Mike Webster
May 1st 04, 11:26 PM
Greetings,
I'm fairly new to this hobby and I'm experiencing my first tank deaths.
We got this 75g setup from a local guy about 2 months ago with around 8
small fish (2"-5") and one big plecostamus (16"). The move went fine,
the tank cycled, the nitrites and ammonia were and are 0 and the nitrates
are at medium levels. The move went well, no fish died.
Setup is an UGF with 3 powerheads (middle and both sides) as well as an
undertank filter with bioballs, activated carbon and a mesh to strain
out plant material, etc. There's also an airstone, several plants and a
110W CF light setup. The large-leafed plants "pearl" after sitting under
the light for a while, so I think that means the water is oxygen-
saturated.
Last weekend, we took the plecostamus to the LFS and traded him in for a
handful of smaller fish and some plants. I figured the pleco bioload was
probably equivalent to 20 or more 1.5"-2.5" fish seeing as how big around
he was. He certainly weighed as much as 20-30. Anyway, we added about
12 new fish to the tank, slowly acclimated to the water temp and they
were all apparently fine for the first week (6 days).
Starting yesterday, I've begun experiencing rapid fish loss. Both of the
two pink kissing gourami (new fish) died within a very short space of
time. Very little if any external signs, possibly a little paler but
hard to tell since they were pretty pale to start with. Today there was
our (new) betta had its fins look like they were half-eaten through and a
sluggish, much-paler-than-its-counterparts zebra danio (old) with a good
portion of its tail missing (our dwarf gourami (old) was nipping at it,
assumably because it was sick).
The betta and zebra danio died less than 6 hours after removing to a sick
tank. The only thing I had added was a small amount of aquarium salt and
some stress-coat. My wife is out right now getting medicine (Maracyn-
Plus & Copper sulfate).
The danio, when examined after it died, had bloody gills. It was hard to
tell if that was the case with the betta due to its color and the
original dead gouramis were not bleeding externally at all. The betta
also had some pale spots on it, possibly ich but I'm not sure. No raised
scales anywhere that I could tell.
We have one other fish that's currently alive and isolated that has a bit
of fin rot but no other external signs. From what I can gather, this
seems to be a bacterial infection possibly brought in with the new fish.
Should I run a course of Maracyn-Plus with Coppersafe (suggested by
Mardel company for fin & tail rot) in the isolation tank alone or in the
main tank as well? Is there anything else I can do?
Current ammonia & nitrite are 0, nitrate is ~80ppm, KH ~120 ppm, GH 75
ppm, pH 6.8-7.2.
Thanks for the help,
Mike
I'm fairly new to this hobby and I'm experiencing my first tank deaths.
We got this 75g setup from a local guy about 2 months ago with around 8
small fish (2"-5") and one big plecostamus (16"). The move went fine,
the tank cycled, the nitrites and ammonia were and are 0 and the nitrates
are at medium levels. The move went well, no fish died.
Setup is an UGF with 3 powerheads (middle and both sides) as well as an
undertank filter with bioballs, activated carbon and a mesh to strain
out plant material, etc. There's also an airstone, several plants and a
110W CF light setup. The large-leafed plants "pearl" after sitting under
the light for a while, so I think that means the water is oxygen-
saturated.
Last weekend, we took the plecostamus to the LFS and traded him in for a
handful of smaller fish and some plants. I figured the pleco bioload was
probably equivalent to 20 or more 1.5"-2.5" fish seeing as how big around
he was. He certainly weighed as much as 20-30. Anyway, we added about
12 new fish to the tank, slowly acclimated to the water temp and they
were all apparently fine for the first week (6 days).
Starting yesterday, I've begun experiencing rapid fish loss. Both of the
two pink kissing gourami (new fish) died within a very short space of
time. Very little if any external signs, possibly a little paler but
hard to tell since they were pretty pale to start with. Today there was
our (new) betta had its fins look like they were half-eaten through and a
sluggish, much-paler-than-its-counterparts zebra danio (old) with a good
portion of its tail missing (our dwarf gourami (old) was nipping at it,
assumably because it was sick).
The betta and zebra danio died less than 6 hours after removing to a sick
tank. The only thing I had added was a small amount of aquarium salt and
some stress-coat. My wife is out right now getting medicine (Maracyn-
Plus & Copper sulfate).
The danio, when examined after it died, had bloody gills. It was hard to
tell if that was the case with the betta due to its color and the
original dead gouramis were not bleeding externally at all. The betta
also had some pale spots on it, possibly ich but I'm not sure. No raised
scales anywhere that I could tell.
We have one other fish that's currently alive and isolated that has a bit
of fin rot but no other external signs. From what I can gather, this
seems to be a bacterial infection possibly brought in with the new fish.
Should I run a course of Maracyn-Plus with Coppersafe (suggested by
Mardel company for fin & tail rot) in the isolation tank alone or in the
main tank as well? Is there anything else I can do?
Current ammonia & nitrite are 0, nitrate is ~80ppm, KH ~120 ppm, GH 75
ppm, pH 6.8-7.2.
Thanks for the help,
Mike