Dead fish!

[Bala_Goddess]

Alright. I've been having issues with my tank since about April 28. I do water tests EVERY week, to ensure everything is fine in my tank. When I notice a dead fish, I do the same. My water parameters are totally perfect My water is 79 degrees F. I'm doing water changes every Sunday, I'm doing about 15-20% for the first three sundays and the end of the month I do a 30-35% water change and gravel clean. Chemicals I'm using ONLY Aqua Clear and Cycle. Fish I keep in my tank are:

15 Rainbow fish (reds, thred fin, banded, yellow, neon blue dwarfs)
4 Bala Sharks
10 Tiger Bards
4 Kribensis
2 Blue Rams
5 Rasboras
3 Clown Loachs
1 Gold Nugget Pleco
8 Apistogramma viejitas

My tank is 100 US. Gallon and the most recent fish were the last pair of veigitas. Everything was getting alone in my tank, until I added the viegitas in. The Barbs were even schooling with the balas. My tank is HEAVILY planted, with lots of hiding spots. When I came home from work last night, 2 balas and 1 rainbow was killed. It almost looks like the slime coat is being sucked off, its really odd. The breeder I got the veigitas from, said that they were breeding. Now could it be them, or could it be someone else? I'm at wits end with this and I'm almost wanting to give up. Please Help.

 

[LittleFish]

I know how you feel, I am very new to keeping fish myself. I lost my first fish yesterday. I tested the water for all the usuall, amonia, nitrite and nitrate but all where okay apart from a slighlty raised pH. I couldn't understand it.

However, after a visit to my lfs, I think I may have the answer. I had plenty of shells in the tank, which I bought especially for the tank. I was told that these may be slowly breaking down and in the process killing the fish. I have since removed them, carried out a 25% water change and am hoping for the best. I know this may not be the answer in your case, but it is worth noting that something as simple as decorating the tank can have such an effect. Apparently, shells are best left for marine tanks! I hope you find your answer soon.

LittleFish

 

[Bala_Goddess]

I'm not that upset that I lost fish, because I've lost a few before. What ticks me off the most is that I work at a pet store and I've been doing everything that I've been trained to do. When I called the breeder today, he told me that he wasn't sure why my viejitas were acting this way. When he had them, they didn't bother at all. I've been keeping them with the same type that he kept. Ticks me off and this is driving me mental.

UGH!!! My Fish Supervisor doesn't even really know why. His only comment was "you shouldn't have bought all four pairs" UGH!

 

[wetwetwet]

The dwarf cichlids are considered safe for a community (though I've never kept them (but considering ))

....but being ccichlids they still need their space (especially when breeding), 4 pairs and the kribs could have caused some territory disputes - though I'd have thought they'd have taken it out on each other and not other tankmates

 

[Bala_Goddess]

What I've noticed is that the veigitas are hiding behind the cork work, which is silconed to the back of the tank. Which does give them a hiding place, my pleco and clown loachs even hide out there. The kribs and rams are hanging out together, thats why I'm just so totally confused.. Tank has live plants ALL over the place, drift wood and some rocks. They are hiding spots, I'm just confused. I feel slightly stupid, because I work with fish all day and I can't even figure this out.

 

[angel__girl2002]

hey, not many peeps on here eh?
well, I'm 16 and I have a massive aquarium, it hold like over 200 gallons, it's good a solid oak case that goes around it. It's awsome

 

[Pufferpack]

Just a thought, but could the Barbs have tormented the poor guys to death, and then the Gold nugget sucked the slime off them post-mortem..eewwwww

 

[ostrow]

Puffer that's what I'm thinking.

That, plus even for a 100 G you seem to be pushing the numbers limit pretty hard, too.

What you haven't said is, how established is the tank? How long have the fish been in, and how long between the last additions and the cichlids? All of this is important information.

It is of course possible too that the cichlids brought in some sort of parasite that affected the others. So you could unfortunately be in for more.

But how long has this tank been in existence?

 

[Angel Lady]

those tiger barbs are good for that I think they pick on everything I wouldnt buy one for that reason I would agree with pufferpack in order to really find out I would get a tank divider and put the barbs on one side for a while just to see if you still have the problem.

 

[Kryten]

Sounds like a case of MFD