Happy Holidays to all,
Thank you for all the wonderful information I've gleaned from your site. I have a slightly odd history with too many newbie mistakes (first tank started 10/10/08), but at this time I have a 10 gallon (20"l x10"w x12"h) and a 5.5 galllon (16"l x 8"w x10"h).
Water parameters in both tanks: Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5-10
pH 7.8
GH 3
KH 4
temp. 77 degrees in 10 gal/ 75 degrees in 5.5 gal (slowly lowering 10gal post ich treatment)
Water changes 20-30% weekly
Fish in 10 gal.- (started 10/10/08)
2 corys- 1 trilineatus, 1 aeneus
4 neon tetras
Fish in 5.5 gal. (started (11/23/08)
2 corydoras Brevirostris
3 white cloud mountain minnows
After my cycling (another long story) I had the corys (couldn't find another trilineatus so added the aeneus for company) and then brought home neons that showed ich by day two (didn't see it in the store). I treated the tank for ich and while doing that, fishless cycled the other tank (that was fun-to see the bright colors with no emergency water changes). Then I saw the Brevirostris, (spotted cory) only two, and was told that they would not like a new tank (even cycled) so I bought the minnows that I wish I had gotten instead of neons, then added the corys a week later. The quarantine tank has been healthy and happy for 3 weeks, and now I want to move fish to the 10 gallon after the new year. Which would you move first and how should I deal with my too small schools? I have asked the lfs to look for more trilineatus but they get an assortment so no telling if/when there will be more. I do like the aeneus's personality but love the other corys' colors.
The other issue is my water. I have softened water with no access to unsoftened. After 24 hrs. the softened water is pH -8.2, GH-0, and KH-8. I read this was not good for fish so after starting the tank switched to bottled. After the ich ordeal realized that would not work long term, and turns out a neighbor in the marina with water from the same well and softener has fish (some silver dollars for 10 yrs). On this positive note I started gradually mixing my water back in to bottled-but concerned about pH. My neighbor uses Seachem Neutral regulator (I think that's the name) to bring down pH, but in all my reading I'm not sure pH adjustment is a good idea. I really enjoy the corys and want the best environment for them. If I can use my water I'll upgrade tank to 20 gal. long or 29 gal. (same footprint) after building a stand into the boat. Currently the water is a 50/50 mix of spring water and mine. The other issue with bottled water is every brand is different and I was having supply problems. I ended up removing my gravel when vacuuming didn't get rid of ich and when finally cured, I replaced it with playsand. The 10 gal. also has driftwood and plants.
The lfs said the minnows could be left in 5.5 gal with the betta my daughter wants to aquire, but after more research I think their temp preferences wouldn't work, and I also don't think they should have to go through quarantine again, especially if I add neons. I would like a group of 6-7 corys, 2 or 3 of each (wish I'd known school preference before I started) and 6-10 neons. Since I'm thinking of moving the minnows into the 10 gal. as well, should I just keep all schools smaller?
Sorry for the long post. I am just looking for someone with a lot more experience to tell me what is best for my fish.
Thank you,
Debbie
