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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| New Black Ghost died in 3 hours, Why?
 I just received a black ghost knife fish along with 3 polka dot loaches yesterday. I slowly acclimated them in the bag by floating it and adding a 1/4-1/2C water every 15 minutes for just over an hour. The loaches were fine but the Ghost died within 3 hours of adding him to the tank. Any ideas of what could have gone wrong. All of my levels are fine and the temp was at 83F. I was recently treating ICH and that why the water temp is still on the higher side. I haven’t used any ich treatment chemicals for 3-4 days and put in a new filter pad and a carbon pad to help get all the left over meds out of the tanks. The ghost seemed to be healthy and moving in the bag and for the first hour in the tank. Then it settled to the front, bottom of the tank and didn't move too much for around an hour and then I checked to see if he was alive and sadly, he wasn't. Any idea's of what might have happened and/or what I can do to prevent this from happening again. I want to order another one and try again but I'm worried. | 
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Keeper
| Your levels are fine, but what they?
That could help. Beth | |
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Awe, I am sorry you lost him so quickly.
The link below says "The Black ghost is sensitive to water pollutants, changes in water conditions, and medications." The also require a very large tank because they get huge.
Did you do a water change also to take out most of the meds while changing out the filter media adding carbon? http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile66.html
Last edited by AlyeskaGirl; May 14th, 2009 at 12:58 PM.
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| I did 50% water changes during the entire ich ordeal all the way up to the day i got them, but a few hours before the arrived. I didn't change out the filter media, just the filters and added a carbon pad. I didnt add anymore chemicals 3-4 days before I got the new fish | |
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Dean  I did 50% water changes during the entire ich ordeal all the way up to the day i got them, but a few hours before the arrived. I didn't change out the filter media, just the filters and added a carbon pad. I didnt add anymore chemicals 3-4 days before I got the new fish | I've never had an ICH problem...so I totally spaced out that water changes are done daily and gravel vacs every few days. lol
Only thing I can think of is that he didnt care for the water conditions and stressed out or something. Not sure. They are such an interesting fish but too sensitive for me and they get too large!  My 55 gal is as big as I am going. lol | |
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| Anyone know if i needed to do something else to acclimate it properly? | |
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Dean I just received a black ghost knife fish along with 3 polka dot loaches yesterday. I slowly acclimated them in the bag by floating it and adding a 1/4-1/2C water every 15 minutes for just over an hour. The loaches were fine but the Ghost died within 3 hours of adding him to the tank. Any ideas of what could have gone wrong. All of my levels are fine and the temp was at 83F. I was recently treating ich and that why the water temp is still on the higher side. I haven’t used any ich treatment chemicals for 3-4 days and put in a new filter pad and a carbon pad to help get all the left over meds out of the tanks. The ghost seemed to be healthy and moving in the bag and for the first hour in the tank. Then it settled to the front, bottom of the tank and didn't move too much for around an hour and then I checked to see if he was alive and sadly, he wasn't. Any idea's of what might have happened and/or what I can do to prevent this from happening again. I want to order another one and try again but I'm worried. |
try drip acclimation. the floating method is like having a cold cup of water thrown on you every 15 min and then being put out in the snow at the end. | |
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| that doesn't sound fun. Do you use the drip method in a bucket? how does that work? | |
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| aww dean im sorry you lost him!  they are really cool fish
for him to die so suddenly, there could be a few options..the pH was a drastic difference between what he was use to and what he went in...on new fish, i try to test the bagged water ph with my tanks ph...just to be sure there isnt a significant change... ...or maybe the temp was too much for him...if he seemed healthy, I guess we cant blame the sickness or health on the pet store...other than that, im not really sure what could have done it im sorry again! | |
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| Hmmm, Ph... I'll keep that in mind next time. I'll also acclimate the ghost longer next time. Looking into getting another one asap. I'm sooo sad though. | |
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| I feel for you ..and with that sudden death, and your ammonia at 0, im going to make a guess at the ph was drastically different, or the temps shocked him ...goodluck! | |
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| I was just reading up on drip acclimation. I'm thinking that it was probably a combo of Ph and Temp. Do you know of any articles that help explain how to make one? The ones I've read are too confusing for me to follow. | |
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| if you get another, test the bag water before anything else....see what the ph is, the temps, and if there is ammonia or not....after finding out those things, test your own tank.....if theres a huge difference, you just need to take more time to remove 1/8th of the water and replace with 1/8th of tank water...do this every 25 mins over a period of an hour or hour an half....thats only if theres a huge difference...if there isnt, replace 1/4 th of the water every 20 mins or so for about 45 min total.... | |
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May 14th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| great advice from everyone else, the only other thing i'd add is that you don't want to add any of the water from the LFS to your tank, it could have all kinds of nasty stuff in it | |
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May 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| I'm sooo upset!!!!! I came home from work yesterday to find the 3 polka dot loaches dead. I think they dies because of the temp. I moved the heater and the calibration is now off about 4 degrees F. I had the temp set at 83F but it was at 87-88. I lowered it last night but it was still to high. I lowed it to 79F this morning and hopefully that will work. I'm getting a new heater today. Do you think the temp is why they died or all of the trauma they've gone through the past few days. This sucks!!! | |
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May 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| OMG dean im so so sorry !!! the heat will stress them majorly and I would take a guess that its been the heat all along... im so very sorry..just make sure you lower it gradually and add some extra airation ...gooodluck! | |
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May 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| Oh no...I am so sorry! 
Last edited by AlyeskaGirl; May 15th, 2009 at 11:05 AM.
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May 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| sob, sob... | |
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May 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| I feel like a murderer, ok maybe it was just involuntary fishslaughter but still. | |
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May 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Mentor
| It happens.....and don't beat yourself up! | |
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May 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Master
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Dean sob, sob... |  dont be so hard on yourself dean...easier said then done im sure..but we are here for support | |
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May 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| i know but its sad | |
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May 15th, 2009
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| | Fish Helper
| looking at getting a new heater now. Thinking about an inline one. | |
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