Betta is shedding
lpbyrd
17 years ago
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lpbyrd
17 years agoRelated Discussions
Moldy Tanks?
Comments (4)Info on water mold. (or slime, or bacteria, or what ever it might be) AlL in know is that it occurs here in my water, and filtration (esp the diaton which unfortunately breaks down easily (vortex) and I am looking for another brand that won't.)(so far that has resolved it for me) I use the filter on my pre water set up as I have eight tanks. Best Sherry water mold Encyclopia Britannica Article also spelled water mould any of about 150 species of fungi belonging to the order Saprolegniales within the class Oomycetes. Many of them live in fresh or brackish water or wet soils. Most species are saprobic (i.e., they live on dead or decaying organic matter), although some cause diseases in certain fishes, higher plants, algae, protozoans, and marine invertebrates. The mycelium (filaments composing (rest one has to pay) xxxhttp://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/chromista/oomycota.html I am leaving much out, please go to link to see all. "Water molds were once thought to be fungi. The Oomycota were once classified as fungi, because of their filamentous growth, and because they feed on decaying matter like fungi. The cell wall of oomycetes, however, is not composed of chitin, as in the fungi, but is made up of a mix of cellulosic compounds and glycan. The nuclei within the filaments are diploid, with two sets of genetic information, not haploid as in the fungi." "Parasitic water molds damage fish and many crop plants. Some water molds are parasites on other organisms; they may grow on the scales or eggs of fish, or on amphibians. The water mold Saprolegnia causes lesions on fish which cause problems when the water is rather stagnant, as in aquaria or fish farms, or at high population densities, such as when salmon swim upstream to spawn. Other species of Saprolegnia are parasitic on aquatic invertebrates such as rotifers, nematodes, and arthropods, and on diatoms." Gteat link for algae and molds. xxxhttp://members.aol.com/casey144801/aquarium/algae.htm ..................... xxxhttp://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/biofilm/molds.shtml Fungi and water molds (and slime molds too) Fungi typically work unseen, like bacteria. We notice them only by their results. Fungi are colorless; except for a few kinds, their only colors are provided by their spores; the spores make bread molds colorful. The real body of fungi, their mycelia, are less noticeable, unless a damp spadeful of garden humus reveals their frayed gauzy cobwebs. A few familiar manifestations of fungi are not at home in water. For a start, there are no aquatic mushrooms or toadstools, because those large fruiting bodies depend on currents of air to scatter their spores. Also absent in water are the lichens, a kind of catch-all group invented to describe the symbiotic pairings of a fungus with an alga or a cyanobacterium. These partnerships were among the first conquerors of the land, the tougher cell walls of the fungus protecting the alga from drought. By contrast, there's no especial advantage for lichens in a water environment; instead, aquatic fungi are more likely to be closely associated with bacteria within the biofilm. Another terrestrial role for fungi that's minimized in aquatic habitats is that of the mycorrhizae. Just about every terrestrial flowering plant, including each species of tree in the rain forest, has its own species of co-evolved mycorrhizal fungi, which coat its microscopic root hairs and penetrate the very cells of the root. The mycorrhizae bring water to the roots and share with the plant those essential nutrients that only fungal enzymes can "digest" out of the soil. The "higher" or vascular plants originally evolved on land. When some of them colonized freshwater, they largely left behind their symbiotic fungi. The mycorrhizae weren't necessary in the aquatic environment, and most of our familiar water plants don't have them. Fungal roles in water. Fungi rot the wood and leaf litter in tropical water. The fungi that have been most thoroughly studied are terrestrial, but their ecological role in freshwater is important: fungi are the main decomposers of softer plant and animal tissues . And they are the only organisms that can oxidize lignin directly. Water-saturated wood is a suitable substrate for fungal growth, as long as there is enough oxygen in the water: indeed the powerful carbon-to-carbon bonds of lignin that form the skeletal structure of wood can only be broken down by fungal enzymes. (Bacteria can break down the cellulose in plant walls, but not lignin.) Those enzymes need plentiful oxygen to create highly oxidative free radicals in order to crack the powerful chemical bonds of lignin and cellulose. By contrast, without oxygen-- for instance at the bottom of an anaerobic bog-- wood can lie for thousands of years without rotting. Closer to home, the enzyme cellulase, derived from fungi, produces your "stone-washed" jeans by dissolving away the outermost layers of cellulose-rich cotton fibers, thus releasing some dye. Two of the main divisions in the kingdom of fungi are the basidiomycetes and the ascomycetes. Comparatively few basidiomycetes are found on submerged wood, according to a recent Thailand study. Though the particular assemblage of fungi was different at each site, most of the fungi in leaf litter that has been washed into tropical streams turn out to be ascomycetes, normal terrestrial mitosporic fungi, the same Thailand study found. These are the fungi that break down leaf litter on the forest floor. "Mitosporic" simply means that these fungi normally reproduce