::::: sigh ::::: 4 losses in one day - need help please

[joannde]

Hi, I need some mental help too I think !

Please see my original post from this morning
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=80627

Two days ago I added 4 male guppies and 1 panda cory to the tank (reminds me, I guess I need to update my sig )

This morning at lights on I saw that three of the four guppies had lost all color to their tails - as if the color was sucked out of them. I isolated them but none of them made it. Then tonight at dinner time I did my usual headcount and came up 1 panda short and then found his little body. I can't tell if it was the new panda that died or one of the original band.

The last remaining guppy looks well, is active and eats like a pig (knock wood) - or at least he did at dinnertime - I don't want to turn on the lights to check him (no need to introduce that stress) but I AM tempted ! Heck, I'm ready to stand all night vigil !!!

Part of my problem might be high pH - its 8.2 (or 8.0 depends upon who looks at it - LFS thinks its closer to 8.0). All other parameters are great, ammonia and nitrites are 0, nitrates at 10.

Is there any specific disease that could be the cause of this ? I'm worried about the other fish in the tank, hence the "all night vigil" comment before (heck, I've done it for Elvis Week - why not for my fish ???).

I'd also like to know if I should start adding Distilled Water to try and get my pH down to 7.6 (my tap water pH). I think I'll need to add about 10 - 12 gallons to get it down if my math is right. I was thinking of adding 2 gallons per day, in 1 gallon intervals (morning and night) so that the pH should drop by .1 every 12 hours. Is that too fast ???

............... not a very joyful fishkeeping day ........ this is just TOO depressing !!

Thanks in advance for your replies

 

[Devilishturtles]

Do you know the pH of your LFS's tanks? Do you know what day they get their shipments on?

No disease that I know of will simply strip out color like that and kill within a day. It definitley sounds like stress issues. I read in your other post that you drip acclimated over 90 minutes. If your LFS has a tap pH of 7 and you of 8.2, I don't know if 90 minutes is long enough.

It's been my experience that guppies really aren't that hardy, especially if you got them on shipment day. I've also lost almost an entire shipment of panda cories before at work, with no external signs. I just contribute it to a very stressful shipping, not enough O2 in shipment, etc.

Sorry to hear about your losses.

 

[joannde]

Thanks Devilishturtles - in all honesty I'd rather it was stress - I'll worry less about the tankmates tho I'm watching them all like a HAWK.

I did get two additiinal panda cories from another store (general "pet shop" but the place was IMMACULATE) and drip acclimiated them for 3 hrs since the pH was 7.2 vs my 8.2 (first time I thought of testing the LFS pH !). So far so good - the little babies seem to be getting into the panda games with their bigger cousins

I think I'm going to stick with the second place for awhile. The first place specializes in SW and I don't think they care as much about the freshies (just my general feeling - based upon NOTHING but my guy), the second place was just WAY clean and gave me warm fuzzies (again, based upon nothing but my gut !).

Really appreciate the response - it seems that this forum is the least read / responded to, which is sad since its the place where folks probably need the most urgent attention.

 

[Devilishturtles]

the second place was just WAY clean and gave me warm fuzzies (again, based upon nothing but my gut !).

LOL. Nice. I used to have a professor a few semesters ago who was in love with the phrase "warm fuzzies". That was the name she gave to all the gross things we grew on petri dishes.

Really appreciate the response - it seems that this forum is the least read / responded to, which is sad since its the place where folks probably need the most urgent attention.

No problem. This forum actually gets traffic, just not posts. I suppose maybe some people just feel uncomfortable giving advice about ill fish, or are unknowing of the illness you have. It's especially hard when there are totally unexplained deaths too!

Anyways, glad to hear the new pandas are doing good.

 

[joannde]

Yes, I believe you're right about people being afraid to give advice - what if the fish dies ? that's TWO people who'll feel guilty - the keeper and the person who gave advice .... guess that makes sense in a way. But if there were more posts with second opionion that would be even better LOL

 

[Squirt0170]

I know I will browse the sick fish forums and If I don't know an answer I will try to stay out of it because I don't want to give anyone the wrong advice to kill more fish.

 

[goalorientation]

My thinking is you added fish too quickly and there was a bacteria spike in your tank. A fish specialist told me 3 fish per week and am personally honoring the request and havn't had an epidemic per say yet.