Disaster - Urgent Advice Needed

[mp7125]

Hi at the weekend I got 6 Rummy Nose tetras and some lava plants to add to my collection. In the last 2 days 4 have died and so have 5 of my Neon Tetras (which I've had for over a year). All my water readings are fine. Went back to fish shop who said possible cause could be that because I have no air pump it could have starved the fish from oxygen. Anyway air pump now in place but any other steps I could take or should take to prevent any further losses. I'm feeling devastated. Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

[kribensis12]

Can you tell me what your water parameters are? Also, before they died, we the fish at the top, gasping for air? When you found them dead, where there mouths open ?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

while it is possible for fish to die from oxygen starvation an air pump is by no means an essential bit of kit, as long as the filter breaks the waters surface to create ripples on the water then there will be plenty of oxygen in the water column. So while I may be cynical, I suspect this was just a bit of a salesmen's ploy to give you an easy answer and sell you some stuff that you don't really need.

as above, were the fish gasping at the top of the water?

 

[mp7125]

while it is possible for fish to die from oxygen starvation an air pump is by no means an essential bit of kit, as long as the filter breaks the waters surface to create ripples on the water then there will be plenty of oxygen in the water column. So while I may be cynical, I suspect this was just a bit of a salesmen's ploy to give you an easy answer and sell you some stuff that you don't really need.

as above, were the fish gasping at the top of the water?

The parameters, just taken again now:

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 20-40ppm
PH - 7.2

The fish were gasping for air before they died. Hope that helps.

 

[jimmyringo]

Seems strange that the Neons survived for a year without an air pump,but have now apparently died because of a lack of one.i think i'd be looking for a different reason.i've never used a pump and haven't had any problems.

 

[WILDER]

Rummy noses are very funny to climatise.
Was the filter rippling the surface well.
Gasping can be bad water quality, lack of 02 in the tank, toxins, parasites.
Check the fish gills over to see if there pale with excess mucas on them, or red and inflamed.
Any excess mucas on the body of the fish.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.

 

[mp7125]

Rummy noses are very funny to climatise.
Was the filter rippling the surface well.
Gasping can be bad water quality, lack of 02 in the tank, toxins, parasites.
Check the fish gills over to see if there pale with excess mucas on them, or red and inflamed.
Any excess mucas on the body of the fish.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.

Can't do a post-mortem on them now as they have gone to 'fish heaven'. There wasn't any mucus on them but they were slightly red/inflamed. No signs of flicking and rubbing.

 

[WILDER]

Were the gills inflamed when you got them.
Red inflamed gills can mean bad water quality, bacterial gill rot, gill flukes, not enough aeration in the tank.

Signs of skin and gill flukes are
Opaque body with excess slime.
Red inflamed gills that sometimes can look like there bleeding, or pale gills with excess mucas.
Flicking and rubbing themselves on things in the tank.
Laboured breath or gasping at the surface of the tank.
Sores on the body of the fish.
Swimming in a jerky movement.
Spitting food out.
Erratic swimming.
Weightloss sometimes.

All fish have a few flukes it when a fish is stressed that they start to do the damage, young fish are more prone to flukes.

 

[mp7125]

Were the gills inflamed when you got them.
Red inflamed gills can mean bad water quality, bacterial gill rot, gill flukes, not enough aeration in the tank.

Signs of skin and gill flukes are
Opaque body with excess slime.
Red inflamed gills that sometimes can look like there bleeding, or pale gills with excess mucas.
Flicking and rubbing themselves on things in the tank.
Laboured breath or gasping at the surface of the tank.
Sores on the body of the fish.
Swimming in a jerky movement.
Spitting food out.
Erratic swimming.
Weightloss sometimes.

All fish have a few flukes it when a fish is stressed that they start to do the damage, young fish are more prone to flukes.

I couldn't say when I bought them if the gills were inflamed or not. But when I examined the fishes when they had died, their eyes were bulging and thee were inflamed (as if they had been bleeding). What I'm finding hard to understand is why it affected the Neon tetras, which I have had for over a year.

 

[WILDER]

Gills that look like there bleeding can be ammonia poisong which I doubt as your stats are ok, to gill flukes.
But the fish are not flicking which they usally do with gill flukes.
If the eyes were bulging its popeye.
I would add a bacterial med to the tank then.

Anti internal bacteria med by interpet.
http/www.flippersandfins.net/pop-eye.htm