classroom tank, rainbow trout massive death

[djtypykuhl]

all of the water levels are at a perfect balance, but about 75-90% are dead now... that's alot of little rainbows!
my teacher thinks that somebody was ignorant enough to put soap in the water, but wouldn't that show up on any of the water tests?
he's fishing out the dead ones now, and running more tests on the water.
he plans on doing a massive water change over the next couple of days.

if you have any advice, please help us.

 

[HN1]

How is it set up? How long has it been running? Size? Filtration? etc.

 

[djtypykuhl]

it is set up with minimal detail, only 2 decorations i think. it runs an average temp of about 56deg, and he said that's a good range
it has been running for about 6 weeks
it is a 50g long build
not sure about filtration, but there is water running if that's what you mean.
the water tests are complete and i heard him say 7.6 PH and 2.5 Nitrates, i'm not sure what else he said, sorry i can't be more helpful with the water tests

 

[Talvari]

Nitrates are way too high... A 25-50% water change a week is seriously needed to keep the chemical balance where it should be.


Edit: I thought you said rainbowfish, not rainbow trout... Ignore my comment about the temp.

 

[LyndaB]

Talvari, these are rainbow trout, not rainbowfish.....

Perhaps you can share this with your teacher: I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?!

You need a chiller, 58F is good and high O2 and huge tank.

 

[jlk]

Actually, rainbow trout are fine at 56 degrees. But, rainbow trout should not be in an aquarium! You would need 50gal just for one! Are they wild caught? If so, they may have brought diseases/parasites with them. If you can find out more information about the water parameters (ammonia/nitrite/nitrate) and the fish that would really help us out here! Ask the teacher specifically what the numbers are & how he is testing them (liquid or strips). We will try to help!

 

[djtypykuhl]

the fish are not wild caught, the eggs were shipped to the school
the fish arent even an inch long, and he usually releases them into the wild once they reach about 3inches
ph 7.6, nitrate 2.5, nitrite 0, amonia 0.25... liqued tested.

these numbers are updated as of 11-15-11
he is doing daily water changes, only a few more have died since yesterday.

Maybe it was zombies!?

 

[gabysapha]

I hope your teacher can keep the rest alive. Keep us updated!
This is interesting; schools where I live raise trout in outside vats/mini ponds, i've never heard of them raising trout in a classroom tank. Are you guys learning about angling and insects too? Sounds fun!

 

[jlk]

Zombies?! LOL! Thanks for the info! The ammonia really should be zero & daily pwcs will address this. But, .25 ammonia shouldnt have caused a mass fish death. Its definitely possible something got into the tank accidently (or intentionally)-perhaps the janitor sprayed something in the room such as disinfectant or someone used windex to clean the glass (or another student put something in there...). You may never know! Im glad he releases them when they get bigger! If theres anything we can help you more with, please let us know!

 

[LyndaB]

Here's another vote for the zombies.....

 

[djtypykuhl]

I hope your teacher can keep the rest alive. Keep us updated!
This is interesting; schools where I live raise trout in outside vats/mini ponds, i've never heard of them raising trout in a classroom tank. Are you guys learning about angling and insects too? Sounds fun!

there are about 35-50 left alive... it's hard to count them because they are very active.
we did an entire unit about learning about what's in the rivers in the preston county, WV area. We caught a bunch of aquatic incects and studied them when we went to the river. It was alot more fun then putting my nose in the book for an hour and a half!

 

[Wy Renegade]

Actually, rainbow trout are fine at 56 degrees. But, rainbow trout should not be in an aquarium! You would need 50gal just for one! Are they wild caught? If so, they may have brought diseases/parasites with them. If you can find out more information about the water parameters (ammonia/nitrite/nitrate) and the fish that would really help us out here! Ask the teacher specifically what the numbers are & how he is testing them (liquid or strips). We will try to help!

Sounds like the class is most likely part of the trout in the classroom program?

About | www.troutintheclassroom.org

Does your teacher have the ability to check on Dissolved oxygen levels? If so, I would recommend doing that as well. High DO levels are required by trout. Also we need to know more about the filtration methods on the system.

