Another epidemic?

[Convict2161]

Ok so in the passed 2 weeks I've lost 10 fish. My overstocked tank is becoming well... A not so overstocked tank.

Fry are all fine. I'm losing little fish to those that have been with me from the beginning. 3"+ fish.

I've checked my parameters everyday and have no issues.

The only thing that has changed is the temp due to heat waves and well... It just being hotter. I've limited my lights to just a couple of hours for viewing when I want to relax or when company is over and even then I only turn 2 bulbs on instead of all 4. Other then that I just leave the lights off, no plants anymore so light isn't a priority. Seems though every time I turn the lights on there's a dead fish either upside down or stuck to the aquaclear 110 which leads me to believe it was sick and weak to get stuck to that intake. A healthy fish shouldn't be getting stuck to my intakes.

Water parameters are always

pH 8.0

Ammonia 0

Nitrites 0

NitrAtes 10-20 (never zero) always in a shade of orange never red anymore.

Temp has gotten as high as 81.5 but I've read that's no big deal. At night sometimes it gets to 78.8 so there's what? A 2 degree fluctuation here and there? Can that be it? I feed smaller amounts 2x's a day due to the heat. I read that the heat makes them more active so I want them to be fed. I feed Sera veggie flakes.

Not sure what else to do. I do a 50% water change every week with sometimes a small 20% change in between. I have the fx5 and AC 110 running the tank. Nothing new has been added to the tank. I did move some decor around a few weeks back.

That's see.... I have 4 females holding. Some of saw the videos and also pointed out there may have been more holding and like I said before the babies are all fine huddled in there spot with mom.

There has been an abundance of digging in my tank, every day there's a new spot. The aggression as far as I see has not changed unless when the lights go out things change. The fish all appear to be hungry anytime I walk by the tank and the ones that I find dead we're swimming and eating like nothing was wrong. Non of these fish showed me signs of anything. They all displayed themselves as healthy.

So I'm at a loss. I just found another one dead this morning not too long ago and just performed a 50% water change and used a little cooler water so it's now 78.9 instead 80.5 that it was prior.

I'm attaching a pic of my deceased finned friend so that maybe someone can pick up something I can't.

Thanks in advance,

Dino















This how most of them are found. Mouth wide open and eyes just as you see.

 

[Ukdans1k]

First just wanted to say sorry for your loss. I'm gutted for ya.

As water conditions seem ok, I thought maybe you have a killer fish. I've had aggressive fish actively seek and destroy 5 fish in as many days. Then went calm again.
But I'm not sure this is the case.

Has there been any stringy poo and any other signs of internal parasites?

Moving decor around can in some cases cause a large amount of stress, especially when females and protecting a hold, it is possible although may not be the case that this stress has lead to colominaris ( check spelling) so might be worth researching as the symptoms can change from fish to fish. And can be hard detect until too late.

Moving decor may also have cause fights to break out over establishing new territories. Which also could be the case.

Good luck.

 

[Convict2161]

First just wanted to say sorry for your loss. I'm gutted for ya.

As water conditions seem ok, I thought maybe you have a killer fish. I've had aggressive fish actively seek and destroy 5 fish in as many days. Then went calm again.
But I'm not sure this is the case.

Has there been any stringy poo and any other signs of internal parasites?

Moving decor around can in some cases cause a large amount of stress, especially when females and protecting a hold, it is possible although may not be the case that this stress has lead to colominaris ( check spelling) so might be worth researching as the symptoms can change from fish to fish. And can be hard detect until too late.

Moving decor may also have cause fights to break out over establishing new territories. Which also could be the case.

Good luck.

Thanks. I've battles columnaris in the passed and lost almost 20 fish!! I'm not seeing signs of that in this case. I don't see signs of any sickness or markings on the fish to lead me to believe so...

I was thinking also, do I have a killer fish? If so I need to find it! I'm thinking these fish are just being stalked in the dark and killed. Could that be? Under the cover of the moonlight could this killer fish go out and just kill?

Like I said its been every time the lights come on there's another dead fish. An some are big fish!!

I've been looking at my tank for hours, haven't slept yet trying to see if I can pick out anything strange. They all seem calm and pretty much in there spots just sitting there. Not much activated other then my bottom dwellers.

Some are at the bottom, others at the top and then some in there little Cichlid stones. I even had 2 fish stuck to my power head.

Looking at the fish during the day I can't point one out and say this fish is showing signs of something like when I battled columnaris when I had many fish showing signs and was able to bring some back with heavy meds and many many water changes.

