This is very helpful for people very new to the hobby. Its important to know this early on for newbies to remember good dos and donts specially when starting. Top job and very informative again, Matt
Just got back into keeping a few fish. Must say, after watching a heap of you tube vids, the only ones I watch now are yours and MD’s. You’re both very likeable chaps. Cheers for the entertainment.
Ive just gotten back into the hobby after a many years break. Have set up a low tech cherry shrimp bowl heavily planted. Over 4 weeks this happened. My 6 new critters are in a week and settling in great. Thank you Matt for all your helpful information. I appreciate you
Thanks Matt - been wanting a video like this for ages. Well, been waiting for a quality one on the subject for ages! While I’m here, your production quality seems to have been knocked up a notch lately, too - we’ll done 👍🏻
I loved this one. Straightforward for newbies and experienced keepers alike! I also love how large the shrimp can look when they’re moving around the bowl behind you.
Got back into fish keeping during lockdown after a 20 years hiatus the technology may have changed but is refreshing to see the basics are still the same . Always have a backup quarantine hospital, And always have meds to hand spare heaters and spare filters as well as sods law says if something is going to go wrong it will be at the most inconvenient time .May be and idea for a video if you have not done it .Things to have on hand at all time as an aquarist
I have never seen a more timely video. Some fish in my current tank don't look all that great. I need to separate them for a while before moving them to their new home. 👍
@@FishShopMattquestion... when I got into fish keeping some 25 some odd years ago I was once was told a good rule of thumb is an inch of fish per gallon for freshwater and and inch of fish per 10 gallons in saltwater. Is there any merit to that or is it just filtration?
Very helpful...wish we could buy the NT Labs products in Australia, even the Maidenhead Aquatics shop isn't selling them online. Would like to add a warning...even with cycled filter media, a small tank is very volatile...a bit of over feeding and the water quality sinks rapidly. So great to have this explanation and reassurance re keeping fish for quite a period of time in a bare tank...and the trap of planting it!
I have some wild caught mosquito fish. Now that I've had them for approximately six months and they seem fine, I'm guessing there is no point in treating for parasites. LOL Anyway, I ended up with 2 males and 2 females, so I may go back and see if I can get some more females. I will be a little more careful with the next batch. Thank you for the information!!
Really informative video! As a newbie I’d never even thought of a hospital tank until one of my guppies became unwell and I started to do some research. Poor little thing spends most of the day ‘resting’ on the bottom of the tank, breathing quickly. But comes up for food before quickly returning. No visible signs of illness and all other guppies are fine. Any recommendations for treatment or advice? Thank you!
Also, my angelfish has one eye that is covered with fungus, I think. I am not sure what to treat it with. I tried Melafix, but it had no results. Thanks for the great videos, Mark.
Another great video. When do you think we will get another fish files i love those may i suggest one on a scarlet badis as i have just recently discovered them
Soon as I've got a couple in the works, I want to get a good group of scarlet badis but just can't find any at the moment. But I'm planning a fish tour soon so hopefully I can find some.
Quarantining here in Canada is a nightmare because there's nearly no medications available. If you're lucky you might be able to get potassium permanganate but it's really hard to find, same with methylene blue. The only readily available stuff I can find is shoddy topfin ick stuff with very few positive results and aquarium salt and stressguard
That's really interesting and very annoying. I'm guessing it's the types of chemicals that are banned. What about chloramine T or acriflavine those are good anti bacterial treatments.
@@FishShopMatt Chloramine T is available but as far as I know only in bulk levels for fish farmers. I think you need a license for Acriflavine. They made nearly all fish medications illegal here without a prescription from a veterinarian, the problem is that most veterinarians aren't well versed in fish health and dragging your $2 neon tetra to the vet for a $120 consult and $150 markup on a $12 dollar bottle of medication is just not going to happen. Not sure why they made it illegal. I think it might have something to do with all the people who were taking horse dewormer during covid or people abusing fish antibiotics. I believe they put the law in place mostly for livestock farmers. Either way, it's a nightmare for fishkeepers!
Oh the irony, I’ve just in the past few days bought an Alien Betta from your old shop mate, he has a parasite that the shop do now know about. I rang them the next day to inform them of the issue. I think he’s slowly getting better but still, the irony.
