Mysterious Fish Deathes

[Lillypad]

Hi all!

Since about 2 weeks ago, some fish in the 60 gallon died. I tested the water and everything seems fine - 0 ammonia and less than .25 nitrite. The tank was cycled well before I got the fish. I’ve never really saw what the fish looked like before they died - until today. The picture below is a female guppy. The fish look fine, and then suddenly die in a matter of hours. I’ve lost 3 baby angels, a pearl gourami, a German blue ram, and a glass catfish, all without showing previous symptoms. They all eat happily, and swim normally. There are not many live plants in there for now, but there is driftwood, and I plan on getting plants soon. I just added a Bolivian and German blue ram, without quarantine (I know, bad choice)
I saw some spots, so I thought ich, but then the whole tank would have it? The biggest quarantine tank I have now is a 5.5 gallon.
I feed everyday with a variety of foods: Fluval Bug Bites, Repashy Superfoods, Hikari sinking pellets, frozen brine, etc. the tank is at 82 degrees, and is filtered. The tank has been running since the end of September (maybe the 28th or something). I added the fish when the cycle was finished. The first fish were the pair of guppies from my 20 long, the second fish were added about a week after the guppies, and they were the 3 glass cats, 2 roseline sharks, and 4 pearl gouramis added at once. Then 2 weeks later the 12 angelfish, then just last week or two, the rams. I know I should have quarantined them, and that the disease probably came from them. 

I do a 40% water change every two weeks, but since the tank has a mesh lid, I have to top it off every 3 days.

 

Thanks in advance!

(the guppy has unfortunately died, the second picture is if the guppy’s tail after death)

[Colu]

I noticed you had a small amount of nitire so it's possible you had an ammonia spike and missed a little more information would be helpful What's your KH GH pH Nitrate temperature what filtration have you notice any rapid breathing hanging out near the surface lethargy flashing spitting food erratic swimming suken belly @Lillypad

[Lillypad]

KH - 40ppm

GH - 75 ppm

pH - 6.8

Nitrate - 15

temperature - 82

what filtration have - Marineland filter (not exactly sure which one bc this was an older filter I had for another tank, but I believe it was rated for up to 75 gallons, it’s a HOB)

you notice any rapid breathing - less rapid breathing, more like there gills were kind of stuck open?

hanging out near the surface - yes, but once about to die, they swim back to the bottom

 lethargy - yes

flashing - not that I could tell

 spitting food - not eating

erratic swimming - no

sunken belly - yes, this guppy was very large before, and then was much skinnier

hope this answers your questions, thank you for helping

- Lillypad 

Edited November 16, 2023 by Lillypad

[Colu]

On 11/16/2023 at 1:57 AM, Lillypad said:

KH - 40ppm

GH - 75 ppm

pH - 6.8

Nitrate - 15

temperature - 82

what filtration have - Marineland filter (not exactly sure which one bc this was an older filter I had for another tank, but I believe it was rated for up to 75 gallons, it’s a HOB)

you notice any rapid breathing - less rapid breathing, more like there gills were kind of stuck open?

hanging out near the surface - yes, but once about to die, they swim back to the bottom

 lethargy - yes

flashing - not that I could tell

 spitting food - not eating

erratic swimming - no

sunken belly - yes, this guppy was very large before, and then was much skinnier

hope this answers your questions, thank you for helping

- Lillypad 

Your KH and pH is on the low side for guppies guppies like a pH of 7.5 I would add some crushed coral to help raise your pH and KH if yoo plan on adding more guppies in the future could be a parasitic infections with what your describing your guppy in picture looks like it has a bacterial infection with Redding do you have any medication to hand 

[Lillypad]

Meds I have on hand:

fritz coppersafe

api super ick cure

bettafix

melafix (somewhere, I think)

Tetra life guard 

the problem is that the fish don’t seem sick before hours before death. I don’t want to medicate fish that aren’t sick.

[Guest]

I think that they were either A, starved B, had Ich or C, some fungal disease, or D, any combination of the above. I had a fish die of fin rot and then a whole 10 out of 11 that same fish birthed died soon afterwards, we found it was some of them that died of fin rot and other pestilences. It also could very well be old age as some fish lose colour before death and become heavily lethargic (as my betta, Cloud was a week or two before death). Hopefully this helps. 

*10-11 fry

[Guest]

Thats just my two cents although, anyways I hope I helped in some way, best wishes for your and you fish empire @Lillypad! 🙂

 

Edited November 16, 2023 by Kaiju

[Colu]

On 11/16/2023 at 2:51 AM, Lillypad said:

Meds I have on hand:

fritz coppersafe

api super ick cure

bettafix

melafix (somewhere, I think)

Tetra life guard 

the problem is that the fish don’t seem sick before hours before death. I don’t want to medicate fish that aren’t sick.

You can get the odd random deaths with a parasitic infections and you can get secondary bacterial infections what I would get holed of Fritz expel p active ingredient is levamisole and get holed of maracyn2 that's a broad spectrum antibiotic treatment I would treat once a week for three weeks with expel p if any fish develop any Redding like the guppy in the picture then I would do a course of maracyn2 

[Lillypad]

Will it dye the 60 gallon any strange colors or anything? Is it safe for the display tank?

[Colu]

The medication expel p is a 24hr treatment then you do a 50% water change run carbon for 24 hrs to remove the remaining medication and gravel vac to remove as much of the expelled worms and eggs and repeat in 7 days do three full course of treatment expel p and maracyn2 won't colour your water won't harm your plants if you have snails such as mystery or rabbit snails levamisole can be harmful so I would remove them while your treating@Lillypad

Edited November 16, 2023 by Colu

[Lillypad]

Ok, thank you! I’ll try to pick some up tomorrow!

[Lillypad]

It seems that maracyn two is not easily available, are there any other medications you can think of that would be good for this? 

[Guest]

@Lillypad Did quick research and it could be a parasitic infection or fungal infection plaguing your fish. Reasosn I mentioned earlier could also be the cause but you should monitor the behaviour of your fish and see if there are mass numbers being lethargic or showing any sign of carrying the pestilence that recently broke out in your tank. Quarantine all the sick ones if you can. Again, best wishes for you and your fish!! 

[Guest]

I also have had a mysterious death of a fish (wich I posted asking for help) I dunno if you can help but any advice from an experienced keeper is appreciated.

Edited November 16, 2023 by Kaiju
typo

[Colu]

On 11/16/2023 at 3:34 AM, Lillypad said:

Ok, thank you! I’ll try to pick some up tomorrow!

Seachems Kanaplex or  neoplex are good broad spectrum antibiotic or you can get maracyn 

[Lillypad]

If I get a 20 gallon quarantine tank, can I move the fish to there and treat them? Or do you think the parasites would be breeding in the 60 gallon, meaning I have to treat the bigger tank? It uses way more meds to treat the larger tank.

[Colu]

 I would add a couple of sponge filter to your main tank to have them cycled before adding them to your quarantine tank most parasites can't survive longer than 30 days days without a host if your moving your fish to a quarantine tank I wouldn't put fish back in the main tank for at least 30 days @Lillypad

[Lillypad]

I just picked up a 29 gallon (also needed for a future project) as quarantine. Found some Maracyn two, and expel p. Thank you again for your help.