Fish keep dying cycled, lived planted 29g tank?

We have been cycling this tank sinxe octover and just added fish this month. The plants are booming, Shrimp are thriving and ramshorn snails are going great! However, the mystery snail, Blue dwarf gourami, and 2 red serpae tetras have died within days of being released into the tank. (Not all at once, the tetras were a second choice after the gourami passed). Now our main swordtail has gone missing and we fear the same. No fin damage, no pineconing, no paling prior to going missing and dying, no bloating or ick ir anything I can think to check for! Any ideas why we keep loosing perfectly healthy fish?

 

Sorry for your losses. Can’t really suggest anything much until you provide more data. If you can tell us your tank size, pH, GH, KH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, temp., and total bioload/stocking, it would provide a starting point. Sorry to ask for all that, but it is truly needed as a basis for both eliminating certain possibilities, and perhaps pointing to a potential problem(s).

 

Sorry for your losses. Can’t really suggest anything much until you provide more data. If you can tell us your tank size, pH, GH, KH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, temp., and total bioload/stocking, it would provide a starting point. Sorry to ask for all that, but it is truly needed as a basis for both eliminating certain possibilities, and perhaps pointing to a potential problem(s).

3 longfin red Serpae tetras, 3(?) Swordtails, a few red ramshorn snails, a handful of amano shrimp
Ph 7.2
Temp 73°f
0 ammonia, nitrite, nitrate
I dont have a gh test available as of current
29gallon tank
Cycled since october

Sorry for your losses. Can’t really suggest anything much until you provide more data. If you can tell us your tank size, pH, GH, KH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, temp., and total bioload/stocking, it would provide a starting point. Sorry to ask for all that, but it is truly needed as a basis for both eliminating certain possibilities, and perhaps pointing to a potential problem(s).

Started with 3 swordtails and a gourami, but the gourami died within 3 days.
Added 5 tetras about 10 days later, down to 3.
Missing a swordtail now too.

 

Do you really have 0 nitrate?

Do you have a heater? Do you keep your heater set at 73 degrees F?

 

Are there any fish currently in the tank? Unfortunately I now except and accept die off from fish I personally buy locally because all my fish stores have many dead fish in their tanks and the maintenance of fish has gone way down. Dwarf gouramis in particular often die quickly (not all, I have four that have even going strong for many months so don’t give up hope on them). If all your fish died suddenly I am going to assume something is leeching into the tank somehow but it is odd that your shrimp are doing ok. It makes me really think it’s the fish supply and not your tank. Are all these fish from the same place?

 

Is your thermometer accurate? Your temp is a tad on the low side (low end of temp range for Serpaes and gouramis) imho. Perhaps a few degrees higher might help. The 0 nitrate baffles me some. Do you use strips or API liquid test kits? I echo GouramiGirl100 on the fish possibility. I’d suspect chloramine except for your shrimp are doing ok. Have you done anything particular (new items, cleaning, equipment etc) w your tank? How abt your WC operation?

 

Do you really have 0 nitrate?

Do you have a heater? Do you keep your heater set at 73 degrees F?

It does have a heater, but i dont think the heater is quite the correct size. Workin on that

 

Do you really have 0 nitrate?

Stop adding fish until you know what is going on. 0 nitrates is unlikely. How often are you changing water, and how much? Test it prior to your regular water change. That's when it will be highest.

Is the fish store on the same water supply as you? A big difference in parameters can be problematic.

Are you adding anything to the water besides conditioner?

 

Stop adding fish until you know what is going on. 0 nitrates is unlikely. How often are you changing water, and how much? Test it prior to your regular water change. That's when it will be highest.

Is the fish store on the same water supply as you? A big difference in parameters can be problematic.

Are you adding anything to the water besides conditioner?

Is your thermometer accurate? Your temp is a tad on the low side (low end of temp range for Serpaes and gouramis) imho. Perhaps a few degrees higher might help. The 0 nitrate baffles me some. Do you use strips or API liquid test kits? I echo GouramiGirl100 on the fish possibility. I’d suspect chloramine except for your shrimp are doing ok. Have you done anything particular (new items, cleaning, equipment etc) w your tank? How abt your WC operation?

No, ive been running tanks successfully for a long time with this equipment. I agree its a bit cool, im working on a new heater. I tested the water again today to find the ph has dropped a whole point out of nowhere so im addressing that first. Api liquid test kit. And yes. Nitrate is reading 0.