This time is different. No signs... Just death.

 

[Borderlesscott]

Sorry for the loss, lost my favourite this week to bloat, Blackeyed Golden Bristlenose - gutted, didn't see it until it was to late.

Stab in the dark, but have you tested for heavy metals? Read an article a few months ago about a guy loosing fish in a Cichlid tank, tested everything and in the end it was due to rocks he had put in releasing metals into the water, mainly copper.

Hope you find whats doing it as your tank is stunning.

 

[Convict2161]

Thank you and sorry for your loss as well. I'll have the water tested by the local pool company, they test the water everything. I've been down his route before and found that my local water company are a bunch of crooks! For lack of better words. They lie and lie and it's so obvious too!

Funny thing is... They must have forgotten I'm the fire chief and on the county Haz-Mat team so they can run!! But they can't hide. If all tests come back ok I'm gonna have to look into a possible killer in the tank. I'll have to go CSI on this.

Someone in one o my other threads said I had some crazy threads. I'm starting to think that person was right!!

This is just crazy!! Between the tanks breaking during shipment to my battle with majano to now a predator in my tank.

I'll go Scuba Steve on this...

 

[shellieca]

Thank you and sorry for your loss as well. I'll have the water tested by the local pool company, they test the water everything. I've been down his route before and found that my local water company are a bunch of crooks! For lack of better words. They lie and lie and it's so obvious too!

Funny thing is... They must have forgotten I'm the fire chief and on the county Haz-Mat team so they can run!! But they can't hide. If all tests come back ok I'm gonna have to look into a possible killer in the tank. I'll have to go CSI on this.

Someone in one o my other threads said I had some crazy threads. I'm starting to think that person was right!!

This is just crazy!! Between the tanks breaking during shipment to my battle with majano to now a predator in my tank.

I'll go Scuba Steve on this...

While your threads may be entertaining they are also VERY informative! If anyone can crack the case we know it'll be you.

 

[Convict2161]

Thank you... I'll get to the bottom of this. Called the pool company Nu Clear Pool Company in Port Chester NY. There more then happy to test the water, I just have to bring 16oz of tank water.

Heading over there today. With tank and tap water.

If all is well with the water then....





I think we may have a killer on our hands! Let's get the evidence wrapped up and brought back to the lab.

 

[Labenator65000]

Not again!

Say, if these fish were lost to aggression, one would think that you would be seeing some fin and/or scale damage. Are you seeing any of this?
Also, can't the County/City, or whomever tests house well water test water samples for toxins as well?

 

[Convict2161]

Not again!

Say, if these fish were lost to aggression, one would think that you would be seeing some fin and/or scale damage. Are you seeing any of this?
Also, can't the County/City, or whomever tests house well water test water samples for toxins as well?

No signs of fighting so your right you would think I would see something. There just dead. An yea I'll be testing for everything. But the local water department won't do it. I'll have to pull some strings.

 

[HUKIT]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but all your having is aggression issues, if it were water quality problems the fry would be the first ones to die. There are reasons why we give stocking recommendations with aggressive fish like african cichlids, your only seeing matured fish being killed over dominance and territory desputes. My advice is to start rethinking your current stock and re-read some guidelines on stocking agressive fish in a small tank. Contrary to popular belief overstocking hyper aggressive fish is not a surefire remedy to control aggression, more importantly when properly stocked this is completely unnecessary.

 

[Labenator65000]

...Contrary to popular belief overstocking hyper aggressive fish is not a surefire remedy to control aggression, more importantly when properly stocked this is completely unnecessary.

Not to side-bar, but thank you, Hukit, for stating this. I've been trying to tell people this for months and they tell me i don't know what I'm talking about. Not that this helps your situation, Convict. Do you happen to have a spare tank to temporarily move some of your stock around? If not, it may be a good excuse for getting a second tank

 

[Convict2161]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but all your having is aggression issues, if it were water quality problems the fry would be the first ones to die. There are reasons why we give stocking recommendations with aggressive fish like african cichlids, your only seeing matured fish being killed over dominance and territory desputes. My advice is to start rethinking your current stock and re-read some guidelines on stocking agressive fish in a small tank. Contrary to popular belief overstocking hyper aggressive fish is not a surefire remedy to control aggression, more importantly when properly stocked this is completely unnecessary.