Another great video 😊 I have a betta that has had his tail bitten. I've put him in another tank. I've treated him with Myxazin for 5 days, which is what the bottle states. Should I leave it at that, or continue using it until I see his tail starting to grow back? Being a newbie I'm not sure what to do 🤔
Great video! Two Questions: When I treat my whole planted tank, I use a soil covered with white sand substrate, with an anti-bacteria and anti parasite should that treat the water for any bacteria and parasite too? Please help. Thank you.
Thanks for the video, Matt! I have redhead tapajo geophagus and really like them. I am wondering if you would recommend a general treatment of a main display tank from time to time for no apparent reason, just as a precaution? And if so, what would you suggest?
Congrats on finding them! Unfortunately there is very little info on them spawning but most of the time it seems to be in blackwater botanical heavy tanks.
Hi Matt, I'm wanting to change my setup, which has been running well for ago few years. The issue I have is, I have some good sized Jack Dempseys' and a decent size cichlid, 3 bleeding hearts and a Reed fish (I think). So what would you recommend I do, it'll be a day change I'd say.
Hi Matt, excellent content, I’m going to go get the anti bacterial and parasite treatment from NT Labs, do you have a discount code before I click order?
In that bedroom how do you combat condensation especially this time of year ….. I had to put a Iid on my 500l tank as it caused condensation everywhere
A great helpful video I've only started a tank in the past few months and been following your videos for awhile now. Just a quick question a few of my fish have been flashing in the plants but are showing 0 signs off any illness and it only ever seems to happen after they do their mating dance? I don't want to start giving different medications without knowing what's wrong. Any help would be great.
So flicking is generally down to an irritation but that irritation can be anything. Fine sand particles sticking to the mucus layer could be an issue if the tank is fairly new. If they start flicking loads I would put an anti parasite treatment in just to see if it helps. If it's after their mating display it may just be they've dislodged a scale or have caught themselves in something. It's a bit like us when we get an itch really.
@@FishShopMatt thank you for the reply and that was my issue I didn't want to start adding medication without really knowing what it could be. I will keep an eye on them for a few more days to see if any other symptoms show and if nothing I'll have a good look at some all round aquarium anti parasite medications. Thank you for your help I appreciate it
Salt is an option but I've always found it to be a bit hit and miss. Also a lot of the problems fish can have are more tolerant to salt than the fish are so it can be a tricky one. I always stick to the treatments as they are easier to use and easier to remove from the water afterwards. But I'm planning a video on using aquarium salt soon.
Great video! I have some dwarf platys, I started with 10 and am now down to 3. They eat, swim actively ect, but they suddenly have clamped fins and then disappear. Any idea what that is and how to treat it?
Thank you! It could be a number of things as clamped fins are a sign of stress. I would test all the water to make sure everything is ok, if all good then I would treat. If it's one by one that you're losing them I would think more parasitic rather than bacterial so I would try a worming treatment and see how they do.
Thank you Matt, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your taking the time to give me direction. I just love that you know so much about fish and are willing to share. I have the meds and I’m gonna try that. My water parameters are in normal range for my area. Again thank you!
I usually quarantine for 3-4 weeks without any meds unless an issue comes up. But with my most recent purchase of angels and rummies I've used a low dose of methylene blue & aquarium salt. Although it doesn't make for a strong anti-parasitic, its the protozoan & bacterial infections that I'm worried about. And together those meds are pretty good at handling most of the common diseases. I've heard rummies are quite sensitive and these guys were on sale so I knew I was taking a bit of a risk. Luckily it's been a few days without any issues at all, eating well with bright red noses!
@@FishShopMatt Thanks! A salt video would be much appreciated! I feel like it's not talked about enough. Since I live in a country where most meds are illegal, aquarium salt has been one of the most helpful tools out there. I'd also say that most species are more tolerant of salt than we give them credit for (many tetras, cichlids, even otos have been fine in low doses for me)
That's a good question and ultimately it depends on the severity of the hardness or softness. I find somewhere in the middle is the sweet spot but you can find a species to work in most hardnesses.
Hi Fish Shop Matt! I have a question. I set up a quarantine / hospital tank a couple weeks ago after a thought I may have introduced Ich into my tank. No Ich thank goodness but still have the tank up and running. No substrate, plastic plants and a hide. Sponge filter and heater, its a 10gallon. I tested the water to see how my levels were looking and it seems no more ammonia or nitrites, low nitrates so easy fix there. My PH though... since there are no plants or wood the PH in the quarantine tank is 8.2! I threw in a good handful of boiled oak leaves but the PH has not budged. Any suggestion on how to get the PH down in a quarantine tank like this? If I put wood in there is likely to get contaminated or stained by the treatments right?
