Fish Are Dying!

[VaBookworm87]

A few days ago, my fish randomly started dying. I first noticed it in my breeder tank, where a small number (3 or 4) of fry were dead. Since then, there have been 3 or 4 dead on the bottom each day. Then I started having fish die in my main tank (like 1 a day). I have inspected every single fish, but none show any outward signs of illness. They have no growths, discoloration, or injuries. They all behave perfectly healthy, swimming around energetically and eating normally, and then I come back hours later and another is dead! I tested the water in both tanks, and the water is about as good as it can get! Ammonia is 0, nitrite is 0, nitrates are very low, and pH hasn't changed from approx. neutral. I remove the fish as soon as I see them, so there aren't decaying bodies all over the tank.

My big tank is a 30 gallon freshwater tank with a couple of swords, a few tetras, and a few guppies, as well as 2 clown loaches. My breeder tank is a 10 gallon which now only has 11 fry left in it.

I have no idea what to treat! What should I do?

 

[Airbend3r]

What about temperature maybe that fluctuated.

 

[VaBookworm87]

I'll monitor it more closely, but at the moment both appear to be in their normal range. Another one of the fry died

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Have you done any extra water changes etc? (the water company may have done something to the water).

 

[VaBookworm87]

Have you done any extra water changes etc? (the water company may have done something to the water).

I typically do a partial each weekend. I did a somewhat larger change this past weekend in the big tank.

2 more fry died overnight, and I've noticed something. I saw one of my fry swimming oddly last night. Sort of lethargic, not giving swimming much effort. It had all of its fins pressed to it's body, instead of fanned out. It's one of the dead ones this morning. And one of the fish in the big tank is now behaving that way, so I'd say it's the next to go. It's just sort of bobbing around in the corner.

 

[roadmaster]

A few days ago, my fish randomly started dying. I first noticed it in my breeder tank, where a small number (3 or 4) of fry were dead. Since then, there have been 3 or 4 dead on the bottom each day. Then I started having fish die in my main tank (like 1 a day). I have inspected every single fish, but none show any outward signs of illness. They have no growths, discoloration, or injuries. They all behave perfectly healthy, swimming around energetically and eating normally, and then I come back hours later and another is dead! I tested the water in both tanks, and the water is about as good as it can get! Ammonia is 0, nitrite is 0, nitrates are very low, and pH hasn't changed from approx. neutral. I remove the fish as soon as I see them, so there aren't decaying bodies all over the tank.

My big tank is a 30 gallon freshwater tank with a couple of swords, a few tetras, and a few guppies, as well as 2 clown loaches. My breeder tank is a 10 gallon which now only has 11 fry left in it.

I have no idea what to treat! What should I do?

If the tetras and clown loaches appear fine, and it is only the guppies and swordtails that are expiring then perhaps the water is too soft. Livebearer's I have kept did poorly in soft acidic water with pH below 7.4 and faired much better in hard alkaline water with pH 7.5 to 8.0.
I fed the livebearer's vegetable or algae based foods for staple, and occasional feeze dried brine shrimp or bloodworms.
Sometimes strains of fish can be weakened by letting offspring from original fish continue to inbreed without introducing new male or females or at least this is my belief.
And is also possible for new fish to introduce pathogens if not quarantined. Just some things to consider.

 

[BethK]

What are your water stats?

pH
Ammonia
Nitrate
Nitrite
Temp

 

[carla85uk]

i was going to post about my tank but saw this and i am having the exact same problem, fish are dying, not that quickly but have lost about 5 or 6 fish in 2 weeks, i cant test my water but have taken it to 3 different pet stores and they said it is absolutely fine, and there is no sign of any disease or any illness, they are just very un expected deaths. i keep mollies, swordtails and a pleco, it has been the mollies that have died and 3 guppies, (now have no guppies in there). do not understand what is going on??

 

[VaBookworm87]

Ok, so I've been observing my fish more, and I'm inclined to think it's columnaris. I noticed a fish acting strangely in the morning and when I saw him again in the afternoon (he had disappeared for a bit), he had a fuzzy white, mold like growth coming off of his face. I also noticed his fins were looking a tad frayed. I haven't noticed symptoms like this on any of the other fish, but I've started the tank on a wide range antibiotic, so hopefully anything and everything in the tank will be taken care of.

 

[VaBookworm87]

What are your water stats?

I'll have those for you in a bit! I added some Stress Zyme to the water a short while ago, so once it's cycled through a bit, I'll test the water.