Dying In Their Droves!

[edfishman]

I'm new to this fish lark and need some serious clues on how to stop my fish dying. I have followed the advice of the fish shop but I seem to be losing about 2 fish a week.

Here are the details..

The profect is 6 weeks old. I have a 40L tank. The pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are all spot on. I took a sample of water to the shop last week so they could run other tests on it and they were fine too. Temp is 26/27 degrees. I added the fish slowly. Not feeding them too much. Some developed a mouth fungus, I treated with Protozin. Didn't seem particularly effective. Those fish died. Some of the other fish are starting to develop poor quality scales. I found a guppy dead just now (it was heavily pregnant) and there are no signs of illness/damage on the body. It was fine yesterday. I got a plecostomus 2 weeks ago and it died the next day. I currently have 2 red eye tetras, 2 rainbow tetra, 3 guppies, 2 rosy barbs and an apple snail.

I have a suspicion or two but I was wondering, based on the above, what people thought might be the problem? Seriously, I really want to make this work but much more of this and the tank will be relegated to the loft

Thanks..

 

[WILDER]

Can you say what you mean by poor quality scales.
Wrong med for mouth fungus, myxazin and pimafix.

 

[Gatorbait]

I think I know where Wilder is going with this and I'm anxious to hear your answer to him/her.

How do you know the guppy was heavily pregnant?

I in no means mean to talk down to you but could you please post your ammonia/nitite params instead of saying spot on?

 

[edfishman]

Well its the rosy barbs (male). They used to have a deep orange colour... now they seem to be getting paler and there are several scales that seem devoid of colour all together (its not white spot!)

I think I know where Wilder is going with this and I'm anxious to hear your answer to him/her.

How do you know the guppy was heavily pregnant?

I in no means mean to talk down to you but could you please post your ammonia/nitite params instead of saying spot on?

Sure thing..

Nitrites - <0.3mg/l
Ammonia - 0mg/l
Nitrate - done in shop. Was told ok.

Re: the guppy.. was told when no obv cause of death that stones get lodged in throat. Did post mortem.. found perhaps a dozen young. Alsas no stone.

 

[WILDER]

Yiou have a nitrite reading need to get it to 0.
Water change.
With the stress of bad water quality they have columnaris.
Myxazin and pimafix.

 

[edfishman]

Yiou have a nitrite reading need to get it to 0.
Water change.
With the stress of bad water quality they have columnaris.
Myxazin and pimafix.

With respect, this isn't the problem. The water test could well be zero - it wouldn't say! Less than 0.3 indicates safe levels so there isn't any point in going into more detail than that. When I add the chemicals to the water sample it goes yellow and matches up perfectly with the lowest level on the indicator.

I do weekly water changes of 20%. I think the problem maybe stress but I don't think it is the water. Will look into columnaris.. thanks

 

[WILDER]

http/article.discusnews.com/cat-02/columnaries.shtml