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Round indoor pond project queries.

If you look at the simple diagram i made with mspaint. You see the red vertical tubes and where the 4mm itsy pitsy tiny mini hole needs to be drilled. I can assure you it absolutely will not damage the structural strenght of the tub..

The yellow line is the net creating a fence around the tub.. 🙂
 
Thanks Marcel. I'll look into it. Although for majority of time the net doesn't bother me and it's easy just lift it off when I need to. If I get a fence around, I might as well not go near the tank :lol:

I'll think about it though. I am more after functionality and then only if I don't sacrifice functionality I'll do something about aesthetics, plus I have two left hands when it comes to putting things together 🙄
 
I picked up some frozen bloodworms on Friday and Saturday morning I remembered they're still in the bag.

So the clowns have pigged out several times since to help me keep the waste down 🙂 I don't like forcing them to eat, but what can I do :lol:

There's the energy boost now in action 🙂

 
This evening it dawned at me that I never tried taking a video of the harlequin rasboras.

Their "habitat" is under the emersed plants at the further side of the tank where the clowns don't venture much. In fact the barbs, SAEs and clowns all stay at the opposite side. Scary harlequins I suppose :lol:

Here is the first attempt below. It is a bit dark because half the lights over the tank were already off...But the little harlequins are doing very well and are now all grown ups.

 
I did a stupid thing today 😱

I am just not ready to share what but the "stupid thing" was supposed to go into its own tank which is just housing shrimp..I decided it is a good idea to first clean up, do a large water change and also clean the filter...Well, the filter isn't working anymore.....

So, plan B and the "stupid thing" went into my betta tank as it was the only suitable one based on the requirements of the "stupid thing".

I'll just mention that the "stupid thing" needs massive attention and medication to even make the weekend...

I got the "stupid thing" for free from my local shop in the hopes to mend it. They had tried their best and it was hanging to dear life...had been watching it for a few days and it crossed my mind I'd apply my fish vet knowledge to try saving the "stupid thing"..

Now I hope my poor betta doesn't catch anything, or the rest of my fish for that matter.

The "stupid thing" is stunted and emaciated and in distress color.
 
Well, guys, the "stupid thing" in question is a very sick looking discus...

He's stunted, big eyes, deformed body, pinched above the eyes, triangle sort of body. He's got clamped fins, displaying the stress bars and is dark, really bad condition. I don't think I've ever seen a discus looking that bad and if anyone had one of those, they certainly did not take pictures.

Yesterday I dosed with a dewormer. That prompted the Malaysian Trumpets to climb above water line. I scooped them up and put them in another small shrimp tank I have. The betta has been literally throwing tantrums and seems afraid of the discus although the discus isn't much bigger than the betta.

I also tinted the water dark with some rooibos tea to hopefully make him feel more secure. I have a bag of oak leaves stashed somewhere for rainy days and now I can't find them.

Surprisingly the discus today managed to eat 2 bloodworms although he spit out majority. He's still looking the same as in the shop but for some reason is not acting like he looks. He's swimming around, spooking the betta and shows a great interest in me, coming over like a puppy. I don't know if the fish would make it and what I am going to do with it but my logic is that it was on a death row anyway if it stayed in the shop.

I did a couple of water changes today to remove the uneaten bloodworms and I had to redose the dewormer. I am not sure how much is in the water now but as far as I know its ok to overdose.

I know the fish is not in the typical bare bottom empty tank but that plan fell through with the filter giving up. I've ordered a filter but it won't be here anytime soon so the two fish would have to get on somehow.

Here is a blurry video to give the idea how bad that fish is. Yeah, I know he's shocking looking.



And the betta, who has been looking good lately, the fins growing longer.

BettaFishDiscus.jpg
 
It's not a stupid thing to try and say a fish. It can be quiet a challenge when you get a fish from a shop who don't really care about their livestock. Good luck on getting him back. They don't do good by themselves needs some friends when the fish gets healthy.
 
