Roy Hunter
Co-Chairman
ANGFA of North America
visit the ANGFA website at:
http://www.angfa.org
reach me at:
roy at angfa.org
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> From: Chen Leong <cleong at btr.com.au>
> To: rainbowfish at pcug.org.au
> Subject: Re: [RML] goyder rivers
> Date: Wednesday, April 23, 1997 10:23 PM
>
> At 09:07 PM 4/22/97 -0500, Gary Lange wrote:
> >In my opinion Goyder tris can be some of the most difficult fish to
> >keep going year after year, especially in softer waters or more
> >importantly water with low KH values. Those that keep these in
> >fairly hard and alkaline water (above 200 ppm GH, pH usually above
> >7.2) don't seem to have a lot of troubles. Cooler waters seem to
> >help (below 76 F). This is what I hear when I travel all over the US
> >speaking to groups that sometimes have very different water than I
> >do. I feel that a lot of the problems with TB ulcers is probably
> >more related to pH and proper buffer though than just plain GH
> >hardness. It's just that those people also usually have a fairly
> >good KH too, which tends to keep their pH higher and less prone to
> >crashing. Since I have switched to adding a tablespoon (15 cc) of
> >sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) per 55 gallon barrel I have very few
> >outbreaks. Of course one still has to keep up with the water
> >changes. That increase moves my KH some 3 degrees effectively
> >doubling my KH. Your results may vary according to your particular
> >water conditions.
>
>
> Last year, I lost all my Goyder River Tris (11) from a community tank of
> rainbows. A couple of the deaths were from ulcers (the two largest), the
> balance were young fish (approximately 12- 18 months old). The young
fish
> stopped eating and showed signs of discolouration prior to death. When I
> say discolouration, the fish were a dark colour in the rear half of the
> body. I am not sure whether the discolouration is a symptom of TB. The
> water in my aquarium was soft (around 90 ppm) and a ph of 6.8 to 7.0. No
> nitrite in the water. Water changes were done fortnightly at a rate of
50%.
> No other rainbows in the tank, which included boesmanis, Giddy R Tris,
Coen
> R Tris showed any signs of ulcers or similar discolouration.
>
> Since I added shell grit to the filter, bringing the ph up to around 7.2
to
> 7.4, and doing water changes weekly at a rate of 30% per week, I have not
> had a recurrence of this problem. Its been about 6 months since I lost
all
> those Goyders, and the new Goyders I now have seem to prefer the more
> alkaline conditions. I too "fast" my fish once a week, and I have
reduced
> the daily feeding to once per day for the adult fish. The fish appear to
be
> healthier as a result, and more disease resistant.
>
> Neil Armstrong recently suggested that he believed that tannic acids from
> driftwood and leaves is beneficial to the health of rainbows, as the acid
> kills bacteria. I don't have any driftwood or other substances leaching
> tannic acid in my tanks, but has anyone experienced beneficial effects of
> tannic acids with their fish ??
>
> Chen Leong