Lauca
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
TLDR: I had a fish die in the tank and go unnoticed. Ammonia levels spiked and a bacterial infection has quickly developed and spread throughout my poor stressed fish.
Fish (as of 48 hours ago):
- 6 pepper corys - in tank for 6 months
- 1 albino bristlenose - in tank for 4 months
- 10 betta females - in tank for 1 month (approximately 6 months old, 6 from same spawn, 4 from another. Introduced at the same time, no problems till 48 hours ago)
- 20 cardinals - in tank for 5 days (NOTE: they were not quarantined before being introduced... I know, never a good idea)
Tank Size - 50 gallons / 6 months old
Filter - External canister filter, internal power head filter.
Normal Tank Parameters at 15/01/23 and before:
What Happened:
Had an absolutely catastrophic 48 hours. One of my bettas got stuck inside a rock. I had no idea the hole in that rock existed, or that she could fit inside it. Terrible oversight on my part. I had ten bettas, mostly all from the same spawn so it isnt always the easiest to tell them apart.
I did not notice one missing at their nightly feeding time. I did not notice anything amiss until the next morning when I saw the dynamic of the tank had changed dramatically. There was a lot of fighting. As soon as I saw the behavior I started removing fish from the tank and into temporary holding vessels.
I found my poor betta stuck in that rock. She was so badly wedged I couldnt even remove her body to bury her. I found another two dead betta and several dead cardinals who who did not have any obvious wounds. I suspect the cardinals died from ammonia poisoning, but I cannot be sure.
I completely drained the tank, cleaned the substrate and filled it back up with water.
I put the cardinals, plec and corys back in the tank. They all appeared fine physically though clearly stressed.
The healthiest bettas were put in the hospital tank, each separated by dividers. The ones with obvious injuries or sicknesses, I kept in jugs, hanging on the side of the 50 gallon tank. The water would not be filtered but at least it would be warm. Every betta received an epsom salt bath, and a dose of melafix.
I woke up this morning to another dead betta fish, and had to euthanize three others who were refusing to eat, laying on the bottom, pineconing and breathing heavily. They had ich, which I didnt see the day before, and an obvious bacterial infection.
I have gone from ten bettas to three in 48 hours. Of the three I have left, two appear fine. Active and eating. One is not, she has an obvious bacterial infection. I bought Aqua One's 'Broad Spectrum Remedy' today and have dosed the hosptial tank with it, and have been continuing with Melafix.
As if matters couldnt get any worse, my cardinals are displaying this infection now too. They are new, only been in the tank for 5 days, so I cannot speak long term of their health. I have lost more today. Many of them have ich and three have have an obvious bacterial infection. They are now also in the hospital tank.
I do not know what to do about the cory's and plec. They seem okay, but I have them in the hospital tank too just in case. 50 gallon is totally drained (again) and will be deep cleaned before I even consider putting anything back in there.
Remaining Fish:
- 6 pepper corys - in hospital tank as of Today
- 1 albino bristlenose - in hospital tank as of Today
- 3 betta females - in hospital tank as of Yesterday
- 10 cardinals - in hospital tank as of Today
Active Treatment:
Dosed with Aqua One's 'Broad Spectrum Remedy'
Daily recommended dosage of 'Melafix'
NOTE: I am in Australia where fish antibiotics are not easy to access
I am absolutely devastated. Feel like a total fish killing monster. I've dealt with infections before, but never to this scale. Any advice at all would be incredibly appreciated. I suspect I will lose two more cardinals (minimum) overnight as both have stopped schooling and eating. I am considering euthanizing them with clove oil, but ****, where does it stop? I dont want things dying in my hospital tank and spiking the water in there, but I dont have the means to run multiple hospital tanks and separate everyone more than I already have.
Specific Questions:
HELP!
Fish (as of 48 hours ago):
- 6 pepper corys - in tank for 6 months
- 1 albino bristlenose - in tank for 4 months
- 10 betta females - in tank for 1 month (approximately 6 months old, 6 from same spawn, 4 from another. Introduced at the same time, no problems till 48 hours ago)
- 20 cardinals - in tank for 5 days (NOTE: they were not quarantined before being introduced... I know, never a good idea)
Tank Size - 50 gallons / 6 months old
Filter - External canister filter, internal power head filter.
