Jump to content

Advice required - Sick Fish


Sjteh123

Recommended Posts

Hi,

I have a 6ft (600 litre) cichlid tank with haps and a couple of peacocks. I started the tank in November 2013, and over 3 months gradually added 25-30 fish.

Starting Feb 2014 i started to lose fish. The main symptom i can see is very heavy breathing. This does not affect all fish - Just a couple at a time. I seem to be losing fish at a rate of 2 or 3 per week. Some hang on for longer, and others perish quite quickly, however they all show the exact same symptom.

The tank was fully cycled before i started adding more and more fish. I have also ensured the tank has plenty of oxygen with both spraybars from my filters splashing into the water surface.

I have not noticed any fish gasping for air at the surface.

I have not noticed any fish scratching constantly.

I have not notice any white stringy poop.

I can not see any external wounds or sores.

I have tried dosing Para-Gone by aquasonic for external parasites which has not seemed to make any difference. Just yesterday i have also done a treatment of potassium permangenate to ensure i'm not dealing with flukes or any other external parasites.

I have been doing water changes at a rate of 50% twice per week. Using prime to dechlorinate and seachem cichlid buffer.

I have been feeding New Life Spectrum.

Everything has been removed from inside the tank but the sand which is Carribsea Moon Sand - Not sure if this could be causing any issues?

PH - 8.2

KH - 6

Ammonia - 0

Nitrite - 0

Nitrate - 5

Temp - ~27

Please take a took at these videos that detail the issue:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qwo0ft97avxpxy5/IMG_0517.MOV
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ypl93gm375xboxo/IMG_0490.MOV

Thanks in advance.

Scott

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If not aggression which is unlikely,,,, without me knowing the length of your experience,,, it's possible you could be going over board with water change frequency and size.

Even though ammonia is not reading,, it's possible your sending your tank into a re-cycle all the time.

50% water change only once a week for fully matured systems,,,,, for fully matured systems daily is even fine.

Adequate filtration size is needed for a larger tank like that,,, though 25 smallish medium fish is not much.

Filter media must be set correctly and rinsed with only tank water for cleaning,,,, (not tap or hose water as you'll kill the beneficial bacteria otherwise).

Miss out one day a week for feeding as the filter can play catch up for better water quality.

Your tank water looks very crystal clean buffed and looks maybe your over doing things out of paranoia.

I'd advise,,,

Dont, buy any more fish.

Don't water change for 2-3 weeks, to let full maturation take place.

Then proceeded with 40% changes weekly after.

Add a 5-6 fish at a time after that.

You should be able to go 3-7 months between filter cleans depending on stocking.

Note: majority of times ammonia spikes damage fish,,,,, happens fast over very short period of time after feeding.

Excessive water changing on a RELATIVELY new tank will keep breaking the cycle forcing it back to the beginning,

Really we need to know your maintenance regime like day to day,,, week to week,, month to month.

Like,,, filter clean frequency and how you do it,,,, how often feed and how much and so on.

What some people see as the cycle is complete and now matured is no not the same as others see it.

Even after the cycle has taken place in a new tank,,, it's still quite temperamental and can become unbalanced easily than compared with a tank that's been running for 8 months or more.

My info is just so you can compare your doings with and maybe pick a possible problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for your response and tips.

I have only upped the water change frequency and volume since the issues began at the beginning of Feb. Before this i was doing 30-40% per fortnight. Filters have only been cleaned out once or twice each since the tanks inception (2x Otto 300 canisters). Filter cleaning is always done with tank water.

I feed a small ammount twice a day. Food is eaten within seconds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

when cleaning your filter always use tank water as tap water will kill any good bacteria in your filter media

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I meant to type tank water haha. I would never use tap water.

I've kept fresh and saltwater fish for years and never experienced anything like this. Does anybody else have any ideas?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mmmmm, definetely sounds like a contagious malady, internal obviously... I'm taking a guess now, but even I you did treat all fish correctly, the malady may still be present in the gravel?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I treated the entire tank with 2ppm of potassium permanganate yesterday, if there was anything in the substrate I'm hoping this would have sorted it.

Regarding internal issues - is there anything I can look for or do to treat? More fish are starting to breathe heavier. At this rate they won't last long.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are you sure no other family members have anything to do with this tank as I've heard some bazzar stories with kids.

For fish to come down with issues like you've explained so quickly it must be environmental issues.

Internal and external infections can spread very fast but environmental will knock them down at once or one after another with half days to full days apart.

I hate saying use antibiotics like DMZ, but if it's hexamita, then positive signs will show using DMZ.

