All My Fishes Are Dieing, After 2 Years In My Mature Tank. Please Help

[bagu]

Hey,

SO basically, i've had my tank for 3 years, the group of fish in the tank range from when I got the tank, and 2 years. The other day, I added 2 honey gouramis, the first first i've added to the tank for easily a year and a half. The tank is planted, mature and everything, so SO stable.

It's a 20 gallon tank, never had any issues before and now this is happening and it is heart-breaking.


I've lost all 5 of my rummy nose tetras, my flying fox was floating around and 2 of my surviving neons were doing the same, my Gouramis are FINE, they just dart to the top at bubbles but are showing NO signs of stress at all.

The water temperature is fine, filter is fine, oxygenation is fine, no added chemicals at all either There is one thing that I will admit, I placed 2 dead dry pieces of bamboo in the tank a few days ago

Symptoms are: Fishes gasping in the tank, but they didn't come to the surface.


I've moved my Flying Fox and the 2 neon tetras into a bucket, they seem to be back to normal. THe flying fox is back to his alert-self, the tetras have found their balance and look just like how they used too. I've left the 2 gouramis and BN plec in the tank, should I remove them?

Should I do a 90% water change?

Water results are fine, I don't know what to do, i'm genuinely clueless and really need some help.

Thank you


UPDATE, DAY 2.

The 2 Gouramis, 2 Neon Tetras, BN Plec and Flying Fox survived the night, I was told to keep my flying fox in the bucket incase anything did go wrong overnight. The fishes are all alive, so i've put the FF back into the tank with the rest.

I've noticed something quite strange, might be due to the constant changes for them, but when I opened the lid of the tank, the Gouramis went crazy, darting all OVER the place in the tank... into the sand, then just literally "sat" on the sand with their "feelers"

The tetras are also showing some erratic movement, maybe because they are the only two left?

The Gouramis seem to be doing the same, sharp darting movements, but not into any plants/wood/rock etc, so it can't be something irritating surely?

Water stats are now 0 ammonia 0 NitrItes 15ppm NitrAtes

 

[bagu]

I'm draining the tank going to do a huge water change, i'm out of options... this is so upsetting. Hope my flying Fox lives, love that guy.

 

[Silvertip]

That's a shame bud.

I hope you can get some stability back

 

[Harlequins]

What is your exact readings for ammonia & nitrite?

 

[fluttermoth]

I would suspect that the bamboo might have been sprayed, or come into contact with some sort of pesticide, by the sounds of it.

Remove it from the tank, do one or two, if you can, very large (leave just enough water for the fish to swim upright before refilling; don't forget to temperature match and dechlorinate!) water changes and see how things look then.

Best of luck, I hope you don't lose any more fish.

 

[bagu]

That's a shame bud.

I hope you can get some stability back

Thanks man

What is your exact readings for ammonia & nitrite?

Ammonia is at 0ppm
NitrITE is at around 0-0.05ppm

so I can't see anything wrong there at all

I would suspect that the bamboo might have been sprayed, or come into contact with some sort of pesticide, by the sounds of it.

Remove it from the tank, do one or two, if you can, very large (leave just enough water for the fish to swim upright before refilling; don't forget to temperature match and dechlorinate!) water changes and see how things look then.

Best of luck, I hope you don't lose any more fish.

I hope it wasn't, I removed it after a few hours when I noticed my fishes acting unusually Water has been dechlorinated as usual, and temperatures have been matched. Done 2 large water changes, the second was as you said.


The Flying Fox, 2 tetra's, 2 honey gouramis and my BN pleco are looking fine right now, I guess i'm just going to have to pray and see what happens in the morning.

Thanks guys

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I too would say steer clear of that bamboo, sounds like your most likely culprit if that's all you changed recently and your other fish improved when being removed.

 

[bagu]

I too would say steer clear of that bamboo, sounds like your most likely culprit if that's all you changed recently and your other fish improved when being removed.

Everything seems okay at the minute, have the fish in a big heated bucket with some cover & plants etc. My plec was far too hard to catch so i've left him in the tank, he seems completely fine; but i guess morning will tell.

Otis, my Flying Fox, is looking as good as before, so glad he is okay, so relieved.

I'll leave a post in the morning to tell you all how my plec (Oscar) got on, and how the other fish are.

 

[bagu]

Updated the OP

 

[bagu]

Final Update

Fish seem fine, might go and buy a few more tetras today to get my two out from hiding. Tank is re-planted etc etc, looking back to its old-self

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Good news.