Fish That Keep Dropping Dead

[ksb101]

hello
i am new to this fish keeping lark and have been doing this for about 4 months and i have nothing but trouble. the tank is a 165 litre unit with a juwel pump and filter system. i have already had around 30 fish die in that period. i followed every rule so far no fish was put in the tank untill the levels were correct. then i started to add more fish untill i got to around 30 fish this took me 12 weeks and all the levels were still ok. then it started death!! i have started to loose fish at a rate of 6 a week. but i had not lost any at all for about 4 weeks then it started again i have replaced the ones that i lost with fresh fish but they just keep going to a very waterary grave
can any one help me i feel like the grim reaper

 

[-germ-]

i followed every rule so far no fish was put in the tank untill the levels were correct. then i started to add more fish untill i got to around 30 fish this took me 12 weeks and all the levels were still ok. then it started death!! i have started to loose fish at a rate of 6 a week. but i had not lost any at all for about 4 weeks

When you say you waited until the levels were correct, did you add anything to the tank during this time to provide an ammonia source?

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

Okay well here are a few questions that will help us understand the problem a bit better...

1) Do you have a water test kit? and if yes can you give us the levels of Ammonia, Nitrite, NitrAte, and pH?
2) What kinds of fish have you been trying to keep?
3) Do you ever quarantine new fish before putting them into the main tank?
4) Have the fish shown any symptoms before dying? (i.e. Clenched fins, discolored gills, white spots, gasping at the surface, etc)
5) What is your maint schedule like? i.e. How often do you do water changes, vac the gravel, check the filter pads for debris build up, etc
6) Any algae problems?

 

[ksb101]

Okay well here are a few questions that will help us understand the problem a bit better...

1) Do you have a water test kit? and if yes can you give us the levels of Ammonia, Nitrite, NitrAte, and pH?
2) What kinds of fish have you been trying to keep?
3) Do you ever quarantine new fish before putting them into the main tank?
4) Have the fish shown any symptoms before dying? (i.e. Clenched fins, discolored gills, white spots, gasping at the surface, etc)
5) What is your maint schedule like? i.e. How often do you do water changes, vac the gravel, check the filter pads for debris build up, etc
6) Any algae problems?

hi they do not show any signs at all before they die i have no algea problems the levels that show are ammonia is yellow 0ppm nirate is 5.0 ph7.0 nitrite 0ppm the fish in my tank are sailfin molly,dwarf gourami,swordtail,platy,pencilfish,neon tetra,danio,and catfish i always take the fish from their bag before i put them in to the tank but as i have not got a quarantine tank and i do partial water changes every 7>10days in which i remove every thing and vac the gravel and clean the filters in the water that has come from the tank.

 

[-germ-]

Symptoms?

 

[ksb101]

Okay well here are a few questions that will help us understand the problem a bit better...

1) Do you have a water test kit? and if yes can you give us the levels of Ammonia, Nitrite, NitrAte, and pH?
2) What kinds of fish have you been trying to keep?
3) Do you ever quarantine new fish before putting them into the main tank?
4) Have the fish shown any symptoms before dying? (i.e. Clenched fins, discolored gills, white spots, gasping at the surface, etc)
5) What is your maint schedule like? i.e. How often do you do water changes, vac the gravel, check the filter pads for debris build up, etc
6) Any algae problems?

 

[-germ-]

Did the fish show any symptoms before the death?
Lesions, not swimming straight, discolouration etc.....

 

[ksb101]

Symptoms?

as far i can see nothing at all one minute they are swimming and then dead as a door nail they just seem to swim around and then die they dont lose any colour i have had some babies in there and they lived for around 3>4 weeks then they just disapeared and i found them in the filter when i cleaned out the filter and carried out a water change. ireally dont know what is going on costing my a fortune to this hobby up.

 

[Fish2u]

"ammonia is yellow 0ppm nirate is 5.0 ph7.0 nitrite 0ppm" WOW ! ! then I must say your tank is cursed.

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

Hmm...

Who has access to your tank and/or supplies? Is it possible that someone could have snuck off with your water change bucket and used it for cleaning purposes? Do you use any thing like house sponges to clean your tank? (Sorry, have to ask as it has been done before) Any other possible contaminates?

Is there at least a half an inch between the top of the water and the cover of the tank? (I doubt that insufficient gas exchange is the problem here, you'd prob. see the fish gasping at the surface, but it's worth covering all the bases)

Your water conditions are good, so unless it's a contaminate my only other guess would be some sort of fast acting bacterial infection.

 

[ksb101]

Hmm...