I know that this is an ask which no one else will want to know, but because I'm a reader and love books, I want to know what books you have on your shelf, and which you have found through the years to be the most useful. Maybe it would be a good topic for a short? Also, are there books you don't have, but that you would really like?
A few people have asked so maybe I will do it in a live or something. There isn't many I'm after but I may collect the aquarium atlas series and I would like a load more of the aqualog series, oh and the back to nature series. Ok so there is a few I might try and collect hahaha.
If it's bladder infection do I need to remove the fish to a quarantine, or can I put it in the main tank? I currently don't have a quarantine tank, though looking out for something cheap on sale. We had one of our black phantom tetras die 24h after we bought them (we bought 5) and it had all the signs of a bladder issue as he was bobbing at the top, up side down etc, I changed the water fast, but it was 4AM when I saw it, so I just did a large water change, didn't have any tank to put him in, and didn't have any medicine. Sadly when we go up again in the morning around 7AM he had passed. 😢 But he went from being fine, we never saw any sign of illness, to me going to the toilet and looking at the tank and finding him at 4AM like that...which I found odd as well.
Hello Matt, what would you recommend as precautionary treatment-wise when it comes to quarantining a new discus fish that comes from a new breeder? Previous breeder closed down so unfortunately wasn't left with any other option but to go somewhere new! Fish seems very healthy but I'm very concerned about causing issues with the discus in the main tank.
Discus can be funny animals when mixing breeders. I would start with a worming treatment to clear the new fish, then I would run them through an anti bacterial treatment. That should clear most things, the only thing is the cross contamination that can happen with discus. Keep a close eye on the fish when you introduce it, and keep a stock of treatments ready to use.
Say something does end up going wrong and you spot a sick fish in your main, heavily planted tank. How do you make the call to tear the tank down to get to the fish, treat the entire tank, or decide that either of those options would be too disruptive for the tank as a whole?
There is no easy way and there probably isn't a correct answer as you could cause more issues trying to catch everyone and stress the tank out. For me if it was one fish showing illness and I couldn't catch it I would treat the main tank and keep a close eye. If they started infecting others I would go in with the net no matter the destruction. But it is weighing up the options and working out which way is best.
@@FishShopMatt Thank you so much I was getting scared because I have a pair of betta's I been waiting on for a month from Thailand and my tank has been set up for 4 weeks waiting for them.
@@tuxedopitbulls888 my friend Alex b aquatics has just got a Betta and is quarantining it in the main tank as it's the only thing going in there. I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine.
@@FishShopMatt Oh wonderful there is no other livestock in the aquarium maybe later I'm thinking some sort of cleanup crew it's a 5 gallon so was thinking a few shrimp and snails your opinion?
Depends on the situation if I'm treating I'll leave it for the amount of time that the medication tells me too. Once the treatments are finished I will normally do water changes every 3 or 4 days to keep everything clean and as healthy as possible.
Should I quarantine a fish I got out of a vending machine in Laos? Yes, it is a live fish, not food. Or at least it's alive at the moment. It's kind of crazy. I've never seen fish in a vending machine before. I see them all the time in the markets, but this is the first I've seen anywhere in a vending machine. They come in little plastic cups. I don't have a clue what specie they are. They aren't rice fish, guppies, bettas, goldfish, or any of the usual fishes people get on a whim. There are several species to choose from, absolutely none of which I recognize, which means they were probably poached from somewhere local. As is the case with almost anything here, no one knows anything. The big trick will be getting it through customs. I'll probably end up going to jail just for trying. I have a shoebox which I use to quarantine fish. I just put them in the shoebox, and push it under the bed. I usually forget that it's under there until I hoover the floor in there (which I do once a year, whether it needs it or not). When I get around to hoovering under the bed, it will run into the shoebox and that reminds me that I have fish in there quarantining. After a year of being in a shoebox under by bed, they don't have any parasites or other harmful microbes in them, and they are usually dry, hard, and crispy, so they stay at the surface for quite some time.
