help! fish dying

[fastfly48]

Hello hello

Ok, since my tank was set-up about 9 months ago I've lost 5 fish...and all of those happened well, becasue I cycled with fish and wasn't too sharp AND mostly because I hadn't discovered this place yet! haha

But anyway, in the last week I've lost 3 fish...
*The first was a harlequin...he was struggeling for a few day. It was like he was sinking and he kept having to swim up, like gravity was pulling his tail down. He sunk....
*The second was a neon. He floated.
*The third was also a neon...he sunk.

I tested the water after all of them. And the water was fine...
ph: 6.4 (yes I know it's low...but that's should harm neons right?)
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 5ppm (very low, but always had been...plants are fine though)

I did water changes too....hey died within a few days of each other, in that order.
Perhaps my tank is/was a little too over-stocked?
I'm guessing it was a disease of some sort, because both the neons and harlequin were looking bad. They lost their colour, were having trouble swimming (rolling over and vertical).Perhaps white spot...but I'v eseen pictures of white spot and their spots where more like white patches...

I haven't done anything crazy either like well you know, crazy stuff. All normal. I don't think they were just old either...
I only have one tank so I can't seperate sick fish, but now I'm afraid that the "disease" (if it is) will spread.
What do you think? What went wrong? What should I do?

Many thanks in advance.
Ry.

 

[kaz]

you should setup a qt so when these things happen you can seperate them and monitor it that way. water seems fine and the only cause of death at this point could it be old or stress.

 

[noncentric]

Hi fastfly, just wondering...have you been removing the chlorines/chloramines from the water when you do water changes? Not sure if that's necessary in Australia, but just thought that might be a potential fish-killer.

Sounds like the dead fish had white patches on them? How are the other fish doing now? The QT tank is a great idea...I haven't gotten to that either, but it is on my list of things-to-do.

 

[BrianNY]

Quite often, even with the best of care fish die. The reasons are many and will probably never be known. More than likely Ryan, it was just their time.

If the other fish appear active, healthy and normal, the probability is that your tank does not have some rampant disease. I would pay close attention for the next 2 weeks just to be certain.

HTH

 

[fastfly48]

thanks for all that guys

I've been majorly bogged down in study so I haven't had a chance to check the forum.
Yes, I've been removing the clorine/chloramines. I've been doing it the same since forever so I doubt it's that.
I really don't have any room/money/time at all for a quarentine tank. I know that must sound like fish abuse or something of the sorts but it's true...
The other fish are fine for the moment. BUT one of my neon it now lossing colour. eek!
Thanks again.

Ry.

ps. that's Ryland....