Disease specificly attacking live bearers

[El chapo]

Is there a disease that affects live bearers only. I only ever have live bearers die in my tank except for the occasional Walmart tetras and was wondering if there was a disaese or fungus or a parasite that targets livebearers

 

[Demeter32]

What is the pH and hardness of your water? Most livebearers really need hard water with a high pH.

Also, what are some of the symptoms your fish show before they die?

 

[Byron]

I am not aware of "livebearer" only diseases. But some fish are more affected by this or that disease/issue than other species. But the first thing you should look into are your water parameters, which means the hardness and pH. These are very important for all fish, with livebearers requiring moderately hard or harder water compared to soft-water species like most tetras.

What is the GH (general or total hardness) of your tap water? And the pH? You may be able to find this info on the website of your municipal water authority.

The other thing is tank size, fish species, and numbers of fish.

 

[Colin_T]

no.

It's possible the livebearers have a disease and the other fish don't. Then the livebearers die and the others live.

What were the symptoms of the fish dying?

What is the general hardness (GH) and pH of the tank water?

 

[El chapo]

What is the pH and hardness of your water? Most livebearers really need hard water with a high pH.

Also, what are some of the symptoms your fish show before they die?

The pH is a 6 something my water is relatively hard and the symptoms are sitting on the bottom and gasping for air it seems not swimming around except for when the tetras pick at them

 

[Byron]

The pH is a 6 something my water is relatively hard and the symptoms are sitting on the bottom and gasping for air it seems not swimming around except for when the tetras pick at them

Water parameters are likely the issue. A pH in the 6's is too acidic for livebearers. And, an acidic pH usually means soft-ish water. Until we know the GH we are only assuming, but it is likely this is your problem.

Water hardness is due to the dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium in the water. Fish from such waters must have similar water because their physiology has evolved to function in such water, and they use those minerals that pass from the water into the fish's bloodstream. Soft water species have the opposite need, for water with basically no discernible minerals, to varying degrees. This is very general. You need to find the GH of your tap water.

There are ways to harden soft water, but before we go down that road, you need to know the GH and pH of the source water, and decide which fish you want. Your tetras for example will be healthier in softer water, so making the water hard just for livebearers will or could be detrimental to the tetras.

 

[El chapo]

Water parameters are likely the issue. A pH in the 6's is too acidic for livebearers. And, an acidic pH usually means soft-ish water. Until we know the GH we are only assuming, but it is likely this is your problem.

Water hardness is due to the dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium in the water. Fish from such waters must have similar water because their physiology has evolved to function in such water, and they use those minerals that pass from the water into the fish's bloodstream. Soft water species have the opposite need, for water with basically no discernible minerals, to varying degrees. This is very general. You need to find the GH of your tap water.

There are ways to harden soft water, but before we go down that road, you need to know the GH and pH of the source water, and decide which fish you want. Your tetras for example will be healthier in softer water, so making the water hard just for livebearers will or could be detrimental to the tetras.

My water is hard and how do i chang the ph

 

[Byron]

My water is hard and how do i chang the ph

I very much doubt your water is "hard" as we [aquarists] use the term. We must have the GH or we are just stumbling around harming more fish. It is not very likely that the pH would be around 6 with "hard" water.

The pH is related to the GH and KH (carbonate hardness or Alkalinity). Without knowing the GH and KH it is impossible to safely deal with changing the pH because the GH/KH has to be "changed" with it.

 

[Colin_T]

The pH is a 6 something my water is relatively hard and the symptoms are sitting on the bottom and gasping for air it seems not swimming around except for when the tetras pick at them

Normally if the pH is below 7.0, the GH is going to be low as well.

Platies, swordtails & guppies need a GH above 200ppm and a pH above 7.0.
Mollies need a GH above 250ppm and a pH above 7.0.

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Fish sitting on the bottom breathing heavily can have gill flukes, intestinal parasites, external protozoan, fungal or bacterial infections. Or it can be caused by poor water quality (ammonia, nitrite, high nitrate, low pH).

Livebearers are regularly infected with gill flukes and intestinal worms and they should all be treated with Praziquantel as soon as you get them.

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If you need to raise the pH you can add some limestone, shells or coral skeleton to the aquarium and it will help raise the pH. Add one or two small bits and monitor the pH over a week. If it is still low then add a bit more and monitor for a week. Keep doing this until you get the desired pH.

 

[Byron]

If you need to raise the pH you can add some limestone, shells or coral skeleton to the aquarium and it will help raise the pH. Add one or two small bits and monitor the pH over a week. If it is still low then add a bit more and monitor for a week. Keep doing this until you get the desired pH.

I agree with the info but this can be dangerous given the OP. Without knowing the GH one should not start messing with the pH. I have raised the pH in this method but it had no effct upon the low GH, and that is more critical for hard water species as here. The OP must pin down the GH.

The other serious issue is the tetras in the tank. There is no point in making their lives more difficult and risking killing them by fussing with the pH. The whole chemistry is connected.

 

[El chapo]

I very much doubt your water is "hard" as we [aquarists] use the term. We must have the GH or we are just stumbling around harming more fish. It is not very likely that the pH would be around 6 with "hard" water.

The pH is related to the GH and KH (carbonate hardness or Alkalinity). Without knowing the GH and KH it is impossible to safely deal with changing the pH because the GH/KH has to be "changed" with it.

How do I figure out the gh

 

[Colin_T]

Most water supply companies have the pH and GH on their website, or you can call them and ask them. If they can't tell you than take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and ask them to test the GH and KH for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the test.

You should also ask what the test results are in, eg: ppm or dGH. They have different results.

 

[El chapo]

Most water supply companies have the pH and GH on their website, or you can call them and ask them. If they can't tell you than take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and ask them to test the GH and KH for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the test.

You should also ask what the test results are in, eg: ppm or dGH. They have different results.

Water company doesn't have a website don't even know if there is a water company .there isn't a local petshop so any other ways to figure it out

 

[Byron]

Water company doesn't have a website don't even know if there is a water company .there isn't a local petshop so any other ways to figure it out

If you have tap water it has to come either from a private well on your property or the city/municipality supplies it. If the latter, find their website, or call them and ask for the GH, Alkalinity and pH.

 

[Colin_T]

You can buy GH and KH test kits from pet shops or online and use them to test the water yourself.