Pictus Catfish just dropped dead
- Thread starter magakitty
- Start date
yep, because unlike cycle it actually contains bacteria and needs to be refridgerated to keep them alive without food.
got up this morning and the other cat is dead, and so is one of the angels and the other angel and the two gouramis don't look good. the only ones looking fine and active are the 5 barbs. The ammonia tester - I'm not sure - but it looks like it's somewhere between .5 and 1 - it is soooo hard to read these strips
Do a Partial Water Change (PWC) of 50% to get your Ammonia below 0.25. The goal would be to ideally test 2x (or more) a day and to keep your Ammonia and NirtItes below 0.25. FYI - Levels above this can be deadly over time, but regardless they all have perminent damaging effects (if kept under 0.25, these effects are 'tolerable' in most hardy fish).
Yes reading the numbers are tough, but error on the side of caution, and you will do okay. Keep the water the same relative temp and add de-chlorintaor too
Also, the more you feed the more you will pollute and have the potential for more ammonia spikes. Do gravel vacs during each PWC too.
Lastly, no more fish until your cycle is finished. I can't tell you how disapointed I am in your LFS right now :steam:
The advice from the other posters is good. Just keep up with your PWCs to keep your water parameters within tolerable levels for your fish. If you don't already have one, get a good test kit (I prefer the API liquid kit myself). You have some sensitive fish in there that will be hard pressed to survive very well through a cycle-process.
I agree with Sammie, contact your LFS and see if they will accept any of them back
This can only help. The 80G tank will help obviously, but again it will take time to cycle that as well.
Yes reading the numbers are tough, but error on the side of caution, and you will do okay. Keep the water the same relative temp and add de-chlorintaor too
Also, the more you feed the more you will pollute and have the potential for more ammonia spikes. Do gravel vacs during each PWC too.
Lastly, no more fish until your cycle is finished. I can't tell you how disapointed I am in your LFS right now :steam:
The advice from the other posters is good. Just keep up with your PWCs to keep your water parameters within tolerable levels for your fish. If you don't already have one, get a good test kit (I prefer the API liquid kit myself). You have some sensitive fish in there that will be hard pressed to survive very well through a cycle-process.
I agree with Sammie, contact your LFS and see if they will accept any of them back
This can only help. The 80G tank will help obviously, but again it will take time to cycle that as well.
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Sorry you're having probs Also agree with ct-death re your LFS (I'm a real newb too but got very lucky with mine)
I just wanted to raise the question (I don't think anyone else did) of your acclimation procedure; I think you said in your first post you added with a net ? If you didn't also do something to mix some tank water in gradually over a period of time (45 mins for me - lots of people advise dripping tank water over a period of hours) you could have put your cat into osmotic shock. I did a far too quick acclimation with one of my first fish - pretty much same outcome over a not-much-longer period of time. Of course, the other problems you're having have to be addressed too, but bear it in mind for future reference. (And if I'm telling you something you already know, apologies)
Oh, and don't sweat trying to work out the difference between .5 and 1 on the ammonia (or nitrite test). .5 is already high enough to do damage so PWC anyway (50% as advised by ct-death)
Don't give up! It's worth it
Also agree with ct-death re your LFS (I'm a real newb too but got very lucky with mine)I just wanted to raise the question (I don't think anyone else did) of your acclimation procedure; I think you said in your first post you added with a net ? If you didn't also do something to mix some tank water in gradually over a period of time (45 mins for me - lots of people advise dripping tank water over a period of hours) you could have put your cat into osmotic shock. I did a far too quick acclimation with one of my first fish - pretty much same outcome over a not-much-longer period of time. Of course, the other problems you're having have to be addressed too, but bear it in mind for future reference. (And if I'm telling you something you already know, apologies)
Oh, and don't sweat trying to work out the difference between .5 and 1 on the ammonia (or nitrite test). .5 is already high enough to do damage so PWC anyway (50% as advised by ct-death)
Don't give up! It's worth it
Don't worry about telling me something I might already know - I am just grateful for any information and advice, regardless. the fish who have died have been in the tank for over a week, so I really don't think that it is osmotic shock. Hubby is taking the dead fish (three as of 7 am) back to PetSmart this morning, taking the water in to be tested and then doing a water change
Dangerdoll
Global Moderator
Gah! I just hope petsmart doesn't pull the old "your tank has ammonia and nitrites, not our problem, no refund".... it's a classic gimick.
okay - now I've lost 5 fish - LFS tested water and told hubby it was fine but didn't tell him the parameters. the two new fish are the only somewhat active ones and they have something white and stringy hanging off of their fins. and one of them is either bumping into or rubbing on the decorations. Is this something that would make the other fish drop dead so fast? could they have stressed the other fish so badly that within minutes we lost the first one and in less than 24 hours 5 have died and one of my gouramis is having trouble staying upright ---- PANIC!!!!
