2 Dead Bristlenose Catfish, Why?

[Sofia]

Hi,

My tank has been cycled for about 2 months and I've slowly added fish over the past month.
Tank is 160 litres
Current inhabitants:
10 lemon tetra
2 platty's
2 bristlenose catfish
4 khulie loach
3 angel fish

all the fish are juveniles

tank stats:

ph: 6.8
No3: 5
No2:0
Ammonia : 0
temp :26 degrees c

Tank has mainly a silica sand substrate and a patch of gravel. Lightly planted with broad leafed plants.

One of the bristlenose catfish died unexpectedly yesterday and today another, there are two left.
They all seem pretty active and lively till they die which is odd.

I feed my fish a mixed diet of flake, bloodworm and vegetables, they love zuchinni.

I've attached some piccies of the latest dead bristlenose catfish. It seems as though it has a sore around it's mouth that is bleeding. I do not want to lose my other two bristlenose catfish.
Any ideas as to why they my be dying?
Am I not feeding them the proper diet, there isn't a lot of algae in the tank and hardly any food is left over from feeding which they do not seem to participate in.
My gut is that they are simply starving to death.

Any help much appreciated

thanks

 

[rust81]

They dont look like they are starving to me. I have had a couple of bns die in one of my tanks over the past 6 months and have put it down to internal parasites. Have you got any bogwood in the tank? This is an important part of their diet and it helps with their digestion too. Have you treated the tank yet with any meds?

 

[Sofia]

Yes, I have a large piece of bogwood and they are always on it. I haven't used meds in my tank and tbh I really do not want to, I have had bad experiences with meds and tend to find that they make things worse rather than better.

What would tell me that they were suffering from internal parasites?

Thanks for your input rust81 I didn't know that bogwood was important to them

 

[rust81]

No probelms - dont dont how much i am helping to be honest. I have been told that a sign of internal parasites is long string white poo - however i think this could also be constipation. Personally, i have found baby bns to not be as hardy as others make out, but that could just be me. How are the others looking? Are they still feeding and active?

 

[smithrc]

looking at those photos it looks like blood coming from their heads??

It might be dur to fighting - are their fins torn up and scratches on their sides??

 

[Sofia]

The area around his mouth had blood coming out of it but his fins weren't torn and he didn't have any scratches on him.

The other two are doing fine, they are growing so fast!!! they are both active but I'm yet to see them eat anything other than algae. I might get some sinking pellets and put them in their caves so that those greedy angels can't get to them.

I am yet to witness the bn's pooing so I can't tell if they have parasites. The theory about the fighting is an interesting one, the two that died were smaller than the two that remain.

 

[Marshall..]

I have six young bristlenoses in a 350 litre with lots of bogwood bit worrid about them becoming territorial and attacking eachother is there anything else i can do?

 

[WILDER]

Signs of internal parasites are.
long stingy white poo, clear poo.
Being thin or bloated.
Enlarged anus or red inflamed anus.
Worms prutruding from the anus.