Several Deaths in a week...

[sauvagii]

hi folks,

I've had my 200ltr setup for 3-4 months now, and in the last week i've had serious problems.

The tank houses(ed)

6x Angels (young ones)
5x Serpae Tetras
6x "Black Eyed Tetras" (see post in oddballs section"
6x Penguin Tetras
2x Bolivian Rams
2x Algae Eaters (chinese sucking loaches)
7x Cory cats (assorted)
1x Talking Catfish (i believe called Raphael Talkin catfish in the US)

In the last week, I've lost a LOT of the above fish: namely 2 angels, 5 penguins and 1 cory.

The most recent additions have been the penguins, but the angels have been there since the tank was cycled, and ive not lost any fish up till now. Filtration is by a Fluval 3 and a powerhead with filter cartridge (about same size as Fluval 2). Temperature is 26C

My water parameters seem fine, and I do a 25-50% water change at least once a week, depending on how time allows.

Any suggestions to what I can do?

 

[Jamnog]

personally i think you are changeing too much water half a tank is allot of water to change in one go perhaps im being nieve but thats the first thing i would do is leave the water in there for a little bit to get cycled with the fish and the filteration system.

 

[sauvagii]

Well, I dont think I do quite as much as 50% really, and certainly not often.

Basically I do it like this: the tank holds 16 buckets of water, and I usually change between 3-5 buckets per week. so thats about 25%-35% every week, and have only done 50% a couple of times.

 

[Angel Lady]

are the fish acting funny or do the just act normal. are they staying in one place all the time or are they just dying off without signs of any illness.

 

[sauvagii]

they dont seem to be actin funny at all - same as normal, jsut seem to be droppin like flies.

 

[Jamnog]

sudden shoks could possibly be killing some of them but i would expect you would notice a change in behavior and colour. if you could think of anything that would have changed the week coming upto the week or if the fish looked a little crook a day before. i have a strong suspicion that the ater change itself would bring on some kind of shock its a difficult proceedure and even walking around the tank can cause an element of shock on an upstairs floor sometimes (just to highlight how easy fish can get shocked).

 

[sauvagii]

God this is so frustrating! I just found my smallest angel dead.......I was only through checking on them about an hour and a half ago....although he was kinda listless in the back corner. but thats the first sign ive ever noticed. I'm dreading waking up in the morning, as the tank is in my bedroom opposite my bed, I dont wanna see even more death first thing in the morning!

 

[ostrow]

Have you looked CLOSELY at the dying/dead fish? Are you positive no signs of ick? I also suspect the water changes.

I also suspect those Chinese (non)Algae Eaters. They are aggressive fish and may be harrassing the ohters. Though to that extent would be a bit extreme. Still, I'd get rid of them, they don't serve a useful function and have a tendency to suck at the slime coating on the other fish.

But I'd reduce the size of the water changes. Or, if you continue at that level, make sure the temperature of the water you are adding is consistent with that in the tank already.

What do you add to the water? When you say parameters seem fine, what exactly do you mean?

 

[Angel Lady]

if they arent showing any signs of illness they they are being attacked by the Algae Eaters and I would watch to make sure that arent scared of those Algae Eaters if its not that then it has to be some kind of parasite that is dripping them my guess is flukes my fry tank has them right now and everyday I lose one and I dont know how to treat the frys either. Check thier bellies and see if they are flat they has to be some of parasite if they arent being killed by the algae eaters.

 

[sauvagii]

My normal procedure for preparing water is to fill a large plastic bin with water the night before, add dechlorinator and aerate the water all night, I have a heater in that bin too - its the same water I use for both my tanks, and ive not had this problem in the other tank.

I get your point r.e. the algae eaters, but ive not noticed them harrasing the angels before, despite that they are boisterous.

I took my water sample to my old university (im a zoology graduate, and my old department has a large number of research aquaria, where they tested the water for pH, ammonia etc, and all readings were in "safe" guidelines)

 

[Jamnog]

maybee there is a chemical imbalance thats not covered in the standard tests mecury? im not a chemistry expert i know some one who is but i cant say it ever really registered on me. there is a real chemistry expret type of guy on this forum. was talking about chrystals last time i saw him.

edit : there was a testing kit in the fish shop today that had two other tests cant remeber what they where they where anacronyms like bh or something. there are so many chemicals in tank water so many things that can cause a fish to die. if you could only get an autopsy or something you might be able to save the rest.

 

[sauvagii]

I dunno.....but I'm getting ready to tear my hair out! but that would require having some in the first place, so thats doing me no good! lol

I have to admit, the penquins started disappearing before the angels, and I've been wondering if perhaps they were carrying something and either the angels made a meal of the penquins (ive only accounted for 3 out of 5) perhaps something was transmitted?

 

[ostrow]

Sounds to me like parasite (but you would notice the bodies look "pinched" -- like they have had everything sucked out of them), and then a general internal parasite treatment would be called for.

OR it is the algae eaters. You'd see wounds though if they were responsible, and doubtless other fish would be stressed and with the water changes would certainly show signs of ick.

So probably parasite if you don't see that. There are many treatments out there for internal parasites. You do want to be sure the death is in fact sudden and that there are no signs of ick, velvet or as FKSM said flukes around.

 

[Angel Lady]

flukes would be my guess it usually takes three days to die and dont show any signs of being sick until they get ready to die. At least that is how I have noticed them. My molly frys are dropping like hot cakes and I am afarid to put any medicine in with them. If you do treat for them make sure watch out for your scaless fish.