SCUGrad

I bought six BA tetras from LFS who were using them as feeders. So I rescued six tetras from certain death. Got all six for about $1.25 at the current rates of exchange.

I noticed that right from the start that they were very active swimmers and very aggressive eaters. I noticed that the clown loaches began to come out and play more now that they had the BAs around. Then I noticed that the BAs would nip at my dwarf neon rainbowfish (I have six rainbowfish) and chase it around a bit sometimes. Same with the (3) swordtails.

Then I noticed that the swordtails were a bit listless. They weren't eating much and were getting a bit thin.

A week or so ago, two of the three swordtails died, both having suffered much fin abuse. I suspected the tetras immediately but wasn't sure.

Today I come home and find THREE rainbowfish dead, one of them headless (suspect the pleco had himself a bit of a feast after the fact) The remaining three rainbowfish are pretty stressed out, fin damage and quite thin.

Anyway, I will double check the water parameters but don't think that's the reason. I checked the water after the swordtails died and it was normal.

SCUGrad

Gaaah! The pH is really high...8.4 or 8.8...just about as high as the test will go. Might be even higher than that. I did not check the pH level after the swordtails died. I knew the pH was always a bit high...our tap water checks out at about 7.4 or 7.8.

The ammonia level is zero, nitrite is zero and nitrate is 5.

Wondering about that high pH. A week ago, just before the swordtails died, I did my normal water change. My wife took out some of the artificial plants and brushed off the algae with an OLD TOOTHBRUSH. Later, she took the brush and put it in the water to brush some of the algae off while some of the plants were still in the water.

I don't know where that brush has been but I suspect that we may have found the source of the high pH.