Problems With Albino Sharks

[teesh27]

Hi, im new here and have a query about Albino Sharks

I bought an Albino Shark just under a week ago but as soon as I got him home I noticed a red looking mark on his side that looked like a bruise. He seemed happy enough but two days later I woke up to find Sharky had died. I took him back to the store to see what they thought and they tried to tell me that the mark was his fin but it definately wasnt. Eventually they said he might have been knocked by the net when they took him out of their tank or a silver shark from the tank next to it could have gotten in and bitten him. There was a dead Albino shark floating around in their tank which had bites out of it when I took him back. So they replaced sharky and I took another one home. Again he seemed ok and the next morning I woke up to find he was dead. so I went back to the store with the fish and a water sample, so they tested my water. while they were doing this I saw another 2 dead albino sharks in their tank. They said it had a slight bit too much nitrite in and said to do 4 water changes then go back in a week and they will give me another one. Ive read today that if there is too much nitrite the shark will hang around near the top of the tank which mine did sometimes but they liked to be near the pump outflow too. Now im wondering whether it really is my water or if its the water the sharks are coming from the store with, ive never had a problem with any of my fish before and my levels have always been fine. With so many sharks dying in the stores tanks it makes me wonder, anybody have any suggestions on how I can work out if its my tank or the stores that has the problem?

 

[JackoUK]

Hi, im new here and have a query about Albino Sharks

I bought an Albino Shark just under a week ago but as soon as I got him home I noticed a red looking mark on his side that looked like a bruise. He seemed happy enough but two days later I woke up to find Sharky had died. I took him back to the store to see what they thought and they tried to tell me that the mark was his fin but it definately wasnt. Eventually they said he might have been knocked by the net when they took him out of their tank or a silver shark from the tank next to it could have gotten in and bitten him. There was a dead Albino shark floating around in their tank which had bites out of it when I took him back. So they replaced sharky and I took another one home. Again he seemed ok and the next morning I woke up to find he was dead. so I went back to the store with the fish and a water sample, so they tested my water. while they were doing this I saw another 2 dead albino sharks in their tank. They said it had a slight bit too much nitrite in and said to do 4 water changes then go back in a week and they will give me another one. Ive read today that if there is too much nitrite the shark will hang around near the top of the tank which mine did sometimes but they liked to be near the pump outflow too. Now im wondering whether it really is my water or if its the water the sharks are coming from the store with, ive never had a problem with any of my fish before and my levels have always been fine. With so many sharks dying in the stores tanks it makes me wonder, anybody have any suggestions on how I can work out if its my tank or the stores that has the problem?

Did you release the water that you got the fish with into your tank at home? and how did you acclimatize the fish?

 

[teesh27]

I left them in the bag for 30 minutes, so the temperatures were the same then released the fish with its water into the tank. Its the same process ive used for all my fish and ive never had a problem until now.

 

[JackoUK]

I left them in the bag for 30 minutes, so the temperatures were the same then released the fish with its water into the tank. Its the same process ive used for all my fish and ive never had a problem until now.

I was just thinking that if the LFS water was the problem then transfering it into your tank may not help. I tend to use the drip method for my new fish. I put them in a bucket with my aqaurium water and keep adding little bit more for 45 mins until the fish seems to have acclimitized(Sp?) the add them to the aquarium with a net. It seems to have worked for me.

As for your problem i'm not sure. It does sound like the LFS could be the problem is especially if there are dead fish in the tank everytime you go back.

 

[Morquinn]

I would probably get a different method, our petstore even tells us not to add their water with the water in your tank.. maybe they have some wacky water and the differences are just too much. I would add some stresscoat any time you add a fish too, have you been doing that?

 

[teesh27]

Id never heard of stress coat before so I looked it up. I'll have to get some for the fish, I use something to make the tap water safe but not to help the fish.

If I let the temperatures of the stores water and mine get the same could I just use a net to take the fish out of the stores bag and transfer him to mine, would that work?

 

[JackoUK]

Id never heard of stress coat before so I looked it up. I'll have to get some for the fish, I use something to make the tap water safe but not to help the fish.

If I let the temperatures of the stores water and mine get the same could I just use a net to take the fish out of the stores bag and transfer him to mine, would that work?

I think it would be better but the point is also to help the fish get used to the water parameters of your tank before you put it in. Thats why I start to dilute the LFS water down with my own tank water.

PS: I also add a bit og Aqua-safe when I put new fish in to help reduce the stress.

 

[nath1]

your local fish store are making up stories " Eventually they said he might have been knocked by the net when they took him out of their tank or a silver shark from the tank next to it could have gotten in and bitten him. "
this ain't gonna happen in a million years!!!, silver sharks dont know how to bite other fish.
nath1