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re: rubbermaid garbage cans
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>X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express Macintosh Edition - 4.5 (0410)
>Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2000 14:51:12 -0400
>Subject: re: rubbermaid garbage cans
>From: "Ron Barter" <mistnfrost at superaje_com>
>To: Aquatic Plants Digest <Aquatic-Plants-Owner at actwin_com>
>
> Many thanks for all the replies received both on and off line to my
>original post below. This problem really has me stymied; in nearly 30 years
>of keeping tropical fish, I've never been so stuck for an explanation as to
>what is going wrong.
>
> Many of you appear to be using rubbermaid garbage cans with no apparent
>problems, so I'm going to assume this isn't the problem.
>
> Since my original post yesterday afternoon, I'm continuing to loose
>fish. Last night before bed I found one of my 4" SAEs had developed a light
>marking on it's back, and by this morning both it and the black phantom
>tetra were dead. I just came in to find another large SAE dead and a third
>one that looks none too good, though I can see no marks on it.
>
> The rest of the fish in the tank appear to be fine, though not quite as
>active as usual. This may be entirely subjective, but when given flake food
>they eat at the surface, but don't make it "boil" like they normally do when
>fed. None of the fish are breathing at the surface, except for the pearl
>gouramis, which is normal for them. Water remains clear and free of any
>particular odour I can detect. The tank is very heavily planted, and after
>recent losses, holds 7 SAE, 4 ottos, 5 pearl gouramies, 22 small harlequin
>raspboras, 10 dwarf neon rainbows, 9 black phantom tetras, 6 threadfin
>rainbows, 5 clown loaches and a female checker barb.
>
> I mix my RO water 50/50 with my really hard and slightly alkaline well
>water to get the parameters I posted, with CO2 injected at 1 bubble every 3
>seconds, which gives me a calculated CO2 of about 17ppm. I've double checked
>all my measurements and tests, and everything seems to be as it should.
>
>
> Whatever the problem is, it seems to happen fast, and only seems to be
>affecting certain fish, (so far) and not all of the same species (though
>only the older SAEs have sucumbed, none of the smaller ones). Hence my
>suspicion that something toxic has made it into the tank. I've ruled out
>anything airborne; the tank is quite well covered by a full wood canopy as
>well as a glass top. I use a potable water safe hose to mix well water with
>the RO, so I assume it is not causing the trouble.
>
>
> This is extremely distressing to watch. Any thoughts are welcome...
>
>Thanks again,
>
>Ron Barter
>Perth, Ontario
>
>(613) 264-8127
>
>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 17:36:44 -0400
>> From: "Ron Barter" <mistnfrost at superaje_com>
>> Subject: rubbermaid garbage cans?
>>
>> Hi folks:
>>
>> Does anybody else use Rubbermaid garbage cans to store water for
>> changes, or perhaps more specifically, has doing so caused anybody any
>> problems?
>>
>> For the last two weeks, I've been collecting RO water in the 26 gallon
>> green Rubbermaid garbage cans, where I mix it and bring it up to
temperature
>> before pumping it into my 100 gallon tank for weekly water changes of 25%.
>> Towards the end of last week, I noticed 2 clown loaches with ich, though no
>> new additions have been made to the tank, and all measurable tank
parameters
>> have remained the same.
>>
>> I did another 25% water change last night, and this afternoon I noticed
>> most of the fish in the tank noticably less active than usual, and though
>> they ate, it was not with their usual vigour. Close observation revealed a
>> black phantom tetra with a light, discoloured or washed out patch on one
>> side from the lateral line to dorsal fin, and a threadfin rainbow
gasping at
>> the surface. I've changed nothing in the tank except the water, and am
>> concerned that the plastic garbage cans are leaching something toxic into
>> the water. I filled and drained the cans for several months before using
>> them, but now am wondering if this wasn't enough.
>>
>> Tank parameters as follows: pH 7.1 - 7.2, kH 7, gH 10, temp. 78,
>> nitrates 5ppm, iron detectable but under .1 ppm, no detectable
phosphates or
>> ammonia. Water is clear and plants are doing very well
>>
>> Any ideas? Who else uses these in a similar fashion safely, or should I
>> be looking for some other means of storage? Or am I missing something?.
>>
>> TIA,
>>
>> Ron Barter
>> Perth, Ontario
>>
>> (613) 264-8127
>>
>> ------------------------------
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