Fish dying, no visible illness?

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booginish

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jan 18, 2009
Messages
155
Location
winnipeg, manitoba
Ok i have no idea what i am dealing with, my fish are showing no symptoms of sickness, but there dieing over night, i cant diagnose the problem when there are no symptoms, every morning one of my fish are missing and then i find there carcuss. i have no idea what to do. here is all my info posted on a previous thread http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/fin-rot-or-not-113949.html i didnt get an answer from anyone useful, im sorry if i sound like a jerk, but i want help from some of the experts on the site, i really need help. iv raised my temp to 85 and added a bit of aquarium salt.
 
Im not an expert so sorry if this doesn't help much but I do know that temp above 82 can kill alot of tropical fish. Not sure if your fish are at type that can tolerate higher temps but you could check in to that.

Also I think your tank has to be those high temps for a couple weeks before it could affect your fish, so if it is normally between 72-80 then thats not it.


Edit: I know you probably don't want to hear it but after reading your last post it does sound like velvet. The torn fins could be from thrashing on your rocks etc. The only thing is the color difference of the film on the fish. but there could be something in your tank making the normal yellowish w.e velvet color look white?
 
If you have raised your temp. and aded salt do you suspect ick?
I had some tetras I recently purchased in a qt and 2 died before I saw spots.
Also check your heater is not having problems keeping a consistent temp. Seems like a small thing but it can really stress the fish.
 
i dont think its the temp because i have cured ich in my tank with the same fish a few times now and the temp has never bothered them, i never add alot of salt because my corys and adfs cant tolerate alot, but i can usually add enuff to cure ich, but i dont know what this is. i have a digital thermometer that monitors my temp constantly, when it flucuates more than 3 degrees it beeps, it flucuates a degree or two when goin from day to night, but thats it and its never ever bothered my fish, i know its not an oxygenation issue my filter definately creates enuff. i kind like what beans said, it could be something changeing the color of the velvet, but i dont know why the fins would be so destroyed. hmmmmmm
 
Here is a thought.
Often a film on the body, as you describe, is either bacterial or fungal and is often a secondary effect from another problem.
The bacterial or fungal issues are easy enough to treat.
Pimafix and/or Melafix work well.
Of course we don't know what that other problem is.
If it is similar to velvet then it is likely protozoan of some type.
A couple of effective and safe treatments would be:
Kordon Ich-Attack or Metronidazole (seachem is one brand)
If you really do suspect fin rot, the Pimafix/Melafix treatment will help with that. In conjuntion with that I have used Maracyn two with good results for fin rot.
 
i will probly do that, but i just discovered something, i sadly found one of my albino corys dead on the bottom of the tank, and he had a hole right in the middle of him, it looked like something burst out of his stomache.
 
Sorry for you troubles. Could you post some specifics like water parameters, tank size, fish population, cleaning schedule. That could potentially help the experts make a diagnosis and suggest a treatment. Adding salt can be a good thing but its not good for some fish.
 
It is a little difficult to make a specific recomendation for treatment based on the info provided. However, if there is a pathogen such as bacteria in the water, raising the temp will only help it multiply. In addition higher temps mean lower oxygen levels. If I have any suspicious activity in the tank such as sick looking fish or dead for no reason victims, I would do an immediate 50% or larger water change. This does a couple of things. Firstly it will give you cleaner water and will remove 50% of the water borne pathogens. This will help with the problem and make it easier for any medication you may decide to use. Most medicants recommend a water change prior to dosing. I would also lower the temp, especially if you suspect the problem might be bacterial. This will slow the bacterias growth and raise the dissolved oxygen level. The film sounds like it may be bacterial, and while the particular pathogen escapes me at the moment, antibiotics may be necessary.
I have found over the years that unheated tanks have given me far fewer problems than those that I have heated to "tropical temp". None of my livebearer tanks are heated nor is my Pseudeotropheus flavus tank. Temps range from 66F to about 75F depending on time of year. I generally like to keep fish at the low end of their prefered range for all the reasons mentioned.
 
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