Normal Tank Parameters at 15/01/23 and before:
pH - 7.86
Ammonia - 0.00
Nitrite - 0.00
Nitrate - 0.00
Temperature - 27 celsius / 80.6 farenheit
Tank Parameters Today on 18/01/23Ammonia - 0.00
Nitrite - 0.00
Nitrate - 0.00
Temperature - 27 celsius / 80.6 farenheit
pH - 7.86
Ammonia - between 1.5pm*
Nitrite - 0.00
Nitrate - 0.00
Temperature - 27 celsius / 80.6 farenheit
25% water changes weekly. Last water change done yesterday 17/01/23 which was 100%. Water change before that happened on the 15/01/23. I did not test the levels at the 100% water change. Tested the water levels today before transferring all fish to the hospital tank. Ammonia - between 1.5pm*
Nitrite - 0.00
Nitrate - 0.00
Temperature - 27 celsius / 80.6 farenheit
What Happened:
Had an absolutely catastrophic 48 hours. One of my bettas got stuck inside a rock. I had no idea the hole in that rock existed, or that she could fit inside it. Terrible oversight on my part. I had ten bettas, mostly all from the same spawn so it isnt always the easiest to tell them apart.
I did not notice one missing at their nightly feeding time. I did not notice anything amiss until the next morning when I saw the dynamic of the tank had changed dramatically. There was a lot of fighting. As soon as I saw the behavior I started removing fish from the tank and into temporary holding vessels.
I found my poor betta stuck in that rock. She was so badly wedged I couldnt even remove her body to bury her. I found another two dead betta and several dead cardinals who who did not have any obvious wounds. I suspect the cardinals died from ammonia poisoning, but I cannot be sure.
I completely drained the tank, cleaned the substrate and filled it back up with water.
I put the cardinals, plec and corys back in the tank. They all appeared fine physically though clearly stressed.
The healthiest bettas were put in the hospital tank, each separated by dividers. The ones with obvious injuries or sicknesses, I kept in jugs, hanging on the side of the 50 gallon tank. The water would not be filtered but at least it would be warm. Every betta received an epsom salt bath, and a dose of melafix.
I woke up this morning to another dead betta fish, and had to euthanize three others who were refusing to eat, laying on the bottom, pineconing and breathing heavily. They had ich, which I didnt see the day before, and an obvious bacterial infection.
I have gone from ten bettas to three in 48 hours. Of the three I have left, two appear fine. Active and eating. One is not, she has an obvious bacterial infection. I bought Aqua One's 'Broad Spectrum Remedy' today and have dosed the hosptial tank with it, and have been continuing with Melafix.
As if matters couldnt get any worse, my cardinals are displaying this infection now too. They are new, only been in the tank for 5 days, so I cannot speak long term of their health. I have lost more today. Many of them have ich and three have have an obvious bacterial infection. They are now also in the hospital tank.
I do not know what to do about the cory's and plec. They seem okay, but I have them in the hospital tank too just in case. 50 gallon is totally drained (again) and will be deep cleaned before I even consider putting anything back in there.
Remaining Fish:
- 6 pepper corys - in hospital tank as of Today
- 1 albino bristlenose - in hospital tank as of Today
- 3 betta females - in hospital tank as of Yesterday
- 10 cardinals - in hospital tank as of Today
Active Treatment:
Dosed with Aqua One's 'Broad Spectrum Remedy'
Daily recommended dosage of 'Melafix'
NOTE: I am in Australia where fish antibiotics are not easy to access
I am absolutely devastated. Feel like a total fish killing monster. I've dealt with infections before, but never to this scale. Any advice at all would be incredibly appreciated. I suspect I will lose two more cardinals (minimum) overnight as both have stopped schooling and eating. I am considering euthanizing them with clove oil, but ****, where does it stop? I dont want things dying in my hospital tank and spiking the water in there, but I dont have the means to run multiple hospital tanks and separate everyone more than I already have.
Specific Questions:
- Plec and corrys seem okay, but what should I watch out for with them?
- Tetras seem like notoriously sensitive little things, how can I improve their chances of pulling through?
- I feel like have some handle with treating the bettas as they are the fish I have the most experience with, but what do I do with the two relatively unaffected girls? Is it safe to keep them in a tank where other fish are infected and dying? I know they probably have the infection already and just arent actively showing it, but I really want to keep it that way.
-Moving forwards, how do you prevent things like this happening in large planted tanks? I feel horribly guilty that I didnt notice the missing fish sooner, but there was no way of finding her body without pulling the tank apart. What about when something like a tetra dies? How on earth are you supposed to find those little things?
- Tetras seem like notoriously sensitive little things, how can I improve their chances of pulling through?
- I feel like have some handle with treating the bettas as they are the fish I have the most experience with, but what do I do with the two relatively unaffected girls? Is it safe to keep them in a tank where other fish are infected and dying? I know they probably have the infection already and just arent actively showing it, but I really want to keep it that way.
-Moving forwards, how do you prevent things like this happening in large planted tanks? I feel horribly guilty that I didnt notice the missing fish sooner, but there was no way of finding her body without pulling the tank apart. What about when something like a tetra dies? How on earth are you supposed to find those little things?
HELP!