Soap or some other unknown substance is always a possibility; I've had tanks killed by soap, Pinesol, bleach, coins, etc. You name it and kids have likely tried to put it in the tanks. Don't know why some have such a fasination with watching things die. Unfortunately, many of those substances (minus those that may have ammonia or phosphate additives) will not show up with any of the standard aquarium tests.

 

[MrPillow]

Seems like a bad idea to be reintroducing fish raised in a classroom, where they could be introduced to god knows what, back into the wild....

 

[mfdrookie516]

There's a teacher at the school my father teaches at who raises trout for the Fish and Wildlife department that are later released as part of a program here in Ky. Nothing wrong with it at all. It's educational for the students, and helps raise healthy fish that are stocked in our lakes and rivers. Unfortunately, as Wy Renegade said, many younger kids enjoy doing things that can be detrimental to aquariums (and other animals too). I'd suspect that would be the issue if the water parameters are good. I highly doubt that, if this is part of a program like that, that they would let just anyone raise them.

 

[MrPillow]

I work with the TPWD hatcheries programs, I have no problem with releasing fish into the wild. I don't however, see how a classroom full of children would be an ideal situation in which to do it. Extensive measures must be taken to ensure that the fish will be able to properly assimilate with the wild populations in the region they are released. I am curious to know what testing regiment these school-raised fish, if any, are put through before being released. Perhaps the requirements for proper assimilation aren't as thorough for the Rainbow Trout, I've never done hatchery work with freshwater species.

 

[Wy Renegade]

I work with the TPWD hatcheries programs, I have no problem with releasing fish into the wild. I don't however, see how a classroom full of children would be an ideal situation in which to do it. Extensive measures must be taken to ensure that the fish will be able to properly assimilate with the wild populations in the region they are released. I am curious to know what testing regiment these school-raised fish, if any, are put through before being released. Perhaps the requirements for proper assimilation aren't as thorough for the Rainbow Trout, I've never done hatchery work with freshwater species.

Since the State and Federal agencies basically raise their fish in very large "tanks" by feeding them, and then take them out and release them into local streams and lakes, as well as exchanging them all across the nation. And all of this without any type of assimilation whatsoever for both warm and coldwater game species, they must not require much assimilation. As you said perhaps freshwater requirements are significantly different than whatever you're raising with TPWD. Since Trout Unlimited's program is being backed by both state and federal agencies throughout the U.S., I'd say it must not be much of an issue.

 

[Bige]

I bet it was something foreign put in water. No way to test, just keep up water changes.

As far as others questioning the paractice, schools do all kinds of things like this. They have resource centers for the school districts around here that almost any animal you could think of. The city of college station puts trout in the city swimming pool to be fished out for charity. Check it out on youtube.

 

[MrPillow]

Since the State and Federal agencies basically raise their fish in very large "tanks" by feeding them, and then take them out and release them into local streams and lakes, as well as exchanging them all across the nation. And all of this without any type of assimilation whatsoever for both warm and coldwater game species, they must not require much assimilation. As you said perhaps freshwater requirements are significantly different than whatever you're raising with TPWD. Since Trout Unlimited's program is being backed by both state and federal agencies throughout the U.S., I'd say it must not be much of an issue.

I suppose it would make sense. With the inshore/pelagic species we are mainly raising here, there is significant interchange not only within the bay systems and the open water, but within the bay systems themselves and occasionally (mainly with red drum), interchange into freshwater/brackish systems. Very extensive work is done using genetic satellite markers, as stock structures exist in nearly all the regional populations - introduction of a fish of genetic inheritence not pure to that region will vastly reduce its chance of reproducing, or even being able to get along with the fish in the area.

I can imagine with freshwater species, especially ones which inhabit rivers as well as lakes, that strock structures would be much less likely to form due to the sheer limitation of available "regions". I will have to look into the subject. I don't intend to live on the Gulf forever and it wouldn't hurt to know what people like me are doing elsewhere

 

[jetajockey]

Well this sure puts a dent in the 'thou shalt not release aquarium fish back into the wild' mantra.

 

[MrPillow]

How so? We're speaking strictly of species which are indigenous to the area they are released in and are an integral part of the ecosystem.