More Fish dying

[jmottle]

Well after adding new fish to my tank about a month ago I lost two Tetras, a dwarf Frog, a golden algae eater and an Otto. I suspect the first three casualties resulted from a cycle that went on when I added the new fish, but my two alage eaters died after I had my water tested. (BTW the algae eaters were added after the water was tested) Ammonia, Nitrates, Nitrites and pH were all ok. Are algae eaters more sensitive than other fish. My Otto only lasted a week. There is algae for them to eat, or at least it looks like it. Could they have starved? Do I need to feed them additional food as well, like alage discs or a cucumber?

BTW this is a 10G tank and the only othe fish that live there are 3 Serapae Tetras, a Zebra Danio and a Glass eye Tetra.

Thanks,
Jeff

[VoodooChild]

You're hitting the high side of stocking but that shouldn't have caused it. If you added them all at once you probably had a brief spike in ammonia and that could've done it. In my experience otos are sensitive but the Chinese aren't. What's odd is that you lost the dwarf frog. These things are tough as nails. I suspect that he did because of a sickly batch at your LFS or something along those lines and his death was unrelated to the others. If it doesn't look like your algae eaters are eating or if they have swollen or sunken stomachs it's best to supplement. Keep on eye on the serpaes too. They may have been chasing around the tetras. They're a testy bunch.

[Tetratastic]

Since you lost a dwarf frog, it's possible that you have something in the water (like chlorine) that you might not be aware of. Dwarf frogs are pretty hardy, but they absorb chemicals through there skin, so they are pretty sensitive to things in the water. Are you using a water detoxifier each time you do a water change?

[jmottle]

Thanks guys,

Yes my Serpaes are quite fiesty but only amoungst themselves. They chase each other around the tank for hours, but seem to leave everyone else alone. My Zebra Danio keep them in order if they get too crazy and they settle rigth down. It's kind of funny to watch.

I'm not sure if my golden was a chinese or not. He looked like this http://www.petsmart.com/fish/answers/breed_guide/articles/article_3720.shtml, but everywhere else I read and saw pictures the chinese algae eaters were not organge. I am thinking of getting another becuase he has the most personality of all my fish beleive it or not. I wish I knew why he died.

In regrads to water detoxiifers yes do use one, but I've been told and read on the local aqaurium website that it's not needed in our city as the levels are so small. All of my other Tetras are fine and my Zebra has survived for over a year being chased by my now departed Giant Danio, getting stuck in the filter intake and numberous water cycles. He is hard as a rock. :)

Jeff

[kveeti]

Yes, that was a Chinese algae eater, the gold is an albino form... there are also marbled ones. I've heard the golden ones are more demure than the regular CAE's, but I've never had a problem with the regular, either.