death in established tank

[Jeffrey Falk]

I have a 20 gallon tank set up in a marine biology classroom (Fresh water
tank). The tank has been in
operation since February. It presently has 2 Rabossa (Sp), 2 Corys, 4
cardinal tetras and 1 otto.
There are no plants and the water chemsitry checks out just fine. The
problem is that whenever I
add new stock, at leat halh are dead the next morning. This past month I
lost 3 plecos (I didn't replace them)
2 ottos (1 survived) 3 cardinal tetras, 5 algae shrimp ( did not replace
them, some of them lasted a few weeks).
The LFS has checked water samples and found nothing amiss. They have also
given me credit towards the dead.
The 2 corys have been in the tank since May and the Rabossas have been in
the tank since March. There are no plants in the tank but alage
is present to remove nitrates and provide food for the algae eater. I'm
using an AquaCLear 150 with a sponge and charcoal media. I clean the sponge
in removed tank water once each month. The tank is cleaned and water
changes are done weekly. Does anyone have any suggestions? ThNk you.

[Paul]

Jeffrey Falk > wrote in message ...
>I have a 20 gallon tank set up in a marine biology classroom (Fresh water
>tank). The tank has been in
>operation since February. It presently has 2 Rabossa (Sp), 2 Corys, 4
>cardinal tetras and 1 otto.
>There are no plants and the water chemsitry checks out just fine. The
>problem is that whenever I
>add new stock, at leat halh are dead the next morning. This past month I
>lost 3 plecos (I didn't replace them)
>2 ottos (1 survived) 3 cardinal tetras, 5 algae shrimp ( did not replace
>them, some of them lasted a few weeks).
>The LFS has checked water samples and found nothing amiss. They have also
>given me credit towards the dead.
>The 2 corys have been in the tank since May and the Rabossas have been in
>the tank since March. There are no plants in the tank but alage
>is present to remove nitrates and provide food for the algae eater. I'm
>using an AquaCLear 150 with a sponge and charcoal media. I clean the sponge
>in removed tank water once each month. The tank is cleaned and water
>changes are done weekly. Does anyone have any suggestions? ThNk you.
>
something that you didn't cover is the temperature of the tank. have u
considered that you might have cold water fish in warm water or visa versa?

are u letting the new fish sit in the bag in the tank to get the
temperatures even , then let some tank water into the bag and waiting
another 15 minutes before releasing the fish? just ideas...

[Rick]

"Jeffrey Falk" no spam> wrote in message
...
> I have a 20 gallon tank set up in a marine biology classroom (Fresh water
> tank). The tank has been in
> operation since February. It presently has 2 Rabossa (Sp), 2 Corys, 4
> cardinal tetras and 1 otto.
> There are no plants and the water chemsitry checks out just fine. The
> problem is that whenever I
> add new stock, at leat halh are dead the next morning. This past month I
> lost 3 plecos (I didn't replace them)
> 2 ottos (1 survived) 3 cardinal tetras, 5 algae shrimp ( did not replace
> them, some of them lasted a few weeks).
> The LFS has checked water samples and found nothing amiss. They have also
> given me credit towards the dead.
> The 2 corys have been in the tank since May and the Rabossas have been in
> the tank since March. There are no plants in the tank but alage
> is present to remove nitrates and provide food for the algae eater. I'm
> using an AquaCLear 150 with a sponge and charcoal media. I clean the
sponge
> in removed tank water once each month. The tank is cleaned and water
> changes are done weekly. Does anyone have any suggestions? ThNk you.
>
>

you apparently do not quarantine new fish prior to adding them to the
existing stock. From my experience and in particular with Pleco's that are
almost exclusively wild caught they can come with parasites. I bought 2
Bristle Nose pleco's from a reputable LFS and put them in a tank with my
Geopahgus steindachneri. Two days later I had two dead Pleco's and my
steindachneri all had Ich. I lost one of them. Some months later apparently
not having learned my lesson the first time I returned to the LFS and
purchased two common Pleco's. I put them in quarantine for two weeks and
then added one to a tank of livebearers and one to a tank of lovely Central
American cichlids. A few days later I had a major outbreak of velvet disease
causing the loss of about 25 live bearers and all but one of my Central
Americans. If I buy Pleco's now from anywhere they get quarantined for a
month and fed anti parasite food.

Rick

[Geezer From The Freezer]

Rick,

Where do you get anti-parasite food from?