# Brownish spot on Yellow Labs fins



## andyman210 (Sep 14, 2011)

Notice the brown spots on the fins, it didn't always have these, I noticed it today, it's a newish tank, probably had fish in it for 3~weeks, ammonia levels are not zero ~.5ppm, it's a 305 liter tank and I've done 60 liter water changes for the past 3 days. I don't have a nitrite/nitrate tests yet they'll be here Friday along with some API Stress Zyme to help the filter along (if you need those at this point).
This is what's in the tank:
4 x Cyphotilapia frontosa
4 x Tropheus duboisi
2 x Pseudotropheus msuli - "Aceii"
1 x Labidochromis caeruleus - "Electric Yellow"
1 x Cytocara moori - "Blue Dolphin"
1 x Lamprologus speciosus
1 x Altolamprologus calvus
1 x Iodotropheus sprengerae - "Rusty Cichlid"
1 x Neolamprologus brichardi - "Princess Cichlid"
1 x Sturisoma barbatum - "Long Nose Whiptail Catfish"
1 x Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps
Probably going to get rid of the malawi cichlids so shhhhhhh 

Also there is very minimal if not any fighting and all the fish appear to be eating fine and are active, including the Yellow Lab in question.

Thanks for your help

Andrew.

Picture BELOW as this is my first post >:|


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## andyman210 (Sep 14, 2011)




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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

On the tail fins? It may be just part of the fish's natural coloring. Sometimes fish will get dark spots because of a minor bump or injury and they can also get dark spots from eating too much spirulina. If the fish is eating and swimming normally then I would just continue to watch it but I don't think you need to worry about it.

I would continue to do daily or every other day partial water changes on the tank using a good quality dechlorinator. Feed sparingly for the next several weeks.

Robin


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## andyman210 (Sep 14, 2011)

Thanks Robin, will do.


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## andyman210 (Sep 14, 2011)

Hmm, nitrite levels are high... I'm going to start doing major daily water changes to try and reduce it... Adding API Stress Zyme with each change.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

If you can get your hands on some Seachem Prime or Amquel Plus they both will detoxify nitrite--not sure if the stress z will. 
You can also add aquarium salt, (sodium chloride) at the rate of 1-2 teaspoons per ten gallons to detoxify nitrite. Dissolve it first and add it gradually over several hours time. If you do water changes replace the salt that was removed only.

Robin


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## andyman210 (Sep 14, 2011)

Sigh, I'm battling with greenish/milky cloudy water, I chucked some magiclear in it and it cleared it up for a day or two but the water is just so cloudy now. I'm doing water changes as best I can, I'm going to leave the aquarium lights off for a couple of days to see if that helps the problem (potentially an algae bloom). In the next couple of weeks I'll be getting my hands on a 150ish liter drum so I can properly age the water before I do changes. Until then I'm stuck doing measly 40 liter changes... Am I doing something wrong here? I am just so frustrated, I've put so much time, effort and money into this setup and I'm yet to reap any real reward :\ I suppose I'm just a little disheartened, any suggestions would be muchly helpful.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Be careful with additives, they might cause more problems than they cure.

Green water is an algae bloom. Less light and less nutrients will help. What are the test results for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? In this case you would worry about the nitrate more than the others.

Milky water is a bacteria bloom. In this case you would worry about the ammonia and nitrite more than the others.

Why does the lack of a tank limit the size of your water changes? Why would you want to age your water?


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## andyman210 (Sep 14, 2011)

The water is green, so algae bloom.
Last time I checked nitrate was 20ppm, nitrite was 4ppm >:|
I'm using Aqua Master Rift Lake Conditioning Salts at 1 teaspoon per 40 liters. I don't think I'll use anymore of the Magiclear... Also using Nutrifin conditioner and API Stress Zyme.
I can't do larger water changes because I don't have anything to preheat the water in "ageing" is probably a misleading term.


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## andyman210 (Sep 14, 2011)

oh and pH is 7.8 and ammonia is .5ppm


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## andyman210 (Sep 14, 2011)

Okay, so I just tested the water; pH: 7.9, Ammonia: 0-0.25ppm, Nitrite: 2-5ppm, Nitrate: 20ppm, Hardness: 14 degrees.

Looks good except for the nitrite  and the obvious green colouring. Should I just buy something to kill the algae and something the neutralise the nitrite?


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Not sure what products are available to you in Australia but you want a dechlorinator that states it removes ammonia and detoxifys nitrite. High nitrite is a serious problem for your fish so you want to address that as well as you can. Adding regular table salt, (sodium chloride) at the rate of 1-2 teaspoons per ten gallons will help detoxify nitrite. Ideally you want the salt to have no additives.

I would NOT use anything to get rid of the algae. If it's an algae bloom, (as opposed to being an bacteria bloom--whitish color), then it won't hurt your fish. Do a really thorough gravel siphoning and small daily partial water changes to get the algae bloom under control. Feed very sparingly for the next several weeks. 
If you can get hold of a diatom filter that will help with the algae bloom. Frequent rinsing of your media--the fuzzy media in the filter--may also help get the algae bloom under control --just make sure you rinse it in a bucket of declorinated water. 

Robin


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Robin said:


> I would NOT use anything to get rid of the algae


I agree with this, it is what I was trying to say above. Fix the cause instead of treating the symptom. Easier, cheaper and healthier for everyone involved.


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## andyman210 (Sep 14, 2011)

Thanks for the advise guys, I'll try and get my hands on some SeaChem Prime.


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## andyman210 (Sep 14, 2011)

LFS didn't have any SeaChem Prime, so I'll have to order that later, in the mean time I got some of the API Nitra-Zorb. I hope this will help.


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## andyman210 (Sep 14, 2011)

And should I add the aquarium salt along with my rift lake salts? Or just the aquarium salt?


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## Tim54321 (Aug 30, 2011)

just to throw this out there, but if u live in syd checkout majestic aquariums in taren point, iv been going there for awhile now and its prob the best in sydney by far, they are vry helpfull and can assist with ur problems =)


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## andyman210 (Sep 14, 2011)

Sorry man, Melbournian.


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## andyman210 (Sep 14, 2011)

Got some SeaChem Prime, putting in 4 lids for the 305 litres. Also first mortality  my Blue Dolphin managed to jump through a small gap in the lid of the tank .


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## woaisqt (Oct 8, 2011)

Do not need to worry too much about it


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