Jorge O'Reilly
Member
Hello.
So I've been running into some problems. Basically, bacterial bloom. Let me recap details and then offer a possible explanation, just so you can tell me whether I'm suspecting the right causes.
I've got an 87-liter tank, pretty heavily planted, been running for 6-7 months. I've recently added some dwarf native cichlids (gymnnogeophagus meridionalis), and I had three Jenynsia Lineatas, sadly one died for reasons unknown. Not surprised though, they had odd-looking cancer-like growths when I caught them and half of them recovered in-tank, the other half seemingly got over them, so their general health must have been affected. Also, seven Otocinclus catfish.
Anyway. This tank has snails and shrimp. Native shrimp (paleomonetes argentinus/argentinensis, cant remember exactly), MTS, Physas, and some cool physa-like natives that exhibit really cool coloration. The shrimp are 20, or so, the snails, particularily MTS, are booming. Is it possible they (shrimp + snails) are so many as to unbalance the aquarium? By all accounts, the fish should not be overstocked, there's some otocinclus, three inch-long cichlid juveniles and two two-inch jenynsias, a guppy equivalent in practice. Plants are fine, I have a small filter but just for water movement. Why is the fish tank like this? The betta cube/plant holding mess is crystal clear. Dirty and ugly, but clear.
Recent changes to the tank: 50% water change (don't usually do them) - trimmed the center plants - gave the moss a 70% haircut - added said cichlids - removed some dying alternantheras from left-hand shadowed spot - regular cutting down of the floaters.
So I've been running into some problems. Basically, bacterial bloom. Let me recap details and then offer a possible explanation, just so you can tell me whether I'm suspecting the right causes.
I've got an 87-liter tank, pretty heavily planted, been running for 6-7 months. I've recently added some dwarf native cichlids (gymnnogeophagus meridionalis), and I had three Jenynsia Lineatas, sadly one died for reasons unknown. Not surprised though, they had odd-looking cancer-like growths when I caught them and half of them recovered in-tank, the other half seemingly got over them, so their general health must have been affected. Also, seven Otocinclus catfish.
Anyway. This tank has snails and shrimp. Native shrimp (paleomonetes argentinus/argentinensis, cant remember exactly), MTS, Physas, and some cool physa-like natives that exhibit really cool coloration. The shrimp are 20, or so, the snails, particularily MTS, are booming. Is it possible they (shrimp + snails) are so many as to unbalance the aquarium? By all accounts, the fish should not be overstocked, there's some otocinclus, three inch-long cichlid juveniles and two two-inch jenynsias, a guppy equivalent in practice. Plants are fine, I have a small filter but just for water movement. Why is the fish tank like this? The betta cube/plant holding mess is crystal clear. Dirty and ugly, but clear.
Recent changes to the tank: 50% water change (don't usually do them) - trimmed the center plants - gave the moss a 70% haircut - added said cichlids - removed some dying alternantheras from left-hand shadowed spot - regular cutting down of the floaters.
