Losing Tin Foils

[Brad S]

Need help here. Are they sick or is it my new Pleco killing them. I've got a 60g and had 5 foils and a comet in it. Biggest foil was 7" and had him for years. Got an adopted algae eater a few days ago. 6" long. Fine far a few days but then my big foil turned ud dead one morning. No signs of fighting. Scales all perfect, fins all fine, eyes fine, nothing. Just a bloated belly and dead. Everybody else seemed fine. A couple more days have gone by and now another foil is dead. Same thing. Bloated belly and no other signs. I'm thinking it's either my new pleco killing them somehow or I've got some sort of disease. What do you think?

Thanks, Brad

 

[gzeiger]

While underfed plecos have been known to attack and eat other fish, it isn't really possible for them to do so in a way that doesn't leave a mark.

 

[Brad S]

So then you think they must have been sick? That's kinda where I'm going with this. It's the puffed bellys that make me thing this. They all seemed fine, no symptoms that I noticed. Today however, I'm beginning to wonder. They seem a little not interested in food. I threw some skinned peas in there because it's good for constipation and they just didn't care. Very ubusual for them to not care about food. Of course they got feed like normal Saturday so I suppose they might not have been hungry and they ate normal then. Voratious as always. Anyway, I'm changing the water again as we speak so... any ideas anybody?

 

[mfdrookie516]

what are the water parameters in numbers, not in "theyre ok"... and i agree, i had tinfoils once and they would eat 10x a day if i fed them and wouldnt stop until i did... i almost wonder if this all happened when you introduced the pleco, if it had some sort of disease... if the water parameters look ok, then chances are its some sort of disease, just figuring out what with no visible signs is the hard part

 

[Brad S]

what are the water parameters in numbers, not in "theyre ok"... and i agree, i had tinfoils once and they would eat 10x a day if i fed them and wouldnt stop until i did... i almost wonder if this all happened when you introduced the pleco, if it had some sort of disease... if the water parameters look ok, then chances are its some sort of disease, just figuring out what with no visible signs is the hard part

Water parameters, Sorry, I don't know. I don't have any test stuff. I've always changed the water and never had a problem and so never got any of it. I kinda wondered if something came in with the pleco myself. Seems kinda funny that they started dying right after I got him. Anyway, I just did a 75% water change so the water should be OK now irregardless shouldn't it? The fish seem quite a bit more perky now (scrounging the bottom like normal) so maybe there was something in it. I'm wondering if I should change the water every couple of days now for a while just in case. See if that helps. What do you think?

 

[mfdrookie516]

i would break down and buy a $20 api master test kit. i dont test my water very often, definately not as often as i should, but its nice having it to rule out water quality issues in cases like this. if theyre doing better since the water change, you could be having ammonia issues. even though you did a 75% water change, if there is something causing ammonia to spike, it could still be there. any possible way if you cant afford the test kit that you could take a sample of water to your lfs and have them test it? That will help determine what is going on

 

[Brad S]

i would break down and buy a $20 api master test kit. i dont test my water very often, definately not as often as i should, but its nice having it to rule out water quality issues in cases like this. if theyre doing better since the water change, you could be having ammonia issues. even though you did a 75% water change, if there is something causing ammonia to spike, it could still be there. any possible way if you cant afford the test kit that you could take a sample of water to your lfs and have them test it? That will help determine what is going on

A test kit is only $20 bucks or so!?! The main reason I've never gotten one is all the ones I've seen were $50 or $60. I'll have to pick one of those up. Good idea about taking a sample to my lfs for testing. Most of them do that for free. Anyway yes, the fish seem to be fine at the moment. Back to their old spunky selves. And since I had just changed the water right before I put my new pleco in, (and again yesterday. And I think I'll do it at least once more.) I wonder if maybe something bad/toxic (off the bag maybe) came along with him. Might never know, guess we'll see. Thanks, I'll keep you informed.

 

[mfdrookie516]

yep only $18.99 here. I hope it was just something that got mixed in the tank, time will tell. Good luck, keep us informed of what happens Feel free to post pics of the fish!

 

[Brad S]

yep only $18.99 here. I hope it was just something that got mixed in the tank, time will tell. Good luck, keep us informed of what happens Feel free to post pics of the fish!

Thanks, I'm gonna order one Wednesday. Oh, I cleaned my canister filter too. Just in case. And I'll try to post some pics if I can figure out how. Tried it once but... guess I'm Kodak impaired. lol Thanks

 

[dkpate]

Spokane huh? I live 100 miles N of you lol! I was beginning to think everyone on here was from Illinois or Kentucky LOLOLOLOL!

 

[Brad S]

Spokane huh? I live 100 miles N of you lol! I was beginning to think everyone on here was from Illinois or Kentucky LOLOLOLOL!

100 miles. Ummm, Republic? Anyway, sorry. I'm not from Illinois or Kentucky. I know somebody in Illinois. Does that help!?! lol I'll keep you informed.

 

[dkpate]

Ione, 22 miles from Canada. I don't need to know anyone from Illinois or Kentucky lol, I just thought I was the only Washtingtonian on here! Glad I am not now!

 

[mfdrookie516]

im from kentucky! Dont hate, appreciate

 

[dkpate]

Not hating, everyone just seems to be from those states lol!

 

[EscVelocity]

Yeah! No hatin'! lol

 

[Brad S]

Ione, 22 miles from Canada. I don't need to know anyone from Illinois or Kentucky lol, I just thought I was the only Washtingtonian on here! Glad I am not now!

Yeah sure, Ione. Been there on the train ride a few times. Looks like a nice place and yup. Now there are two of us Washingtonians (SP?) on here.

 

[mfdrookie516]

any update on the fish? they still seem to be back to normal?

 

[Brad S]

any update on the fish? they still seem to be back to normal?

Happy campers all. And back to eating normally too. ie: as fast as they can. I must have gotten something in the water somehow. I'm going to start testing it from now on to be sure it's OK. Lesson learned. And wiping off any new fish bags before I put them in too. OK, 2 lessons Thanks!

 

[dkpate]

Yayy for 2 of us! Train rides are pretty cool. I haven't been on them in a while since I see this stuff every day lol! But yeah, it's a nice place. NICE AND QUIET! WHoo hoo!

 

[gzeiger]

I'm from Washington too! ...but I live in Charleston now