Need a hand on sudden death

Lady Ns

Lady Ns

Critter Crazy
Sep 27, 2007
282
0
0
Australia
Real Name
Phae
Our big 2 yr old female JD died today, with no apparent cause. Was wondering how long they lived for and what could possibly kill one of them so easily? The water is fine, it's clean and there is no sign of disease in the tank. The only new fish in it is a single Electric Yellow, which spent a month in a QT. The other occupants of the tank are 2 common plecos, 4 kribs, BN pleco, 3 cories, 1 Eeltail Catfish, 1 Red-Tail Black Shark, 1 Red-Finne Black Shark, 2 Clown Loaches, 2 Chocolate Cichlids, 1 Electric Blue and 2 Silver Dollars. The JD was unmarked and the only odd thing I saw when I took her out was some red swelling around her belly, but I think that was cause she was full of roe. Please do not comment on the types of fish I have in my tank.
If anyone can figure out what might've caused her death, it will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
 
What are the water parameters and size of tank? What do you feed them and how often do you feed? What is your temperature? When was the last water change performed?
 
I wouldn't know the parameters, I don't test for them, just alkalinitity and acidity. As for the size of the tank, I was told it was 185gal/700L tank, but I think we may have been given wrong measurements, as our fish are apparently too big for a tank that size.
They get fed flakes, pellets, frozen blood worms, freeze dried blood worms, live daphnia, zucchini and they also munch on the plants. They get mostly flakes and pellets, flakes being morning, pellets being in the evening. They get frozen blood worms once a week. Live daphnia twice a week. Freeze dried blood worms once a month, as they don't always eat them.
Temperature is between 29 and 32 degrees celsius, or 84 to 90 farenheight (pardon spelling)
Did a full tank cleaning week and a half ago, removing about 25% of the old water. Am to do another in a few days. Tank is heavily filtered.
 
"I don't know about my water" "I don't know how big my tank is" "Don't talk to me about what fish I have"

But tell me why one died.... Ridiculous question here.

How about, not enough water changes, old tank syndrome, poor water quality, HOT temperatures, too small a tank, disease.
Cathy
 
so the temperature is way hotter tham it ever should be, you don't know if your tank has ammonia (toxic), nitrite, (toxic) or nitrate (harmful at high levels), you maybe do 25% water changes every other week, you say the tank is heavily filtered except that's a strange claim to make when you don't know what size tank it is, ang since you don't want anybody to comment about your fish, you already know you have some stocking problems but choose to ignore them. did you ever think to measure your tank and actually find out the volume, as you seem to have suspicions about it being 185g?
 
In addition to water quality, I suspect bullying could be a factor. The red spot could be from being rammed or smacked down into the gravel, not that I'm commenting on WHICH fish might be to blame.
 
it is a volatile mix since there mbunas but also South American cichlids and other fish as well. After we find out the size and water parameters maybe we can get to the bottom of this mystery.
 
Okay okay, I really don't want to get ribbed. But the questions I asked about the JD was how long they live for and what diseases they are most prone to.

Also, I DO NOT think I have any stocking problems. People say I do, but I KNOW that I don't. My tank has not seen any disease for three years. I do know about ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and I tested for them in the first year of the tank.

I am well aware of the types of fish in my tank, the JD I had was a mistake, as my parents got it for one of my birthdays, thinking it would make my tank look more charming. I did try and return it, but my lfs said they wouldn't take it back. Otherwise, I would never have given thought to cichlids, as she was my first.
The most aggressive fish in there is actually a little BN pleco to be honest with you.

However, when I do go to my lfs next, I will buy another test kit and look into some more tanks for the smaller fish, just to put some of you at ease. But seriously, and no offence meant to any of you, but unless yourselves have actually kept all the same fish I have to the extent they are currently at and had problems, I really don't see how you can rib me for how my tank is. I love fish keeping, I think its a great hobby, and if I saw that there was a problem with the tank, I would remedy that problem faster than you would think.

When I started my tank, it was very different to what it is now, its merely evolved with time. I'm also sure some of you have decided to be different and mix types of fish together that supposedly shouldn't be put together.
Besides, I experiment alot, so I've merely found something that works for me.
 
I do know about ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and I tested for them in the first year of the tank.
Click to expand...
and
My tank has not seen any disease for three years
Click to expand...

I was ribbing you because you don't know about your tank, you think you do. The tank is 3 years old, you tested the water 2 years ago and you think it is fine. Dynamics change as fish get older. It's great that you haven't had a death in 3 years though.

When asking for help to diagnose a problem, you need to supply information to us. It's not good enough to say 'My water's fine', especially if you haven't tested it for 2 years. Most disease is due to poor water quality and testing your water for the big 3 should be the first step anytime something goes south in your tanks.

Cathy
 
:lol: Example of how nice people are on the website.


If you haven't had a fish die in years, good job you are doing something right. Do get a test kit and measure your tank to see how big it is...

calculate the size here:
http://www.firsttankguide.net/calculator.php

Then you'll be able to plan out the stocking of your tank. Your temperature is too high, try dropping it slowly to 78-80. Begin scheduled water changes according to your filtration. That should get you on the right path. Sorry about the JD, Having a fish die is always sad IMO.
 
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