So many poor quality Rams out there. Internal parasites are an absolute nightmare with a lot of them and to date I’ve never been able to cure that sunken belly
Yeah coming back from sunken belly is tricky to be honest. Lots of high quality foods and a course of anti worm treatment. Unfortunately some are just too far gone.
my tanks are not a sterile environment. I seed my tanks with water and materials from my local ponds. nature is not sterile why should our aquariums be? mind you I put all my fish in at one time and never add more to a setup. So new sickness ever enters after I setup.
That's nice and all until you spend £1k on some Altum Angels which then get wiped out because they've never encountered the pond bacteria from the opposite side of the world that you put into your tank.
I can understand that thought process and sometimes it's fine. There is a big difference between hardy pond fish and smaller more delicate tropical fish. The issue is cross contamination and also warming up colder water pathogens and bacterias can be disastrous as it's speeds them up and they spread quicker. I know loads of people that do it and have no issues but I wouldn't recommend it to someone just starting out in the hobby. Very similar to historical events when uncontacted tribes are met by other humans and suddenly diseases that they've never had before start to take over.
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As a newbie to the hobby, this video is so helpful.
Thanks matt
great video Matt all good advice
This is your bread and butter matt, keep it up, these videos are mad helpful!
That's great to hear! Thank you!
This is very helpful for people very new to the hobby. Its important to know this early on for newbies to remember good dos and donts specially when starting.
Top job and very informative again, Matt
Thank you so much! That's the aim of these videos!
Just got back into keeping a few fish. Must say, after watching a heap of you tube vids, the only ones I watch now are yours and MD’s. You’re both very likeable chaps. Cheers for the entertainment.
Thank you so much!
Ive just gotten back into the hobby after a many years break. Have set up a low tech cherry shrimp bowl heavily planted. Over 4 weeks this happened. My 6 new critters are in a week and settling in great. Thank you Matt for all your helpful information. I appreciate you
Thank you so much that's amazing to hear you've come back to the hobby!!!
Thanks Matt - been wanting a video like this for ages. Well, been waiting for a quality one on the subject for ages!
While I’m here, your production quality seems to have been knocked up a notch lately, too - we’ll done 👍🏻
I loved this one. Straightforward for newbies and experienced keepers alike!
I also love how large the shrimp can look when they’re moving around the bowl behind you.
Thank you! I did see that when editing and I did freak out for a second wondering what it was.
I love this and these kinds of shows. And the Fish files. They are just so helpful.
Got back into fish keeping during lockdown after a 20 years hiatus the technology may have changed but is refreshing to see the basics are still the same . Always have a backup quarantine hospital, And always have meds to hand spare heaters and spare filters as well as sods law says if something is going to go wrong it will be at the most inconvenient time .May be and idea for a video if you have not done it .Things to have on hand at all time as an aquarist
Thanks again Matt! You really have a gift for teaching. Lucky me! Getting back into the hobby as you build your You Tube has been ideal!
That's so great to hear!!! Thank you so much!
I have never seen a more timely video. Some fish in my current tank don't look all that great. I need to separate them for a while before moving them to their new home. 👍
Glad to hear I could help, sorry to hear your fish aren't well.
Perfect timing! Just saw fish with ich yesterday and treating the tank now
Awesome! Glad I could help, hopefully your fish have a speedy recovery.
And yes, I also ended up scaping my quarantine tank too. I totally get it: don't make it too nice, just functional. Now I need another tank.
Glad your feeling better and back at it.
Thank you!
@@FishShopMattquestion... when I got into fish keeping some 25 some odd years ago I was once was told a good rule of thumb is an inch of fish per gallon for freshwater and and inch of fish per 10 gallons in saltwater. Is there any merit to that or is it just filtration?
Matt you're such a good presenter
Yes Matt! Thank you for this!!
Keep up the great content 🐠
Thanks! Will do!
Hi Matt - alas we have no room for a second tank or the money to buy a second tank. Will just have to take our chances!
I love that background of plants🌱🍀🍀🌷
Thank you, Matt. This was packed full of really great information.
Glad it was helpful!
I love these sort of videos Matt thanks for doing them. I find them very informative. 👍
Glad to hear it!
Another great video again Matt!
I love how educational your channel is, great for new keepers and experienced alike
I appreciate that!
Very helpful...wish we could buy the NT Labs products in Australia, even the Maidenhead Aquatics shop isn't selling them online.
