New L260 Found Nearly Dead

[Ian M]

Plecs are weird creatures sometimes they die for no apparent reason. I lost an L200 yesterday. He/she was happy and eating as usual at 6pm and by 9pm looked unwell. By 10pm he/she was dead! Everything else in the tank is fine including my L66's. Nothing had changed no chemicals present all perameters were ok, and he/she had been in the tank for over a year. Sometimes these things happen QA's can be difficult to start with they can be very shy and do not compete well for food. Having said that mine will quite happily fight off my clown loaches for some bloodworms. Best of luck what ever you decide to do.

Ian

 

[sophos9]

Ian, thanks for your reply. Despite having a big variety of food (Hinkari wafer, loach pellets, JML sinkers, prawn, bloodworm, brine shrimp) literally dropped right in front of him I never really saw him eating

I'm gonna see what happens with my new tank over the next month or so, I do want another but really am unsure. Will post up if I get another.

Cheers

 

[AlexAndCarmen]

Hi Sophos9

So sorry to hear about you losing this one too . I really don't know what the reason could be. Did you get them both from the same source??

I have dosed our tank with flourish and we had a white spot outbreak once. We used Protozin and had no probs with the L260's. We didn't use the flourish at the same time though. We also only half dosed with the Protozin.

Sometimes, fish come from a particular breeder and aren't too strong. They look ok and seem to be well at the LFS's, but the move to another home is too much stress and the just don't make it. It seems cories and plecs are the worst for this.

I'm really sorry you've lost them both. They were stunning.

Poor little Arabesques

 

[sophos9]

Hi,

Its really strange, exactly the same happened again and they came from totally different sources... I'm trying to figure it but am at a loss

Oxygen Related
No other fish were giving any of the signs of hypoxia, pearling plants increase O2 saturation to higher levels than any airstone could - does the QA need a higher O2 content than the other fish?

CO2 Related
No other fish had any symptoms at all, CO2 was around 30ppm

Food Related
I never saw him eat. I gave a massive variety and dropped it right by him - Starvation possible?

Macro/Micro Nutrient Dosing
Dosing potassium nitrate / sulphate macro and flourish micro with flourish excel twice a week - no other ill effects from any ohter fish

Bullying
Possible but never ever saw any other fish doing anything, this also does not explain why he was fine in the other tank with a couple of danios

Med Related
1/2 Dose of Protozin - with an extra dose on the 16th day, other fish (clown loaches) totally fine. Meds stiffle O2 so does this contribute to the O2 problem?

Temp
27c, could this contribute to the O2 reason?

Water Params
Absolutely fine, tank is clean with regular water changes (check my journal in my sig)

Stress
Community planted tank with loads of hiding spaces, adequate current etc...

Based on the above, all I can assume is O2, food or a natural death? I guess the O2 being the most pertinent, dosing meds and higher temp, other fish that are less O2 'needy' could possibly not show any hypoxia? Do BN and clown plecos demand the same O2 amount?

Cheers

 

[sophos9]

Is there something up with my tank?

Please take a look here

 

[-germ-]

Journal too big to browse, you mention water parameters being fine, if it was an already weak plec what about nitrate levels effecting him?
Just an idea, i know very little about fish!

 

[sophos9]

Hi

Nitrates were at 5ppm... I have since discovered in that other thread up there ^ that all my tanks are suffering from a internal protozoan infection, I'm treating with Flubenol 15 and Interpet No. 9

Thanks for your help!