critter_fritter79

I just don't get it! I really think I am just cursed!I just can't no metter how hard I try keep angelfish! I do 2x weekly water changes, monitor my water conditions daily, feed a combination of flake, frozen and live food. They have a planted tank and seem very healthy and happy. But they always seem to die. Not all at once, just one a week or so, and I have no clue why. No clamped fins, no rapid breathing, no external signs of disease or parasites. They eat wel and are very active. They love to play in the bubbles from the bubble rope. They seem in no way distressed at all! I dearly love my angels and it breaks my heart to keep losing them like this. As of today the water parameters are ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 20. I use the API liquid master test kit. The tank is (was) slightly overcrowded and the nitrites have been as high as 40 but that is why 2x weekly 50% water changes. Am I messing something up? Is there anything I can do differently that might help this? i8 can't stand to keep losing them like this!!!

guppylove23

is the tank new?

critter_fritter79

No it has been up and running for over 6 months. I have another one that I actually thought was dead a little while ago so I reached in to pick up the poor thing. Once I had a hold of it, it finally moved so I would say I will be gone soon. However, i have noticed the pleco in the tank chasing the dying one and grabbing ahold of it. I suspected it of killing a betta I had in there too. The betta was fine when I went to bed(several months ago), and when I got up the next morning the pleco was carrying it around. Could the pleco be killing them?

TedsTank

I'm sorry it is so frustrating for you.

could be the pleco but know nothing about them...someone will come along with more info on them.

What is your water temp at?

What is your pH?

Do you always buy from the same fish store?? Could be them. They could be getting wacked at the fish store and you buying the results.

critter_fritter79

I was thinking maybe it was that I was buying from the LFS, so the last time i bought I got them from a breeder online. They seemed much healthier from the very start! At the moment I have 16 left in a 75 gallon tank. I think thins is still too many, so I bought a new 38 gallon to put several of the smaller ones in, but am waiting for it to cycle through. It has only been up about 2 weeks. Temp in the 5 is set at 79-80, and our well water has a constant ph of around 7.2

TedsTank

Everything sounds good to me!!!!
I also buy more fish if I can.. You have 16 left out of how many??

I'm sorry and know it is frustrating.

Is their food fresh?
When I was given my 55, I was also given old pellets...didnt know til some fish were dying...checked a handful of pellets and they were moldy down at bottom of can!!!

critter_fritter79

i started out with 24...13 from the breeder and 11 from 2 different lfs. The food is fairly fresh, just bought about 3 weeks ago. Well, the one that was doing badly has now died. I did keep the 3 different batche seperated for several weeks before combining them into the big tank.. they all did fine for the last month or so in the 75 then this started again. I am terrified of overfeeding, but I feed them a little at a time until the food starts to fall uneaten, is this right? or could I be starving them??

TedsTank

I doubt you will starve them. It is better to feed little ones less food several times a day. If starving you would notice.

This is weird....you have lost too many over a month.
I'm at a loss for now!!!

Do ones from one source seem better than the other or appear to be equal die offs?

critter_fritter79

also my count was wrong...i only have 10 left out of 24. This is really making me want to cry!

critter_fritter79

it seems to be equally spread out among all of the different sources. What is really confusing me is that the others left in the tank are happy, eating, playing in the bubbles and chasing each other. There seems to be no illness or aggression in any of them.

Shawnie

as recommended in a couple of your other threads, stressed? angels need established tanks and not to be crowded....they are very sensitive fish....especially when they are juvies....they have been through allot and between the ammonia/nitrite issues in the beginning, and so many in one tank , its coming down to who is the strongest to survive...I Hope the rest do well for you!

critter_fritter79

I have finally found a symptom...one of the smallest that I have left seems to have a case of tail rot. Normally I would add melafix and pimafix but have heard some bad things about these meds...anything else you might reccomend?

desertrefugee

What bad things have you heard? I've actually heard pretty good things. Based on that, I used Melafix to nurse a battered Yellow Lab back to health. He perked up after only two days of treatment - and went on to a more hospitable environment - not with my Africans, but with a local cichlid lover.

Guess my group are a bunch of hooligans . . .

AlyeskaGirl

I've used Melafix with no problems. Used it for finrot. Another way to deal with finrot is daily water changes, keep the water clean. It's common with fish with long flowing fins like Angelfish. Fish Stressed from bad water quality, overcrowding and fin nipping are the causes.

http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/finrot.htm

Shawnie

its probably a pecking order being established with them all ....moving him in a QT tank with prestine water changes and stress coat+ should help..if you have to medicate, please do not medicate the entire tank...especially with angels