Tank Trouble

[jessebs]

Hopefully I could get some insight into what went on in my tank yesterday.

I started the day with the following in my tank:
6 Black Skirt Tetras
1 Golden Gourami
1 Blue Gourami (3 spot gourami)
1 Orange Dwarf Gourami
1 Turquoise Rainbowfish
2 Nirite Snails (One large black, the other black and orange)
Some ghost shrimp
Pond snails

A few days ago, the dwarf seemed sluggish, so I isolated him and gave him lifeguard.

Yesterday, I noticed the blue gourami was feeling sluggish, had a lot of black spots (which later went away), and was hiding alot. Everyone in the tank was beating up on him. I also found my orange and black snail dead.

I made a trip to the LFS to get a net breeder (actually got 2), ask for advice, and get my params checked (all my tests were ok). They confirmed my params were okay, and gave me a polyfilter to try to filter out any contaminants in the water.

I got home and isolated all 3 gouramis and stopped the lifeguard since the way they are now isolated, I can't separate the tank water and I didnt want to kill off my inverts.

Last night, the blue died. It was less than 24 hours since I saw the first sign of anything wrong - so in the same day I lost the orange nirate and blue gourami. The Dwarf is looking better, and the dwarf and gold are still isolated in the breeders, which I want to keep that way for a bit to keep an eye on things.

My suspicion was that it was related to bullying - the golden is a little larger, and somewhat newer - I got him and the orange nirite a few weeks ago.

The Polyfilter is a brownish orange, but I think that's due to tannins from my driftwood - my water tends to have a tea color.

Does anyone have any thoughts into what happend? Suggestions for what I might have done wrong (or right)?

 

[Galligak]

I'm sorry for your losses, it really stinks when the fish friends die! That is a lot of gouramis in there. What size tank is it? And what are the parameters? I am thinking that it's bullying but I'd need those other two things to really tell.

 

[jessebs]

It's a 29. I was told at one point that 3 gouramis should be okay together.

The parameters are:
0 ammo, nitrite, nitrate (have plants)
~7.6 ph
My GH is always a little low - I think it was 2-3 last time I checked - crushed coral helps stablize
She detected a tiny amount of phosphates at the LFS but said it shouldnt be a problem.

The dwarf and blue have been together for a long time and were similar sizes.

 

[Galligak]

I would isolate the gold gourami once the other two are healed. I would put it in another container for a week or two then reintroduce it and rearrange your tank (I know it's hard with plants but it's easier than buying new fish)

 

[jessebs]

The only two that are left are the dwarf and the gold. The list I provided was all the fish before the deaths. Both are currently isolated in breeders. I don't have another tank to do it any other way.

My current plan is to keep them both isolated until the dwarf heals. Release the dwarf back into the tank for a while to establish a territory, then reintroduce the gold.

Do you think the snail death is related at all or just a strange coincidence?

 

[Galligak]

The only two that are left are the dwarf and the gold. The list I provided was all the fish before the deaths. Both are currently isolated in breeders. I don't have another tank to do it any other way.

My current plan is to keep them both isolated until the dwarf heals. Release the dwarf back into the tank for a while to establish a territory, then reintroduce the gold.

Do you think the snail death is related at all or just a strange coincidence?

Ah, sorry read that wrong... That's a good plan. As for the snails, did they have any markings on their shells? I'm guessing a coincidence, but then again I honestly have no clue-sorry!