the rocks our fish went to new homes.

And!! The power of suggestion: http://www.paganforum.com/showthread...Things-Aquaria

[Corvus]

Re: What Are You Thinking About?

I don't have fish, at the moment. When my marriage hit the rocks our fish went to new homes.

And!! The power of suggestion: http://www.paganforum.com/showthread...Things-Aquaria

*jumps for joy*
I'll head right over

[Medusa]

Re: What Are You Thinking About?

Still thinking about Robin Williams to be honest. We talked about it at work and I started to cry.

[Ophidia]

Re: What Are You Thinking About?

Still thinking about Robin Williams to be honest. We talked about it at work and I started to cry.

I keep tearing up, too.

Back in Jan/Feb, things were getting really bad for me. To the point where I almost offed myself. Going to the psychiatrist was sort of my last-ditch effort at saving my own life. Even w/the meds & therapy, I still have bad days, but at least I'm learning how to change the behaviors I picked up from depression.

It gets to me, though. If someone like Robin Williams, who has tamed & fought & embraced so many demons for so long, and who has gained so much insight into the 'human condition', succumbs to suicide, what hope do I really have of making it to a 'normal' lifespan? Or any other average person? How can we survive ourselves when Robin Williams couldn't?

[Medusa]

Re: What Are You Thinking About?

I keep tearing up, too.

Back in Jan/Feb, things were getting really bad for me. To the point where I almost offed myself. Going to the psychiatrist was sort of my last-ditch effort at saving my own life. Even w/the meds & therapy, I still have bad days, but at least I'm learning how to change the behaviors I picked up from depression.

It gets to me, though. If someone like Robin Williams, who has tamed & fought & embraced so many demons for so long, and who has gained so much insight into the 'human condition', succumbs to suicide, what hope do I really have of making it to a 'normal' lifespan? Or any other average person? How can we survive ourselves when Robin Williams couldn't?

I know the feeling. It's like no one is safe. I'll be honest...I've been exceptionally depressed. Not in the sad crying sort of way. But in the apathetic sort of way. I've been floating like a zombie since my mother past and I broke up with my boyfriend. All in the span of months. I have no idea where my feelings are on each. It's just all mushed together as the 'event'. But then I see people here who are struggling. I see you coming back. And I tell myself...just hang on.


But to be honest? I'm running out of reasons. Don't worry. I'm too apathetic to off myself immediately. Even though I know this is a scary subject. I feel as if I am discussing a recipe I may or may not make again. I have no emotional value to the thought of suicide anymore. It's old hat. It's like that cat sitting in the corner just waiting for you to eye it wrong so it can trip you.

Meh. I'm having a bad decade. Scuz me