Thanks. Yes, I know they can't be by themselves. I am not sure what I'll do if he makes it through. I'll concentrate on his health now and see how things go. He's in really bad condition so no one knows how much he's got left really. So far he's acting curious around the tank and seems calm. He's not hiding which is good, and comes over to me. I probably walked in about 30 times today to check on him and he seems to like the attention.
 
Light is off but I noticed someone has made steaks into the sand, like a flock of chickens have been running around..lines in the sand all over....very odd😱

I tried feeding both bloodworms and NLS hexshield pellets just now and although the discus goes for them, he doesn't chew them and spits them out. The betta seems afraid of the discus and is now occupying the back of the tank as the discus has taken front position. It is even odd calling that fish discus as it does not resemble one....I've no idea what is its natural color..

What is the saddest thing is that the fish appear to be intelligent enough and is a curious fish, checking out any movements and following my finger...Sad life for that being so far...I hope I am not torturing it any further. I want it to start eating as it won't get better without some food.

I'll fetch some live blackworms later and see how that goes.
 
I just sat down watching him for about 15 mins and he keeps swimming about. There's a high flow spot that blows him a bit but he seems to have figured out how to go around it. He seems active enough for a sick fish so hopefully that's a good sign the meds are doing something.

There's a big peace lily in the tank that used to be planted in a plastic suction cup container on the side of the tank, which eventually fell off and I was unable to re-attach. It has since grown roots into the sand ,the crown is in the water too, only leaves are above. It's been like that for 5 years or so. The discus is fascinated swimming between the stalks and also picking on some invisible stuff from the roots.

I was also feeding the betta when the discus came up to check it out and poor betta looked like a cornered kitten, "hissing" back at the discus with flared gills. The container is only 80 litres so not big enough for them two but it's got to do for now.
 
I fetched a few black worms and I poured them in front of the discus nose. He did not see them! They're actually quite thinner and smaller than bloodworms. So that idea didn't work out.

However, every time I approach the tank the discus rushes towards the front. So I thought I'd try bloodworms again as he acts hungry. It was very funny as the betta also smelled the bloodworms and instinctively found himself next to the discus, both staring at each other. Despite its sick state, the discus is acting the cichlid territorial game, not liking company at feeding time, neither is the betta but so far no attacks.

So the good news is the discus managed 3 bloodworms, improvement from yesterday...I figured I'd try the smallest bloodworms just in case the size is the reason he was spitting them out and it seems it works. He seems able to swallow the smaller ones. So there it goes, I'll be fishing out small bloodworms with my bare fingers...as long as he's eating them.

Because today I didn't stuff the betta early in the morning with bloodworms as I did yesterday, he actually moved his lazy bum and ate the left overs that the discus didn't want.

I also did a larger water change and cleaned the filter in tank water a bit as I hadn't done it in a while. I replaced the meds and put some rooibos tea back in 🙂

I am also thinking to catch some cherry shrimp after the treatment. Perhaps it will spark some interest. I think the betta had wiped out the remaining ones as I haven't seen any in a while.
 
Kudos on you for giving it a chance. I did the same with a magnificent foxface 6 months ago. In its case it had flukes and worms that made it so emaciated that you could virtually see through it. I didn't give it any hope but it's made a full recovery and is fat and happy. I thought about moving it on but it's grown and me and was well worth all the effort, not to mention money I spent.
Hopefully you will get a similar happy outcome.
 
It just ate another two bloodworms. I am handfeeding it. It comes to my hand, how wouldn't you feel sorry for the poor thing witch such personality and will to live.

He is not looking any better though but he's acting as if he's ok enough so that gives me hopes, hopefully not false ones.
 
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Well,the fish ate 2 more worms before bed last night. I got up early in the morning and made him eat another 2 before I went for work. Tonight I'll try more,maybe i should get some brine shrimp too...and a water change.

Visually the fish is as dark as it was in the shop,so no progress on that front. Fins are still clamped too.
 
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