Losing Fish?

[GouramiJay]

Hi guys,

I just wanna say thanks for all the advice recently

.

My latest problem tho, is that I have lost 4 fish in the last week(all Mollies)

and I might lose a fifth(male guppy)

. I was just wondering is it possible that they could be getting attacked by the 3 minnows in my tank as we have suspicions that they murdered fish before

. Is this possible because if so I will be re-homing them.

Also I got my water tested on tuesday and it is fine(according to my LFS).

If anyone could offer any information on this matter it would be a great help.

Yours thankfully
Jay

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Tank dimensions?
Full stocking list?

"Fine" water test results are no use to you or anybody else, test kits give numbers from a colourmetric kit. Your LFS ought to be doing the test in front of you (but you really ought to get a kit yourself), giving you the exact readings for ammonia; nitrite; nitrate.

If you have no test kit, I'm suspecting that you cycled this tank with fish in it, instead of "fishless cycling." If you "fish in cycled" this tank, this could be a factor of why fish are dying, you exposed them to lethal amounts of ammonia and nitrite that take thier toll on the poor fish.

 

[CezzaXV]

I would doubt its the minnows.

Everything N0body said is correct, I have nothing to add.

 

[MBOU]

Just as a side note, few shops no do liquid tests in front of customers and those that do are technically breaking laws if they dont use protective perspex screen, gloves and goggles etc.

The COSH rules have been changed again and of all chemicals possibly stored in a shop (including the neat formaldehyde, malachite, bleach, citric acid etc) the most dangerous chemical of all is the gas produced from liquid test kits. So in accordance to all the laws and rules and regs and health and safety, dont be surprised if shops dont test in front of you. Its ridiculous but hey... rules are rules.... we have to use strip tests if customers want it done in front of them and liquid test kits 'out back'.

 

[GouramiJay]

Thank you for the replies

My Tank is 600mmL x 300mmW x 400mmH. 72litrs

Stocking list before deaths
3 guppy's(2 female, 1 male)
4 mollies(2 female, 2 male)
4 platy's
5 zebra danio's
1Upside-down Catfish
3 Cerry shrimp
Fish in bold are now deceased

My LFS owner used an API master test kit according to my brother. Also we got this tank from a friend and he had it running for a number of months and I have it running 2 months doing water changes of 20litres twice a week.

Any more help on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

How did you cycle the tank?
What is the hardness of your tank water?

This tank is heavily overstocked, causing stress/fights/disease/death. In addition, some social fish are being kept in unsuitable numbers, that will often cause social fish to be horribly spiteful to tankmates. I would put that community in my 4-foot Rio240 and boost social fish to social numbers, to give you an idea of how overstocked I consider you to be.

Livebearers often do better with at least 2 females per male, especially when kept in groups of six or less, giving females a chance to escpace attention if kept in a suitably sized tank.

A few years ago I had some Pearl Danios, the change in behavior when the group went to 10+ after raising some fry was amazing, they were far better community citizens. They might be small, but danios are one of the most active fish in the hobby, they deserve at least a 3-footer but I pesonally would not keep anything but youngsters in less than a 4-footer. Amongst my African fish, I have 11 Synodontis nigriventris.

"Upside Down Catfish" is a horrible common name, you could have a spiteful ~15cm adult Synodontis nigrita that will attack/kill small fish, or the highly social model citizen ~7cm adult Synodontis nigriventris or ~5cm less common Synodontis contracta.

Your deaths could be done to several possibilities including...
Overcrowded tank causing stress
Long term effects of effectively "fish in cycling"
Your water not being hard enough for livebearers (Mollies can be found in hard freshwater, as well as brackish and even marine salinity waters in the wild)
You might have at least one fiesty Platty (they can be rather fiesty in small tanks)
Your danios might be fiesty because of insufficient numbers
You have a Synodontis nigrita than is picking off the community one by one

 

[GouramiJay]

How did you cycle the tank?
What is the hardness of your tank water?

This tank is heavily overstocked, causing stress/fights/disease/death. In addition, some social fish are being kept in unsuitable numbers, that will often cause social fish to be horribly spiteful to tankmates. I would put that community in my 4-foot Rio240 and boost social fish to social numbers, to give you an idea of how overstocked I consider you to be.

Livebearers often do better with at least 2 females per male, especially when kept in groups of six or less, giving females a chance to escpace attention if kept in a suitably sized tank.

A few years ago I had some Pearl Danios, the change in behavior when the group went to 10+ after raising some fry was amazing, they were far better community citizens. They might be small, but danios are one of the most active fish in the hobby, they deserve at least a 3-footer but I pesonally would not keep anything but youngsters in less than a 4-footer. Amongst my African fish, I have 11 Synodontis nigriventris.

"Upside Down Catfish" is a horrible common name, you could have a spiteful ~15cm adult Synodontis nigrita that will attack/kill small fish, or the highly social model citizen ~7cm adult Synodontis nigriventris or ~5cm less common Synodontis contracta.

Your deaths could be done to several possibilities including...
Overcrowded tank causing stress
Long term effects of effectively "fish in cycling"
Your water not being hard enough for livebearers (Mollies can be found in hard freshwater, as well as brackish and even marine salinity waters in the wild)
You might have at least one fiesty Platty (they can be rather fiesty in small tanks)
Your danios might be fiesty because of insufficient numbers
You have a Synodontis nigrita than is picking off the community one by one

Thanks so much for your input.

Could you give us a rough idea of how to sort this out as I am quite new to the hobby(2 months) e.g. Which fish to take out and which one to stock more of etc..?