EEP! Algae eater turned black!

haydenfish · 03-13-2008, 06:00 PM

My daughters 20g has two chinese algae eaters, each about 4.5". One of them has turned black in the past couple of days.

Could he be getting a tan? I switched out the lights from the basic 17w kit to a 48w 10K/Actinic combo about two weeks ago.

Could it be chemical? About one week ago, I replaced the neon plastic decorations with some driftwood and plants from the LFS.

In both cases, wouldn't it affect both of them? Or maybe it just hit him first? Or maybe I'm just overreacting and this is something normal?

Thanks for any ideas!

haydenfish · 03-13-2008, 06:10 PM

Hmm.. just did a water test and my nitrites are really high, a first. I guess I'm doing a water change tonight.

PEMfish · 03-13-2008, 07:01 PM

Before and current pics needed here...

sasquatch · 03-13-2008, 07:18 PM

sounds like stress, new lights and bad water conditions, maybe screen the lights with a layer of window screen and do some water changes

haydenfish · 03-13-2008, 07:53 PM

Unfortunately (or fortunately if you like sleep), the baby is asleep and the tank is in her room, so access is out tonight. I did a 75% water change, and added some extra aquarium salt after reading about nitrite poisoning and the resulting "brown blood" condition. I guess well see tomorrow..

We have one of those baby monitor cameras. How bad of a father am I for wanting to turn it to watch the tank?

Thanks!
Mike

haydenfish · 03-14-2008, 11:21 AM

Well, it was either a temporary condition, or the water change/extra salt did the trick. I don't have pictures during, but the one sitting back on the wood was a solid charcoal color. I could barely distinguish him from the wood he was sitting on.

Thanks,
Mike

SubRosa · 03-14-2008, 06:27 PM

FWIW I would lose those Chinese Algae Eaters.Small ones (under 2") are great algae eaters but larger ones undergo a dietary change.They like to eat slime and scales off of larger fish.

John

NATIVEVAMAN · 03-15-2008, 09:14 AM

In exactly the oposite kind of story my sweety has thing for common gold fish.While in petsmart buying fish food one day she saw these common gold fish that were black across there backs and faces,not just dark but pitch black.They were in the feeder fish tank.She had the porr clerk trying to net 3 of these extremely ugly fish out of the 500 that must have been in the tank.I tried to pretend I didnt know her lol.I have to admit that 39 cents for three fish was a good deal lol.We brought them home and put them in the tank.Three weeks later they were solid gold,all the black was gone.They are still healthy and nearly 6 inch's long.My sweety who has compaining as a hobby is not happy that they turned gold.

naperenterprise · 04-12-2008, 01:16 AM

Yeah those feeder gold fish will eventually all turn....gold...

They will however keep the white in most cases.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NATIVEVAMAN

In exactly the oposite kind of story my sweety has thing for common gold fish.While in petsmart buying fish food one day she saw these common gold fish that were black across there backs and faces,not just dark but pitch black.They were in the feeder fish tank.She had the porr clerk trying to net 3 of these extremely ugly fish out of the 500 that must have been in the tank.I tried to pretend I didnt know her lol.I have to admit that 39 cents for three fish was a good deal lol.We brought them home and put them in the tank.Three weeks later they were solid gold,all the black was gone.They are still healthy and nearly 6 inch's long.My sweety who has compaining as a hobby is not happy that they turned gold.

