Swordtails are periodically dying need advice PLEASE!

[Tigroscr]

Here's the situation I have a 40 gal tank I've had for 6 months. The fish that inhabit the tank are 3 Cory cats, 5 yo-yo loaches, 1 juvie bn pleco, 7 rasboras ,4 swordtails ( had 5 but one died today) and 1 male crown tail betta ( which I just added about a month ago). I'm always having problems over the past 6 months with swordtails dying ( I keep replacing them) but nothing else in the past 6 months has died. I'm really stumped because my params are good I feed them new life spectrum pellets once a day, frozen bloodworms (as a treat usually just once a week) shelled blanched peas twice a week and NLS flakes 3 times a week. Temp is about 77-78 F. They always end up belly up in the tank but still trying to swim, they are usually perfectly fine one minute and then belly up the next! I know they're supposed to be a very hardy fish but over the last 6 months I've probably had 10 die. Until I figure what's going on I won't be purchasing anymore. It looks like they're getting swim bladder disease but why? By the time I notice it's too late to treat them I've only been able to save one so far. Any ideas and advice are appreciated or if anyone else has had trouble with them let me know your experience. I'm really sad about this and very FRUSTRATED :-(

 

[Tigroscr]

Anyone? I've even googled it and still I'm stumped!!

 

[tropical-fish]

sorry to hear about your fish. hopefully someone here will have an idea of what's happening.

just a couple of questions. do you notice if the swords are going belly up shortly after a pwc? and are all the fish coming from the same shop?

 

[Tigroscr]

sorry to hear about your fish. hopefully someone here will have an idea of what's happening.

just a couple of questions. do you notice if the swords are going belly up shortly after a pwc? and are all the fish coming from the same shop?

No honestly it's not always after a pwc but that's a good question. Do you think the pwc could have something to do with it? Yes over the past 6 months I have bought them from the same LFS but I've even tried different varieties of swordtails and I've never had any problems really with other fish I bought there. I'm just really at a loss, because I usually do so well with my fish! Thanks for replying if you have any other ideas let me know!!

 

[Gboy66]

Do you qt them? Try measuring the swordtails water at the lfs (if theyll let you) and see how it compares. Have you been buying the swords right after they get shipped in? Just some ideas, sorry about the fish. Personally, i would have given up at 3 floaters haha

 

[absolutangel04]

Well, I do not know about those specific symptoms. If the rest of your tank is fine, my best guess at the moment would be a stock issue. Maybe your lfs gets swords from a bad source, so they are just generally unhealthy?
I am guessing there isn't any visible damage on the bodies?

 

[Tigroscr]

Do you qt them? Try measuring the swordtails water at the lfs (if theyll let you) and see how it compares. Have you been buying the swords right after they get shipped in? Just some ideas, sorry about the fish. Personally, i would have given up at 3 floaters haha

Yes I QT for 2 weeks. The water should be the same ( comes from same water supply) unless they're using different chemicals, I use Prime and Floursh for my plants. This LFS has always had really healthy looking fish ( unlike some of the other chain stores) I've never seen dead fish just floating around their tanks. They always make it through the QT period they usually die within a month or so after getting them. Yeah I'm about to give up and try something else. I just want something that won't nip my Bettas fins! That's why I liked the swordtails not only because they bring color to the tank but they're usually pretty peaceful except for one of my females swords which is the one I've had the longest, I've had her 6 months!

 

[LyndaB]

It doesn't sound like it's anything that you are either doing or not doing. It just sounds like bad stock. I've been in your shoes where I'd get a school of fish for an existing tank and lose them all, but only that school. It doesn't make sense.

There are species that are overbred like neon tetras and glolite tetras and so what you purchase at the lfs are a very weakened fish. I haven't heard it about yours but it's a possibility.

 

[absolutangel04]

It doesn't sound like it's anything that you are either doing or not doing. It just sounds like bad stock. I've been in your shoes where I'd get a school of fish for an existing tank and lose them all, but only that school. It doesn't make sense.

