New angel died today and new platies acting lethargic/long poops/issues swimming.

[sgjackson]

Tank
What is the water volume of the tank?
65g
How long has the tank been running?
I cycled for five weeks, and fish have been in the tank since Saturday.
Does it have a filter?
Aquaclear 110 with pre-filter sponge.
Does it have a heater?
2 Hydor 200w - the heaters are very aggressive and I am only running one on 74 at the moment to keep the temp at 80.
What is the water temperature?
80.
What is the entire stocking of this tank? (Please list all fish and inverts.)
1 angelfish (formerly 2), 2 male variatus platy, 2 male platy

Maintenance
How often do you change the water?
Once a week - I changed before getting the fish and have not changed yet. Would normally do it on Saturday.
How much of the water do you change?
Haven't had to do it yet.
What do you use to treat your water?
Seachem Prime, Seachem Stability, crushed coral in filter and hanging from bag under filter.
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water?
Haven't had to do it yet.

*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish?
Yes.
What do you use to test the water?
API Master Test Kit
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.
As of ten minutes ago:
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 5ppm
pH: 7.4

The tank has been at these numbers since Saturday EXCEPT for 5/31 at 9pm, when ammonia registered at .5ppm. I put in a cap of Prime to detoxify ammonia and went to sleep. In the morning it was normal. I test at least once daily, and when I started having issues with the fish, tested multiple times daily.

Feeding
How often do you feed your fish?
Did twice for a few days, have pared down to one.
How much do you feed your fish?
Small pinch.
What brand of food do you feed your fish?
I have done New Life Spectrum pellets, blanched peas, Omega One freeze-dried bloodworms, New Life Spectrum flakes, and Hikari Vibra Bites on different days (trying out different things to see what they like).
Do you feed frozen or freeze-dried foods?
I did freeze-dried bloodworms once.

Illness & Symptoms
How long have you had this fish?
Saturday
How long ago did you first notice these symptoms?
They were stressed Saturday, and seemed mostly fine Sunday. Monday is when one of the platies started behaving strangely.
In a few words, can you explain the symptoms?
Long, stringy, white or red poops, issues swimming, lethargic, hiding, clamped/twisted fins, skimming the side of the tank or sucking on air at the top of the tank
Have you started any treatment for the illness?
I ordered the quarantine trio (Mardel Maracyn, Aquarium Solutions Ich-X, and Fritz ParaCleanse) but it hasn't gotten here yet. I did not quarantine before adding to my main tank, but I have ordered a 10 gallon setup to quarantine future fish.
Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase?
I do not know, it is entirely possible.
How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all?
Lethargic, issues swimming, one of the variatus platies went from looking fat to having a sunken-in stomach after a large poop that got stuck to him.

Explain your emergency situation in detail. (Please give a clear explanation of what is going on, include details from the beginning of the illness leading up to now)
I bought fish on Saturday from Petco - 2 angels, 2 variatus platies, and 2 regular platies (all the platies are male). They were a little stressed on Saturday but mostly fine on Sunday, other than one of the variatus platies having a long, stringy, white poop. I fed them a couple of blanched peas Monday to account for constipation, which all the platies ate voraciously. One of the platies started to be lethargic, had clamped fins, a long, stringy, white poop and spend most of its time at the top of the tank, looking like it had issues swimming on Monday. An angelfish had similar symptoms on Wednesday - its fins were twisted and it was skimming the side of the tank or hiding most of the time. I found this angel stuck to the filter intake sponge this morning - they were still alive (I think, fins were moving), but unable to swim and was being pushed around by current after rescue so I euthanized him. Now I have multiple fish sucking on air and lethargic and having swimming issues. The other variatus platy had a long, stringy, red poop today, and is now sucking air from the top of the tank and his stomach looks sunken in.

 

[awilkinson871]

Try adding an air stone. You added quite a few fish after just cycling the tank. Usually 2-3 at a time is good that way the BB can catch up to the added ammonia. The clamped fins, gulping air sound like ammonia poisoning. Ammonia will cause fish to not be able to use oxygen in the water so adding an air stone will increase gas exchange at the surface and add oxygen to the water. Not sure about the poop yet, but maybe this will help with the others.

 

[sgjackson]

Try adding an air stone. You added quite a few fish after just cycling the tank. Usually 2-3 at a time is good that way the BB can catch up to the added ammonia. The clamped fins, gulping air sound like ammonia poisoning. Ammonia will cause fish to not be able to use oxygen in the water so adding an air stone will increase gas exchange at the surface and add oxygen to the water. Not sure about the poop yet, but maybe this will help with the others.