03-13-2008, 06:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
haydenfish Tunicate Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 11 View Gallery Karma Komment	EEP! Algae eater turned black! My daughters 20g has two chinese algae eaters, each about 4.5". One of them has turned black in the past couple of days. Could he be getting a tan? I switched out the lights from the basic 17w kit to a 48w 10K/Actinic combo about two weeks ago. Could it be chemical? About one week ago, I replaced the neon plastic decorations with some driftwood and plants from the LFS. In both cases, wouldn't it affect both of them? Or maybe it just hit him first? Or maybe I'm just overreacting and this is something normal? Thanks for any ideas! __________________ 20g Freshwater (daughter's tank) 10g Freshwater Planted Only 75g Reef (in progress)

03-13-2008, 06:10 PM	#2 (permalink)
haydenfish Tunicate Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 11 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: EEP! Algae eater turned black! Hmm.. just did a water test and my nitrites are really high, a first. I guess I'm doing a water change tonight. __________________ 20g Freshwater (daughter's tank) 10g Freshwater Planted Only 75g Reef (in progress)

03-13-2008, 07:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
PEMfish Reef Lobster Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Kane Co. Il. Posts: 1,634 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: EEP! Algae eater turned black! Before and current pics needed here... __________________ Paul `EM My cichlid tank plans, or Piranhas...; See how it all came to be; http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...g-catchup.html http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...ets-ready.html Make it idiot-proof and someone will make a better idiot. I'll make the whole damn world jealous if given the money to do so. Don't make mistakes and learn from them, read and learn how to avoid mistakes.

03-13-2008, 07:18 PM	#4 (permalink)
sasquatch Brunt of all Jokes~ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: the very farthest west coast of canada Posts: 8,508 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: EEP! Algae eater turned black! sounds like stress, new lights and bad water conditions, maybe screen the lights with a layer of window screen and do some water changes __________________ DIY stuff for my tank stand, 100g tank,rock lift, overflow, foam walls, closed loop,lighting reflectors, 50gal sump, bubbletrap and sock holder, ato bracket,kalk bucket and reservoir, 40gal fuge, fuge lighting, remotish dsb raceway, turf algae raceway, dual pumped recirc skimmer, more to follow. Barb ripped my sig

03-13-2008, 07:53 PM	#5 (permalink)
haydenfish Tunicate Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 11 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: EEP! Algae eater turned black! Unfortunately (or fortunately if you like sleep), the baby is asleep and the tank is in her room, so access is out tonight. I did a 75% water change, and added some extra aquarium salt after reading about nitrite poisoning and the resulting "brown blood" condition. I guess well see tomorrow.. We have one of those baby monitor cameras. How bad of a father am I for wanting to turn it to watch the tank? Thanks! Mike __________________ 20g Freshwater (daughter's tank) 10g Freshwater Planted Only 75g Reef (in progress)

03-14-2008, 11:21 AM	#6 (permalink)
haydenfish Tunicate Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 11 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: EEP! Algae eater turned black! Well, it was either a temporary condition, or the water change/extra salt did the trick. I don't have pictures during, but the one sitting back on the wood was a solid charcoal color. I could barely distinguish him from the wood he was sitting on. Thanks, Mike __________________ 20g Freshwater (daughter's tank) 10g Freshwater Planted Only 75g Reef (in progress)

03-14-2008, 06:27 PM	#7 (permalink)
SubRosa Serpent Star Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 226 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: EEP! Algae eater turned black! FWIW I would lose those Chinese Algae Eaters.Small ones (under 2") are great algae eaters but larger ones undergo a dietary change.They like to eat slime and scales off of larger fish. John __________________ An aquarium is like a seesaw.On one side is your time and patience.On the other is your money.

03-15-2008, 09:14 AM	#8 (permalink)
NATIVEVAMAN Serpent Star Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Richmond va Posts: 209 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: EEP! Algae eater turned black! In exactly the oposite kind of story my sweety has thing for common gold fish.While in petsmart buying fish food one day she saw these common gold fish that were black across there backs and faces,not just dark but pitch black.They were in the feeder fish tank.She had the porr clerk trying to net 3 of these extremely ugly fish out of the 500 that must have been in the tank.I tried to pretend I didnt know her lol.I have to admit that 39 cents for three fish was a good deal lol.We brought them home and put them in the tank.Three weeks later they were solid gold,all the black was gone.They are still healthy and nearly 6 inch's long.My sweety who has compaining as a hobby is not happy that they turned gold.

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