Hi again,

So sorry to hear about your frog. R.I.P. little guy.

I do agree with Michele that it is not usually a good idea to force feed them. Just too much stress.

I must say I do question feeding yogurt because I don't think dairy products are a good option for them.

Also, I would avoid using PimaFix overall. If your fish are ever sick, that type of product will not be helpful as you will need particular medications for each type of illness and PimaFix is a mild antiseptic at best which has not been proven.

* Can you get the tank temperature lower? Is that due to the heater? If so, can you try to turn it down?

The problem with stocking at the maximum level of fish is there is no leeway for error such as missing a waterchange. BTW, I would up those waterchanges to at least 25% once per week due to the high stocking because you need to remove all the various things that build up and are not eaten by the filter bacteria such as hormones, etc. I think it is important to get a set of testers for your tank to monitor the water quality each week.

* Could you pick up a set of testers? API makes a Master Test Kit that is often on sale and is cheaper than buying the testers separately . The dipstick testers also work but they end up being much more expensive and are less accurate. Most essential are ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH testers. I would really like to see these results and assess them for you especially the pH and nitrates.

If the spot was fuzzy it might have been fungus growing on damaged skin.

Don't rinse your filter unless it gets clogged and starts to slow down because you want to keep as much of the beneficial bacteria as possible. When you do rinse it, swish it in used tankwater. Never replace the media until it is falling apart and even then you will need replace only a bit at a time or your tank will cycle due to the loss of filter bacteria.

If your pleco was a common pleco then it is really a good idea to rehome it because they grown huge (I have three that are HUGE). If you get a larger tank later, then you could get a bristlenose pleco which stays small but will still be too big for the current tank size and stocking.

Do you have any questions about the articles Michele posted for you?

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