When it comes to plants I am a terrible mother. Especially plants that are living in an area of our space that I never venture into. So these guys were dying a slow, dry, painful death until yesterday when I dragged them one by one downstairs into the main space. Now they flank the fishpond which gives the fish even more privacy which they must appreciate. If fish are able to understand appreciation. Or…anything.
This doesn’t mean that these plants will survive, it just means they have a better chance now.
Something weird is going on with Donna, the big white/orange fish. She’s old, maybe 15 years, and her orange is suddenly fading away. Her tail was dark when we first adopted her and now it’s light orange in blotches. Also she has blobby growths on her pushing fins (the ones that propel her) that look like…warts or something. Other than that, she seems happy, her and Mackenzie (the small red fish) are good chums these days.
Unless it’s nap time, she’s all movement.
the bump sounds like a bacterial infection, you can treat that with iodine. the color issue usually has more to do with either the diet (not enough carotenoids – the particles they get their color from) or poor water chemistry (not enough or too many minerals in the water.) irons produce reds, etc. you can test your water with a test kit to check your chemistry. you can also increase your water’s salinity (salt content) to about .3% to help prevent further bacterial infections. hope that helps.
Thanks for the help, Treyci. Her food hasn’t changed, so I don’t think that’s it. We’ve been using a different brand of water neutralizer, and that’s the only real difference, I wonder if that’s it. And one time, ONE TIME, I used waste control (which is what killed her lifelong pal Kelly, I think), and maybe that has caused some damage too. Stupid pet store lady swore up and down that I needed it.
Honestly, I think I agonize over this pond more than necessary.
it sounds like ick…that happened to my first batch of fish. i now use aquarium salt which helps a LOT! if it is ick (bacterial infection) you can try to treat it with a crazy blue treatment but its pretty hard on the fish…
yeah, i think i’d try going back to the old brand of neutralizer, add a little salt, and maybe try to treat with iodine or something like isn’t too hard on the fishies. and no – you don’t agonize too much, they are your pets – aquatic or not – you have a soft spot naturally for things that your nurture. you just want them to thrive.