vegetatively, dividing and elongating and forming asexual spores, rather than sexually, by exchanging genetic material within the nucleus. In contrast to the basidiomycetes, a wide assemblage of the other major group of fungi, the ascomycetes, are more or less adapted to life in the water. All they need is some vascular plant material, alive or dead, either growing in the water, or emerse like the stems of reeds and rushes, or else to be washed in from the surrounding terrain on woody debris or even in leaf litter. The planted aquarium is a haven for them. The filaments of the ascomycetes invade submerged plant stems, woody substrates and senescent leaves. They secrete enzymes to break down the cellulose of cell walls, break down the pectins that hold cells together and assimilate stored sugars and starches. These decomposers serve as food for the primary grazers in the biofilm. Without passing through their sexual state, the freshwater ascomycetes constantly produce, at the ends of some hyphae, filamentlike or hollow spores ("conidia") that float or entangle or stick to new substrates. Eventually, if conditions are good, the ascomycetes may also form sexual fruiting bodies, in the form of a disc or a sac or cup that is more or less closed, according to the species, usually less than half a millimeter across. Then they can release their spores, which are dispersed in the water currents to fetch up on new substrates. Many of the microscopic spores of these aquatic ascomycetes are provided with filaments and gelatinous coverings to help them get entangled and stick fast in suitable places. The structures of these details are extremely various. So both the sexually produced spores and the conidia are distributed all through the freshwater planted aquarium. They provide mysterious subjects in floc to puzzle amateur microscopists. At the website "Freshwater Ascomycetes and their anamorphs" (anamorphs are the non-sexual fungal life stages) you can see micropix of ascomycetes species and get some background information about the group of ascomycetes to be found in freshwater. Yeasts. Also at home in water are yeasts, the unconnected, rounded, budding forms of fungi. Instead of forming a filamentous mycelium from hyphae like most of the fungi, the yeasts are constantly budding and pinching off, fragmenting and multiplying in small clusters of cells. The yeasts have a page to themselves in this folder. Water molds. As the biofilm develops, the spores of funguslike water molds (Oomycetes) will also settle on any suitably "biodegradable" surface that they are able to penetrate with their extending rootlike process and digest. The water molds or Oomycetes, Saprolegnia and its clan (the "Saprolegniales"), are partners with bacteria and true fungi in decomposing cellulose and lignin. In the aquarium, at the early stage in the biofilm's development, the fungal mycelia have few competitors for space. Saprophytic water molds can form large whitish colonies, especially on wood, in the newly set-up tank. But fungi have such a messy manner of feeding that they attract tablemates. Fungi must exude enzymes to decompose their nourishing substrate, to break down complex organic structures into soluble sugar units and other simple molecules that can diffuse through their cell walls. Then they absorb the molecular soup they have created in a microscopic layer surrounding the fungal mycelium. The immediate neighborhood of thriving water molds and fungi offers rich rewards for bacteria. Before long, as benthic populations mature, open space will be at a premium, and saprophytic fungi will assume their usual less important role in underwater decomposition, as symbiotic partners of bacteria. Ordinarily you won't see mats of fungal hyphae forming unless there's been a temporary windfall of degradable tissues, like a dead fish. Then the saprophytic fungi will experience a population boom. But fungi and fungal spores are a major food source for many protists, and for nematodes and other minute organisms. So the resource that sparks a boom is followed by a crash, like the population of a gold-rush camp. As a rule fungi are aerobic, but under anoxic conditions the Oomycetes can switch to fermentation like yeasts. There are more than 500 species of water molds, but that figure includes those oomycetes that inhabit the water films of damp terrestrial soils, such as the one that caused the potato blight in Ireland of 1845-1848, or the closely related ones that are now causing "sudden oak death" among native Californian oaks and Coast Redwoods and the East Coast canker of beeches. Most water molds prefer clean cool waters, but a few thrive in polluted streams. Most water molds don't tolerate much salinity. Thus you raise the temperature and add salt to counter "fungal fin rot." (But since the kingdom of fungi always offers exceptions, a few of the Saprolegniales are found in slightly brackish waters.) Oomycetes do operate like typical fungi in many ways. When a fungal spore germinates, it begins a budding process, building a branching and self-grafting network of hyphae. Throughout their structure hyphae remain only a single cell thick. Fungal growth is largely confined to the tips of the hyphae, which elongate in the water and will also penetrate cells. You can easily see that, in comparison to its volume, the network structure offers huge surfaces for nutrient absorption. That's important for oomycetes and fungi, for absorption is the only way they can "feed." The oomycetes are saprobic, that is, subsisting on dead organic matter and helping decay it. But since they absorb their pre-digested food rather than ingest it whole or envelope it, say, as an amoeba does, a parasitic life-style is a natural