Not to side-bar, but thank you, Hukit, for stating this. I've been trying to tell people this for months and they tell me i don't know what I'm talking about. Not that this helps your situation, Convict. Do you happen to have a spare tank to temporarily move some of your stock around? If not, it may be a good excuse for getting a second tank

Thank you and your right. I already know that what I did wasn't the answer I stated that in a post about someone wanted to overstock there tank for aggression issues. I told them not to do it and to do enough research where they will then able to properly stock a tank with the correct species of fish that can coincide with one and other. And further more to do the correct male to female ratio. I took bad advice as I state in that post but thank you for pounding it into my head... So to speak. What's done is done and now I will find a solution to the problem. I had a feeling it was that and not water issues as no fish is displaying any signs I sickness.

I encourage people to read my threads and learn from me so they don't have to go through the troubles I have gone through. But you live and learn. And once my buddy comes here this weekend (hopefully) we will break the tank down as little a possible and attempt to net some and he will give store credit.

It's been a learning experience and I'm not sorry I did it. Maybe someone even of one person can learn from all I've been trough then it's worth it to me.

So in closing your not the bearer of bad news your just the echo of what I thought time and time again and maybe just needed to hear it from someone else.

Thank you.

 

[HUKIT]

We've all been there, heck I started 30 years ago before the Internet so all my information came from old books at the library or morons at the LFS. You obviously have access to a decent local store so I would start from scratch so to speak. I understand it's hard trying to make a decision on what to stock(probably one of the reasons I have 20 tanks) but with a smaller tank like a 75g stocking choices in my experience is crucial. I vote for a all male peacock or Troph species tank if you must choose old world cichlids.

 

[Labenator65000]

I hope I didn't come off like a jerk. I didn't really intend to rub it in. I'm a 3rd year Freshmen in the school of hard knocks myself, and still have a laundry list of dumb things that I need to undo when I am able to. As you say, you live and learn.

 

[Convict2161]

We've all been there, heck I started 30 years ago before the Internet so all my information came from old books at the library or morons at the LFS. You obviously have access to a decent local store so I would start from scratch so to speak. I understand it's hard trying to make a decision on what to stock(probably one of the reasons I have 20 tanks) but with a smaller tank like a 75g stocking choices in my experience is crucial. I vote for a all male peacock or Troph species tank if you must choose old world cichlids.

Thank you for all your advice and for sharing your wealth of knowledge. I'm gonna look into tropheus as I LOVE the YouTube videos!

I hope I didn't come off like a jerk. I didn't really intend to rub it in. I'm a 3rd year Freshmen in the school of hard knocks myself, and still have a laundry list of dumb things that I need to undo when I am able to. As you say, you live and learn.

No not at all!! I'm glad you spoke out. Sometimes people don't wanna hear the truth ya know? Even when they know what the truth is. I know what I have to do and my buddy is willing to work with me. So you may be seeing an all rock tropheus setup in the future.

I love this video!! I watch it all the time. Maybe a 180g tank like this will suite my needs lol. Hmmm... Now how many tori birch or however you spell it shoes am I gonna have to buy the wife for this one lol and oh maybe the 75g could be a saltwater tank. If I get yelled at I'm blaming you two!

 

[Convict2161]

Found another dead fish tonight must have been dead for a while it was mush when I went to get it out. So I did a 75% water change and cleaned my filters and just because I had it sitting around I threw carbon in the AC110.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Sorry to hear bro

 

[HUKIT]

It's amazing when you have that many fish that you don't realize one or two is missing. I don't miss my old world days, at one time I had close to 50 fish in a 72B...remember kids I'm a professional don't try this one at home. Lol.

 

[Convict2161]

It's amazing when you have that many fish that you don't realize one or two is missing. I don't miss my old world days, at one time I had close to 50 fish in a 72B...remember kids I'm a professional don't try this one at home. Lol.

I hear ya on that. At times I didn't even know which ones were dead. I'm 13 down now so it's easier to tell which ones they are. There the bigger ones now. The fighters. The smaller ones are all fine and just going about there business.

I really didn't notice but my father in law made a comment to tonight. Said "tank look good, it's more open, you get ride of some fish?"

He has a 200g African tank loaded built into his wall. It sits between two rooms. It's really nice. But of course he doesn't do anything but look at them and feed them. Some company comes and takes care of the rest. Must be nice.

 

[Convict2161]

Another fish found DOA. Woke up at 6am couldn't sleep, went into the living room started watching kitchens from hell and saw a fish just bouncing off the glass in my tank.

So that's number 13 in a little over 2 weeks.