dead tetras

[Kate]

Hi i also posted a slightly different question to the
rec.aquria.freshwater.plants list, but here goes.

Yesterday my lemon tetras were alive, tonight they are dead: all three were
about two years old. the backstory: i have a 25 gal. community tank
(mostly tetras) that has been established with various fish for 5 years.
Lately fish have been being killed, i usually find them half dead/ dying or
mostly eaten. I suspect my blind cave tetra as the culprit. several days
have gone by since any fish was killed, but tonight the three tetras are
dead. What is different about these guys is that they don't look like they
were harrased to death. their fins only look like the typical nibbling that
the other fish inflict after death. there are no wonds, but there is a
reddish colour around the body cavity. My pump is working fine, the light
is the same as yesterday, and the temperature has not fluctuated. the
lemons seem to be the only fish affected. Does anyone know if they are
susceptable to any plants? i have recently added 2 sword plants, and some
hygro. as i mentioned on the plant list, i also put some iron tab
fertilizer in the rock wool around the roots of the swords. any ideas,
great big world? suggestions on what to check? Thanks!

[D&M]

One thing I've learned to watch is what I'm adding to the tank for the
plants. I was using a fertilizer, one of the compounds was nitrate, my city
water supply was already higher than what was in the bottle of fertilizer.
Was a bad situation, but no one got hurt, discovered before there was
problems.
Guess what I'm saying is just monitor what you add to the tank.


"Kate" > wrote in message
...
> Hi i also posted a slightly different question to the
> rec.aquria.freshwater.plants list, but here goes.
>
> Yesterday my lemon tetras were alive, tonight they are dead: all three
were
> about two years old. the backstory: i have a 25 gal. community tank
> (mostly tetras) that has been established with various fish for 5 years.
> Lately fish have been being killed, i usually find them half dead/ dying
or
> mostly eaten. I suspect my blind cave tetra as the culprit. several days
> have gone by since any fish was killed, but tonight the three tetras are
> dead. What is different about these guys is that they don't look like
they
> were harrased to death. their fins only look like the typical nibbling
that
> the other fish inflict after death. there are no wonds, but there is a
> reddish colour around the body cavity. My pump is working fine, the light
> is the same as yesterday, and the temperature has not fluctuated. the
> lemons seem to be the only fish affected. Does anyone know if they are
> susceptable to any plants? i have recently added 2 sword plants, and some
> hygro. as i mentioned on the plant list, i also put some iron tab
> fertilizer in the rock wool around the roots of the swords. any ideas,
> great big world? suggestions on what to check? Thanks!
>
>