Fish deaths

[Ansomnia7]

I have had a couple live bearers die since yesterday and they are getting this weird opaque fuzzy film around them. What is that?

 

[cgthebeast]

I have had a couple live bearers die since yesterday and they are getting this weird opaque fuzzy film around them. What is that?

Sounds like a fungus

 

[AngelFishGirl]

+1 to fungus

 

[Ansomnia7]

Grody


What do I do about it to keep it from getting my other guys?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I true fugal infection isn't very common. It's most likely bacterial. What are your water parameters like? Clean water will usually do a good job at prevention unless its something sinister.

 

[ktomminello]

I'd personally remove the unaffected and set up a bowl/ bin with clean water and half doses of mela and pima fix and stress coat, do a very large swap out for water and make sure to scrub algae off aquarium walls clean of potential contaminants and clean algae, by hand off of decoration....

 

[Ansomnia7]

The parameters are good: pH 7.6, ammonia .25, nitrite 0, nitrate 5.


No visible algae water is treated with prime after water changes. Could it be stress from being shipped? I just got these fish two days ago.

 

[ktomminello]

Could be- I suggest a large water change- your ammo and trates are high- I think you might have triggered a mini cycle when you added your fish...

 

[Cactuspixie]

Could be- I suggest a large water change- your ammo and trates are high- I think you might have triggered a mini cycle when you added your fish...

Trates are low?? The ammo reading is probably due to the dead fish (not the cause if death)

 

[Ansomnia7]

That could be a mini cycle but I thought that the nitrate levels are ok as long as they are under 20. I didn't think platies and guppies would be that sensitive to fluctuation.

 

[Cactuspixie]

That could be a mini cycle but I thought that the nitrate levels are ok as long as they are under 20. I didn't think platies and guppies would be that sensitive to fluctuation.

No your test results are fine. Did the fish get the fuzzy film before they died or only after?
You may have just got a couple of weak fish.

 

[Ansomnia7]

The fish deaths stopped. I think I just bought them from a not so great store. I won't be going back. The fuzzy film appeared postmortem.

I did a 60% water change with the gravel filter tool. Fish seem to be happy and healthy.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Cactuspixie]

The fish deaths stopped. I think I just bought them from a not so great store. I won't be going back. The fuzzy film appeared postmortem.

I did a 60% water change with the gravel filter tool. Fish seem to be happy and healthy.

Thanks for the replies!

Great news!
The fuzzy stuff is normal on a fish that has been dead in the water for a while. That would certainly have been the cause of the ammonia spike.

Keep up with weekly thorough gravel vacuuming and large water changes until your tests show that your tank is balanced and stable for a few weeks.

Good luck