Fish deaths

[LisaE]

A few months ago i came home from vacation only to find i lost several fish to an unknown illness. Over next few months fish would randomly die- some appeared listless for a few days, one bloated up like a balloon, others were just found attached to filter. Treated with melafix/pimafix, at one point tried erythromycin…things took a turn when i could actually see visible illness on my dwarf rainbowfish. Treatment with kanaplex was recommended which was started after the erythromycin was removed from the tank to no avail. To backtrack- the tank feel into disarray after i had hand surgery. PH tanked, tank was dirty b’c water/filter changes did not take place. Ended up needing a new filter. Dosed seachem stability and prime to avoid any issues related to losing the bio filter, slowly increased PH, zero nitrites/nitrates- no deaths. 3 doses of kanaplex but fish remains same. Received so much conflicting advice. Help! 55 gallon tank, one dwarf bristlenose pleco, two loaches, several cory cats, one sick dwarf rainbowfish, one blue eyed rainbowfish, three rummy nose tetra, two dwarf ember tetras (lost 7 others), one male cherry barb (lost his mates), two green tetras, two other small tetra, two purple tetra, small snails and one angry snail. One of the tetra lost all its mates and now hides most of the day. Don’t want to continue this cycle of death but have thus far been u successful with treatment. Advice? All plants and other items removed from tank during treatment which is why it is so bare.

 

[A201]

I think its best to remove the obviously infected fish out of the tank, then concentrate on saving the healthier tankmates.

If you are dosing the antibiotics into the main tank, the benificial bacteria population is taking a beating. An ammonia spike will have likely resulted.

An ammonia spike can kill or weaken the fish depending on the severity of the ammonia level.

I believe you refered to changing out the filter media. If so, don't routinely discard bacteria infused filter media. Instead, rinse off the media with used tank water. If you are using filter cartridges, scrape them off in a bucket of used tank water & reuse them.

Be a good idea to make a couple of weekly 20% water changes until things stabilize. After that one weekly 25% - 40% weekly WC should be fine.

Hope things get better soon.

 

[committeadmare]

Hey it looks like you already got some good advice. There is also a template for diagnosing problems. I've copied it below and filled in the details that I was certain about from your post.

My sympathies. It sounds like you've had a rough few months.

Tank

What is the water volume of the tank?

- 55 gallon

How long has the tank been running?

Does it have a filter?

Does it have a heater?

What is the water temperature?

What is the entire stocking of this tank? (Please list all fish and inverts.)

- 1 dwarf bristlenose pleco
- 2 loaches
- several cory cats
- 1 sick dwarf rainbowfish
- 1 blue eyed rainbowfish
- 3 rummy nose tetra
- 2 dwarf ember tetras
- 1 male cherry barb
- 2 green tetras
- 2 other small tetra
- 2 purple tetra
- small snails
- 1 angry snail.

Deaths:
- 7 ember tetras
- 1 cherry barb



Maintenance

How often do you change the water?

How much of the water do you change?

What do you use to treat your water?

Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water?



*Parameters - Very Important

Did you cycle your tank before adding fish?

What do you use to test the water?

What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers
- not just “fine” or “safe”.

Ammonia:

Nitrite:

Nitrate:

pH:

GH:

KH:



Feeding

How often do you feed your fish?

How much do you feed your fish?

What brand of food do you feed your fish?

Do you feed frozen?

Do you feed freeze-dried foods?



Illness & Symptoms

How long have you had this fish?

QT Used….Yes/No
- ……if Yes
- how long?

How long ago did you first notice these symptoms?

In a few words
- can you explain the symptoms?

Have you started any treatment for the illness?

Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase?

How has its behavior and appearance changed if at all?

 

[LisaE]

Have to work on all these questions but to start: have had tank since 2020, all of my cory cats were born in it. Has heater, now new 110 Aquan Fluval filter, typically change 20% water once a month (sometimes every other), use gravel filter and really suck it out. Use purigen and chem pure primarily in filter. In tank is 1 male cherry barb, one dwarf bristlenose, two big loach like fish (have had them so long forget their name), one dwarf rainbowfish, one blue eyed rainbow fish, three rummy nose tetra, two purple emperor tetras, two green tiger barbs, 7 cory cats, two ember tetra, three other tetra, one amano shrimp, small trumpet snails (they populated quickly, trying to thin them out, all very very small, two assassin snails (hoping they help with the trumpets pests)…fed frozen spirulina brine shrimp and some tetramin plus dry or ultra fish dry. Test with chemical and/or dip testers. Have used two doses erythromycin before moving to kanaplex (three doses) at rec of ChatGPT (i know- ‍) there was definitely illness in tank prior to this as i lost ALOT of fish since May/June vacation but did not see visible illness until recently. Last fish was euthanized after suffering severe bloat, i saw what appeared to be sores on one or two of the others leading me to believe they had fin/tail rot or other bacterial infection. Tried artemiss (microbe-lift) and fritz bactershield in past. Use prime when changing out water. Here is pick of sick rainbow- gave him 5 min salt bath this AM which he tolerated very well. Still no plants back in tank (but for one anabis) b’c i want to be able to monitor closely.

 

[A201]

A 20% water change once a month, or as you say sometimes a 20% water change every other month, is woefully insufficient, IMO.

You might consider a 20% - 25% weekly water change. Doing so will likely provide a healthier environment for your fish, which will result in fewer outbreaks of disease.