Livebearers Help

[jl.mathieson]

I started keeping tropical fish about 6 months ago and am having trouble with my livebearers.

I have a 330L tank which had the following occupants until a week ago:
4 x guppies
3 x swordtails
7 x rainbow fish
1 x honey gourami
4 x loaches
1 x catfish
4 x tetras

A couple of days ago, one of the guppies suddenly died. It was one of the original inhabitants and had been in the tank for 6 months. Now another of the guppies is looking really sick - it's listless and appears to be struggling badly to keep itself afloat. One of the swordtails died about a week ago, and over the 6 months I've had 4 mollies at different times, all of which have died after having the same symptoms as the guppy.

The tank is meticulously cleaned once a week, and around 30 - 40% of the water changed.

The water readings are approx: Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0, GH 10, KH 6, PH 6.6

Can anyone help???

 

[rabbut]

can you get a reading for ammonia?

what do you normaly feed your fish? I ask as the symptoms could be signs of constapation. it could be an idea to offer some live food, or a few greens to the diet, to try and flush out their digestive system.

also, are there any other symptoms? I coulden't rule out an internal bactirial infection, without further information. If there are no other symptoms, and the digestive system flush fails, you could try treating for internal bactirial infection, with interpet number 6, after giving other forums members a chance to answer your post. I say this, because I still am not sure as to the caurse, and other more experienced members may know of other more likely conditions.

HTH

rabbut

 

[WILDER]

What does it look like when the fish go to the toilet.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
Any fish gone thin, or bent spines.
Not being able to maintain balance in the water is swim bladder.
What do you feed the fish.

 

[jl.mathieson]

There's no signs of anything untoward at all, no flicking or rubbing etc. I don't think it's a balance problem, it just looks like a big physical effort to survive - lots of flapping of the fins and the gills working hard.

I've checked the dead ones carefully, no sign of any disease, swelling, deformation etc.

They're fed a mixture of flakes, granules and vegetable matter with occassional brine shrimp. I haven't noticed anything untoward when they go to the toilet - it's just brown and stringy.

I'll get an ammonia reading and let you know.

Thanks for the replies.

Cheers

 

[scooterchick]

Sounds like an internal bacteria problem. I think with mysterious deaths and water parameters fine it's probably the first thing you should assume it is. If I'm wrong someone please correct me!

 

[poopsydrew]

I started keeping tropical fish about 6 months ago and am having trouble with my livebearers.

I have a 330L tank which had the following occupants until a week ago:
4 x guppies
3 x swordtails
7 x rainbow fish
1 x honey gourami
4 x loaches
1 x catfish
4 x tetras

A couple of days ago, one of the guppies suddenly died. It was one of the original inhabitants and had been in the tank for 6 months. Now another of the guppies is looking really sick - it's listless and appears to be struggling badly to keep itself afloat. One of the swordtails died about a week ago, and over the 6 months I've had 4 mollies at different times, all of which have died after having the same symptoms as the guppy.

The tank is meticulously cleaned once a week, and around 30 - 40% of the water changed.

The water readings are approx: Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0, GH 10, KH 6, PH 6.6

Can anyone help???

Why is your nitrate zero? Rarely in a cycled tank will you see that, so I am guessing your ammonia reading was high. Mollies thrive in brackish water that is slightlt alkaline. Your water is also soft and acidic so that may have contributed. What do you mean by meticulously cleaning. The only thing you should really be doing on a weekly basis are water changes and maybe cleaning the sponge off in the tank water thats about it besides anything else that obviously needs to be done i.e. trimming plants back. Scooterchick-the parameters-to my knowledge arent fine. Nitrate should have a reading and ammonia should have been posted which leaves me to expect its high and the tank isnt cycled. Jl-Have you added any fish recently? And just for future reference the form at the top of the emergency section is much more helpful

Drew

 

[scooterchick]

Didn't notice the nitrate reading, just that the tank has been up and running for 6 months so assumed it was cycled. My answer was kinda hypothetical too, IF water parameters are fine and you're having mysterious deaths intrnal bacteria is normally the first suspect. However, yes, OP must get all the water checks done to rule out poor water quality first.