Problems in tank after adding Texas holey rocks

[nano55]

I don't know if the fact that I added 6 large pieces of Texas holey rock to my tank is actually the cause of what I am experiencing or not, or just a coincidence of what has been going on. I have a one hundred gallon African cichlid tank with Peacocks, Brichardis, and some assorted cats and a Plecostumus in it. It is a well established tank; its been running in this house for 13 years. I have never had a problem with any fish, but after I had added the rock, fish started getting sick. 2 out of the 3 spotted cats in the tank developed Velvet and died (I treated the tank for velvet and did all the required water changes with the medication and all was well for awhile), 1 angelicus cat died, and 2 older Peacocks died. The Peacocks and the cat just went behind the rocks and refused to eat and became lethargic. The Brichardis show no symptoms of any illness and are in the tank with babies and all are fine. I also have a plecostumus in the tank, and he is just fine, as well. It is truly a mystery! Yesterday I cleaned the tank, and now another of my peacocks is exhibiting the same symptoms. I don't have any idea what is causing this! any advice would be really appreciated!

 

[Star_Rider]

did you do anything to the rock prior to adding to the tank??

 

[FishFanMan]

If that was my tank I would remove the rocks asap and to some major WCs to remove whatever are on the rocks. Where did you get them?

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[jpappy789]

Source of the rocks may be a factor...as star rider asked, did you wash them in any way? A lot of THR is essentially collected by people who are nearby those type of limestone deposits, so there's a possibility of some sort of contamination that may have eventually stressed the fish.

 

[nano55]

did you do anything to the rock prior to adding to the tank??

I bought the rocks at a Petland in Illinois and when I bought them home, I immediately cleaned them. I scrubbed the heck out of the with really super HOT water. I have done lots of water changes since I have added them. The last water change I did, yesterday was about 75%. It has only effected the fish that I had mentioned. The Brichardis are just find and I have not lost one of them. The Brichardis have had two or three batches of babies, too during all this.

 

[Byron Amazonas]

I would look to other possible issues beyond the rocks (though I do agree to remove them and do a major water change as someone suggested). Getting Velvet from the rocks seems highly unlikely (unless they came from a disease-ridden tank). The medication used for the Velvet should be looked into as well; not all fish can tolerate some of these products. I speak from very sad experience.

Byron.

 

[jasonfishaddict]

I'm very leery about adding decorations to a populated tank for that very reason. Since you have fish that reproduced during this issue, I find it hard to point the finger at the holey rock. Water changes would've been the first thing i would've done. I don't believe in medications but rather taking care of your water and letting your water take care of your fish. So when fish loss happens I wonder if there was something I forgot to do or maybe I could do differently to prevent this from happening again.


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[nano55]

I would look to other possible issues beyond the rocks (though I do agree to remove them and do a major water change as someone suggested). Getting Velvet from the rocks seems highly unlikely (unless they came from a disease-ridden tank). The medication used for the Velvet should be looked into as well; not all fish can tolerate some of these products. I speak from very sad experience.

Byron.

I think while I was doing all the "redecorating" in the tank, it may have possibly stressed out the fish and the spotted cats developed the velvet at that time. But as far as the medication goes, I had used something recommended at the petstore called ICH-X. Supposedly, it was safe for the cats. The third spotted cat recovered and is doing fine. After all of the water changes I did with the medication regimen, I even added aquarium salt to the water as the final step once the medication was cleared out of the tank and all was well for awhile. I did a major water change and clean a couple of days ago, and that's when I noticed my peacock not doing very well. The fish affected are very old, the newer fish in the tank are unaffected. I am wondering if it is stress due to age? Hope you don't ,mind if I ask, but what experience did you have with medication intolerance? I know it has happened to me, too; it's a heartbreaking lesson to learn. I found out the hard way that there is such a thing as scaleless fish.

 

[nano55]

I'm very leery about adding decorations to a populated tank for that very reason. Since you have fish that reproduced during this issue, I find it hard to point the finger at the holey rock. Water changes would've been the first thing i would've done. I don't believe in medications but rather taking care of your water and letting your water take care of your fish. So when fish loss happens I wonder if there was something I forgot to do or maybe I could do differently to prevent this from happening again.


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I guess I wanted to take some of the old "plastic" caves and caverns out and add more natural rock for a more natural effect. I liked the fact that there was more hiding places with the holey rock for the fish. I had done so many water changes during this redecorating and then during the medical treatment for the fish, I lost track and couldn't even tell you how many I had done. I hope I get a handle on this, and soon!

 

[Byron Amazonas]

I think while I was doing all the "redecorating" in the tank, it may have possibly stressed out the fish and the spotted cats developed the velvet at that time. But as far as the medication goes, I had used something recommended at the petstore called ICH-X. Supposedly, it was safe for the cats. The third spotted cat recovered and is doing fine. After all of the water changes I did with the medication regimen, I even added aquarium salt to the water as the final step once the medication was cleared out of the tank and all was well for awhile. I did a major water change and clean a couple of days ago, and that's when I noticed my peacock not doing very well. The fish affected are very old, the newer fish in the tank are unaffected. I am wondering if it is stress due to age? Hope you don't ,mind if I ask, but what experience did you have with medication intolerance? I know it has happened to me, too; it's a heartbreaking lesson to learn. I found out the hard way that there is such a thing as scaleless fish.

I am not a microbiologist, but a friend of mine who is has told me that one has to select the appropriate medication for the fish species because of this issue; regardless of claims a manufacturer may make, not all fish can tolerate the same medications.

My experience concerned using kanamycin, a bacterial antibiotic, to deal with columnaris, a gram-negative bacterium. The characins in the tank did not survive, while the cyprinids did, and were even spawning during treatment. I am aware that characins have a high sensitivity to all chemicals , medications, etc, due to their physiology, but I wouldn't have expected it this much. I tend to think I may have mis-judged the water volume and perhaps overdosed.

Byron.