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Ok guys my water test was done at my lfs. Here at home I have basic dip strips but the minute I removed the goonch from the tank I took a water sample to put it in a bag. Green across the board is the phrase the owner of the store told me. I know him well now as I'm a regular customer at his shop. As we carried on conversation trying to figure out what went wrong he again went back to the water test explaining that nitrate and nitrite in my tank was virtually non existent. He's kept two of the bagarius species before so I'm going on the assumption he knows what he's talking about. Next off I believe somebody asked about the powerhead? Look this is my first time using one of these and I'm not sure how to describe the setup of it but I'll try. It's submerged and the top of it is 2 in. From the surface. I've hooked the air intake hose to it and it blows out a bunch of bubbles and makes the water swirl. If a picture helps you I can easily provide. But I believe what happen to my goonch is what happens to most of them brought into the aquarium trade. From talking to abunch of owners and former owners it seems that the first half a year in which you've got them they can easily become stressed and die without much warning.

Hi all,

As we carried on conversation trying to figure out what went wrong he again went back to the water test explaining that nitrate and nitrite in my tank was virtually non existent.

You can't tell this with test kits, even with lab grade analytical kit it is fairly difficult to test for some anions. In any tank unless you've just done a 100% water change you will always have some NO3- ions, if you have plants you are probably looking at 5-10 ppm, in a non-planted tank, (dependent upon the frequency and amount of water changes) these numbers could easily go up to 100's ppm.

Honestly the best option is not to test, but to take actions that will reduce the BOD <http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... hilit=+BOD> of the tank water. Growing plants, low BOD and some flow ensure oxygenation and oxygenation ensures efficient biological filtration.

If that doesn't make sense have a look at this thread and links <http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... lecoplanet>, I wrote the plecoplanet article (linked in the last post) specifically for rheophilic loricariid keepers, but it is relevant to all fish with high water quality requirements.

cheers Darrel

I'd heed intently what Darrell is saying above.

As for your info, Tyty, it is IMHO pretty wishy-washy. "Virtually non-existent" can mean many things to many people. That's why I said we need numbers, not words, and how they were measured exactly. And not a word on ammonia? What does that mean? You/he don't know it? Didn't measure it? Don't think it matters?

Dip sticks IMHO should be thrown out and I'd most earnestly recommend for you to buy an API liquid Master test kit for $20 and learn how to use it. One cannot be a successful serious fish keeper and not learn to measure their own water. Again, my $0.02.

Tyty13 wrote:... From talking to abunch of owners and former owners it seems that the first half a year in which you've got them they can easily become stressed and die without much warning.

Again, this is just talk. It may have some truth to it... but it also may be quite possible that the vast majority of these goonch keepers are novices and/or are merely ignorant of how to keep their water goonch-grade-perfect and keep their goonch alive (one of the reasons I've never dared to get a goonch, so you are far braver than me). So statistics may be only half the deal and may not help you here to become a better goonch owner. Just says that you are a part of the statistics now too.

I am guilty of needing to learn how the nicer tests work. I plan on going all out Black Friday shopping at places that sell aquariums and supplies. But I'll also need to do more than learn to read the water test, I'll need to learn how to interpret it and act if there is something wrong.

Sounds good. Your heart seems to be set on keeping expensive, rare, large fishes requiring advanced skills. So, one step at a time...

This is what I buy and where: http://www.petsolutions.com/C/Aquarium- ... r-Kit.aspx

A nice thread by Rob (Chicxulub) on goonches' deaths: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... ion-Thread

The dwarf goonch is finally getting a name. Manuscript has just been accepted.

Just received the page proofs for checking today. Likely this will be published sometime in January 2021.

Look forward to it!

Jools

Many people are looking forward to it. I know at least a dozen or two on Monster Fish Keepers.

Viktor Jarikov wrote: ↑17 Dec 2020, 01:12Many people are looking forward to it. I know at least a dozen or two on Monster Fish Keepers.

A dwarf goonch on Monster Fish Keepers? Is that an oxymoron?

Cheers, Eric

It's not always just the size but can be the ferocity. To paraphrase Cosmo Kramer.

(Anyway, we are breaking the ToS with the trivial postings. We must stop.)

A dwarf goonch (Bagarius rutilus as we know it now before HH's paper comes out) still reaches 12" as opposed to the 6'-7' B. yarelli or B. bagarius.

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=49784#p328991

Congratulations, @Silurus!

Cheers, Eric