hachet fish trouble

[joni_boi]

I've just bought 4 new hatchet fishes and now they're all dead. i don't know why. Are they super sensitive to water conditions or what. any way it would help if you send me a few tips on them because i really am interested in these fishes and i'm planning to get more.

thank you,
joni

[plah831]

yup, they're pretty sensitive to water quality. How long has your tank been set up? What are your ammonia/nitrite levels?

it's good that you got a group, because they are schooling fish. A lone one would probably get stressed and not last long, even if water were very clean. Also, they are jumpers (pectoral fings look like wings) so a good cover without any small openings is recommended.

[joni_boi]

I dont know about the nitrite and ammonia levels but i do know that my tanks been up and running for about a year already. and all of my fishes are doing fine except for them

[fish_freak]

How often do you you do water changes? How many and what type of fish are in the tank? What size tank is it?

[jm1212]

do you know your pH? they dont really do well in a pH that high.
also what else is in the tank? being transferred from aquarium is very stressful already for the fish, and if they were getting harassed then that adds to the stress, and hatchets arent nessecarily the best at handling it.

[TastierWay]

If you got them all from the same place, it's very likely they all died from some disease.

[plah831]

yeah, I'm guessing it's most likely due to water quality. If your water isn't clean, hatchets will die easily. Yes, what is your water change schedule?

You should really look into getting a liquid test kit (no strip/dip tests) especially if you're interested in keeping fairly sensitive fish like hatchetfish.

I personally don't think it's the pH, but more likely ammonia/nitrite/high nitrates.

[joni_boi]

okay i'll try what you guys say

thanks

[plah831]

good luck! Please let us know if you need help using the test kit, interpreting results, or anything else. :)