First try not feeding AT ALL for 1.5 weeks.

And see what happens,,,,,, if you have kids lock your fish food away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would like to see some test results after a week with no water changes. I personally feel you are running at the bare minimum when it comes to filtration.

You also have some large aggressive haps in there, it could be aggression issues and judging on how skittish the fish in the second video, makes me think this could be the major issue.

The benefits of using Potassium permanganate

In aquariums is some what confusing. It is not selective on what it treats and the difference between a correct dose and a toxic dose is not a lot. It can/will destroy good bacteria as well as bad. This means your filters by now may be starting a new cycle and cause more issues for you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for your comments.

I dosed the potassium permanganate when the tank was at half volume with the filters off. Before filling the tank back up I used hydrogen peroxide to neuturelize the potassium. I am aware the the potassium will kill the bacteria.

I live by myself and my friends know not to touch my tanks.

I will hold off on water changes and feeding for now.

I am also getting a 3ft tank made up for a hospital tank so I might move all the fish to this also to rule out anything in their current environment.

All of the fish except for the Strigatus in the video are like 2-3 inche juvies. I have not witnessed much aggression and I highly doubt anything would have a go at the Strigatus. Unfortunately he has died since.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After no water changes, no feeding, post again what becomes of it, out of interest.

If a few more fish die in this process, keep up the trial as some fish may be effected from earlier stages.

When resuming back to normal and your possibly satisfied, then resume feeding once a day instead of twice (but don't increase the amount of food because of this, and don't try to make up for the long break in feeding with to much).

Choose one day a week you don't feed fish at all as common regime.

I have a 2500 liter Cichlid display with a mixture of all crazy types also non Cichlid.

It's so crazily overstocked (formula wise), that seeing is believing,,, shoulder to shoulder at times.

Has two fx5 and three large home made bio-ball filters.

I water change 30% daily straight after feeding as its hooked up to scheme supply and waiste pipes.

Filter cleans every 8-9 months believe it or not.

I also have a 160 liter cube with one Ellioti and six bleeding heart tetras with three Cory's and two bristle noses.

It has massive pond filter canister with built in uv light which treats a 10,000 liter pond.

Nitrates are high but fish are comfortable and I water change every 10 months and clean filter every 1.5 years.

These two tanks and my large breed room all receive feeding once in the day only on Sunday's, Tuesday's and Thursday's.

Yes only three days a week.

All is well conditioned and breeders are breeding.

BUT I'm not recommending any of this as knowing each situation exactly is what it takes.

I'm just showing here that there can be situations very different to each other and fish keeping doesn't have to be one rule for all.

There are many things that can be done against the grain when having full understanding of each situation,,,, (but know you can't work against mother nature as you can only work with it).

Once one hits that sweet spot for the first time in fish keeping,,, like fish coloring up well, bright behavior, breeding and good growth rates, then the deep upstanding begins.

I crapped on yeah,,,, but I'm known for this LOL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It doesn't appear to be flukes, internal parasites or ammonia poisoning on initial thoughts. You don't see any flashing or external symptoms which you would see if it was one of those.

I would be wary about the Tahitian moon sand with sand sifting cichlids. The magnetic dark stuff is sharp which when passed through the gill rakers could possibly cause injury. It is magnetic which may contain heavy metals which may have polluted the water.

I've never used it, so don't know first hand, even though it looks good.

I use fine coral sand that I've never had problems with.

Regards, Rob.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes i will be interested to see how they go once i get them out of the big tank with the moon sand.

Upon choosing this sand i figured Carribsea surely wouldn't produce anything that had anything toxic in it. Does anybody else have any comments on this type of sand?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

aeration?????was watchin the leaves in the 2nd video didnt seem to be a lot of current and didnt see any bubbles may not be enough oxygen produced i had a similar problem in one of my tanks.orinally had two sponge filters in the tank but overstocking in a short period caused same breathing problems i put in two more sponge filters and nevr had the problem again

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had an air curtain in the tank and 2x spraybars above the water surface raining into the tank. As mentioned before the fish do not gasp for air at the surface either.

I have since moved the fish into a seperate tank (just over the weekend). The fish were also not fed for a week. I have seen no improvement and am still losing fish. Some are showing the same symptons (heavy breathing) and others seem completely normal.

This morning i have fed some pellets soaked in a 3% solution of mag sulfate. All fish are eating but 1 which i think will pass away within the next day or so.

I moved the filter media from my main display into the hospital tank. It also has plenty of aeration. Temp is 25-26 deg.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...