Who has access to your tank and/or supplies? Is it possible that someone could have snuck off with your water change bucket and used it for cleaning purposes? Do you use any thing like house sponges to clean your tank? (Sorry, have to ask as it has been done before) Any other possible contaminates?

Is there at least a half an inch between the top of the water and the cover of the tank? (I doubt that insufficient gas exchange is the problem here, you'd prob. see the fish gasping at the surface, but it's worth covering all the bases)

Your water conditions are good, so unless it's a contaminate my only other guess would be some sort of fast acting bacterial infection.

no one can get to my buckets as they are in my garden shed and the only thing that i use to clean the glass is a tank scrapper that is also in my shed i have a 1 inch gap between the level and top i have spoken to a aquarium shop owner who says i could have whats called fishermans run which he discribed as you can keep fish for a few weeks then you will have 6>9fish all at once then you will be ok for another few weeks then it will start again have you ever heard of this problem before i need to sort this cause it is starting to cost me a fortune.

 

[rturn01]

Hmm what kinda aeration do have other then that... what fish food are u feeding em other than that ?? keep trying

 

[ksb101]

Hmm what kinda aeration do have other then that... what fish food are u feeding em other than that ?? keep trying

hi i have a air pump but my fish do not gasp for air at all and i feed them on dry flake food and frozen blood worm and some other frozen tropical fish food which has brine shrimp and bloodworm in it

 

[-germ-]

Any of these;

the following fish foods have been recalled due to possible melamine contamination

HBH Pet Products, Inc. Crab and Lobster Bites 1.3oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Goldfish Bites 1.5oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Goldfish Nibblets 4.3oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Goldfish Nibblets 8.0oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Goldfish Nibblets 32oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Goldfish Nuggets 32oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Shrimp Pellets 1.6oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Shrimp Pellets 4.6oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Shrimp Pellets 9.1oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. African Cichlid Attack 3.8oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. African Cichlid Attack 8.0oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. African Cichlid Attack 28oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Oscar Bites 1oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Oscar Grow 3.8oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Oscar Show 8oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Super Cichlid Sinkers 29oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Baby Bites 1.2oz
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Betta Food, 1.2 oz
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Color Enhance Tropical Fish Flake Food, 0.88 oz.
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Goldfish Flake Food, 0.42 oz.
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Goldfish Flake Food, 0.75 oz.
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Goldfish Flake Food, 2.15 oz.
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Tropical Fish Flake Food, 0.42 oz.
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Tropical Fish Flake Food, 0.88 oz.
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Tropical Fish Flake Food, 2.25 oz.
Zeigler Pelleted and crumbled shrimp feeds

if you have any of these products, stop useing them and return them to your LFS
source
http/www.avma.org/aa/petfoodrecall/products.asp

Info provided by the-wolf recently, though can't find original topic....

 

[ksb101]

Any of these;

the following fish foods have been recalled due to possible melamine contamination

HBH Pet Products, Inc. Crab and Lobster Bites 1.3oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Goldfish Bites 1.5oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Goldfish Nibblets 4.3oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Goldfish Nibblets 8.0oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Goldfish Nibblets 32oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Goldfish Nuggets 32oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Shrimp Pellets 1.6oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Shrimp Pellets 4.6oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Shrimp Pellets 9.1oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. African Cichlid Attack 3.8oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. African Cichlid Attack 8.0oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. African Cichlid Attack 28oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Oscar Bites 1oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Oscar Grow 3.8oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Oscar Show 8oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Super Cichlid Sinkers 29oz
HBH Pet Products, Inc. Baby Bites 1.2oz
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Betta Food, 1.2 oz
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Color Enhance Tropical Fish Flake Food, 0.88 oz.
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Goldfish Flake Food, 0.42 oz.
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Goldfish Flake Food, 0.75 oz.
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Goldfish Flake Food, 2.15 oz.
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Tropical Fish Flake Food, 0.42 oz.
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Tropical Fish Flake Food, 0.88 oz.
Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Atlantis Tropical Fish Flake Food, 2.25 oz.
Zeigler Pelleted and crumbled shrimp feeds

if you have any of these products, stop useing them and return them to your LFS
source
http/www.avma.org/aa/petfoodrecall/products.asp

Info provided by the-wolf recently, though can't find original topic....

hi thanks for that info but i have checked my food and they dont appear to be on that list
the dryed food is king british dry flake tropical food
and the frozen food is from the dutch select food company i really dont know what to do next i think that they will all die and i will have to start again.dont want to do that but that is what it looks like is going to happen