Harlequin Rasboara dying one by one...

[Meeko]

when did the last rasbora die?

The remaining rasboras that are swimming up and down the glass are trying to school with their reflection. When things have been good for a few weeks you can get them some mates to hang out with but not for a couple of weeks.

I would give them a small amount of dry food each day but not too much. Monitor them after you feed them and see if they breath heavily, they shouldn't.

Just back from the LFS...

I relayed the info, showed the pics etc. Basically they had no idea why they died which could be fair enough. They tested my water and got the same results as I did. I went and had a look at the tank they were housed in and there was barely any left! When I got them on Thursday the tank was jam packed with them today at a guess there was about 10. Of course it could just be sales but it may not be. I took a picture on the sly which I will post up after dinner. Food for thought....maybe there was an issue..or they are in quarantine.. who knows but it has made me slightly suspiscous(sic).

They offered to replace the value of the fish, I said I didn't want to add anymore at the minute so they gave me store credit on a card.

 

[Meeko]

Another wee update...

All 3 of the Harlequin are still doing great and look healthy, now been over 48 hours since the last death..touch wood as it is still early doors but early signs are good

 

[Meeko]

Another day and no casualties!

 

[Meeko]

Spoke to soon, another has just went, he was fine literally 20 minutes ago, now he's gone. Showing no physical signs. So confused.

 

[Colin_T]

crap

Either the carbon is full or they have something else going on. This reminds me of some fish we got from Asia that were addicted to medication and when we put them in clean water they died. We had to treat them at half strength and wean them off it. However, I don't recommend that unless you know the fish are drug addicts.

You could try doing another water change and maybe replace the carbon. Remove the ornaments too, but leave the plants. Put the ornaments (wood and rock) in a bucket of tap water for a few weeks, change the water each day. See if the fish die without the wood and rock in there.

 

[Meeko]

crap

Either the carbon is full or they have something else going on. This reminds me of some fish we got from Asia that were addicted to medication and when we put them in clean water they died. We had to treat them at half strength and wean them off it. However, I don't recommend that unless you know the fish are drug addicts.

You could try doing another water change and maybe replace the carbon. Remove the ornaments too, but leave the plants. Put the ornaments (wood and rock) in a bucket of tap water for a few weeks, change the water each day. See if the fish die without the wood and rock in there.

This one showed zero symptoms, he was literally fine one minute, I turned round to watch a program on tv for 20 minutes went back and looked and he was gone. Makes zero sense. There was no redness or anything like the others.

I'm honestly thinking it was a bad batch of Harlequins the store got. I don't think there is anything wrong with my water or anything like that. I am tempted to get different fish if these do eventually die out, see how they go, that will I will know for certain whether its the store/bad batch or its something to do with my tank.

 

[Colin_T]

That would be my thought too, if all the harlequins die, do a water change on the tank, wait 24 hours and add 5 or 6 neons or small peaceful barbs and see how they do.

 

[seangee]

I have no experience of this but someone once told me about a parasite which is not a prolific breeder but will seek out a new host once it has killed its current one, thereby systematically wiping out an entire tank over a period of several weeks or even months.

Does this ring any bells for anyone. If such a thing does indeed exist I wouldn't get new fish until the cause is identified and eliminated.

 

[Colin_T]

There are no common aquarium fish parasites that do that.

Typical fish parasites are protozoans that infect any and all fish in the tank. Whitespot & velvet are two common fish parasites, but costia, chilodonella & trichodina are also common. You can see the symptoms/ side effects of these parasites as white spots, gold sheen, or cream/ grey patches on the body, and rubbing on objects in the tank.

Gill flukes are parasitic worms that are hard to see without putting gill tissue under a microscope but the fish breath heavily and the harlequins are not breathing heavily until they suddenly die.

Sometimes you get a low level outbreak of whitespot or velvet in the tank and you lose a fish here and a fish there. But eventually you see a fish rubbing or a spot and the harlequins are not showing any signs.

 

[Meeko]

The other 2 are in good shape still, I believe they even recognise me when I come up to the tank as they swim to the front of the glass and waggle their fins, of course they could just be asking for food but it makes me feel better thinking of it the other way

Just finished a water change. I can't actually get to any fish store until next Saturday anyway, so will just keep an eye on them and hopefully no more casualties.

 

[Meeko]

There are no common aquarium fish parasites that do that.

Typical fish parasites are protozoans that infect any and all fish in the tank. Whitespot & velvet are two common fish parasites, but costia, chilodonella & trichodina are also common. You can see the symptoms/ side effects of these parasites as white spots, gold sheen, or cream/ grey patches on the body, and rubbing on objects in the tank.

Gill flukes are parasitic worms that are hard to see without putting gill tissue under a microscope but the fish breath heavily and the harlequins are not breathing heavily until they suddenly die.

Sometimes you get a low level outbreak of whitespot or velvet in the tank and you lose a fish here and a fish there. But eventually you see a fish rubbing or a spot and the harlequins are not showing any signs.

#

Hi Colin, not sure if you are about, but I have just discovered white fuzzy stuff (fungus?) growing on one of my new plants. Should add, this wasn't there before. One of the stems is completely covered and a leaf. May this be the reason for the fish deaths? Tips on eliminating? I will get a picture later just wanted to post this update!

 

[Colin_T]

Fungus on plants won't kill fish, and normally it is from a sick plants/ rotting leaf or food that has settled on the leaf. then the fungus grows on that. Normally it goes by itself.

 

[Meeko]

Ah okay, I have some pictures here anyway..

Whilst I was taking these pictures I did notice some weird aggression towards the smaller harlequin from the large one, probably just asserting his dominance but he just randomly shoots after him and causes the smaller one to go hide at the other side of the tank for a minute. The 2 are still there and seem healthy despite the behaviour.

 

[Colin_T]

that's just bullying from stress because there are only 2 left

 

[Meeko]

This is what was left of the Harlequin tank at the LFS...when I first went three days prior it was very overstocked.

The white stuff...