No, ive been running tanks successfully for a long time with this equipment. I agree its a bit cool, im working on a new heater. I tested the water again today to find the ph has dropped a whole point out of nowhere so im addressing that first. Api liquid test kit. And yes. Nitrate is reading 0.

The earlier ph test was a fluke? Ph is still lower than it was but not as drastic as previously thought.

Stop adding fish until you know what is going on. 0 nitrates is unlikely. How often are you changing water, and how much? Test it prior to your regular water change. That's when it will be highest.

Is the fish store on the same water supply as you? A big difference in parameters can be problematic.

Are you adding anything to the water besides conditioner?

Are there any fish currently in the tank? Unfortunately I now except and accept die off from fish I personally buy locally because all my fish stores have many dead fish in their tanks and the maintenance of fish has gone way down. Dwarf gouramis in particular often die quickly (not all, I have four that have even going strong for many months so don’t give up hope on them). If all your fish died suddenly I am going to assume something is leeching into the tank somehow but it is odd that your shrimp are doing ok. It makes me really think it’s the fish supply and not your tank. Are all these fish from the same place?

See this is what ive been thinking. This is my partners very first fishtank, Ive been involved woth the whole process. I suggested we go to another supplier and see if we have better luck. Obviously not until we figure out whats wrong tho.

We have been cycling this tank sinxe octover and just added fish this month. The plants are booming, Shrimp are thriving and ramshorn snails are going great! However, the mystery snail, Blue dwarf gourami, and 2 red serpae tetras have died within days of being released into the tank. (Not all at once, the tetras were a second choice after the gourami passed). Now our main swordtail has gone missing and we fear the same. No fin damage, no pineconing, no paling prior to going missing and dying, no bloating or ick ir anything I can think to check for! Any ideas why we keep loosing perfectly healthy fish?

This is the tank! I think for a first tank its really beautiful.

 

Looks kind of stagnant. I see a fish cruising the surface. Maybe the tank is low in oxygen?

Low oxygen is consistent with having snails survive (they can breathe the air above the water) and shrimp since little shrimp have low oxygen needs.

In low oxygen tanks, the bigger fish die first which is what happened to you.


You are showing 5 ppm nitrates.

 

Looks kind of stagnant. I see a fish cruising the surface. Maybe the tank is low in oxygen?

Low oxygen is consistent with having snails survive (they can breathe the air above the water) and shrimp since little shrimp have low oxygen needs.

In low oxygen tanks, the bigger fish die first which is what happened to you.


You are showing 5 ppm nitrates.

The tank is well oxygenated, they had just been fed to bring them to the front

 

FYI: Oxygen tests are available. https://www.amazon.com/Sera-Oxygen-Test-fl-oz-Aquarium-Test/dp/B0013ZCB9E

 

FYI: Oxygen tests are available. https://www.amazon.com/Sera-Oxygen-Test-fl-oz-Aquarium-Test/dp/B0013ZCB9E

Theres a well running filter and a bubbler?

 

If it's an O2 problem it's because the source water is deficient. The bubbler and filter are enough to keep the tank oxygenated, but if the source water is really low they may not be enough to oxygenate the water before the fish are affected. You could try storing your water change water and oxygenate it for a couple days before using. You could use a powerhead, bubbler etc. Anything to constantly break the surface.

 

to recap:
"3 longfin red Serpae tetras, 3(?) Swordtails, a few red ramshorn snails, a handful of amano shrimp
Ph 7.2
Temp 73°f
0 ammonia, nitrite, nitrate
I dont have a gh test available as of current
29gallon tank
Cycled since october"

"Started with 3 swordtails and a gourami, but the gourami died within 3 days.
Added 5 tetras about 10 days later, down to 3.
Missing a swordtail now too."

.. and no obvious signs of a disease/parasites.

-The temp is about 5 degrees low.
- there are nitrates on the test in the picture, somewhere between 1 and 5, it's too dark for 0.

What is the filtration on the aquarium? I don't see anything obvious in the picture at all, a heater and a thermometer and one cord running down the back on the heater side. the heater is undersized by it not getting higher, is the filter undersized as well?

Can you please give us a brief explanation of your acclimation process when you bring the fish home from the fish store and put them into your tank? Do you ask at the fish store what their pH is, what temperature they are running?

How far is this fish store? It's winter, how long a time is the fish in a bag from there to your home and is it heated for the journey?

I guess it could be dissolved Oxygen, but the plants should be producing that. I feel like it's temperature and stress caused deaths from acclimation issues, maybe temperature differences, and some fish recovering while others fail to.

 

Where did you get the fish from? Maybe buy online instead