opportunity for them. When they invade living organic matter, we consider them parasites. Opportunistic Saprolegnia can attack a weakened living fish, in the guise of "mouth fungus" or "body fungus." Saprolegnia and its kin are the only group of water molds that can attack fish eggs or tissues of living fish. But are Oomycetes fungi after all? Freshwater oomycetes are among the "primitive" group of fungi that produce motile zoospores in sac-like spore-cases called sporangia --that is, if they are in fact fungi at all! Some aspects of oomycetes set them apart from all others in the kingdom of fungi. Their zoospores have flagella, which enable them to swim in water. That's not very fungal. And there are other very fundamental differences from the typical members of the fungal kingdom. The Oomycetes contain a unique mix in their cell walls of cellulose compounds and glycan, whereas the other four phyla of fungi construct cell walls containing chitin, (which is also the material of insect exoskeletons). That's a pretty basic metabolic difference. And since oomycetes spend most of their life in the diploid state (like plants and animals), rather than in the haploid state (like other fungi), some biologists are questioning now whether the oomycetes have any true connection with the fungi at all! DNA analysis seems to confirm that they're only very distantly related, if they do have any common ancestry. So stay tuned! There's more about the possible "kingdom of Chromists," where some biologists would associate oomycetes with diatoms and even with kelp, at the Berkeley website, www.ucmp.berkeley.edu But in the aquarium we still think of the Saprolegniae as fungi. Fungi link. A really broad portal to web information concerning every aspect of fungi is at http://mycology.cornell.edu/fteach.html Slime molds (myxomycetes). Slime molds only make rare appearances in aquaria. Probably just as well, since a blob of protoplasm that very slowly shifts from one place to another may raise alarms. Slime molds commonly occur in microhabitats where bacterial populations are dense. Decaying submerged wood is the usual substrate for the aquatic myxomycetes, but their common lifestyle is ordinarily in the form of microscopic amoeboflagellate cells that live independent lives, feeding mostly on bacteria but also ingesting fungal spores and algal cells. But then, at a chemical signal, the cells congregate, moving together to join into a plasmodium, the single, amorphous, slowly-shifting mass you might see. It's a whitish blob of protoplasm like a big amoeba but with many nuclei, which very slowly shifts about. Beverly Erlebacher's slime-mold post "What was the white monster crawling in my tank?" in response to a newsgroup post is archived at theKrib.com. Myxomycetes are more common in damp forest ecosystems than underwater. The Myxomycetes homepage gives you some general information but makes the merest mention of aquatic slime molds: "Didymium aquatile has been found on submerged plant material and Didymium difforme is capable of completing its entire life cycle under water. Plasmodia have been observed submerged in glass flower vases." In Veracruz, Mexico, the plasmodia are collected and fried and eaten as the untranslatable caca de luna....See MoreBetta - female, eggs, dropsy, or tumor?
Comments (4)Well, she is alive and back in community (hope it isn't contagious but needed space) Still active, and fed peas. Will try castor oil on pea again in case she is plugged up, but really looks like a growth such as tumour (castor oil a real purger). Only on one side so just think some sort of internal growth. Will watch, she is very active and acts and eats normally. Not bacterial I think or she'd be getting worse. I was wondering about being egg bound, but only one one side? hmm, time as always will tell. Meanwhile she is a happy camper in her big 20 gallon community. School of priscella tetras, with wood and large leaved anubias, low lights. New set up and have to say looks pretty nice. The tetras sparkle. Thanks one and all. Sherry...See MoreFirst aquarium for small child
Comments (11)Would only like to add that the tank of course will be in your care, lol. (I have an extensive background and too many links so you can email me at sherryazure@yahoo.com if desired) but mainly read up on cycling and maturing a tank before the fish are added. FYI: It is always better to buy a heater for a small tank UNDER watted as they can and do break, overheat. 50 is way to much for a six gallon and 25 would have been perfect (never trust sales people). If it is a great quality should be ok just have it at slightly under where you want temp. (I have dozens of tanks and many therms and all read differently!) Sorry but one should NEVER carry a tank with water in it.. stress not only for tank but for fish. Not a toy and the spot should be chosen for security (ie won't be run into, knocked over, and level table (never near heater or window, but indirect light ok). While small they do stress and break. RE going back and forth, slow down lol, (this post is old but still responding for future readers) plan and do it one step at a time. Do not add fish until all is done and tank has set a bit and matured. Plants are like fish, they need chlorinated water and heat unless cold water plants which those are not, and none live in freezing temps (the cell walls will break down). See below on amount of sand, really not needed unless you have rooted plants which are not always good for beginners (again need to know requirements of, light requirements, fertilizers so on)... get some bunch like anacharis, float them or leave some with weights on... and research plants for later as your knowledge and experience grow. Sand