Had someone else tell me this, but I'm confused because I've tested ammonia probably 10+ times since Saturday and I've seen it be over 0 once.

This is within the last hour, for example.

 

[WRWAquarium]

Hi

Your water looks good. Kinda sounds like you just got unhealthy fish from the shop.. Or it's some kind of disease.

Can you post pics of tank and fish?

 

[awilkinson871]

You could indeed have a parasite issue, but adding an airstone cannot hurt and it may help.

 

[sgjackson]

You could indeed have a parasite issue, but adding an airstone cannot hurt and it may help.

Recommend me an airstone setup and I'll get it. Was searching around and can't find a consensus on what's the best to get.

Edit: Somebody asked for tank/fish pics, I figured a video would be more useful/telling.

 

[sgjackson]

Orange and black platy and red variatus platy died last night. Spotted angel has twisted fins and is noticeably stressed now, orange and red platy isn't moving. Yellow variatus platy still eats and swims aggressively but is hiding behind the log.

I am now wondering how I can make sure this tank is safe for future fish.

 

[Jo7984]

What is the KH / GH of your water?

I had platy and they really struggled in my soft water. My GH and KH is 1-2 from tap water.
I had to add crushed coral im the filter and I also have Seachem Equilibrium to add to the water too.

 

[86 ssinit]

Ok I’m guessing the fish were sick when you got them or not acclimated correctly. What did you do to add the fish to your tank. How did you put them in?
For your heaters buy an ink-bird heater controller (306). Heaters just never work correctly any more. This device keep them from killing your fish.
The amount of fish you added to a 65g is not a problem. Still a very small load for a 65 and a cycled tank would have no problem with them. Again it was the fish. Petco/petsmart are not recomended places to buy fish.

 

[Dechi]

Instead of an airstone, get a power head and aim it towards the surface. It will be a lot less noisy and more efficient.

I think you just added too many fish in a very recently, maybe not perfectly cycled tank. Some of these fish are fragile and need a more mature environment.

With fish keeping, slow is the way to go.

Do a water change and no vacuuming, no filter maintenance for a good while. Get 2-3 small hardy fish and give it time before buying more fragile fish. The bigger tetras will do, like roseys, or serpaes for example.

 

[86 ssinit]

Instead of an airstone, get a power head and aim it towards the surface. It will be a lot less noisy and more efficient.

I think you just added too many fish in a very recently, maybe not perfectly cycled tank. Some of these fish are fragile and need a more mature environment.

With fish keeping, slow is the way to go.

Do a water change and no vacuuming, no filter maintenance for a good while. Get 2-3 small hardy fish and give it time before buying more fragile fish. The bigger tetras will do, like roseys, or serpaes for example.

I hear ya but did you watch the video? The angels are nickel sized and the platies not much bigger. Even an uncycled tank with the water changed regularly would be able to keep them alive.
Power head will blow those fish around .

 

[Dechi]

I hear ya but did you watch the video? The angels are nickel sized and the platies not much bigger. Even an uncycled tank with the water changed regularly would be able to keep them alive.
Power head will blow those fish around .

I have to admit I didn’t. Thanks for mentioning it.

 

[sgjackson]

What is the KH / GH of your water?

I had platy and they really struggled in my soft water. My GH and KH is 1-2 from tap water.
I had to add crushed coral im the filter and I also have Seachem Equilibrium to add to the water too.

5 GH and 3 KH. I've got crushed coral in the filter and hanging from a bag under the filter outflow.

Ok I’m guessing the fish were sick when you got them or not acclimated correctly. What did you do to add the fish to your tank. How did you put them in?
For your heaters buy an ink-bird heater controller (306). Heaters just never work correctly any more. This device keep them from killing your fish.
The amount of fish you added to a 65g is not a problem. Still a very small load for a 65 and a cycled tank would have no problem with them. Again it was the fish. Petco/petsmart are not recomended places to buy fish.

Floated the bag for 30m, did not drip acclimate as the pH of the water from the store was within .5 of my pH - 7.8 vs 7.4.

Instead of an airstone, get a power head and aim it towards the surface. It will be a lot less noisy and more efficient.

I think you just added too many fish in a very recently, maybe not perfectly cycled tank. Some of these fish are fragile and need a more mature environment.

With fish keeping, slow is the way to go.