Would like to add a warning...even with cycled filter media, a small tank is very volatile...a bit of over feeding and the water quality sinks rapidly.
So great to have this explanation and reassurance re keeping fish for quite a period of time in a bare tank...and the trap of planting it!
Thanks so much Matt. Very straightforward without all the confusing fluff. Cheers!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video Matt, very informative and helpful. I can’t wait to see the new tank! Thank you.
Thank you, I'm excited for this one!
Thank you so much for this valuable information... I have always wondered about quaranteen... like when, how, and why.
I'm glad this helped!!!
what a great video - thank you for this type of content. Really useful.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I enjoy your videos, and I'm glad you did a video on this topic. Keep the good videos coming... ✌🏾🐠
Thank you! Will do!
I have some wild caught mosquito fish. Now that I've had them for approximately six months and they seem fine, I'm guessing there is no point in treating for parasites. LOL Anyway, I ended up with 2 males and 2 females, so I may go back and see if I can get some more females. I will be a little more careful with the next batch. Thank you for the information!!
helpful video thanks Matt
Thank you! 💜
Great information
Glad you liked it
Thank you for sharing your knowledge ❤
Thank you so so much! This is so helpful! 😊
Glad I could help!
Thanks for this video mate, very helpful! What heater is that you are using? And also what is that internal filter??
I enjoy this so much! Amazing content, best wishes to you and your future projects! 🌻
I’ve been waiting for this!
Thank you!
Really informative video! As a newbie I’d never even thought of a hospital tank until one of my guppies became unwell and I started to do some research. Poor little thing spends most of the day ‘resting’ on the bottom of the tank, breathing quickly. But comes up for food before quickly returning. No visible signs of illness and all other guppies are fine. Any recommendations for treatment or advice? Thank you!
Super Lastly! Hahaha I love "Super Lastly!"
Hahaha glad you like it!
Helpful information thank you watching from 🇦🇺❤
Also, my angelfish has one eye that is covered with fungus, I think. I am not sure what to treat it with. I tried Melafix, but it had no results. Thanks for the great videos, Mark.
Another great video. When do you think we will get another fish files i love those may i suggest one on a scarlet badis as i have just recently discovered them
Soon as I've got a couple in the works, I want to get a good group of scarlet badis but just can't find any at the moment. But I'm planning a fish tour soon so hopefully I can find some.
Quarantining here in Canada is a nightmare because there's nearly no medications available. If you're lucky you might be able to get potassium permanganate but it's really hard to find, same with methylene blue. The only readily available stuff I can find is shoddy topfin ick stuff with very few positive results and aquarium salt and stressguard
That's really interesting and very annoying. I'm guessing it's the types of chemicals that are banned. What about chloramine T or acriflavine those are good anti bacterial treatments.
@@FishShopMatt Chloramine T is available but as far as I know only in bulk levels for fish farmers. I think you need a license for Acriflavine.
They made nearly all fish medications illegal here without a prescription from a veterinarian, the problem is that most veterinarians aren't well versed in fish health and dragging your $2 neon tetra to the vet for a $120 consult and $150 markup on a $12 dollar bottle of medication is just not going to happen.
Not sure why they made it illegal. I think it might have something to do with all the people who were taking horse dewormer during covid or people abusing fish antibiotics. I believe they put the law in place mostly for livestock farmers. Either way, it's a nightmare for fishkeepers!
Oh the irony, I’ve just in the past few days bought an Alien Betta from your old shop mate, he has a parasite that the shop do now know about. I rang them the next day to inform them of the issue. I think he’s slowly getting better but still, the irony.
Oh no what a nightmare! As I said sometimes the odd thing can slip through, hope he recovers soon!
@@FishShopMatt he seems to be getting it under control bud, he’s much calmer and not scratching himself on the plants anymore 🤞🏻
Yaaayyy!!!! Thank youuu!!!! 👏👏👏
You're welcome!!
What medications would you suggest to use in Q-tank for salt water fish?
Great video, btw! Thanks mate!
Thanks for sharing. Does these antibacterial and antiparasitic medicine have side effects if put together? And what about deworming meds with feed?
Another great video 😊 I have a betta that has had his tail bitten. I've put him in another tank. I've treated him with Myxazin for 5 days, which is what the bottle states. Should I leave it at that, or continue using it until I see his tail starting to grow back? Being a newbie I'm not sure what to do 🤔
Great video! Two Questions: When I treat my whole planted tank, I use a soil covered with white sand substrate, with an anti-bacteria and anti parasite should that treat the water for any bacteria and parasite too? Please help. Thank you.