becomes nasty if there are not strong root growth to uptake the poo (and other stuff).. it becomes a breeding ground for "negative" bacteria is too deep and gravel vacuuming not done. a fine layer is perfect for growing good bugs which keep the water cycled. .......................... Then depending on the size (your original size is indeed too small for any amount of any sized goldfish)six is great) of your aquarium you select your fish and that will also affect the type of filtration, heater and water qualities ph, hardness so on. Example: You would not want a betta in a set up with the filtration as mentioned in above posts - the fins would eventually get shredded. A small box filter with valves set on low would be more adequate. Lots of plants as they love to sit on them, hide under then so on (one betta per tank). Cooler temp, small school of fish such as white cloud mountain minnow would be perfect for that size. (they come from Chinese mountain streams.) I would do species only for such a small tank and beginner to boot. White clouds are great beginner fish and there are other small schooling fish but you have to be careful as that tank is too small for more then say 6 really small fish. Priscella tetra is another good choice for beginners. (that was before I read the last post) with six gallon you can add a few more fish, some bottom catfish such as cory catfish which also like to school. See, what fish you plan to get informs you as to your tank set up (after you read up on which are good for beginners) and again sales people (at least hear in NYC) can sale you things that grow huge, or say goldfish with tropical so it is up to you do do resaerch. ........................................... I would also consider plants such as Anubias which are low light easy to care for if they can be found. If not even the beginner Anacharis (not sure how to spell) and other easy to care for beginner plants will help greatly with water quality, security of fish (they hate bare tanks with lights a glare (instinct is to be secure from being eaten) and be careful of being sold land plants as aquarium. Sand is not really needed for bunch plants (Anubias have rizomes and it is never to be planted) but a 1/3 inch layer will help to cultivate the "bugs" bio bacteria which is part of a mature cycled tank and the sand will allow a culture there as well. With no experience in cycling the beginner reason for dead fish is that reason. Adding too many fish in an uncylcled tank. (over feeding, wrong maintenance so on). If you can get filter floss from an (healthy) established tank that will help greatly (put a bit in your filter). Add a few fish after a week or so with plants so on maturing a bit. This gives the "bugs ie organisms) time to establish. The plants will help as well. (Look up ammonia poisoning in fish as it is a really painful way to go, burns the delicate gills.) When you add the fish, do so slowly... any ph difference of a small increment can cause shock and death (as well as temperature change of a small increment)... (There are a great many good beginner books on this, most of mine are from the 50's on up, lol and still serve me well without all the high tech stuff). I lower the lights to avoid stress, put new fish (I always get tons more water from the store) in quarantine tank with filter, heater, towel over end so low light (they are super stressed from bagging (I bag my own and never dump them in - scoop) and transport and stress results in lower immunity and disease)... I put lid on tank (or grid) and slowly with small airline tubing with knot in it trickle new water into the quarantine. Just a little for first day (again depends on ph of your water and stores)...slowly take out some and dribble in new and over time they will be acclimated and you can also watch for disease outbreak. Soft silk plants will greatly add to there comfort. A bare tank is a huge stress for fish. Well there is much more, feeding (eyes are usually size of stomach and do not overfeed) a few flakes (rotate with frozen or live, can learn about this later) twice a day. (smaller faster fish smaller more frequent feeding a few flakes each - that's it). they will nibble on bugs that grow on plants as well (algaes as well) to supplement diet. Again, as a child I went to the library and read for months and set up tank and waited for it to mature before even considering adding fish. This is the number one reason for fish dying or getting sick. And as your child grows older this is a great tool for educational purposes. Good luck and be careful of getting hooked! (it is a habit that can last a lifetime, lol) Best Sherry...See MoreYour Most Difficult Hoya?
Comments (72)Mitzi Danumensis is definitely one where you can take one glance at it and tell it will not tolerate drying out for a second! Right now, it's like a hysterical woman in a detective novel holding a knife to her own throat. "I dare you to touch me, I'll drop another leaf, I'm not kidding! Stand back! Staaaaand back!" My nerves are all on edge! Can I call in sick and tell them I have to stay at home and mist my sick kid? It kind of seems ironic to me that many of the plants that won't make it to you, would really flourish in your climate if they could just magically appear there. I wish they would invent teleportation already! Mike Thanks for the advice! I don't think I've let mine dry out (which is lucky) but I just moved it under the lights a week or so ago, so maybe that will help. It grows and doesn't ever look bad, it just doesn't seem vigorous. Kind of like a student that bullies would pick on. That definitely seems indicative of a possible light issue....See Morewoeisme
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