Something is definitely wrong :(

[Bigshrimp]

Hi all, this is my first poste and unfortunately it's in the emergency section

I have a 27 gal. with tetras (serpae, diamond, bloodfin, and one other spp. - silver with a black tail??), hatchets and corys. The tank has been set up for about 5 months now. It's furnished with driftwood, rocks (from aquarium store) and live plants (vals and swords).

I've always wanted to put angels with them but thought to wait this long (figuring the angels were more fragile). I put three small angels in - 1 died on the 3rd day so I replaced it. The other 2 original ones died on a day later and the 1 that replaced the first angel died a day after them

I've only had 2 cory deaths in the tank within the last 5 months.....why are my angels dying!!!

There's definitely something about their needs that are not being met.

Thanks in advance!

 

[gadazobe]

Angels need very specific water conditions. The water should be soft and slightly acidic. What are your water parameters like. Here's a site I found about angels, maybe it will help find out where you went wrong.angel info
HTH

Gada


Welcome aboard and hope to see lots more of you - not in the emergency section

 

[Bigshrimp]

Thanks for the welcome!!

I have not tested the pH of the water, but from what I've read, the driftwood should keep it slightly acidic?

I have a feeling it is water conditions though bc I didn't see any of the tetras picking on the angels.

 

[val]

My bet would be on the water. I just don't think tetras would could do all of that.

Sorry for your loss, angels are nice fish.

Valerie

 

[wetwetwet]

HiYa and welcome bigshrimp

Have you got any other water parameters? ammonia nitrite nitrate etc..

Whats maintenance and water change shedule like?

 

[Bigshrimp]

Unfortunately I haven't done ANY water tests )

I guess I figured that if I had NO tetra deaths and the plants are growing OK that the water would be fine for the angels.

I change about 1/3 of the water about once a month.

My thought is that since the angels were so young (about 3/4 inch long) that maybe the change in water temp (about 83 F) and water conditions were too much for them.....but I still don't know why ALL of them lasted a couple of days?? and didn't die within 24 hours??

 

[Gibbo]

We have Angels at our shop that are only 1-1.5" TL and they live in a pH of 8 and are thriving. I think the key could be a mixture of many factors, not only one or two.

Tank bred Angels tend to be tolerant of much wider pH and GH, especially if they're many generations down the line, if you catch my drift. Yet they will (like any other fish) suffer pH and Osmotic shock if the difference in water perameters is too great from where they're sourced from (wholesaler - shop, shop - you), especially if they've newly arrived at the shop. A shop will quaranteen/isolate from sale new fish for between 1 day and a week. If they only hold them back for approx a day or so then the fish may still be stressed from travelling/getting used to new water perameters and being moved again can stress them beyond recovery. Osmotic shock and pH shock can take days to wear down a fish and even up to a couple of weeks for them to die. Our shop uses suppliers who have very similar water perameters to ours and most of our customers are from a 20 mile or so radius so the local water perameters don't really differ too much.
Also, being such young fish they really don't always travel so well. We try to get larger (2"+) fish in usually. Also the breeding stock may not have been up to much (could've been shipped from Czech republic/Far east/China? Anywhere really).
Stress is the key factor though I think, and their young age.

 

[wetwetwet]

Yep I'd totally agree with Gibbo

....but would also test your water
It could be any of your water parameters that are stressing your new fish

 

[Gabe]

About your mystery tetra, it sounds like a Black Skirt Tetra. Here's a link with some info so you can see if this is your

fish.http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=21&pCatId=1563

I have 4 of these fish and really like them. HTH

Gabe

 

[Bigshrimp]

Hi Gabe, it appears that the 'mystery fish' are Red Eye tetras:

http/badmanstropicalfish.com/gallery/cha...oligolepis.html