My Fish Are Dying...don't Know Why?

[Miss Wiggle]

oh I'm sorry to hear that, cardinals can be a little pH sensitive but I'm surprised you've had this much trouble with them.

I can understand you wanting to give up on them though, I'd probably feel the same, fingers crossed for the rest of them.

 

[dannybarnes]

Sorry to hear about the death of your fish dude.

 

[Lazerus]

Well....fish number 4 is now gone to a better place....only 2 left now. Can't understand this at all?

Each morning I wake up to another one dead....if they were going to die, why didn't they all go at the same time? I just don't understand that part.

I guess I'll expect another one tomorrow and the next day but it makes no sense to me.

 

[Lazerus]

Well, I've two Cardinals surviving...looks like they are going to hang in there. Although I don't want to jinx it.

I honestly can't say why these two would survive and the other four would die?

My Gourami are perfect too....

A complete mystery....but it means, if these survive I will have four Cardinals in total...still not a proper shoal. Its just so frustrating.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

oh lazerus, i'm so sorry you're having these troubles.

I think it must be that they're not acclimitising to the pH, it's all I can think of really.

not surprised that they're not dying at the same time, some of them will be naturally stronger or more adaptable than others so the effects will be marginally different from fish to fish meaning you can have a difference of a few days between them dying without any great surprises.

keeping my fingers crossed for the other two. don't panic over having a shoal of 4, it's fine really and I'd suggest leaving it at that rather than risking any more.

 

[Lazerus]

Came home this evening to find another Cardinal upside down, ready to go to the next world, not quite dead yet.

Just can't believe it.

Very disappointed.

 

[Lazerus]

And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, one of my gourami's in now showing signs of illness...listlessness, not eating, hanging to the bottom of the tank.

I do water changes daily, quickly with no fuss so as not to shock the fish....my water stats are perfect. I honestly feel I've done everything to ensure good water quality.

I just can't believe this gourami has become ill on me now too....

I'm actually thinking of giving up on fish altogether after this. If I can't have the stocked tank I would like, and maintain the fish I have, well whats the point? Plus its not cheap!! I thought I'd get many years out of these fish seeing as they came from such a reputable shop & being tank bred and everything.

I feel really disappointed & very upset.

Can't understand what has gone wrong?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

have you spoken to the shop you got them from?

the first few lost fish you can understand from acclimitisation problems, it happens, but to loose this many smacks of something wrong with the stock.

 

[rabbut]

That must be dissheartening

The symptoms on the Gourami are not realy all that specific, so it may be nothing. It could also however be internal bactria or internal parasites... This is why we use quarrenteen tanks Hang in there for the time being, hopefully they will perk up overnight

All the best
Rabbut

 

[Lazerus]

I have spoken to the shop the other week when it all started...at that point only two of my guys had died.

He said it must be caused because of the difference in pH....his is a pH of 7 and mine is pH of 7.8.He spoke of Reverse Osmosis.....which is something I don't really want to tinker with.

I have sent him another e-mail just to let him know the update...I'm sure he'll surprise to hear that I'm only left with three fish, and one of them is also ill. He has been very good in responding to me, I must say. So tops marks there.

Plus, in his defense, I happen to know another guy I know who bought Cardinals from this same batch has lost none of his. I must ask him again how his are doing now after a week.

It does look like its something that just happening within my household & my local water it seems.

I'm so disheartened alright.

I did a water change and I've added Interpet No.9 to see if that helps....

The little guy is is just lying to one side.

I'm hoping your right that they'll perk up.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

didn't have time to reply fully earlier, just want to say i really feel for you hun.

as rabbut say's the symptoms are very non-specific so it's difficult to say what's going on and why you keep getting these problems. I really thought you'd cracked it this time round.

if it's any consolation from everything you're teling us you're doing everything right and it's either dodgy stock or just sheer bad luck.

But please don't give up now because I can see from the work you've put in to get this far that you'll make a brilliant fishkeeper and it would be such shame for you to give up on it.

Lets hope you hear back from the shop owner and they say something constructive.

I would definately be treating with an anti-bac medicine now too so right choice there i feel.

 

[Lazerus]

Aw, Thanks Miss Wiggle...that means alot coming from you!!!

I'm feeling a little disheartened, but I won't give up just yet. Thats just the thing, if I truly believed that I was neglectful, or did a stupid mistake, I'd admit it, but all I did was put these guys in a quarantine tank, with the same water specs as my main tank, and its all gone pear shaped?

I've posted up a separate thread there now about that ailing Gourami...I'm kind of thinking it might be an idea to separate him from the healthy guy.....the healthy guy clearly has 'tickets' on himself, (as they say here in Ireland )and wants to bully the other guy now that he's 'down'.

I'm worried for this fish I really am...don't think he'll see another day if he's not left alone....

 

[waterdrop]

I agree with MW, you work really hard and are going to be a good fishkeeper.

Perhaps you will need another start with different species and things will get going better.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Lazerus]

Well....unbelievably....for unknown reasons my last Cardinal just popped his clogs.

I was watching them go around the tank this morning, noticed he was a bit 'quiet'....but just now, I was looking in at the tank, and right in front of me he just took a dart for the top of the tank, took a gasp of air off the top, spiraled down to the bottom, two last breaths and fell dead.

Totally confused I am....I thought he was 'out of the woods' so to speak after all this time!?

My last remaining fish from this batch...the Red Honey Gourami is still fine and active. So I'm hoping and praying he will survive....its looking promising.

So, that's that I guess....definitely no more Cardinals for me ever! Its a pity I really, really liked them.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

that is certainly bizarre, yes he should have been out of the woods for it to be attributed to pH shock or acclimitisation problems. Most likely is the same bacterial infection that got the rest of them but very odd to die like that