Good Morning,
I'm challenged with an ongoing problem in my 75 gallon tank that I can't seem to get ahead of. I'm going to supply lots of detail, please read through before replying. Thanks!
Water Parameters:
pH 7.2-7.6
Nitrates 10
Hardness 75
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
KH/Buffer 180
Water Temperature 76º-78º
Chlorine 0
There are currently 2 Cories, 2 Dwarf Albino Cories, 1 Pearl Gourami, 3 Otocinclus, 3 Kuhli Loaches, 1 Siamese Algae eater, 1 American Flag Fish, 1 Dwarf Rainbow Fish, 6 Green Neon Tetras, 6 Cherry Barbs, 3 Ember Tetras, 1 Nerite Snail, and 3 Mystery Snails plus several small volunteer snails from plant purchases. A total of 29 fish and 4 snails. They are fed frozen brine shrimp, frozen tubifex worms, Bug Bite flakes, and algae tabs. I do not over-feed. I do a partial water change every 2 weeks.
The tank is planted with Anubias Barteri, Tiger Lotus, Red Flame Sword, Vallisneria, and Water Wisteria. I feed plants once a month. It also has a variety of rock and driftwood, all thoroughly cleaned and treated before being placed in the tank.
The tank has been set up with fish since August 2023, it was first filled with substrate, hardscape, and water in May and allowed to cycle through the summer. After fish were introduced I had algae bloom and it took a little while to dial in light levels and duration, no problems with this now. I have 2 large sponge filters and a 300 watt aquarium heater.
To date I have lost 6 Cardinal Tetras, 5 Dwarf Rainbows, 2 Pearl Gourami, 2 Cherry Barbs, and 4 Nerite Snails. Fish numbers have been consistent, I have replaced fish only as I've lost them. The first deaths were the Cardinal Tetras in October.
Symptoms are, in the order that I see them - lethargy, labored breathing, protruding eyes, the fish stops eating and then dies.
I have treated the entire tank with Expel-P, I have isolated sick fish in a 10 gallon heated aquarium and treated with aquarium salt (https://www.aquariumcoop.com/pages/help-center#/collection/5075/article/25225), and, at another time, with a combination of Expel-P and Maracyn. The last fish I quarantined and treated was a female pearl gourami, she seemed to recover, she was active and eating. I moved her back into the big tank after 10 days where she died within 3 days without showing any apparent symptoms. The attached photo shows her 2 days after being reintroduced.
I have no idea what is going on, am I doomed to slowly watch my fish die off? I would be most appreciative of any and all suggests as to what I might do to stop this from happening.
In Peace,
Gail