Forgot my second question: well, Nevermind the second question 😊.
Really cool fish.
Thanks for the video, Matt! I have redhead tapajo geophagus and really like them. I am wondering if you would recommend a general treatment of a main display tank from time to time for no apparent reason, just as a precaution? And if so, what would you suggest?
im so happy i finally found chilli rasboras in Aus. Have you had any luck breeding them Matt? i cant find many videos on youtube about it
Congrats on finding them! Unfortunately there is very little info on them spawning but most of the time it seems to be in blackwater botanical heavy tanks.
Can you dose different medicines at the same time (anti parasite and anti bacterial or anti fungal)?
Thanks mate ❤🎉😂😊
Yes
You're welcome 😊
very awesome video great job
Thank you very much!
Your 👍🏾 welcome anytime my friend Matt 👍🏾
Hi Matt, I'm wanting to change my setup, which has been running well for ago few years. The issue I have is, I have some good sized Jack Dempseys' and a decent size cichlid, 3 bleeding hearts and a Reed fish (I think). So what would you recommend I do, it'll be a day change I'd say.
Hi Matt, excellent content, I’m going to go get the anti bacterial and parasite treatment from NT Labs, do you have a discount code before I click order?
Thank you! I don't have any discount codes but maybe that's something I should talk to then about hahaha.
Hello Fish shop Matt, new subscriber here! How
Would you treat corydoras from Pets at home?
In that bedroom how do you combat condensation especially this time of year ….. I had to put a Iid on my 500l tank as it caused condensation everywhere
I have a hole new idea for my 200 letter 😊
A great helpful video I've only started a tank in the past few months and been following your videos for awhile now. Just a quick question a few of my fish have been flashing in the plants but are showing 0 signs off any illness and it only ever seems to happen after they do their mating dance? I don't want to start giving different medications without knowing what's wrong. Any help would be great.
I forgot to add my water tests all come back clear a tiny amount of nitrates 0 nitrites 0 chlorine and 0 ammonia
So flicking is generally down to an irritation but that irritation can be anything. Fine sand particles sticking to the mucus layer could be an issue if the tank is fairly new.
If they start flicking loads I would put an anti parasite treatment in just to see if it helps. If it's after their mating display it may just be they've dislodged a scale or have caught themselves in something. It's a bit like us when we get an itch really.
@@FishShopMatt thank you for the reply and that was my issue I didn't want to start adding medication without really knowing what it could be. I will keep an eye on them for a few more days to see if any other symptoms show and if nothing I'll have a good look at some all round aquarium anti parasite medications. Thank you for your help I appreciate it
How long after fixing a fish up in a quarantine tank do you leave before putting it back in main tank.
Thanks for that Matt. You didn’t mention using salt. I know you’re a supporter of NT labs but is salt an option?
Salt is an option but I've always found it to be a bit hit and miss. Also a lot of the problems fish can have are more tolerant to salt than the fish are so it can be a tricky one. I always stick to the treatments as they are easier to use and easier to remove from the water afterwards.
But I'm planning a video on using aquarium salt soon.
Can we do both treatment at the same time? Or those medication cant be moxed together?
What type of treatment would you recommend for corydoras?
Great vid matt👌👍✊
Hi matt, can you use the 2 medications together or use each separate with a gap in between medications. Cheers
Does the anti bacteria treatment have any effect on the good bacteria already in the tank?
Great video! I have some dwarf platys, I started with 10 and am now down to 3. They eat, swim actively ect, but they suddenly have clamped fins and then disappear. Any idea what that is and how to treat it?
Thank you! It could be a number of things as clamped fins are a sign of stress. I would test all the water to make sure everything is ok, if all good then I would treat. If it's one by one that you're losing them I would think more parasitic rather than bacterial so I would try a worming treatment and see how they do.
Thank you Matt, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your taking the time to give me direction. I just love that you know so much about fish and are willing to share. I have the meds and I’m gonna try that. My water parameters are in normal range for my area. Again thank you!
I would love any tips for treating fish in Canada. We aren't allowed to buy fish meds here.
