Help! Even More Fish Dying

[Gooner]

Tank size:120L
pH:7.2
ammonia:0
nitrite:0
nitrate:50
kH:6
gH:>10
tank temp:78
Fish: 7xCardinal Tetra (now 4), 2xDwarf Gourami, 2xBlue Ram, 1xGold Ram, 2xKhuli Loach, 1xBristlenose Plec and 1xClown Plec.

Please help.

Have recently lost all of my Tiger Barbs (6) through a very bad case of fin-rot. (Earlier Post).

Have just got home from work and found three of the Cardinal Tetras have perished. (Not sure why).
One of the Dwarf Gourami is lying on its side on top of the water barely breathing. (Occasionally moving).
The Gold Ram keeps flicking itself against the gravel. (No sign of any parasites).

All other fish seem normal with no signs of any problems.

Regular water changes of about 25% every sunday with a thorough clean of the gravel.

The carbon filter has been removed sinse saturday due to the five day treatment of Myxazin which has now finished. Will fit a new one tonight after a water change.

Any ideas of what is going wrong?

Thanks,

Gary.

 

[DarkEntity]

25% water change every week seems a little much imo, id be doing that every 2 weeks. Flicking is a sign of a parasite or poor water quality. If all the fish are gasping for air etc it could be the tank is still cycling and you have added fish too early or is doing a new mini cycle due to the excessive water changes and hoovering. You have to remember that the good bacteria lives in the gravel and your filter...so doing that amount of cleaning is probably destroying a large part of the stuff in the tank you need.

 

[Gooner]

Don`t think it is cycling as all the stats are normal.
The Gourami is the only one gasping for air. I normally do a 10% change on a weekly basis but due to the ill health of the Tigers have been doing a 25%, maybe that was wrong?
Just realised that I made a big mistake by washing both of the blue filter pads together last Sunday. Could this have any affect on the fishes health even though there are no obvious signs of poor water quality?
What would I need to do to reverse my mistake?

 

[WILDER]

Do you mean you washed them in tank water.
The flicking how many fish are doing it, and when did it start, check the body for tiny little bubbles, also the gills any change there.
Bad water quality and med can make them flick as well.

 

[Gooner]

Not exactly washed them, as I removed the carbon filter I gave the whole basket a rinse through in the bucket of tank water.

Only The Gold Ram is flicking. Cannot see anything wrong with him/her? looks so small and cute, only about 2cm long.

Sorry, only noticed the Ram flicking two days ago.

 

[juwelfan]

It may be that the treatment is causing the problem. I would put the carbon filter back in and max the amount of oxygen in the water with increasing the water surface movement.
I'd just wait a while and do the treatment later, i.e. i'd go back to the way it was when all was ok.

But i'm no expert.

 

[WILDER]

The gourami is dying sorry once they lay on the gravel and heavy breath thats it usually.
Is the med still in.

Before the fish came down with the bacterial infections was there any signs of the fish flicking.

I would get some pics up of the fish if you can.
I wouldn't finish the med I would do another round.

 

[Gooner]

The Gourami is not on the gravel, it is normally at the top, just under the surface, Quite motionless (looks like it is about to nod off to sleep), this may be normal, but quite concerned as it has been there most of the day.

Have just put the carbon filter back in, if you mean the Myxazin, I put the last dose in yesterday morning, could mean there is still some in the water.

Not sure if it is relevent, but upon fitting a new carbon filter I had to replace the poly filter as well because it was a horrible orange rusty colour, could this be from the med?

 

[WILDER]

No the med shouldn't turn it that colour I think.
Been using any household chemical near the tank, or buckets that you use for cleaning.

Any signs of slightly red skin on the fish.
Just looked flukes up.

Skin Flukes
Symptoms: Fish rubs against things in attempt to rid itself of parasites living on the skin. Fins may become slightly frayed and skin may redden.

 

[Gooner]

No. There are no chemicals used on or near the tank.
I have only one bucket that is used soley for the fish tank.
I have never seen the poly filter that colour before, slightly concerned now.

 

[juwelfan]

If your gourami is at the surface i'd guess its after more oxygen, but i'm sure i read the gourami can live in very low oxygen water, so maybe its not an oxygen issue.

sorry, i guess i'm no help.

 

[WILDER]

Have you been feeding any orange foods.
Also has it been in contact with black carbon.

If you have bog wood in the tank the med might have release some of the tannins.

 

[Gooner]

The Gourami has red on it but I think that is normal for a Blue Cobolt, also there are red bits on the Rams eyes, again I think it is normal.
Cannot see any other out of place red marks. Did I mention that it was the Gold Ram that was the only one flicking?

 

[WILDER]

Sorry yes forgot.
might just be the med irratating his skin then.
Also after a water change fish can flick.
But to be honest the gourami dosn't sound good.
If you have bogwood I would put the filter floss being orange down to the bogwood.

 

[Gooner]

Funny you should mention Bogwoog, just threw a largish piece in the bin (Tuesday) as it started to go a funny colour, might have been algae, but wasn`t willing to take the chance.
What do you mean by, has it been in contact with black carbon?
Certainly no orange food, only King British flake food and Underworld catfish sinkers (the Rams love `em)