Lots of fish loss in quarantine

[Galabar]

As to an inch per gallon, you might be able to have a few more inches of something like a pencil lead thin chili rasbora, rather than something fatter. 🙂

 

[Odd Duck]

To clarify, it isn’t necessarily too many fish to have in the tank eventually if it’s heavily filtered and heavily planted, etc, but it’s A LOT of fish to add to that size tank all at once.  You would likely have to do daily water changes to have that many cardinals in a 29 gallon for at least 2-3 weeks until the biofiltration got up to speed.  I didn’t even add that many fish to my 100 G nanofish tank all at once because I don’t like to push limits if I can help it.

I only added about 30 or so small tetras or rasboras to the 100 G tank at a time and then they came from 2 different 10 gallon quarantine tanks.  I only do about 12-15 1/2”-3/4” fish per 10 gallon quarantine tank, typically.  I did do 30 chilis in a 20 G plus 6 very young BN plecos (only 2”).

You added 65 cardinals (I’m guessing probably 3/4”-1” fish) into a 29 gallon that wasn’t used to having that many plus you had at least a couple otos.  That’s a pretty big bioload to add at once, that’s probably double what I would have added at once, for instance.  I just put 15 chilis into a 14 gallon, well-seasoned tank that has ~30 gallons of filtration on it between sponge filter and sponge packed HOB.  Plus it’s planted and has emerse pothos.

I have way more guppies growing up in 10 gallons now, but I only added 5-10 to start with and those tanks are PACKED with plants.  I’ll have to break them down to get all the guppies out.  😆  But I didn’t start out with dozens in there.

Try doing some extra water changes and add some bottled bacteria - I’m hearing good things about several different brands but no real experience with any as yet.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

It’s a series of unfortunate events but I think nobodies done anything wrong. This is why you have a quarantine tank so this happens in there instead of your aquascaped tank. @Coluhas given good advice. 

In terms of cycle and a quarantine or hospital tank, if you have to medicate the tank then the chances of breaking the cycle of said qt tank is greater than 50%. Options wise you can add beneficial bacteria from a bottle or squeezings from a cycled filter in between medical treatments or I think the posters water changing his way through is very appropriate. I’d cycle a sponge for when you’re going to give them a break and I highly recommend in these situations giving them a 5 day or so break to feed them if they’ll eat and do 2-3 water changes. Then do your next round of meds. Then if they need more treatment give them another break and proceed. This gets some mass on them which is the key to their survival at this point. Calories and antioxidants are what will heal the ammonia burn and the secondary infections. 

Cardinals and Otos are fish that tend to come in rough - from the Amazon, to the exporter, to the transshipper and then to the wholesaler and finally your LFS. They’re wild caught and often from deep in the Amazon. I wouldn’t beat yourself up about this the attrition rates are higher but not as high as what wholesalers see. 

We all like to play Monday morning QB and what I think is important is you’re controlling the things you can control and I applaud you for it. Hang in there and the having fun part is just around the corner. 

[Odd Duck]

I hope I didn’t come across as truly criticizing, if so, I apologize.  Was really only meaning to educate and give examples of how I do things.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 5/18/2023 at 9:59 AM, Drew O said:

I have two sponge filters in the tank that came from an established tanks, so they should be seeded well with bacteria.

I agree with what everyone is saying about stocking - it's not a doing-it-wrong thing, but more of a bacteria-trying-to-catch-up thing.  The bacteria on the filters had a population based on the stocking levels or bioloads of the tanks they came out of.  If the stocking level on the quarantine tank is greater than that (population vs water volume), there could be more bioload than bacteria to consume it and that would contribute to ammonia or nitrite, but meds, of course, also can kill bacteria which works against you and your fishy friends, in terms of filtration effectiveness/efficiency.

Edited May 26, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Drew O]

Thanks for everyone's advice and 2 cents.

@Colu I just finished Day 5 of treating kanaplex and the jungle tabs. I lost 2 more fish on Day 1 of treatment, but no more after that. Thank you for laying that out for me.

I have been testing ammonia daily and have not had any readable levels after getting the first spike under control. I believe it spiked due to the dead fish, and now that death is under control the bacteria have been keeping up with the load.