Dwarf Rainbow Fish Died In 24 Hours

[gs090]

Hello. I recently purchased three dwarf rainbows to add to my established tank. I have a male betta, two Empeour Teras, four cherry barbs, six cardinals and one lazy spotted cat. In all about 15-18 inches of fish. ph 6.8 and stable. 1/4 water change 12 days ago. Emperor filter (oversized). 25 gallon high tank I use the standrad cartrige plus the basket with advanced formula charcoal and phosphate removal resin. I had a problem with brown algae, so I added the phosphate remover to make sure I didn't have excess phosphate. I also used algae control liquid to rid the tank (sucessful). No ammonia or nitrite.

The fish did not seem to be aggravated by the established fish. There was some chasing by the barbs, but nothing more than what I have seen with other fish when they are first put in the tank.

One month ago I put three new Clown loaches in. They all died within one week. Again, I could find no water quality issues. The other established fish have been stable and happy for 9-14 months. The only fish I have lost since sterating the aquarium in December 2005 were the first three Clown loachs I put in. They all died within one week.

Any theories on why I am loosing recently introduced fish? The store is well established where I get them? I did noticed that when I placed the plastic bag into my aquarium to climitize and acclimate the fish they seemed stuned. When I finally put them into the tank after two hours they did not seem well. I add tiny amounts of my tank water to the bag over the two hours; however, the pH of the store water and my tank were identical.
GS

 

[chicklette]

Well first we need your specific water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH?) and a few questions need to be answered.

Do you notice any flashing> Rubbing on rocks, gravel decorations?
Do you notice any white grain of salt specs on the fish? Ick.
Any blood spots? Streaks
How often do you clean your tank? And what is the amount of water you change?
Is your ph stable?

You are slightly over stocked. First I would do a water change and see if that helps. It sounds to be like something is wrong with your water. Make sure all decorations in the tank is made for the aquarium or they can leak toxins into the tank. If your fist die so suddenly after a short period I would think it sounds like something is irritating them.

 

[Colin_T]

Definately sounds like a water quality issue. Fish don't just die shortly after going into a tank unless there is something wrong with the tank water. Quite often the water chemistry can change over time. If the fish are in it while this happens they adapt and do well. However, when new fish are added and they aren't used to the conditions they die pretty quickly.

We need to know ammonia, nitrite & nitrate levels. When you last cleaned the filter and how you did it. When you last gravel cleaned the tank. How often you normally water change the tank and how much you change. Also do you use water conditioner in the new water going into the tank?

2 hours is a long time to acclimatise the fish. I usually suggest half an hour. Add half a cup of tank water to the bag every 5 minutes for 30 minutes, then pour the fish into the tank.
If the water in the bag was alkaline any ammonia they produced while in the bag would have been pretty toxic and could have quite easily damaged them.

 

[loachman]

When acclimating the fish, do you just do a temperature stabilization or add tank water to bag water also?

Is the bag sealed the entire time it's floating? What is the proportion of water to air in the bag?

It is possible that your tank water and bag water are significantly different so that it shocks the fish (even if the two are temperature matched).

 

[gs090]

Thanks all for the information.
The fish did not have ick or any other noticble anatomical issues except for looking "stunned"

I think one of you may have hit the nail on the head as they say. The fish were probaly in the bag for three to three and one half hours. Perhaps ammoina built up in the bag. (I am one hour or more from the store)
Here are the parameters.
pH was 6.8, and has been stable at this point for many months. The pH was the same as the water in the bag.

To acimate the fish, I open the bag and hand it over the side into the tank water. Over two hours, I add about a quarter cup of my tank water.

1/4-1/3 water change every two weekswith
gravel cleaned (about 50%)

0 Nitrate. 0 nitrite. 0 ammonia, 0 phosphate, moderate kH

Filter media... (this filter keeps this tank very stable)



primary cartrige changed every two to three weeks (manufacturers recomendation)
basket media changed every three to four weeks (but contents not all changed at once)

Food: Alternate frozen brine shrimp, blood worm and commercial flake

Temp: 76-78

I took the dead fish back to the store per their 48 hour gurantee. they duplicated the entire water chemistry test and found nothing wrong (they did every test possible). We purchased three hatchet fish.

I reduced the aclimation time to about 30-45 minutes. The fish seem fine today and did not appear stressed at all.

SInce this is a deep thank (26") I was wondering if there was sufficient O2. I noticed that many of my fish like the bottom. I added an air stone in two spots to create more turbulence on top, and also adjusted the spigots on the control arm (the thing that sprays water on the biowheel) so that the filter would create more turbulence.

This morning, after about 16 hours of this, the fish are swimming all over the tank.

GS

 

[Colin_T]

There is no real need to change your filter media all the time. The only thing that normally need changing is the carbon and that gets done once a month or every couple of months.

Most filter materials can be rinsed out in a bucket of tank water and then replced back in the filter. The manufacturers suggest you replace them frequently so you keep buying things.

 

[gs090]

The cartriges in this filter are very thin, and Inoticed they clog up fairly quickly. The carbon and gauze material are in the same cartrige so you have to dispose of both. The large basket, that they call optional I fill with a high quality carbon on one side, and either additional filter media, or a phosphate resin collector. I don't change the charcoal in there very often.

I find that if I don't change the cartridge, the water tends to flood behind it, and the effectiveness of the filter is reduced.
GS

 

[Colin_T]

you need to track down a sponge from a different type of filter and cut it to fit. Then you could just clean it and save yourself a heap of money.