heartsongsinger

I found Dirk dead this morning before I went to school. And just now I was upstairs and I went to look for Mickey and I found him wrapped upside down around the intake valve for my filter. I got him unstuck and then he got himself stuck twice more. So I removed him and I put him in the nursery with the khulis and the betta. Well my betta wasn't having it so I moved him to the 10 gallon downstairs.

Any ideas on what his chances of survival are? His body is curved and he can't keep himself upright. I can't believe I'm going to lose both of my boys!!

Shawnie

im sorry you lost your friend...usually if they dont have the strength to swim away from the intake, somethings wrong and they need help...whats your water parimeters? id do a 50% water change with some prime ...

heartsongsinger

I'm checking that right now. The temp is a bit unstable because of the temp in my room. I plan on doing a water change on saturday.

Water: 7 pH, 0 ammonia, .25 nitrite, and 20 nitrate. I don't get the nitrite, it is an established tank.

pinkfloydpuffer

I'm sorry about your little guys

It sounds like you went into a minicycle for some reason.

heartsongsinger

I did change one of filter bags but I seeded it. (the system has two filter bags)

Mickey is yet alive, though so I may only be in need of one new male

heartsongsinger

Update: It has been 3 days since I found Mickey hurt and he is still alive but I think his fins are starting to go. I plan on taking him to the good fish store for advice.

I did lose the pleco in that tank though. My mom said there was a dead fish in the tank, I thought she ment Mickey. When he wasn't dead and I couldn't find the other fish that I think is sick I pulled out the castle. I found the other fish and I found poor Pierre dead.

pinkfloydpuffer

Poor plecy

Butterfly

Even in an established tank a dead fish can cause an ammonia spike and then a Nitrite spike. Sorry about your fish.
Are you heating the tank with a heater or the temperature of your room? If the room temp is very stable you can keep the tank warm that way but if it's not the tank temps will fluctuate a lot and can cause fish illness.
Carol

heartsongsinger

There being done by heater because it's cold out now so the house is colder. The one with the pleco had been heated by the room up until two weeks ago because it is between the computer and the TV.

Mickey update: Mickey had developed fin rot. Since I didn't have the heart to put him down so the LFS did it for me.

On a happier not I got one male to replace Mickey and Dirk. His name is Daggar and he has a two tone sword.

Fishies-for-me

I would be wary of introducing new stock into a tank with unexplained fish death /disease. If you knew that the fish had died of trauma ( jumping out of the tank ...getting clawed by the cat etc) then it would be ok to restock in the same tank and water . But not knowing what killed you other fish it is risky to add new fish without QT them and cleaning the other tank . I know it is to late now but I would of left the tank sit for a few weeks to let every thing settle down and see if there were any more deaths and make sure that you don't have a disease brewing in your tank....good luck on the new fish he sounds like a cutie.

heartsongsinger

The new fish is in the 20 gallon which is fine right now. When I no longer have ammonia in the 5 gallon the fish in the nursery will move to the 5 gallon. All the female swordtails in the 47 gallon will then move to the nursery and then Dagger will move from the 20 gal into the 47 gallon

Shadow Sichlid

Wow im really sorry for your loss, That sucks. i only have 2 males in my live bearer tank, one black lyretail molly (known as Satan) and one Marigold swordtail (known as blade) Satan has a wife and Blade has 2 so.. they are pretty happy. when i got the molly's they gave me a free fry