justupgraded15
Fish Fanatic
About three weeks ago, I purchased two Blue Rams to go into my 37 gallon community tank that has a variety of species in it. They both did wonderful for a few days. One evening, I noticed one of them was hiding in the corner and breathing semi-hard. I thought he may just be a little stressed and turned the light off and see how he was the next morning. I found him dead the next morning. There were no external problems that may of contributed to his death.
The other ram was doing great. He was eating well and started coming to the front of the aquarium more often. One morning, I found him dead, with no apparent external conditions.
All the other fish were completely fine.
A week after the second fish died, one of my clown loaches started to loose pigmintaion to his skin. The black stripes turned to grey. I thought nothing of it because after a while they darkened back up. I started to be concerned when he started hiding in a rock cave. None of the loaches had ever done that before.
I became even more concerned when I saw him on his side in the cave. I lifted the rock and he swam out happily. I observed him carefully for a couple of days making sure he ate and had proper bowl movements. He was eating and had normal colored bowls. His external self looked fine besides a 1mm brownish-red line under his mouth.
He continued going into the cave, and I continued my process of getting him out. One day, I noticed he was on his side with labored breathing. I decided I better catch him and put him in observation. As soon as I put the net in, he was able to swim all over the tank until I finally was able to catch him. I put him in with some Melafix and Pimafix in a 1 quart? in tank holding pen with an airstone. He layed on his side and continued the heavy breathing.
The next morning he was dead. No external signs of distress. His body was normal in all parameters.
I tested the water and the conditions came back within range.
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-less than 10
I am an experienced fishkeeper and am baffled by this.
What compounds the issue more is that today another of my loaches started lying on his side. He is not hiding and color is normal besides developing one of those reddish-brown lines under his mouth. I don't know if he is just doing it for kicks or what, but it worries me that I may have an issue in my tank. I have not had to treat it for any issue for 4 months now.
I also have found no obvious corrillation between the rams' deaths and the death of the clown loach.
Sorry for the novel here, but I am a detail person. Any ideas or help would be much appriciated.
J.R.
The other ram was doing great. He was eating well and started coming to the front of the aquarium more often. One morning, I found him dead, with no apparent external conditions.
All the other fish were completely fine.
A week after the second fish died, one of my clown loaches started to loose pigmintaion to his skin. The black stripes turned to grey. I thought nothing of it because after a while they darkened back up. I started to be concerned when he started hiding in a rock cave. None of the loaches had ever done that before.
I became even more concerned when I saw him on his side in the cave. I lifted the rock and he swam out happily. I observed him carefully for a couple of days making sure he ate and had proper bowl movements. He was eating and had normal colored bowls. His external self looked fine besides a 1mm brownish-red line under his mouth.
He continued going into the cave, and I continued my process of getting him out. One day, I noticed he was on his side with labored breathing. I decided I better catch him and put him in observation. As soon as I put the net in, he was able to swim all over the tank until I finally was able to catch him. I put him in with some Melafix and Pimafix in a 1 quart? in tank holding pen with an airstone. He layed on his side and continued the heavy breathing.
The next morning he was dead. No external signs of distress. His body was normal in all parameters.
I tested the water and the conditions came back within range.
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-less than 10
I am an experienced fishkeeper and am baffled by this.
What compounds the issue more is that today another of my loaches started lying on his side. He is not hiding and color is normal besides developing one of those reddish-brown lines under his mouth. I don't know if he is just doing it for kicks or what, but it worries me that I may have an issue in my tank. I have not had to treat it for any issue for 4 months now.
I also have found no obvious corrillation between the rams' deaths and the death of the clown loach.
Sorry for the novel here, but I am a detail person. Any ideas or help would be much appriciated.
J.R.
