Mystery fish deaths (advise welcome)

[AquaAussie]

So I have a 100g planted tank with lots of beautiful plants and logs housing discus, rams killifish, cherry barbs, lemon tetras and some neons and a galaxy pleco. I have had three rams die but the most recent I noticed started losing all his scales before he died. It seemed slow and strange. I thought maybe it was that hole in the head disease. I don't really clean my gravel anymore since my vacuum died and I change out some of the water probably weekly or every two weeks. Mostly it has just been the rams that died one lemon tetra one cherry barb and now I think the killifish has the same problem. Ideas?

 

[pcdebb]

If you are housing discus, you definitely need to be cleaning the gravel. Discus requires much better care than bi-weekly water changes. get another vacuum quickly or you will see problems with them!! Your water parameters is probably out of whack if you aren't changing your water regularly. your smaller fish are dying, the bigger fish are next.

test your water.

 

[AquaAussie]

Yes I think I need another vacuum. I have my own ro water system at home so I change 20-25% weekly since having that.

 

[pcdebb]

Having the ro water is good but doesn't matter when you have decaying food and fish waste settling in the gravel.

 

[AquaAussie]

I just got a new gravel vac and black slug came out. It was so bad. You really gotta keep up with it. Plus it put a lot of fine sediment into the water and over my plants. Hopefully it will help. I feel like no matter what you do your fish will get sick and die early. I have a suspicion the rams died easily due to the captive breeding techniques.

 

[pcdebb]

I hope things get better. Your fish will appreciate the cleaner water too