Serious Run Of Bad Luck With My Corys

[saphphx]

I lost one of my panda corys from the Panda QT tank. So went to the fish room, nitrates were at 0./0.2 or something, I was stressed and the fish shop guy said it wasn't enough to kill the poor fish and as everything else was ok that it was probably nitrates in the tap water. Come to find out it was. So I got some Tetra Nitrate remover, and treated my panda tank with them on Saturday. I also treated QT1 (four 1 inch sterbai, one 1 inch peppered) and QT2 (five 1 inch sterbai) as well as Wonkey and Lumpy's tank.

Today, I went into the fish room to find two dead pandas from the panda QT tank, and 1 sterbai in QT2 displaying swimbladder symptoms (slowly falling to the side, swimming like mad, stopping, back end floating, whole fish floats up, swim like mad, settle on bottom, start tilting sideways and doing the whole process over again) 1 sterbai and 1 peppered in QT2 doing the same, 2 panda in Panda QT doing the same, Wonkey doing the same, and to really break the pattern, 1 panda in my main panda tank doing the same.

I noticed the one in the downstairs panda main tank fish first about 2 hours ago, instantly tested the water (pH 7.4, Amm0, Nitrate0, Nitrite0) so did a 50% WC and treated with half dose of swimbladder treatment. Within 30 mins the panda went back to normal. Thinking nothing more of it I went about normal life.

About an hour ago I went up to the fish room and noticed the fish in Panda QT, QT1, QT2, and Wonkey and Lumpy's tank all doing the same, again I did 50% WC (more on QT1 and QT2) and treated with swimbladder stuff. They seemed to have all settled down again. All the tests were between pH 7.2-7.4 with Amm, Nitrate, and Nitrite all 0 except the panda QT which was pH 7.2, Nitrate 0.5, Nitrite 0 and Amm 0. All of the tanks are well cycled and have been running for months before these fish went in.

All of the fish except for the pandas in the main tank I got in the last 2 weeks.

So, except for the main panda tank, EVERY tank I treated with this nitrate remover had dead fish or very ill fish. None show any other symptoms, and the dead fish were NOT floating. I didn't even notice they were dead until another fish knocked one over on its side, so I got him out, started tank changes and noticed another had fallen over. (most of my pandas seem to die and stay upright for some bazaar reason, so now I have to look for gill movement to do life checks on them)

I would think its the nitrate remover that's done this. I am wondering if I did put nitrate remover in the tank downstairs, but I am sure I didn't. I'm just wondering if the water change set everything right, or if fish from 5 different tanks (which came from different shops and different tanks) all come down with the same symptoms all at once. I haven't done anything else different. I do all of my water changes at the same time on most tanks, all the tanks above got water changes on wednesday and the other tanks I did changes on at the same time but haven't used the nitrate remover in are fine except the main panda tank.

Any ideas?? I'm stumped and really worried about the other fish. I've turned out all the lights and treated the fish as I said above, but I have no idea what else to do for them.

Thanks in advance!

 

[saphphx]

I lost 2 more fish

 

[NEONCORY]

I'm sorry for your loss.

This could be a long shot but ....I heard sometime you could lose fish from some kind of chemical fume/mist getting into the tank from the air. Like new paint/stain fumes, some strong cleaning chemical or even some air freshner. Once I heard someone lost the fish from neighbor's painting.
So I wonder if you had some kind of chemical exposure in the air at your home or near the tank.

Also this happened sometime to me. When I slack off the water change and try to do the big water change to make it up, some Tetra(especially Diamond) start to swim funny. Lose sense of direction or balance and swim in circle.
So I believe it is not always good to do the big water change too quick. Even the new water is good sometime some fish need more time to adjust to the new good water from old dirty water.
So since then, I am trying to do more smaller water change but more often.

Anyway, this may not relate to your problem but I figure it doesn't hurt to mention.

And unfortunately, I don't think there are many you can do. But discontinue the use of nitrate remover(if you haven't done that although I kind of doubt that you haven't) and do the water change often and keep close eyes to the tank and the fish and add some airstone so you can drive out some harmful gas and disolve extra oxygen in the water.

Good luck.

 

[saphphx]

This could be a long shot but ....I heard sometime you could lose fish from some kind of chemical fume/mist getting into the tank from the air. Like new paint/stain fumes, some strong cleaning chemical or even some air freshner. Once I heard someone lost the fish from neighbor's painting.
So I wonder if you had some kind of chemical exposure in the air at your home or near the tank.

I thought that at first as well as we've had the windows open, but I have a rabbit really sensitive to things like that (like she goes into seazures) so we don't use paints and things in side or cleaners etc. We just use white vinager if something really needs a cleaner. The bunny is fine, but it may still be something in the air. All of the other 12 tanks with corys are fine, so I'm hoping its just effected the newer, more stressed corys and everyone else will keep being fine.

Also this happened sometime to me. When I slack off the water change and try to do the big water change to make it up, some Tetra(especially Diamond) start to swim funny. Lose sense of direction or balance and swim in circle.
So I believe it is not always good to do the big water change too quick. Even the new water is good sometime some fish need more time to adjust to the new good water from old dirty water.
So since then, I am trying to do more smaller water change but more often.

I do religious ever 2 day 20% water changes on all the tanks effected as they are the QT tanks and the Panda Tank with obviously sensitive fish in it. I'm more inclined to think my water supply has gone wrong, as the other tanks are once weekly, and are fine. Really I guess it could be any of the above, or a bit of everything. Stress, bad water, air polution or all of them could have killed them off.

Anyway, this may not relate to your problem but I figure it doesn't hurt to mention.

Rather more info then less. If anything its something to look out for in the future and be aware of. I've noticed some fish do worse with more water changes and some do worse with fewer. My oscar sulks for weeks on end if I do anything in his tank more often then once a week, but is happier when its once every other week, where the guppies don't care, and most cory's seem to love the every other day sand cleaning and fresh water, even if the nitrates and all come back fine, they just like the attention I guess and always rub on my hands and help me sort the sand (in the wrong way but they try Need to make a video of it )

And unfortunately, I don't think there are many you can do. But discontinue the use of nitrate remover(if you haven't done that although I kind of doubt that you haven't) and do the water change often and keep close eyes to the tank and the fish and add some airstone so you can drive out some harmful gas and disolve extra oxygen in the water.

Yeah, I almost binned it, but think I will take it back to the shop and ask where to make a formal complaint against the company, as its only tanks where I used their product that it happened. Looking at my records I did use it in my big panda tank as well, so every tank that went wrong had that stuff in it. They all have airstones in and I've turned them all way up at the start of trouble and brought in spare pumps to make sure they can handle it. I'm driving my husband nuts constantly checking on them.

Thanks so much for your help and support, its more help then you know Moral support is sometimes the only real help there is!