A Death And I Dont Know Why...:(

[shimmyhunny]

Recently ive had a death in my coldwater tank and i really dont know why.

My butterfly loach who seemed fine was found lying dead on the gravel in my tank, his eyes had clouded over and he had clouded patches on him too. The night before he seemed fine! Ive know idea what happended.

My pearlscale has been acting odd lately too, she has been sitting up next to the filter alot at the back near the surface, just sitting still. She seems better today, swimming about ok. Is is normal for them to struggle a bit when swimming which their dumpy bodies? She always has and lately she's fatter and seems to still be acting like a bobbing golf ball. I just hope shes ok.

Is any of this sounding familiar to anyone?

 

[demonmagus]

I aint no expert but the plec may have died because it didn't eat (they basically only eat algae) and fancy goldfish do bob around quite a bit when swimming

 

[ITHURTZ]

My fish dont have any problems swimming ( 2 fancy's I have) Perhaps your water is dirty?

 

[shimmyhunny]

My fish dont have any problems swimming ( 2 fancy's I have) Perhaps your water is dirty?

The waters not dirty, i have a good filter running and i clean it regularly. It only the tubby pearlscale doing it, who is naturallyy fat, not the others.

 

[fishnterrapins]

i have a good filter running and i clean it regularly

Please don't get offended if you've been keepin fish 4 ages but how often do you clean your filter and how?

 

[ITHURTZ]

water changes to

 

[shimmyhunny]

i have a good filter running and i clean it regularly

Please don't get offended if you've been keepin fish 4 ages but how often do you clean your filter and how?

Ecery month like it says you should and i have a vaccum for the gravel and i clean the sides with magnets regularly.

 

[fishnterrapins]

Thats ok but how do you clean the filter pads?

 

[OohFeeshy]

Strange no one else has mentioned it but...

Tank size, water stats, etc. would help.

 

[shimmyhunny]

Strange no one else has mentioned it but...

Tank size, water stats, etc. would help.

The tank size is fine, its 21 gallons, i dont know water stats etc as i dont have anything to measure it.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Strange no one else has mentioned it but...

Tank size, water stats, etc. would help.

The tank size is fine, its 21 gallons, i dont know water stats etc as i dont have anything to measure it.

Not really if the 5 goldfish listed in your profile are in there... Poor water quality could well be an issue, especially considering butterfly loaches are intollerant of poor water quality and low oxygen levels (ideally they should be kept in a river setup with high currents imitating their natural environment).

 

[shimmyhunny]

Strange no one else has mentioned it but...

Tank size, water stats, etc. would help.

The tank size is fine, its 21 gallons, i dont know water stats etc as i dont have anything to measure it.

Not really if the 5 goldfish listed in your profile are in there... Poor water quality could well be an issue, especially considering butterfly loaches are intollerant of poor water quality and low oxygen levels (ideally they should be kept in a river setup with high currents imitating their natural environment).

Well to be honest my parent, grandparents etc have all kept fish of similar sorts etc and they think its fine, as ive said above many time the water isnt of poor quality and i clean it regulary, etc, etc, etc. Its also not as if he's just arrived in the tank, he's been there for months and he's been happy, he was fine the days beofre he died as well, it was very sudden so...i dont see that as a reason at all.

 

[fishnterrapins]

I would have to say I agree with Feeshy, goldfish are messy buggers (moreso than plecs perhaps) and in a tank that small with 5 fish in there, unless you are massively overfiltering or doing water changes almost every day or other day the water quality will not be of that great quality. Don't forget the rule is 1" of fish for every gallon of water and the size that your fish can (and will get to) it is only a matter of time before they get bigger than this so my advice would be to really think about upgrading the tank / moving the fish because its not a case of IF you are going to have more problems ... it's a case of WHEN.

 

[K.J.]

For five goldfish, you'd need 60 gallons, assuming you have fancies. If not, there'd be a different number. Goldfish are messy critters and they need a lot of gallons to spread out the ammonia that isn't killed by water changes or the filter. Fancies need a base of twenty gallons, and then ten for every fish after it.

 

[shimmyhunny]

I would have to say I agree with Feeshy, goldfish are messy buggers (moreso than plecs perhaps) and in a tank that small with 5 fish in there, unless you are massively overfiltering or doing water changes almost every day or other day the water quality will not be of that great quality. Don't forget the rule is 1" of fish for every gallon of water and the size that your fish can (and will get to) it is only a matter of time before they get bigger than this so my advice would be to really think about upgrading the tank / moving the fish because its not a case of IF you are going to have more problems ... it's a case of WHEN.

Well i wont be doing that im afraid cause i cant afford a water tester or that never mind upgrading a tank. Im a student in a small flat, only one room is mine, a small room, and i dont have any more room for anything bigger anyway. My filter works fine and i dont need to clean the water out every day. I vacuum it once a week, sometimes every 2 weeks depending on how busy i am and i clean the sides as well. I know all the rules, people tend to tell me them every time i post a topic here, no matter what im posting about. I cant say anymore than the answers i always give, i cant afford other equipment, tanks etc, i dont have any room, i keep the water clean, i know what clean water is supposed to be like, the fish are fine and healthy, i only originally asked how other peoples pearlscales swim and that my loach had died suddenly and i didnt know why. Thanks to those who actually answered my question, and thanks to those lecturing me with the same facts i get and see other people get on other posts.