why do they keep dying?

"RedForeman ©®" wrote in message ...
Kris typed:
I have a 50 gallon tank with angels, otto's, apistogramma cacatoides,
a figure eight and bleeding heart tetra's.

Interesting mix, especially with a puffer, apistos, angels, that mix usually
wouldn't work, but YMMV, so let's keep going...

Why does apisto and scalare does not work? The apistos are calm and
live at the bottom... I'm setting up another tank for the puffer.


since 2-3 months, every two weeks one fish dies. I've lost 1 Boekhlei,
2 angelfish and one apistograma that way. They have no symptoms
untill their last hour. Then they sink to the bottom, start havy
breathing ans then they die.
They eat well. I've noticed light coloured stool with a bit of a slimy
aspect. I thought about hexamita but then again, they don't have hole
in the head symptoms and they did not lost weight and eat well, and
they are brightky coloured.
Can hexamita be the reason, killing them one by one without others
symptoms?

Hexamita is defined as Hole in the Head, disease, YOU'D see it...read it
here
http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/hdhith.htm

or
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&i...=Google+Search

Should I give them something like hexamita(R) from 'Esha
Labs'? I don't like to do it because Apistogramma's dont't love
medication... But if that's what I got to do...

My guess would be that maybe poor water quality, combined with an unusual
mix of fish, could possible cause potentially life threatning stress upon
some inhabitants, and yes, stress kills.

While you're here, post some parameters of your tank, pH, gH, kH, cleaning
regimine, and anything else you add to your tank, and I'll bet someone here
can pinpoint what's happening, or where it is going wrong...

pH 6,5 (was around 8 two weeks ago. I dropped pH gradually during the
last two weeks by filtering with peat. Altough, the angel died
yesterday. Can this because the pH droppef 1,5 in two weeks?

gH around 10 dH

kH 3,5 KH

NO3- : 20

NO2- : 0

ammonia: 0

cleaning: every three weeks 20 percent of the total volume, combined
with gravel cleaning

anything else added: planted more plants and added sera florena.
I add Aqua safe and sera morena.

tank: juwel with standard filter (I added peat)

P.S. I noticed that 3/4 victims where at least 3 years in the tank.
I added 9 new fish lately


btw, it never hurts to do water changes when things don't look right...