Help! Tanganyikans Dying!

[africantigerfish7]

I did a 10% water change yesterday, and all my fish other than 5 dead ! I don't know what's wrong stats are fine. I checked the fish, they are dead with their mouths open, but no sign of anything. I suspect bacteria, but am not sure. Please help !

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Can you give us more info on your situation;
a. How many gallons is the tank?
b. How long has it been set up for?
c. What are your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate stats as well as ph?
d. How long have you had the fish? What is your total stocking including any that have died in the last 2 weeks?
e. Did you use dechlorinator? How do you go about cleaning the tank and how often (water changes, cleaning substrate and filter etc) ?
f. What are the symptoms of the sick fish before death (behavioral or physical), not matter how small?

 

[africantigerfish7]

1) 60 U.S.
2) The tanganyikans been in there for 2 weeks, been cycled for 2 months
3) Ammonia= 0.4, Nitrite= 9, nitrate= 0, ph=8.2
4) 4 julie ornatus, 4 leleupi, 1 calvus, 1 compressicep, 4 brevis, 2 cylindricus, 4 rainbow fish. 3 leleupis died about a week ago.
5) Yes. Siphon and water change every week, about 10 gallons at a time. Clean filters every couple of weeks, change carbon, etc.
6) Seem to hug the substrate, move a little, and next thing I know they are floating.

Never had this happen, don't see anything wrong with the fish.

 

[Tetras]

Are you sure about the nitrite/nitrate reading ?

If nitrite is present, but not nitrate your tank is not cycled. The spelling of the two is so similar that it is easy to mix them up.

Are you using strips or the liquid testing kit?

Hopefully a pro can back me up on this, Im a newbee

 

[africantigerfish7]

Are you sure about the nitrite/nitrate reading ?

If nitrite is present, but not nitrate your tank is not cycled. The spelling of the two is so similar that it is easy to mix them up.

Are you using strips or the liquid testing kit?

Hopefully a pro can back me up on this, Im a newbee

Sorry nitrate=9, nitrites=0, please help!

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Are you sure about the nitrite/nitrate reading ?

If nitrite is present, but not nitrate your tank is not cycled. The spelling of the two is so similar that it is easy to mix them up.

Are you using strips or the liquid testing kit?

Hopefully a pro can back me up on this, Im a newbee

Sorry nitrate=9, nitrites=0, please help!

Your tank is still cycling and will be for quite a while, you had too many fish for such a new tank even if it is many gallons- you should be doing water changes every time you see any trace of ammonia or nitrites, some fish are particually sensitive to these stats.
I would put the deaths down to water quality issues, i would do a 30% water change with dechlorinator right now to be on the safe side.
Never buy fish if the water quality isn't stable, when doing a cycle with fish you should only cycle the tank with very hardy fish (some of the fish you have are not good for cycling tank conditions), and only add a couple of hardy fish a time each time the stats stabilise for a fortnight (this is one of the reasons why cycling with fish can take so long, as you cannot risk causing too many water quality problems every time you add fish).
I would hold off buying any fish for at least a month or two so the tank can totally adjust to its current bioload as with all the adding and dying of fish, the conditions in the tank at current with not be very stable at all- your priorities right now should be regually testing the water at least a couple of times a week to get a better picture of what stage the cycle is currently in as there is still ammonia there which means its not complete or stable, and doing water changes every time you see any nitrites and ammonia .

I would also increase the flow of the filter so it creates bubbles in the water, or add an air stone to help give the fish more oxygen as this will make life a lot easier for them .
Are you positive that hugging the substrate is the only symptom they are showing? Have you added any decor to the tank recently like stones or shells and if so, what types were they? What sort of substrate do you have?

 

[africantigerfish7]

Thanks all. Called my uncle, problem fixed, fish that lived are now in a cycled 30 gallon till the tank is ready. Thanks again .