Losing All My Fish!

[Reeveso]

Bah - I really can't seem to get a healthy tank full of fish...

I've had my tank for like 3 months now and already lost like 5 fish.

I recently had 2 swordtails die (although now the babies are still alive) and 1 dalmation Molly just died like a week or 2 ago.

Now, my OTHER dalmation molly is dying I think. She's just laying at the bottom of the tank and she's usually the most active one in there.

Unfortunately I don't have another tank to transfer her to...which I REALLY need to get.

Is there anything I can do? I really don't want to lose her - the dalmation molly's were my favorite and I wanted the baby to grow up with a buddy

Thanks!

Jeremy

 

[LauraFrog]

We can't help you without more information.
How big is the tank and what is in it? Did you cycle it before you added fish?
Are any of the fish showing visible symptoms of any illness?
Water stats in ammonia/nitrite/nitrate, along with the pH, temperature and amount of salt in the tank would help us a lot.

You really do need a hospital/breeding setup especially if you want to breed livebearers. It was one of the first things I put together when I got fish and I did it for under $30. Get a 4 or 5 gallon sturdy plastic container with a lid, a spare 30-50 watt heater, a few cheap plastic plants, an air pump and a corner filter. That's all you need to be able to isolate a fish for treatment.

 

[Reeveso]

We can't help you without more information.
How big is the tank and what is in it? Did you cycle it before you added fish?
Are any of the fish showing visible symptoms of any illness?
Water stats in ammonia/nitrite/nitrate, along with the pH, temperature and amount of salt in the tank would help us a lot.

You really do need a hospital/breeding setup especially if you want to breed livebearers. It was one of the first things I put together when I got fish and I did it for under $30. Get a 4 or 5 gallon sturdy plastic container with a lid, a spare 30-50 watt heater, a few cheap plastic plants, an air pump and a corner filter. That's all you need to be able to isolate a fish for treatment.

Well I checked the ammonia and it was high - but I have no idea why. I thought I was doing enough water changes (like 2-3x/week at about 15% each time)

It's a 30g tank - I think I might be feeding them too much.

Temperature is around 80..I have to get a better thermometer. I have the heater set at 76 but it seems to be staying around 80 according to my POS thermometer.

Nitrite/trate are good.

PH is very high (around 8.3) but it's always been like that. I must have ridiculously hard water at my house.

She's still swimming, but can't seem to stay balanced It's like she's trying desperately to stay alive and it's killing me - she's my favorite in the tank!

As for salt...I'm putting in a small handful at each water change. Probably around 5tbsp.

No nothing is visible. She was completely fine then all of a sudden I came home and she was just laying on the bottom, which she never does. When I saw the ammonia level I did a 50% water change and will again shortly.

Also, yes it's been cycled for awhile now so no problems there.

 

[WILDER]

How many fish and which type are in the 30 gallons.
Worse thing you can do is over feed fish, not only does it cause bloating and constipation, but it also can cause
bad water quality.
What do you feed your fish.
If the fish can't keep balance it sounds like swim bladder.
I wouldn't feed your fish for a few days.
peas are good.
Also water changes to get that ammonia reading to 0.

 

[Soaup]

Sounds like there are a number of things that could be the problem. I dont know about salt, i have never used salt in my tanks. 5Tbsp sounds like WAY to much for 15% of 30 gallon every change. Keep doing water changes to lower the ammonia. What is the exact ammonia stats as well as the nitrate/trite? 80 Shouldnt be a problem. The PH is very high! Try picking up something from your LPS to lower the ph. I think they have packages to get your water at 7 even. Also what kind of substrate do you have?

 

[Reeveso]

How many fish and which type are in the 30 gallons.
Worse thing you can do is over feed fish, not only does it cause bloating and constipation, but it also can cause
bad water quality.
What do you feed your fish.
If the fish can't keep balance it sounds like swim bladder.
I wouldn't feed your fish for a few days.
peas are good.
Also water changes to get that ammonia reading to 0.

There are 4 corys, 2 baby swordtails and 1 baby dalmation molly..plus the 1 that's dying.

I'm feeding them a mix of algae, freeze dried shrimp, tropical flakes, etc. etc. - a good assortment (and no I don't use them all each feeding lol)

Well the fish is getting worse I think...she was just swimming and doing corkscrews, now shes almost vertical with her face in the substrate

I won't put any food in there for a few days, but I'm wondering if I should just end the suffering for the poor fish or try to nurse her back...

 

[WILDER]

To many dried food need frozen foods, daphnia very good at digesting fish food, veg.
She dson't sound good to me, they can swim oddly with swim bladder.
Swimming in a cork screw motion can also be internal parasites.

Signs of internal parasites are.
Long stringy white poo, or clear mucas poo.
Sunken in belly, being thin, bloated.
Worms prutruding from the anus.
Enlarged anus to red inflamed anus.
Soemtimes bent spine.

 

[Reeveso]

I'll have to get some frozen foods then too.

I think I might just flush her or something and get it over for her quick instead of letting her suffer.

I just went over to the tank and she was still vertical, started floating upside-down and kept trying to twist herself upright but she couldn't so she freaked out and whipped herself around the tank doing corkscrews in a very, very frantic-like state

Think I should flush her? It would probably be better than letting the thing suffer

 

[chesterscot]

please dont flush the fish its a bit cruel there are better ways to euthanise her
scot

 

[WILDER]

Please don't flush her its an awful death.
Get a jug of very cold water and add ice cubes till the water freezing cold.
Add the fsih to the jug it should take about 30 seconds for the fish to die.
Leave her in a while to make sure she passed on bless her.

 

[Reeveso]

Yea I wasn't going to actually flush her..the last fish I ran outside w/ and threw a rock on

I know that sounds kind of barbaric...but at least it didn't feel anything or know what was going on ya know?

Edit - the other fish are picking at it now so I'm going to do the freezing water method and get it over with

 

[WILDER]

Ok.
R.I.P, Bless her.