Two ADFs down

[Yuri]

1~What type of fish is afflicted? In addition, please describe what is wrong with the fish to the best of your ability (i.e. cotton like growth, bloated, etc.).
Well, I just got back from a vacation (two weeks) the day before yesterday. While I was gone one of my African Dwarf Frogs died. No idea why. Now just a few minutes ago another one was found dead beneath some hornwort covered in fuzz. I have one other and from what I can see he looks fine.
2~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp, pH)? Please give exact values.
I checked the values yesterday before adding in new water to make-up for what had evaporated.
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10
Temp: 78-79
pH: From what I recall, slightly over seven.
3~ How large is the tank? How long has the tank been set up?
The tank is 29 gallons and has been set up for about half a year.
4~What type of filtration are you using? Please give the name and number (i.e. Fluval 304) and amount of gph if known.
Penguin 330
5~How many fish are in the tank? What kinds of fish are they and what are their current sizes?
There are two supposedly male guppies, one balloon molly, five neon tetras, three albino cories, and now one ADF.
6~When is the last time you did a water change and vacuum the gravel? How often do you do this? How much water do you remove at a time?
I put in new water two days ago to make up evaporation but I vacuumed about two weeks ago. I usually vacuum every two or three weeks removing about 15 or twenty percent of the water.
7~How long have you had the fish? If the fish is new, how did you acclimate it/them?
I've had them for at least three weeks I acclimated them by placing their bag in the water for about ten minutes before letting them swim out and turning off the light.
8~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlorinator, new substrate, etc.?
Nope.
9A~What kind of food have you been feeding your fish, have you changed their diet recently?
I feed them Top Fin tropical flakes, Tetra Min tropical tablets, and on occasion freeze dried brine shrimp. And no, I have not changed their diet. When I did get back though I noticed some of their bellies where of bit larger than normal so I did a day of no feed, which is normally done every week.

I left the tank to my dad for the first couple of days with detailed instructions and had thought he had taken care of my fish when I had gone to camp (but I was wrong). When the neighborhood girl next door and her mother came over after my dad left for overseas they said the frog was already dead floating on top of the tank.
I believe the other frog died either yesterday or today. But I still have no clue as to why. He was just lying there under the plant.

So what the hell do you think is going on in my tank?
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I feel like a murderer right now and I'm worried for my last little guy.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Zagz]

I'm sorry for your losses. Does your last frog look normal? No swollen belly or spots? I have 2 ADF's and I find that they will not get food unless you place food directly in front of them. The fish in the tank eat the food before they get any. Maybe this is what has happened to your little guys. I use a turkey baster to feed the ADF's frozen bloodworms. Of course the other fish eat them too but this way I can place the food in front of the frogs and see them eat.

 

[Toirtis]

I vacuumed about two weeks ago. I usually vacuum every two or three weeks removing about 15 or twenty percent of the water.

Not sure what killed your frogs, but a 15%-20% water-change every 2-3 weeks isn't much....most aquarists aim for 30% every 7-10 days. Topping up the tank water is nothing like an actual water change.

 

[Yuri]

Zagz: Yeah, that is what I suspected too. I usually feed the frogs at a different time placing the food with my fingers right in front of them till they get a hold of their broken tablet piece or shrimp. It works because once their on top of it they get very protective.
Thankfully no, the other guy looks great.

Toirtis: Thanks. I was afraid I would wipe out my nitrates (for the plants) if I did water changes too much until the tank had a larger bio-load since the nitrates stay at a ten when I perform bi-weekly water changes. If I notice that I'm picking up too much gunk in the vacuum then I do a 25 percent water change and do another the next week. But that doesn't happen too often. And I only mentioned topping off the tank because I wanted to mention anything and everything I had done recently that in some weird way could have been a cause.
But thanks for the heads up. I'll up the amount and quantity of them.

 

[rubysoho]

I was looking at what you were feeding and maybe I missed something but ADFs need more nutritious food than leftover flakes and freeze dried bloodworms. Freeze dried BW's really have very little nutrition at all. I suggest feeding your last ADF frozen bloodworms like Zagz. There is a big difference between the two. I think a small pack of frozen bloodworms is about $4.50 and it will last you a while since you don't have a huge amount of fish. You other fish will love them too.

Most fish stores don't feed their ADFs so they may have already been not so healthy when you got them (of course, i could be wrong). Then they went another three weeks where for probably two of those three they weren't getting the food they need to survive.

Sorry for your loss!

 

[Yuri]

rubysoho: Thanks. I was actually at the Pet Store yesterday and was checking out the Gum Drop frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp to switch off of and tomorrow I'll be going again to buy them. But yes, they usually eat the Tetra Min Tropical Tablets 'The Rich Mix' so I thought they would be fine until I got back.
Poor guys.

 

[rubysoho]

yeh, that is rough. Good luck! I think you should get a friend for your ADF in a few days (just in case this is some weird frog virus). He/she will enjoy the company.