First dead fish

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

GlubGlub

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Sep 21, 2013
Messages
27
Location
NoVa
We just had our first fish fatality today and I have no idea why. If anyone can shed light on the matter, I'd appreciate it.

This is our first fish tank. 29 gallon tank. Lightly planted. Before today, 6 bloodfin tetras (added 10/1/13) and 5 skunk corydoras (added 10/12/14). Was actually going to move an angelfish we got 3 weeks ago from quarantine in today, but holding off on that for a few days at least. Fish are not full size yet.

API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Readings: [NH4] = 0 ppm, [NO2-] = 0 ppm, [NO3-] = 40 ppm, temp = 77.0 F

After 50% water change (didn't think to check until after) pH = 7.8 - this is the same as it always is when we check

I was doing a weekly test and water change. Saw the higher nitrates - they are normally 5-10ppm except for this week and last. Was cleaning out plant bits and rubbing off algae. Spot treated H2O2 on some plants and a rock to try and treat algae. First time I've done this. While looking at fish, only noticed 5 of each, though this isn't odd. Ever since getting the tetras, it feels like half the time 5 are hanging out together while one hides on its own. The other half of the time they are all together. Noticed it more at the beginning than recently, but then I looked at the fish more often in the first few days too. Kept looking around the tank to find the last one and saw it floating upside down amidst some plants. Fished it out and it was a goner. Got to teach my two-year-old a new lesson today.

I let the H2O2 hang out for about 30 minutes while I set up the python (2nd water change with it, yay Christmas) and read a story to my daughter. Then did a 50% water change. Normally I've done about 30% but did 50% last week and this due to nitrates. Fish confirmed that decision. There was no dead fish last week, but I did have some plant bits that rotted a bit last week and a slightly clogged filter - fixed with a vigorous shake in old tank water last week.

Normal maintenance is adding 2mls of Flourish Excel each day. Feeding fish very small pinch of Omega One flake food and 5 Omega One shrimp pellets each day. Tetras are not overfed. Cory's maybe - I'm just hoping the amount is good, but nitrates haven't been high generally so I figure I'm ok. Weekly, there is a water test, followed by a water change (normally 30%). Prime is used - now 3 mls with the python into the stream. On water change day there is also 5 mls of Excel, half a cap of Flourish iron, and half a cap of regular Flourish.

Pretty sure the fish died very recently. It was stiff, but still had some color and the other fish hadn't bothered it yet. Other fish seem to be acting fine. The cory's seem a little excited when I was pulling out the dead one, but not out of the realm of normal. Everyone looks fine and is acting fine otherwise as far as I can tell. I don't have lots of experience though.

Will addend a post with a picture of the victim.
 
Picture of the blood fin :(

Also, probably doesn't matter, but power was out for an hour, hour and a half yesterday morning. Not long enough to have the temp drop any significant amount and I stuck in an airstone powered by battery powered air pump during that time.
 

Attachments

  • IMAG1277.jpg
    IMAG1277.jpg
    83.9 KB · Views: 92
Sorry about your loss:( your parameters are good, but ideally you should be doing around 50% water change every week. I also have corys and feed them the omega one shrimp pellets. I think 5 might be overdoing it just a little. Maybe try backing off to 2 or 3 pellets when you feed them :)
 
Back
Top Bottom