Recent Endler Deaths

[lilfishie]

Tank size: 5.5 Gal
pH: 7.2
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: don't know
tank temp: 27

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):
The endler will loose colour then will appear skinny and lathargic and die a day or two later

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 25% each week sometimes and additional 25%

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: dechloriantor, plant food

Tank inhabitants: now 5 endlers and 1 amano shrimp

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): a live plant

Exposure to chemicals: none that i am aware of

So the situation, i originaly had 8 male endlers now i am down to 5 and 2 of them look like they are going the same way, the only change to the tank is its location (recently moved rooms) and the live plant and the plant food, they are normally fed everyother day but have been feeding smaller amounts everyday because of the skinnyness, they still eat like pigs but either tend to 'float' at the surface or sit in the gravel, i have tried to think what it could be but have ran out of ideas, don't think it is anything to do with the plant as i have them in my guppy and betta tank and there both fine

Edit: picture of him after he has eaten: his stomach is still flat although this one still has his colour at the minute

in front of the heater:

 

[WILDER]

Your tanks overstocked plus livebearers need no less than 10 gallons as there active fish.
Being really skinny when eating well means old age, fish tb, internal parasites.
Signs of internal parasties are.
Long stringy white poo, or clear mucas poo.
Red inflamed anus or enlarged anus.
Being skinny or bloated.
Worms prutruding from the anus.

Also fish need a varied diet of frozen foods and veg in there diet.

 

[lilfishie]

Thanks for the reply wilder
The tank is over filtered for its size and i keep a close eye on the stats.
There poo is normal that i have seen.
No inflamed or enlarged anus or prutruding worms.

I was doing some maintaince on it earlier today and i noticed the water was rather warm and on checking the heater found that it was on full
Could that be anything to do with it?

 

[WILDER]

How high is the temp.
Let the temp go down gradually and increase aeration.
Lost any fish to bent spines.
I would take a look at this link to see what you think.
[URL="http/www.torrens.org.uk/NatHist/Aqua/disease/tb.html"]http/www.torrens.org.uk/NatHist/Aqua/disease/tb.html[/URL]

 

[lilfishie]

actually just been looking at them from above and one has a slight kink just before his tail, should i issolate him or both? the temp would of been low 30s, i have increased the airaetion.
the other 3 are looking well, still got there shape colour andare bigger, the affected two are quite a bit smaller

 

[WILDER]

Havent they put any weight on since you been feeding them more.
I feed my fish every day I don't fast them, I feed frozen foods and veg to keep them going to the toilet.
I would try some brime strimp and daphnia good at digesting a fish food.
The one with the kink is he swimming ok.
Its always best to issolate sick fish if you can to stop desease spreading.

 

[lilfishie]

i fast them on friday then give pea and sometimes cucumber at the weekends.
the one with a kink seems to be swimming fine but will seperate him and the other thin fish
although all i have is a 2.5 gal, would that be ok for them, it would have no substrate to give more space

 

[WILDER]

It 2.5 not ideal to be honest.
As for the skinny ones they could just be runts.
Are they extremely thin if so I would issolate them.

 

[lilfishie]

i could do some moving about tommow and free up another 5.5 i have
there stomachs are flat, not rounded like the others but not sunken if you get what i mean
the biggest one is a bit of a bully, which is why i got the plants for extra cover for the others

thanks for all your help wilder

 

[WILDER]

Ok good luck.