Fish 'spinning' Then Drop Dead.....help!

[Tetradon Girl]

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Tank size: 300l
pH: 8.0
ammonia:0
nitrite:0
nitrate:0
kH:
gH:
tank temp:77F

Fish Symptoms: Fish suddenly start swimming like they are drunk and start wildly darting round the tank and spinning, within 4 hours they die, First to go were Congo tetras I recently bought, they died the week i got them one by one, there heads were distorded and sunken in around the brain, next to go were my Glass catfish, there normal visible insides turned red they started 'spinning' swimming like they were drunk then died within a few hours, then my Horseface loach died much the same way, they had red throats and then my Butterfly fish died. I have 4 danios and 4 Otocinclus which are uneffected and 5 Figure of Eight Puffers which seem ok, but now one Puffer is showing symptoms and swimming fast as in can around the tank and not eating. What could this be and how can I stop it, I thought internal bacteria but its just so distroying my fish in 3 weeks and I am so distressed.
The tank is fully planted been set up 4 months and has playpit sand substrate with heating cable, external thermostate and external filter. CO2 removed since problem started.
Volume and Frequency of water changes:
30% weekly
Chemical Additives or Media in your tank:
Dechlorinator and plant fertiliser
Tank inhabitants:
4 Danios - alive
8 Glass Catfish - Dead
4 Otocinclus - Alive
4 Figure Eight Puffers - Alive one showing symptoms it wont last till morning
4 Horseface loach - Dead
1 Butterfly Fish - Dead
4 Congo Tetra introduced 3 weeks ago

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):
Congo Tetras
Exposure to chemicals:
No
Digital photo (include if possible):

 

[CFC]

I've removed all the previous replies as it wasn't getting anywhere and was just changing into a whirling disease debate.

Whirling disease affects coldwater salminoids and nothing else so we know its not that.

You mention CO2, did the problems stop around the time you stopped using the CO2 system?

 

[DarkEntity]

Just a note, I thought Figure 8 Puffer are Brackish water, the rest of the fish you have are Fresh.....

 

[Ami]

F8s can live in FW as well as low end BW, that's particularly true if they are young puffers.

Tetradon - the water changes as well..... as the posts have been removed you might not have seen my point about your water changes. 30% per week is very high (should be more like 10%) and it is possible there was something in your water that caused the problem.

I know you said in PM that your local store tested the water for you, but can you remember what they tested for?

 

[black angel]

Just want to ask about symptoms if thats ok??

Do you see any clouding of the eyes or red streaks anywhere?

Also try and get a look at the gill colour inside, it should be a meaty red colour. Do you see any pink or brown at all.

Can you get a pic of a fish in an advanced state if theres any showing the symptoms.

Is the shop local to you? As the water chemistry might not be the same. Knowing your kh and gh would help as well to make sure its in normal ranges as your ph is quite high though not a reason in itself for concern.

When you say caved in, does the eye cave in as well and then death or could it be ulcers you are seeing?

Is the tank covered at all time? Do you use air pumps? If so do you have air fresheners in the room or anything strong smelling such as aerosols?


Have you added anything new to the tank around the time this started?

 

[WILDER]

First of you lost all the congo tetra through spinning and concave heads, well you could of put the spinning down to ph shock but the not concave heads.
Also once you lost all the congos the other fish start to show the same symtoms as the congos.
Well spinning can be caused by toxic or bad water quality but it still dosn't account for the concave and head deformiteis which i've never seen through bad water quality.
I would contact the supplier of the congo's to see if he has lost any of them due to this weird behavour, and ask who supplied and where they came from as something definately not right.

 

[WILDER]

The only way to stop desease is to quarantine all new fish as you never know what they are fetching with them, as most fish are imported and carry desease.

 

[millym]

hi
im no expert but could there possibly be something toxic that is contaminating your water as suggested air freshners,flysprays,do you wash your hands thoroughly (&r inse all traces of soap etc after) before putting in tank???any body lotion or perfumes on your skin??? anything in the buckets/hose etc you use for water changes??
im sorry i just dont know but as its different specis of fish affected it sounds like some sort of persistant contamination by something....but what i dont know.

 

[WILDER]

Gone through toxic stuff it could make the fish spin, but most of the fish would be at the top of the tank gasping, plus that still dosn't account for the concave head region.

 

[Ter]

weird.. maybe u got something toxic in your water.. that got there from god knows where.. do you use carbon? if not.. maybe add some.. or if its old change it..

 

[WILDER]

None of the fish were affected till the congo's came in all the congos died, and then the tank mates who had been in longer started showing the same symtoms, if it was toxic is should of started off with most of the fish at the top of the tank gasping, and toxic quality water still dosn't account for the concaved heads.