Fish Dying No Reason

[dazussdj]

Hi all,
3ft Tank 180 litres
Fluval 305 external

Water stats: Nitrates 0 Nitrite 0 Ammonia 0 PH 7.0

Tank has been setup for over a year now past 1 week i have had 3 shrimps die 1 blue rainbowfish , 1 botia loac. Same things has happened in a 60 litre tank but it was only some adult platys which died. Any ideas please???

I think rainbowfish died because the airstone failed over night but dont know why loach or shrimp have died. Only new thing what i have put in was 6 baby platys which i was surprised they survived.

Any help would be helpful all fish in the 3ft tank are fairly nice sizes now wouldnt want to lose them.

Stocking:
4 Zebra loach
4 clown loach
2 kissing gouramis
3 golden gouramis
2 Pearl gouramis
1 sucking loach
1 common plec (soon to leave)
6 platys
1 ruby shark
3 bristlenose catfish
2 yellow rainbowfish
2 red rainbowfish
1 blue rainbowfish was 2

 

[martyn21uk]

I'm by no means an expert and I'm sure Wilder will be on later to help!! But it looks to me like you're overstocked. Also are you sure about your water stats? No Nitrates is rare, whats ur tap water reading and do you have live plants?

 

[rdd1952]

As martyn21uk stated, you are very overstocked. Just the clown loaches and gouramis along put you at more than double the 1" per gallon guide for a tank. As also stated, 0 nitrates would almost indicate to me that the tank isn't cycling. In a normally stocked tank, you should always have 10-20 ppm of nitrate. In a tank as heavily stocked as your, I would expect that number to be higher, especially just before water changes.

What type test kit are you using, liquid or strips? What chemicals are you using? Are you running some type nitrate removal sponges or media in your filter? Any signs of disease or distress on the dead fish? Since it has happened in 2 tanks, it would almost seem as if something had gotten into the tanks. Any cleaning materials used near them recently?

 

[dazussdj]

I know nitrates are 0 as my lfs has checked aswell i am using a fluval 305 external with bio media and opticarb which cleared the the stats 2 weeks after installing it i dont know why. The tank has plenty of plants in it and occupants seem happy enough with other the plec and sucking loach are going soon, I am using the chemical test kits by nutrafin which are all under 7 months old. Fish are not been stressed or cleaning stuff near them only thing was the airstone seem to be off for a night thats all otherwise they feed and coexist fine. I have a 4ft marine reef which has 0 nitrates aswell i use Ro water for all my tanks and i use tropic minerals to put back what the freshwater needs.

 

[martyn21uk]

I can't believe I told you Wilder would help you and then she didn't post on this one... Whats wrong Wilder? Thats the last time I promise somebody you'll help them!!

 

[WILDER]

Sorry thought the post was being covered, when I see a few replys don't look at the post sometimes.

 

[WILDER]

What are the symtoms as platys are prone to internal parasites.

 

[rdd1952]

I don't see where you mention whether the tank is planted or not. If it is heavily planted, it's possible that the plants are using the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate so your levels are 0. Otherwise, you filter would have to be removing them which is not good. If the filter media is removing ammonia, the tank will never cycle and you will become dependent on the filter media to remove it. That type media will become saturate after a short period of time and then the levels will start to build up.

 

[dazussdj]

I don't see where you mention whether the tank is planted or not. If it is heavily planted, it's possible that the plants are using the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate so your levels are 0. Otherwise, you filter would have to be removing them which is not good. If the filter media is removing ammonia, the tank will never cycle and you will become dependent on the filter media to remove it. That type media will become saturate after a short period of time and then the levels will start to build up.

Yes both tanks have heavy plamts in them i did hear about platys being abit funny. The platys are around 2 years old so im guessing old age not sure.

 

[WILDER]

If they were 2 years old I would say yes they died of old age.
R.I.P.

 

[dazussdj]

OKay what are normal ages for shrimps and rainbowfish please i wonder if they had same thing.

 

[WILDER]

Not sure on how long strimp live.
Do a search on rainbow fish lifespan.

 

[rdd1952]

Most of what I've read on shrimp says about 2 years but I have 5 amanos that I've had for over 2 years now.