angelfish death please help

[dwk5270]

So I woke up this morning to one of my angelfish dead. No signs of spots or any physical damage. Water test said this: nitrates 20, nitrites 0, hardness 100, Alkalinity 180, and ph about 8. The fish was only about a year or so old. I have three others in the tank with a catfish and a cory cat. Please let me know what u think.

 

[natedogg569]

What was you ammonia. Your pH seems a little high for what sounds like a cycled tank. We need to know your ammonia level.

 

[Freakgecko91]

How does pH show whether a tank is cycled or not!? My tank is fully cycled with a pH of 8.2.... Our water is high pH right out of the tap

 

[dwk5270]

What do you recommend to do about the ph, I do have driftwood which is causing the ph to be higher I think. The ammonia reading is at 0

 

[Jesselav1233]

How long have you had the angel? I think driftwood lowers ph and I don't think 8 is that horrible for an angel as long as its stable they do prefer lower ph then that but I wouldn't think that's the problem unless it randomly changed quickly for some reason. Did you do any recent water changes? Whats your tanks temp? Your ph being at 8 doesn't reflect wether or not your tank is cycled to my knowledge. Judging from you having 0 amm and 0 nitri and 20 nitra I would say you are fully cycled

 

[Jesselav1233]

What are you testing with liquid or strips? Strips are worthless liquid tests are cheaper and way way way more accurate.

 

[dwk5270]

I'm using liquid. I had the angel for about a year or so. Its been about a week since a water change and the temp is 78. Everything has been pretty stable and I do weekly water changes

 

[Kingcichlid87]

angel fish like a ph around 6.5 - 7.0 .. but i dont know what the cause could have been could have been the ammonia . ??

 

[Stephen Rollins]

Could your angle have just had swim badder and not have been dead? Was he still breathing

 

[Cichlid Kid]

If your ph has always been around 8 then i doubt thats the cause of death. Was there any aggression issues with any tankmates?

 

[FishFanatic88]

I do not believe that the ph killed your angels, as you have other fish in the tank that are still alive some being angels. What size tank do you have?what are the sizes of the angels?

 

[dwk5270]

It's a forty gallon hexagon tank. The ph has always been the same and they have been fine. I had a total of four angels all about the size of a half dollar. The angel was dead. There were no signs of aggression. It's fins were chewed up but I believe that was from the other fish nipping at him when he died over night.

 

[FishFanatic88]

Very strange. You said you had it for a year and a half? that would probably rule out parasites. did you add any fish recently? what type of "catfish" do you have?

 

[dwk5270]

It's a Raphael catfish only about an inch and a half long. Also just one small peppered cory catfish

 

[Rivercats]

I've kept angels for years, have 10 right now in 220 and 4 in a holding tank. A 40 hex makes it hard for anyone getting bullied to escape (a long tank gives them more running room so to speak). Your angels are definitely breeding age and if the three you have left are getting along good then its a male with two females (which does happen, I have a male that breeds with 4 females) and the weakest fish got killed from aggression or just plain stress caused by the other three. If you would, god forbid find another one dead, then you have a mated pair. In a tank of that configuration it would only be suitable for one pair. Hope this helps and sorry for your loss.

 

[dwk5270]

Alright thanks a lot!