I usually quarantine for 3-4 weeks without any meds unless an issue comes up. But with my most recent purchase of angels and rummies I've used a low dose of methylene blue & aquarium salt. Although it doesn't make for a strong anti-parasitic, its the protozoan & bacterial infections that I'm worried about. And together those meds are pretty good at handling most of the common diseases. I've heard rummies are quite sensitive and these guys were on sale so I knew I was taking a bit of a risk. Luckily it's been a few days without any issues at all, eating well with bright red noses!
Sounds like you've got it sorted! I need to make a video on salt to be fair.
Sounds like you've got a great tank coming along with rummys and angels!
@@FishShopMatt Thanks! A salt video would be much appreciated! I feel like it's not talked about enough. Since I live in a country where most meds are illegal, aquarium salt has been one of the most helpful tools out there. I'd also say that most species are more tolerant of salt than we give them credit for (many tetras, cichlids, even otos have been fine in low doses for me)
What effect does hard water have on planted tanks. Compared to soft water.
That's a good question and ultimately it depends on the severity of the hardness or softness. I find somewhere in the middle is the sweet spot but you can find a species to work in most hardnesses.
Hope you're on the mend Matthew and that you didn't self medicate with the fish meds😂😂😂😂😂. Very timely info.
A nice dose of anti parasite sorted me right out hahaha 🤣
Hi Fish Shop Matt! I have a question. I set up a quarantine / hospital tank a couple weeks ago after a thought I may have introduced Ich into my tank. No Ich thank goodness but still have the tank up and running. No substrate, plastic plants and a hide. Sponge filter and heater, its a 10gallon. I tested the water to see how my levels were looking and it seems no more ammonia or nitrites, low nitrates so easy fix there. My PH though... since there are no plants or wood the PH in the quarantine tank is 8.2! I threw in a good handful of boiled oak leaves but the PH has not budged. Any suggestion on how to get the PH down in a quarantine tank like this? If I put wood in there is likely to get contaminated or stained by the treatments right?
@Fish shop matt Do you sterilize your quarantine/hospital tank after every use? How do you do it? Tnx
I know that this is an ask which no one else will want to know, but because I'm a reader and love books, I want to know what books you have on your shelf, and which you have found through the years to be the most useful. Maybe it would be a good topic for a short? Also, are there books you don't have, but that you would really like?
A few people have asked so maybe I will do it in a live or something.
There isn't many I'm after but I may collect the aquarium atlas series and I would like a load more of the aqualog series, oh and the back to nature series. Ok so there is a few I might try and collect hahaha.
Hey matt how is the isopod terrarium doing ?
It's doing well. Seen a few babies so fingers crossed we get loads!
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If u were treating a main tank for bacteria what would the time scale be or would it be till visually better but at least a weak
Yeah at least a week, but once you have seen no signs for a few days you've probably conquered it.
@@FishShopMatt Thank u sir 🫡
If it's bladder infection do I need to remove the fish to a quarantine, or can I put it in the main tank? I currently don't have a quarantine tank, though looking out for something cheap on sale. We had one of our black phantom tetras die 24h after we bought them (we bought 5) and it had all the signs of a bladder issue as he was bobbing at the top, up side down etc, I changed the water fast, but it was 4AM when I saw it, so I just did a large water change, didn't have any tank to put him in, and didn't have any medicine. Sadly when we go up again in the morning around 7AM he had passed. 😢
But he went from being fine, we never saw any sign of illness, to me going to the toilet and looking at the tank and finding him at 4AM like that...which I found odd as well.
Hello Matt, what would you recommend as precautionary treatment-wise when it comes to quarantining a new discus fish that comes from a new breeder? Previous breeder closed down so unfortunately wasn't left with any other option but to go somewhere new! Fish seems very healthy but I'm very concerned about causing issues with the discus in the main tank.
Discus can be funny animals when mixing breeders. I would start with a worming treatment to clear the new fish, then I would run them through an anti bacterial treatment. That should clear most things, the only thing is the cross contamination that can happen with discus. Keep a close eye on the fish when you introduce it, and keep a stock of treatments ready to use.
@@FishShopMatt Appreciate it mate, thank you!
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Say something does end up going wrong and you spot a sick fish in your main, heavily planted tank. How do you make the call to tear the tank down to get to the fish, treat the entire tank, or decide that either of those options would be too disruptive for the tank as a whole?
There is no easy way and there probably isn't a correct answer as you could cause more issues trying to catch everyone and stress the tank out.
