What Am I Doing Wrong?

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LKH

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Dec 10, 2005
Messages
39
Location
Colorado
OK this is just crazy, frustrating, and troubling.

The cardinal tetra I mentioned a couple months ago, whose fins were all chewed up and whose spine was kind of curved? Well, I put him in quarantine with Melafix and Pimafix, and he buffed up nicely, so I put him back in the community tank, and the other tetras evidently chewed his fins up again. So I pulled him out, buffed him up in QT again, and this time I put him in my 10 gallon with Rex the betta and a few otos.

This looked like it was going great for the last month or so.

Then tonight, I find the tetra nose down in the crypts. So I'm thinking he died. I got the net, and scooped at him to dislodge him from the nets, and he swam out, but something was clearly wrong - he wasn't staying upright. So I set up the QT again quickly, and moved him over again with Melafix and Pimafix. But I'm pretty sure this time he's not going to make it, as he is clearly very sick.

My water quality is always good. Ammonia 0 every time I test. Nitrites 0. Nitrates around 10 in all my tanks. pH is about 7 to 7.2. I have been doing 30-50% water changes weekly to get algae under control.

But in the 2.5 years I've been keeping fish, I've had six bettas (four have died), a paradise fish (dead) a dwarf gourami (dead), 13 otos (7 are alive), a dozen tetras (I'm about to be down to 8 ), four cories (all alive), a nerite snail that has actually lived for about 5 years - long story, and 10 amano shrimp (I'm thinking I still have somewhere between 5 and 8, but you never see them all out at once).

It seems to me I'm having a lot of losses. Any guesses what I might be doing wrong?

My larger tanks are densely planted, with about 2.5 inches of gravel. My filters are for the most part biowheels. Using floss media, no carbon, since the plants provide chemical filtration. I don't take them apart that often, but I check to make sure they run OK every week when I clean my tanks and I rinse the media at the same time. The lights are on timers, 10 hours per day, and I'm adding DIY CO2 to both the larger tanks, with an airstone on a timer in the largest at night to disperse any overabundance. Temp is at 78-80 in all the tanks. I soak my nets and gravel vacs whenever I think someone has gotten sick, usually with a strong solution of Melafix, which is antibacterial, then rinse in HOT water. And I wash my hands thoroughly in plain water (no soap) to remove all traces of lotion and other stuff before I put my hands in the tanks. The only visible problem is a lot of algae and pesky plant snails.

Any thoughts?

L
 
To be honest I've had similar luck. As time goes on I have less and less losses but there are always unexplained fish deaths. IMO that isn't a huge amount of fish deaths for the amount of time you have been in the hobby. Not all fish that come from the lfs are healthy when we get them. I don't believe you are doing anything wrong. I think you will find many people in the same boat as you.
 
I agree with Zagz. Your losses really have not been astronomical, although its still kinda depressing. :(

I'm sorry to hear. But I think its only normal. You obviously are doing everything correct. Sometimes, regardless of how well we take care of the fish, they are just beyond saving.

Stop beating yourself up. :)
 
I'm not so sure I'm cut out for this hobby! I take this stuff too personally.

L
 
Which is easy to do! I mean, you are trying to take care of another little being. It's only normal for you to feel responsible for their death, if it may occur. But, I guess we are just trying to say that it's not you, and likely just problems with your fish. So, you should try not to take it as personally. ;)
 
I fully expected to find the little guy dead this morning when I went into the kitchen, but he was pretty much the same as last night. He's laying on his belly, not moving much, but still alive. I suppose I should consider euthanasia, but (I hate to say it) I'm really hoping he'll be gone when I get home this evening.

L
 
OK, get this - When I left this morning, the little fish was lying on his side kind of wedged between a plastic cave and the tank wall. I thought he was dead, then I saw his flipper fin moving a little. I considered euthanasia, but just didn't have time or the heart for it.

Tonight I pulled into my driveway mentally preparing myself for finding a dead fish and having to deal with that (I usually bag and freeze them just to be certain they're dead, then bury them in the back yard, where I'm certain the coyotes dig them right back up, but it seems more dignified than the alternatives).

Anyway, I found myself saying, "God, I just can't deal with this tonight. Show me you love me, and let him be OK."

I went in, looking all around the floor of the tank, and he was nowhere to be found. Then I found him, hovering about midway up in the rear corner. He swam out and circled a little, even. He's still kind of weak-looking, but SO much better than last night, and this am!

I added more meds to the water and tried to feed him but he wasn't too interested. Still, the fact that he's even up off the floor is huge.

If you're at all the praying type, keep praying for this little guy. I think I'll name him Lazarus if he makes it through this.

L
 
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