Dead Swordtail Fry

[BobRivers]

Hello,

I have had loads of guppy and swordtail fry over the past few months recently swordtail fry was close to 40+ noticed that they were dwindling. I had them in a 15G tank with sand substrate and a few live plants and bogwood. So decided to move them to my 3G tank which has been running for over 3mths and produced some healthy guppy fry. Over the past few days I noticed 1-2 dying every morning I only have 6 left there are also 15 guppys in there all seemingly doing well. After 3weeks I move them back to the 15G tank they are the only fish that occupy the tank.

Puzzled by the cause of death to the swordtails.

The 3g has small internal filter which is good enought for 60l

Stats are all good

Amm - 0
PH - 7
Nit - 0

Don't know if this could be a cause but the female parent of the babys Had what I belive to be some kind of fin rot, which was not treated quick enough (bought fish, next day it had pretty bad rot tried melafix but it died)

Is it possible the fry could be carrying some sort of disease and will not Live?

 

[BobRivers]

Anybody?

 

[luque]

competition for food? theres alot of fish in a small tank hope you find the answer so you can solve this problem

 

[dunchp]

competition for food? theres alot of fish in a small tank hope you find the answer so you can solve this problem

No idea. I am not sure that Melafix is an appropriate treatment for fin rot. I think Melafix treats the wound, but not the cure. I am not 100% sure on that though.

If you are stocking the tank heavily, then I would suggest that you up your water changes and add some oxygenating plant such as Elodea. Based on your description, there is no obvious problem and there may be something that you are not telling us (or that you don't know).

 

[kribensis12]

After a month sword fry are usually 1/2 inch long right? Well 40 times 1/2 is 20. So you looking at least a 20 if you wna thtem to grow well. If the filter hasnt had that capacity before, then when adding all those fish, the fitler cant keep up. So you would do best to move them back. You might also want to treat the tank with aquarium salt, it helps then heal.

 

[BobRivers]

Thanks for the reply I think best option is to move them back to the 15G as the filter Idea seems most likley cause.

Is there no way that fry can carry an infection from a parent?

 

[kribensis12]

I dont think it is possible for a parent to pass a infection to it's young.

 

[dunchp]

I dont think it is possible for a parent to pass a infection to it's young.

I am not 100% sure that is right Krib.

Certainly some forms of disease can be passed from parent to young, such as TB I believe and as it is reasonable to assume that the fry will share the same water as the mother, for a short period at least then water borne infections can be passed from mother to baby via the water they cohabit.

I would guess that your problem is overstocking though.