Anyone have any thoughts on why my tiger barbs keep dying?

[AJRenee]

Hello, to start of I will be as specific as I can. I have a 20 gallon aquarium, newly cycled, about 4wks when I started with the fish. I had been testing the water everyday. All was good. I bought 5 barbs. (Only was going to do 2-3 but also knew they are schooling fish, and he said 5 should be ok.) the first four days they were great, and out of nowhere they quit being as active, then just like that two died one day, two the next, and one was left. Tested the water. No signs of ammonia or nitrites. Took water a ample
To the aquatic store just to make sure. Ph, nitrate, nitrites, ammonia, hardness, all were how they were supposed to be. The tank has a filter, has an air stone, has a heater. One fake plant and a stone arch and a bio stone. Not over feeding.
Anyhow, I was hesitant to get more bc I was worried they would have the same fate, but with the water testing well I went ahead and got four. Had one left from last time so a total of five again. Well now the one from last time
Died, as well as two others, so 3 total. I feel it’s only a matter of time
Before the other two die and it just makes me so sad I want to give up

 

[Fishmanic]

What are your water parameters such as hardness (should be available from your water provider) and what is your ph?

How did you go about cycling your tank? Did you add ammonia? if so how many ppm of ammonia did you add to the tank?

 

[Retired Viking]

Do a 75% water change and vacuum the gravel. Was there any redness in the fish's gills or strange behavior? Have you used water conditioner. Chlorine may be the reason if you did not,

 

[JuiceBox52]

Next time you get the water tested, make sure you ask for the exact readings and write then down sometimes pet store employees dont know what the readings mean

 

[seangee]

I have a 20 gallon aquarium, newly cycled, about 4wks

It sounds like your tank was not cycled - 4 weeks is not long enough. Do a 75% water change and test your water daily for ammonia and nitrites. Any day when you get a reading of either that is not 0 do a 75% water change. If you need to get the test kits change water every day until you have them. It will help if you only feed your fish twice a week and add lots of floating plants. Expect to continue with daily water changes for several weeks.

 

[Colin_T]

Pictures of the fish?

Ask the shop what the pH is in their tiger barb tank and compare it to your pH.
If the shop has a significantly different pH to your tank, then the fish might have pH shock.

Ask the shop how long they have had the tiger barbs for and when they do their water changes.
If the fish have only been in the shop tanks for a few days they will be suffering from transport stress associated with being caught, bagged up and sent from the suppliers to the shop, then put into new water at the shop, then caught, bagged up and taken to your tank.

A similar problem can occur if the shop did a water change on the day you got the fish. It can stress them a bit, especially if the fish are newly imported.

Try not to buy fish unless they have been in the shop tanks for at least one week, preferably two weeks. And don't buy fish on the day they get a water change or if they have had a water change in the last couple of days.

 

[AJRenee]

Thank you everyone. The store I got it from was strictly a fish/aquatic store that has a good rep, and I will make sure to find out what their PH was with their barbs before I get anymore. Also I will do a water change 75 percent like recommended, there is a lot I want to research and do before I get any more. I thought I was doing everything right, especially when they tested it with their kit and said it was good. But I agree I need to write down the parameters and then compare... the last barb doesn’t look so good. I am not home yet, but to me he looks like he or she has a red spot by the anus area , and it’s an albino barb... I feel so sad

 

[AJRenee]

What are your water parameters such as hardness (should be available from your water provider) and what is your ph?

How did you go about cycling your tank? Did you add ammonia? if so how many ppm of ammonia did you add to the tank?

Oh and the ph was 7.6, and when I cycled it jo
I didn’t add ammonia, I just added water conditioner, stress coat, and quick start, but still waited to add fish until water was consistently testing the same. And the first two days they seemed great and then third day is when it all went downhill. I know they aren’t as good, but I would also test with the strips as well everyday to see if anything was changing, and I have the ammonia level
Reader inside the tank and it’s always been non existent.. so you think it’s probably just still too soon for them? Or it might be a ph shock?

 

[AJRenee]

Do a 75% water change and vacuum the gravel. Was there any redness in the fish's gills or strange behavior? Have you used water conditioner. Chlorine may be the reason if you did not,

Yes I used water conditioner, stress coat, and quick start a couple weeks before adding fish. And yes they quit being active and would hang out either at the very top corners or mid level with nose down. I don’t know if it’s Mmonia or what but my tears aren’t showing any ammonia or nitrites at all.

 

[AJRenee]

Next time you get the water tested, make sure you ask for the exact readings and write then down sometimes pet store employees dont know what the readings mean

Thank you. Yes I will do that. However this store is strictly fish and the owners are hobbyists so that’s why I worry even more, they even said my water was good, however I did NOT get the ph of the water they were in at the store compared to mine. Does them hanging out at the top seem
Like they are trying to get oxygen possibly due to ammonia burning their gills? Even though my tank has not read for ammonia at all, that’s why I’m stumped

 

[Byron]

From what you have posted, the "cycling" should not have been an issue. That leaves some options to consider.

Possible problems with the fish themselves...can you somehow find out if the store has experienced any losses? Were the fish perhaps injured during netting and transport?

Remaining close to the surface and gasping is a sign of something toxic in the water. Chlorine, ammonia, nitrite, soaps, sudden pH change, injury, chemical additives (too man, or overdosed), internal protozoan...many possibles.

Be careful overdosing any additives, including conditioner. All of these do affect fish, they are not strictly speaking "safe" in the way many of us understand that word. StressCoat for example contains aloe vera, which is now believed to be harmful to fish gills. It probably takes more of it, meaning quantity and time period, to kill the fish, but it is certainly not benefiting them. So this product is without question not "safe" to use.

Fish have a unique relationship with their aquatic environment. Not easy to explain, but it is much more complex and involved than that of any terrestrial animal. The laws of biology and chemistry that operate in an aquarium can easily be disturbed by the most minor of things.

 

[utahfish]

Whats your nitrate reading?

 

[AJRenee]

From what you have posted, the "cycling" should not have been an issue. That leaves some options to consider.

Possible problems with the fish themselves...can you somehow find out if the store has experienced any losses? Were the fish perhaps injured during netting and transport?

Remaining close to the surface and gasping is a sign of something toxic in the water. Chlorine, ammonia, nitrite, soaps, sudden pH change, injury, chemical additives (too man, or overdosed), internal protozoan...many possibles.

Be careful overdosing any additives, including conditioner. All of these do affect fish, they are not strictly speaking "safe" in the way many of us understand that word. StressCoat for example contains aloe vera, which is now believed to be harmful to fish gills. It probably takes more of it, meaning quantity and time period, to kill the fish, but it is certainly not benefiting them. So this product is without question not "safe" to use.

Fish have a unique relationship with their aquatic environment. Not easy to explain, but it is much more complex and involved than that of any terrestrial animal. The laws of biology and chemistry that operate in an aquarium can easily be disturbed by the most minor of things.

So do you think if I do a 75 percent water change, get the info from the store, and check back in, that would be a good start? I am Definitely not getting anymore poor fish until this is “resolved”... is there any specific conditioner/primer that is better than another?

 

[AJRenee]

Whats your nitrate reading?

On the strips. Which I have used the API and another brand, it is in the lowest bracket, which is barely pink, almost white, and that says “0” the next one up on the strip is “20” but it did not get that color so it’s below 20 Ppm possibly 0

 

[JuiceBox52]

On the strips. Which I have used the API and another brand, it is in the lowest bracket, which is barely pink, almost white, and that says “0” the next one up on the strip is “20” but it did not get that color so it’s below 20 Ppm possibly 0

Your Nitrates are good