My Fish Are Dying!

[hobby5]

I cannot say why they die but let me do some general comments. To me it looks like they get startled by something when they swim so erratically. Is the tank on a stable support? Is some one knocking on the tank or the furniture? Furthermore fish like cover from the top and your tank is very open. Some floating plants or plants which reach to the surface would be good. Floating wood is also an option.
 
Then neon are soft water fish and platies are hard water fish. So normally they should not be housed together. What is your water hardness?

 

[JadeCrusader]

@Ninjou, I'll take that ship out and scrub on it and see if the paint is coming off.  I don't think that is causing this problem, but I wouldn't want it to make things worse either.  Also, I feed the betta under 10 pellets a day, and I don't think he quite eats all of them, but I know he picks at everyone else's food too.  So you think his big belly could just be fat and not actually full of food?  Should I hold off on feeding for a day or so?  I've heard that this should be done on occasion, but as I'm thinking about it I don't think I've given them a fasting day in quite awhile.
 
@Betta Fish, I can get a swimming vid of him today.  Also, he seems just fine now!  I think he was feeling icky because of the temperature change.  I'm so glad that tip was given to bring it back up because it really seems to have helped him!
 
@Fish Fanatic, The tank is stable and the baby does try to bang on it sometimes but we get on her immediately about it and she stops.  I'll get some sort of floating cover or longer plants as soon as possible.  I didn't know that!  Good tip .  As for water hardness, I know our area has super nasty hard water (I know this because when I use the shower at the campus gym my hair is RUINED for weeks), but the water that makes it to our rental is much softer, though still on the hard side, I believe.  We only live a block from that gym so I know it's the same water, but I think it is softened before it actually gets to our house because my hair isn't nearly as sad/gross when I shower here.  I have began washing just my hair with a jug of distilled water because of the problem though.  I wonder if, like I said before, the neons just aren't liking my tank and all of my attempts to make them better (and them darting around unhappy and dying) is what is making the rest of the fish unhappy?  I think that is really sad for them, but would really be the ideal explanation.  I'm super hoping we don't have a disease .

 

[JadeCrusader]

I checked that ship and if I use my fingernail large algae-encrusted chunks of paint chip off the top of it, and if I REALLY try I can scrape paint off of the sides too.  I've removed it just in case.  I really liked it!  But I can find something else

.  We were thinking about getting some glass dragon balls and doing a Dragon Ball Z theme, lol.
 
Anyway, here's a video of Snapdragon swimming around a bit.  He seems happy now, just chubby like you've all said: http/youtu.be/_6kH7BeMVDw

 

[Ninjouzata]

You may want to lessen the pellet feeding

Mine gets 3 pellets once a day, except on Sundays, which is when I don't feed any of my fish.
I'm really glad to hear your betta seems to be feeling better!
 
I do wonder if it is the hardness doing this to your neons. I had the absolute worst time upping my numbers of rummynose tetras, and we have hard water, though not sure how hard.
They were randomly dying off for months

They are now finally sitting at 11 & no deaths for months now, but it was very frustrating. I hope you're not in the same situation.
 
I second the Dragon Ball Z theme!

 
Recommend upping the temp to 80 & fasting for a minimum of 3 days to see if the bloating on your betta starts to go down.
(I couldn't tell if he was just really chunky or bloated as well, so asked the betta whisperer, that is her advice)

 

[JadeCrusader]

Thank you all so much for the help! I'll slowly climb the temp to 80 and put them on a fast and see how things go. I'll keep you updated with any changes .

 

[JadeCrusader]

Everyone seems much happier today, and no tetra deaths!  Yay!  I think when things are more for sure settled in a week or so and we give the CAE back to PetCo and get our store credit for the 4 Neons we'll go with the Glow Lights instead since they seem just fine in there.  I'm sad that the Neons won't work, but that's okay.  I'd rather not rish anymore little fishy lives.  Thank you again everyone for your help!

 

[Ninjouzata]

Glad things seem to be looking up.
I'm sorry about the neons, hope you enjoy the glowlights just as much though!

 

[Blondielovesfish]

I'm sorry, but that is wayy too many pellets!
I feed my betta 3 a day, 2 in the morning and one in the afternoon, I fast for two days, Friday and Sunday, Saturday I feed bloodworms and Sunday I do a waterchange.
 
Don't feed any of your for 5 days, on the 6th day, feed them some daphnia, either live or frozen, not freezedried though.
Don't worry about your fish, they can easily go several weeks without food.
 
I recommend that you feed only 2-3 pellets a day and fast for one day. Try not to let him eat any of the other fishes food, to do this, you could try feeding him in a different part of the tank, or you could use tweezers.

 

[Fish__Fanatic]

Seems your problem was related to temperature. Random deaths of healthy looking fish is quite odd, but I'm glad things are looking up now. During your water changes make sure the temp of the new water is close to the temp of the water in your tank. Great tank!