Do a water change and no vacuuming, no filter maintenance for a good while. Get 2-3 small hardy fish and give it time before buying more fragile fish. The bigger tetras will do, like roseys, or serpaes for example.

I'll keep this in mind.

 

[awilkinson871]

When you floated the bag did you add a small amount of tank water every 5-10 minutes? I always add small amounts over the 20-30 minutes so the fish not only get used to the temperature but any ph or mineral differences in the water. I then net the fish out of the bag to prevent adding any yucky lfs water into the tank. For an air stone I just have a simple blue one that I attach to a small air pump. It may not look great, but it adds oxygen and agitates the surface of the water and is easy to set up in an emergency. I am sorry about your fish...I am out of suggestions at this point. It could honestly be bad fish, but it could also be a combination of many small little things that combined to be a big problem.

 

[sgjackson]

When you floated the bag did you add a small amount of tank water every 5-10 minutes? I always add small amounts over the 20-30 minutes so the fish not only get used to the temperature but any ph or mineral differences in the water. I then net the fish out of the bag to prevent adding any yucky lfs water into the tank. For an air stone I just have a simple blue one that I attach to a small air pump. It may not look great, but it adds oxygen and agitates the surface of the water and is easy to set up in an emergency. I am sorry about your fish...I am out of suggestions at this point. It could honestly be bad fish, but it could also be a combination of many small little things that combined to be a big problem.

Lethargic platy died just now. One angel and one platy left.

Didn't add any tank water, just floated the bag. I tested their water params and they were close to mine, and I didn't have an aquarium-only container ready to move small amounts of water over. 100% netted fish out to prevent water from getting in.

I've been talking with some friends and people on other forums who think it's parasites, given the long poops. I've tested water and my params have been 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 0-5 nitrates, 7.4 pH, 5 gH, and 3 kH almost 100% since Saturday. I am hoping it was bad fish, but if I contributed I want to fix anything I did wrong to optimize the chances of the fish being healthy and happy next time.

 

[86 ssinit]

80% bad fish 20% not acclimating them. Any cup will do. Doesn’t need to be aquarium safe just clean. I use Dixie cups.
White stringy poo can be a disease or just that the fish hasn’t ate since it’s left the warehouse. It’s cheaper not to feed in pet stores. No money wasted and less tank cleaning. So with no food it’s just taking in water and whatever minerals in the water. So white poo.
If planing on buying again from that store don’t buy right away go there look at there fish than go back a few days latter and see how they look.
Next see if you can find a local fish store instead of the chain stores.

 

[sgjackson]

80% bad fish 20% not acclimating them. Any cup will do. Doesn’t need to be aquarium safe just clean. I use Dixie cups.
White stringy poo can be a disease or just that the fish hasn’t ate since it’s left the warehouse. It’s cheaper not to feed in pet stores. No money wasted and less tank cleaning. So with no food it’s just taking in water and whatever minerals in the water. So white poo.
If planing on buying again from that store don’t buy right away go there look at there fish than go back a few days latter and see how they look.
Next see if you can find a local fish store instead of the chain stores.

I was still getting long, stringy poo after they ate.

Closest LFS is 90m away. I am pretty close to one of the better respected fish selling websites, so I think it'd be very safe to overnight from there. Next time going to quarantine shipped fish and acclimate.

 

[sgjackson]

The surviving angel and variatus platy are looking MUCH better today after a gravel vac and 30% water change. Aggressive eating, fins unclamped. The angel has a white spot on one of his fins (ich maybe?) but he's acting better than he ever has post water change.

I've probably done 15-20 ammonia tests and 10+ nitrite/nitrate/pH tests in the past week and they consistently showed perfect results, so I am wondering if anything could have been in the water to cause issues that wasn't ammonia/nitrite/nitrate or if I was getting bad test results somehow. I regret not trying this earlier, as I know a water change wouldn't have hurt.

 

[awilkinson871]

Water changes are always a good start. There are so many things that could be an issue you will probably never know. It could have just been stress from the transition. Luckily, they are acting better.

 

[86 ssinit]

I doubt it’s ich. Angel and discus are known to get pimples. Usually after a few water changes they go away. They could happen from stress or water conditions. If you can put up a pic.

 

[sgjackson]

I doubt it’s ich. Angel and discus are known to get pimples. Usually after a few water changes they go away. They could happen from stress or water conditions. If you can put up a pic.

You can kinda see it on his top fin here - big white spot. Wasn't there when i got him.