Please HELP me, losing lots of fish

K

Kim

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Jul 25, 2003
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:confused:

Hi,

I wonder if someone could help me. I have a 4ft tank that has been running for 2 years now. I have a varity of fish in it, with my bristle nose pleco's produceing a new batch of babies every month (up to 157 babies to date). I have had in the past the odd illness with my fish and after treatment they have been fine again.

I cannot understand what is going on. I have lost all 7 of my mollies, 2 neon's, a large strong wheather loach, 5 swordtails, 2 Danio's and now have just found 2 baby plec's about 2" long.

None of the fish had any symtems, I check on tehm twice daily. No flicking, rubbing, hanging around, rapid gills. I'm at a loss. I have recently bought 2 new baby angels and 2 new opaling gourami's, they appear fine. I did treat with Myxazin as always when putting in new fish. I also did a third water change as usual a week ago.

Does anyone have any suggestions as what's happening?



Feeling desperate now

Kim
 
Well, we can only start at the beginning and work our way down.

First, please give us your water test readings: ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. The tank is 2 years old, perhaps the nitrates have slowly creeped up or do you do regular testing? What is your normal maintenance/water change schedule? Did you switch any products (water conditioners, filter media, etc.)? Are you doing anything new around the house lately (painting)? Could somebody have sprayed anything around the tank (air fresheners, perfume, etc.)? Did you top up the water lately, could somebody have used your tank bucket for something else? Did you reach in and disturb any gravel lately? Have you checked with the water company if they’ve started adding anything new? Did you actually quarantine your new arrivals?

Any number of things could have happened, you have to go with process of elimination. A mass death seems to point to some kind of poisoning, I don't think diseases spread that quickly, however, we need tons more info.
 
Hi,

Firstly thanks for taking the time to reply.

I have had my water tested today after taking out 13 newly dead fish. Every thing was perfect apart from the Nitrate levels which were 100+. Have done anynother imediate half water change to lower this. I have no idea what caused it to rocket like that.

I do a third water change every 10 days, always use the same treatments, nothing at home has changed.

I did find a sword and a very mature weather loach almost dead today. took them out and with me to my expert shop owner. He was amazed it looked as though the inside of their mouths and anuls were burnt, but he said that Nitrate levels of this height could do that.

I did the change of water at 12 noon today and since then (touch wood) I haven't lost anymore. The only thing I could think of was that one of my large Coolie loaches had died undetected by myself and had caused this. I can only find one now.

Do you all think this could be the case?


Kim
 
I also phoned the water company and nothing has been added. my bucket is for my fish only and everyone knows this.

My levels for nitrate were fine last week when they were checked, so I am at a loss.

Kim
 
Sorry to hear about your ordeal... It sounds like you've got it stabilized for the moment so hopefully you won't have any more losses.
A large fish decaying unnoticed can really wreck havoc with water quality. The sky-high nitrAte values might just be the residual effect...

If a large fish is decaying in the tank, the amount of waste (ammonia) be generated will likely exceed the processing capacity of the biofilter... so there will be an initial ammonia spike. Once the ammonia eating bacteria catch up, there will be a similar nitrIte spike. Then once the nitrIte eating bacteria catch up, there will be a huge excess of nitrAte in the tank. The tank would have basically run through the cycling process... much to the chagrin of the resident fish.

I had this scenario occur with my tank when I went away for 10 days and I didn't set up the automatic feeder correctly. It dumped WAY too much food into the tank, but by the time I got back the only evidence of what had transpired was a nitrAte reading off the scale.

See if you can find that kuhli... if not, or if you find the remains... you may have the cause of the die-off.

Good luck!
-fpsiv
 
Hi,

Have gone through the gravel, left nothing unturned. I know this was drastic but I had to try to find it. It's nowhere to be found, not even bones. It was actually 6.4" long ( i know this cos I measued it when it was out the other week) and very fat. It was one of the first things I stocked in the tank 2 years ago, so he probably died of old age.

I can only pray that the other left aren't poisoned to much and they surrive. Not cheap anymore keeping fish. I had only just spent a fortune on 6 new one's and lost the lot within a week.

Also have daddy bristlenose plec sitting in his cave with a new batch of eggs, I hope that they will live, we will see. They are due to emerge from the nest in about 12 days time and I will be waiting. Didn't loss many of the last batch that I have'nt got out yet to put in the nursery tank. Too scared to move them now case I hurt the 89 I already have in the nursery.

many thanks for shareing your thoughts with me

Kim x
 
Have the erason now

:(
HI,

I now know what has caused my huge fish loss. Today, my entire town has spent the whole day without water. There is a huge water main that has burst completely a mile up the road from me.

It appears that the water board knew there was a problem and have been putting chemicals into the water for about 10 days now to stop all the residents becoming sick if anything got into the water supply, including Nitrate! So it appears that when I did my routeen water change, I actually gave my fish poison instead of new clean water.

I have had my tank water checked again and everything is now normal, except the fact that I am still lossing about 5-8 fish per day. My entire community of fish have been poisoned and it is very likely that I will loose the lots, down to about a third left now :( .

I am very saddened by this but the water board just said that they protect us and don't care about a fish tank.


Kim x
 
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