For me if it was one fish showing illness and I couldn't catch it I would treat the main tank and keep a close eye. If they started infecting others I would go in with the net no matter the destruction.
But it is weighing up the options and working out which way is best.
@@FishShopMatt Absolutely makes sense that there's not a one size fits all solution. Thanks for the insight!
Stingray pellets in the background!?
You never know what the future may hold hahaha. I keep forgetting to take them into the shop.
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Hi is a 25L quarantine fish tank big enough for guppies
Absolutely perfect size as long as it's not loads. But it would probably house 10 or so for quarantine
@@FishShopMatt thanks! 👍
what if your setting up your 1st tank everything is new your using well water and not using dirt just gravel
You should be fine to put the fish straight in and quarantine them in the new tank.
@@FishShopMatt Thank you so much I was getting scared because I have a pair of betta's I been waiting on for a month from Thailand and my tank has been set up for 4 weeks waiting for them.
@@tuxedopitbulls888 my friend Alex b aquatics has just got a Betta and is quarantining it in the main tank as it's the only thing going in there. I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine.
@@FishShopMatt Oh wonderful there is no other livestock in the aquarium maybe later I'm thinking some sort of cleanup crew it's a 5 gallon so was thinking a few shrimp and snails your opinion?
@@tuxedopitbulls888 snails should be fine depending on the temperament of the Betta, shrimps maybe a no go.
I wish I see this video a week earlier lol
I lost last year 12-13 Neons and app. the same amount of Rumy Noses, because of some sickness - a fish pox or something. Really not cool.
Oh no! So sorry to hear this!
@@FishShopMatt Thank you. But for a year I lost only 3 fish of app. 25, so it is now a way better. I hope there will be no new diseases in the future.
Conductors have nothing on you in the hand movement department 😂
How often do you water change your quarantine tank?
Depends on the situation if I'm treating I'll leave it for the amount of time that the medication tells me too. Once the treatments are finished I will normally do water changes every 3 or 4 days to keep everything clean and as healthy as possible.
Way do's fish get zwimblader
Should I quarantine a fish I got out of a vending machine in Laos? Yes, it is a live fish, not food. Or at least it's alive at the moment. It's kind of crazy. I've never seen fish in a vending machine before. I see them all the time in the markets, but this is the first I've seen anywhere in a vending machine. They come in little plastic cups. I don't have a clue what specie they are. They aren't rice fish, guppies, bettas, goldfish, or any of the usual fishes people get on a whim. There are several species to choose from, absolutely none of which I recognize, which means they were probably poached from somewhere local. As is the case with almost anything here, no one knows anything. The big trick will be getting it through customs. I'll probably end up going to jail just for trying.
I have a shoebox which I use to quarantine fish. I just put them in the shoebox, and push it under the bed. I usually forget that it's under there until I hoover the floor in there (which I do once a year, whether it needs it or not). When I get around to hoovering under the bed, it will run into the shoebox and that reminds me that I have fish in there quarantining. After a year of being in a shoebox under by bed, they don't have any parasites or other harmful microbes in them, and they are usually dry, hard, and crispy, so they stay at the surface for quite some time.
So many poor quality Rams out there. Internal parasites are an absolute nightmare with a lot of them and to date I’ve never been able to cure that sunken belly
Yeah coming back from sunken belly is tricky to be honest. Lots of high quality foods and a course of anti worm treatment. Unfortunately some are just too far gone.
First.
Hey 🤗
Please remind people to take out any Purigen packs along with the charcoal!
Love your videos
my tanks are not a sterile environment. I seed my tanks with water and materials from my local ponds. nature is not sterile why should our aquariums be? mind you I put all my fish in at one time and never add more to a setup. So new sickness ever enters after I setup.
That's nice and all until you spend £1k on some Altum Angels which then get wiped out because they've never encountered the pond bacteria from the opposite side of the world that you put into your tank.
I can understand that thought process and sometimes it's fine. There is a big difference between hardy pond fish and smaller more delicate tropical fish. The issue is cross contamination and also warming up colder water pathogens and bacterias can be disastrous as it's speeds them up and they spread quicker. I know loads of people that do it and have no issues but I wouldn't recommend it to someone just starting out in the hobby.
Very similar to historical events when uncontacted tribes are met by other humans and suddenly diseases that they've never had before start to take over.