Bottom Feeders / Algae Eaters Dying

[kmur]

Hello!

I've had my tank cycled and occupied for about three months, maybe four.

The water values have never waivered; I test weekly for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH. Ammonia and nitrite are always 0, and I do water changes every two weeks. Nitrate has never gone above 10. The tank has sand substrate which was heavily cleaned before putting in the tank, and it is quite heavily planted now. It has some driftwood, and fairly heavy filtration.

The tank is 30 gallons, and stocked with ember tetras and galaxy rasboras. When I first stocked, I had two of one of the smaller varieties of whiptail cats. Both of them had died within the first month. Knowing that they were somewhat hard to keep and this was a new tank, I was sad, but didn't think too deeply in to it.

A few weeks after they passed, I got four Otos. They died very rapidly, within a week.

I was pretty paranoid for a while after that, so for over a month, I did not stock anybody new.

About two weeks ago, I decided to try again with a bottom feeder, but go for something heartier and easier to keep. I got six juvie peppered cories. After a week in quaranteen, they moved to the main tank a few days ago. This morning, one was dead, and I am afraid it is starting all over again.

All the other fish are healthy. I feed a variety of flake, bloodworms, sinking carnivore discs, and sinking algae discs. I had observed all the bottom feeders eating, and the cories eat quite heartily.

I am at a loss. I'm still a novice, and I don't know what I could be missing that is causing this to happen. It's heartbreaking. They don't get teased or attacked, they eat, and they show no physical sign of illness; All active and have good looking skin and fins. Then, one day, they're just dead. If these cories go, I am definitely done with the bottom feeders/algae eaters. I don't understand it at all. Anyone know what could be going on? If there is some other thing I'm not testing for that could be affecting them but not everyone else, I want to know.

I get all my fish from a reputable tropical fish dealer, and all of their fish are very healthy; many are bred on location. Some of the fish I've purchased had been at the store for several weeks in good health before I brought them home. The only thing I can think of that seperates them from the other fish I have is that all of them have been very juvenile, while the embers/rasboras were about full grown.

 

[Gilli]

Sounds like a mystery if there are no signs of disease and your water stats are spot on as you say. Are you using a liquid test kit or paper strips?

One thing I would say is that I would do at least a 30% water change once a week with a good gravel vac for optimum tank health. Doing it only once every 2 weeks not only are you are leaving uneaten food rotting and poo around for a long period but changing the water also puts back minerals and salts that are used up.

Are you sure your bottom feeders are getting enough food? Its easy for the others to snatch it up before it hits the bottom so that there is very little for the bottom feeders. To overcome this you can feed flake by putting it in an egg cup with a little of the tank water before tipping it in - that way it sinks giving the bottom feeders more of a chance of getting some before its gobbled up by just floating on the surface. Also I would drop a few wafers in at night so the other fish dont see them but the bottom feeders will find them in the dark.

 

[kmur]

Sounds like a mystery if there are no signs of disease and your water stats are spot on as you say. Are you using a liquid test kit or paper strips?

One thing I would say is that I would do at least a 30% water change once a week with a good gravel vac for optimum tank health. Doing it only once every 2 weeks not only are you are leaving uneaten food rotting and poo around for a long period but changing the water also puts back minerals and salts that are used up.

Are you sure your bottom feeders are getting enough food? Its easy for the others to snatch it up before it hits the bottom so that there is very little for the bottom feeders. To overcome this you can feed flake by putting it in an egg cup with a little of the tank water before tipping it in - that way it sinks giving the bottom feeders more of a chance of getting some before its gobbled up by just floating on the surface. Also I would drop a few wafers in at night so the other fish dont see them but the bottom feeders will find them in the dark.

I can definitely up the water changes. I was worried that doing them too often could be problematic. I aim for 1/3rd and do use a good gravel vac

I always watch them eat until all food is eaten to make sure nothing weird is going on. After the first week, I had the balance well enough that the top-feeders would eat at the top for 5 minutes before running out of food, and the bottom feeders had five minutes of uninterrupted bottom feeding. (Though, after five minutes, the top feeders come finish off the remains.) They don't appear to be losing weight, and I'd heard on a few occasions that enough food that that can consume in 5 minutes is about the right amount. The bottom feeders also dig around in the cracks and holes in the driftwood to get anything that has accumulated.

 

[karin]

Otos are pretty fragile and they need algae. They do not feed well on commercial foods and it is somewhat common that they starve because of a lack of algae.

With others like plecos and corys, drop some algae wafers in just as you turn out the lights. They can feed while the others sleep. You may have just lost a cory because it was weak. These guys are mass produced and weak individuals are common.

Finally, I think I was losing some soft belly fish because my "sand" was actually small dimension gravel with very sharp edges. I replaced it and the corys seem fine now.

 

[starscream]

i had that happen to me with a few of my plecos i bought 2 sailfins and before i could put them in the tank they died in the bag. then i got 2 other ones and put them in and they died within 3 days. so i tried again i got 2 other ones and put them into a different tank and they died again so i waited a few weeks and got 2 more when they got new ones from a different breeder in so i tried one from the old batch and one from the new batch and the one from the old batch died and the other one is till alive. they just had a very week batch, sometimes they just have a week batch with bad immune systems sometimes. when there young there immune systems are not as developed, dont worry about it wait till they get a little older and try again.

 

[lilfishie]

i personally have trouble keeping certain bottom feeders alive, peppers seem to be my worst all dying off in a few days, but i have other cories that do just fine as said they may just be a weak lot

 

[OldMan47]

You have experienced one of the reasons that I never try otocinclus any more. Without an abundance of fresh algae, they simply starve to death.
If you are getting good feeding for your corydoras, they should be quite hardy given regular water changes. Cories do not tolerate salts well but your fish choices would not have you tempted to use salts so I am discounting that effect. Although they are bottom feeders, cories are not the vegetarians that plecos and similar fish are. They are very much meat eaters that love some nice frozen foods that they can reach.
There is no such thing as changing too much water. If you have any problem with any fish that you suspect might be related to poor water quality, immediately double the water change amounts. When I have no clue about a problem that I see in my tank, the first thing I try is a huge 90%+ water change. The fish always look better after the change.

 

[AstonN24vantage]

ive tried so many times to keep plecos... for 2 years i just couldnt do it. i had the same problem. finally, the tank gave way, and i had one for multiple months. i have 2 now. it could be that your tank isnt very mature, and same tanks just dont like fish. i had an angel cycle a 7 gallon, when i was 8, and that angel went through ick twice, nitrate problems at least 6 times, ammonia twice, nitrite once, and ph for ever. he died with a terrible round of ich, 2 years later. in that tank i couldnt keep a guppy for the life of me. tanks just have their own problems.

 

[Caprichoso]

Unfortunately, the first 2 times you picked more difficult species. Whiptails and Otocinclus are not what I would consider "easy" for most. They tend to be more delicate and don't tolerate water imbalances. I've never had peppered cories but from what I've heard from other fish keepers, they are not as hardy as one would think. Don't be disheartened by what happened. Take a break from them for awhile and when your ready, try some green or bronze corydoras. They are tough fish and will tolerate less than perfect conditions more easily. Make sure you are doing weekly water changes between 30 and 50% and doing a good vac as well. If you keep up on the water changes and make sure they have a bit of food, there is no reason why you shouldn't have success.

Good luck