There are species that are overbred like neon tetras and glolite tetras and so what you purchase at the lfs are a very weakened fish. I haven't heard it about yours but it's a possibility.

Yeah, IME some livebearers have shorter lifespans than they should despite good water conditions and other fish thriving in the same environment. I think livebearers reproduce so readily that they are just sort of mass-produced. Thats just my theory, but the livebearers I have bred often live longer then the original stock I bought.

 

[warthog76za]

Ive had the same problems, there was a period where things were ok but a few months after my female swordtail had 3 babies, she started deteriorating and this morning she was floating :-( But to be honest, I dont think I will be getting swordtails again. My Mollies, Tetras and Guppys ive never had so many problems with.

Will probably donate the remaining swordtails to my sons kindergarten.

 

[Tigroscr]

Ive had the same problems, there was a period where things were ok but a few months after my female swordtail had 3 babies, she started deteriorating and this morning she was floating :-( But to be honest, I dont think I will be getting swordtails again. My Mollies, Tetras and Guppys ive never had so many problems with.

Will probably donate the remaining swordtails to my sons kindergarten.

Sorry to hear about your fish by the way! I know it can be so frustrating, it most definitely has been for me especially when all my swords have died so mysteriously the same way and I've no idea or clue why!! I'm just really scratching my head here!! But what's really frustrating is I've done a lot of research on them and I don't see that their prone to any particular disease or illness but yet I seem to lose 1 on average every month!! But nothing else in the tank has died or had any issues. :-(

 

[Tigroscr]

Hey Everyone Thanks for all your posts and advice! I found out why my last swordtail went belly up! I went to the LFS that I bought them from today ( they usually have healthy stock) to get some freeze dried Krill for my cichlids and I noticed the tank with the swords I had purchased from said "not for sale" when I inquired about it they said they had come in from the supplier with some kind of illness and they were treating them before they could sell anymore!! So that explains why I had had mine only 3 weeks and she died, crazy thing is I QT them for 2 weeks and didn't see any problems and so far the other one I got the same day ( a male) is doing fine but now I'm kinda scared my other tank mates might get whatever illness they have! I do regularly dose my tanks with aquarium salt ( I have no snails or shrimp) because IME the salt has always worked for me if you use accordingly. Hopefully none of my other fish will get whatever illness this is ( the guy working tonite didn't know and manager wasn't there). I think from now on though I will QT for a month. I wonder if I should remove the other sword that came from the infected tank at the LFS and put him back in QT even though I see no signs of illness or would it be too late anyway? I just don't want to lose any of my other fish :-( I'm also wondering if that's why I've had nothing but problems with the other swordtails I've purchased from there in the past 6 months or so. It seems like they must have problems with their sword stock.

 

[absolutangel04]

Hey Everyone Thanks for all your posts and advice! I found out why my last swordtail went belly up! I went to the LFS that I bought them from today ( they usually have healthy stock) to get some freeze dried Krill for my cichlids and I noticed the tank with the swords I had purchased from said "not for sale" when I inquired about it they said they had come in from the supplier with some kind of illness and they were treating them before they could sell anymore!! So that explains why I had had mine only 3 weeks and she died, crazy thing is I QT them for 2 weeks and didn't see any problems and so far the other one I got the same day ( a male) is doing fine but now I'm kinda scared my other tank mates might get whatever illness they have! I do regularly dose my tanks with aquarium salt ( I have no snails or shrimp) because IME the salt has always worked for me if you use accordingly. Hopefully none of my other fish will get whatever illness this is ( the guy working tonite didn't know and manager wasn't there). I think from now on though I will QT for a month. I wonder if I should remove the other sword that came from the infected tank at the LFS and put him back in QT even though I see no signs of illness or would it be too late anyway? I just don't want to lose any of my other fish :-( I'm also wondering if that's why I've had nothing but problems with the other swordtails I've purchased from there in the past 6 months or so. It seems like they must have problems with their sword stock.

Well, at least you found out the problem. I am still sorry your fish died, but at least now you know its not your fault. I recommend removing the last one to be safe, but its all up to you.