Restocking After So Many Deaths!

[linda1503]

Hi all. Recently lost a LOT of my fish due to a bacterial infection. Fish lost were: 10 neons, 5 rasboras, 4 cories, and 1 male guppy. All died within 24/48 hours! During the deaths I had to go on holiday (already booked and payed for) so you can imagine the horror I came back to!!! Unfortunately my 'fish sitter' was also away that week so I had to leave my tank all alone to go through this tragedy! Anyway as soon as I returned, I crept into my flat wondering what the hell I would find and it was as bad as I expected, bloated and furry bodies everywhere, I was nearly in tears. Such bad timing that it happened when we were going away so that I couldn't continue to medicate.

Anyway the fish that survive were George my gourami. (Some of you may remember me posting on the emergency section about George because he bacame very bloated and I was convinced that I would lose him). He is now fine and healthy, also survived were 2 plattys, 4 baby guppies surprisingly and my 5 shrimps.

I have now cleaned everything in the tank, filter, (not the media), plants, sand, thermo, glass, you name it, I've clean it!!!, done a 75% water change, cleared away the last of the bodies and everything seems to have settled down, no more deaths and everybody else is feeding and swimming normally.

Obviously I'm not going to restock for a while, would hate to buy more fish just to have a relapse and lose them as well but when I do restock I would like to try something a liitle different to my usual community fish like guppies and rasboras and wondered if you guys could give me a little advice as to what would go with my current fish, cos I'm keeping them obviously after the terrible time they've been through. So any advice would be most wlecome. Tank size is 90ltr so I realised that I am limited.

 

[Spooky76]

Sorry to hear that, not very nice to come back home too

How about some Harlequins or Rummy nose, they look nice in a 90ltr. Phantoms also are a lovely looking fish and dont require a huge tank.

Dwarf Cichlids like some baloon rams ? I have those and they look great and are very peaceful.

 

[linda1503]

Had some rummy noses a while ago and though they are lovely little fish I had no luck with them and they all died within a matter of weeks. Never thought about dwarf chiclids, would they be ok with the fish I've got? I've seem rams in my lfs, don't know much about them, so dwarf chiclids are rams??? Never knew that! must research them! Sorry to sounds stupid but what are phantoms? Thanks Spooky 76

 

[Spooky76]

Hey

Yes Rams are dwarf cichlids. You can get 3 types, Bollivian (Large ish), standard blue / german rams which are the medium ones and then baloon rams which are smaller than germans but look the same..

Check this

http/www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_German_...us_ramirezi.php - thats a standard german blue ram.

Some pics of Phantoms too

http/www.aquahobby.com/phantom.html

They would be fine with all the others yes. I would get 2 male and 2 female though, as they like to pair off. They are great to watch, they are so funny ramming each other, but rarely do any harm and would be fine in a tank that size. They arent very active, they stay in the middle / front of tank. Mine ram my hand and gravel vac when I put it in

Phantoms are little tetra, well not little. Same as a red eye really. They have a lovely colouring black / blue / pink when they get older. They are my fav tetra. They also go well with rams too

 

[linda1503]

Thanks a lot Spooky 76, will certainly check out the rams when I decide to restock!!! I've never stopped and really looked at the rams in my lfs, don't think I've seen any phamtoms before but normally I know what I want when I go so I just ogle at the other fish tanks without thinking about whether I should be more adventurous. Damn it!!! can't wait now but I know I have too!!

Lol!! I answered before checking out your links! Your're right the rams and tetras do look really great!! I'm going to read them thoughly so I know what will suit me better. Thanks very much!

 

[emmaisaguppy]

Sorry you had such bad luck! I was a little luckier in tha my fish all got sick and started dying a couple of weeks before my holiday and I had it under control before I went, I was very worried while I was away still and was convinced that I would come back to casualties. I told my fish sitter (who doesn't know anything about fish AT ALL) to just feed and remove any dead ones and not to tell me of any casualties until I got home!

I posted somthing erlier today in this topic about re-stocking after disease outbreak as I am no sure how long I should wait before trying to do so. I am also concerned about some of my fish who survived and have been left with no mate - one of whom is a dwarf gourami.

Do you think you will keep george onhis own or get him a mate? I was concerned that my gouramis (recent additions) were the root of the disease in my tank and so am considering not replacing the lost one but am concerned about the lone female (geraldine). Also concerned about the loan female Ram (Rasu).
let me know how long you think you migh wait before restocking and whether you think you will keep george alone?

Cheers

Emma

 

[emmaisaguppy]

oh and as a side line, I think that most people find that Rams and Guppies mix quite well but I had a different experience (in a small tank!) - my male Ram bullied my guppies terribly and, I believe, killed a couple of them. It might be that I had a particularly crazy Ram I'm not sure, just sharing my experience. They are beatiful Fish though!! The female is beautiful just before she spawns - her belly gradually turns a very bright purpley red colour. I also find that they help me to keep the tank clean, thy are always the first to loose colour if any of the stats change!!!

 

[linda1503]

Hi emmaisguppy. When I bought George I bought another at the same time and the lfs said they were both males but will be ok together. He also told me that if I ever see any females for sale to snap them up because female gouramis are not often for sale locally. Not sure if he was spinnning me a line or what but have never check up on it. Anyway a few days later my other gourami was dead, George bullied it and maybe killed it so I never bothered getting another one, and I don't think I will in the future. George seems quite happy on his own, he watches TV and stares out of the tank at my husband a lot! I wouldn't mind but I'm the one who feeds him but he doesn't stare at me!
Don't know myself about how long to wait before restocking, am tempted to do so this weekend but I know I mustn't! Does anybody know how long to wait? All my stats are fine now.

Oh one more question Spooky 76. Are lfs good at giving you male and female rams? I know one of my lfs (maidenhead aquatics, can you believe!)couldn't tell the difference between male and female plattys and I had to return one because they gave me a male when I particually asked for all females! I would hate to get 3 males and 1 female with not knowing much about them, are they easy to sex?? Thanks

 

[emmaisaguppy]

Hi emmaisguppy. When I bought George I another at the same time and the lfs said they were both males but will be ok together. He also told me that if I ever see any females for sale to snap them up because female gouramis are not often for sale locally. Not sure if he was spinnning me a line or what but have never check up on it. Anyway a few days later my other gourami was dead, George bullied it and maybe killed it so I never bothered getting another one, and I don't think I will in the future. George seems quite happy on his own, he watches TV and stares out of the tank at my husband a lot! I wouldn't mind but I'm the one who feeds him but he doesn't stare at me!
Don't know myself about how long to wait before restocking, am tempted to do so this weekend but I know I mustn't! Does anybody know how long to wait? All my stats are fine now.

Oh one more question Spooky 76. Are lfs good at giving you male and female rams? I know one of my lfs (maidenhead aquatics, can you believe!)couldn't tell the difference between male and female plattys and I had to return one because they gave me a male when I particually asked for all females! I would hate to get 3 males and 1 female with not knowing much about them, are they easy to sex?? Thanks

Easy to sex Rams - females have a pinky colour on their belly (not to be mistaken wit a yelowwy colour that some Rams seem to have!) ! i think I will keep my female gourami on her own (although I am actually wondering now whether she is female at all - maybe I should rename her gerard?! the lfs I got them from seemed to talk a load of rubbish too!!!)

In future I will stick to one lfs even if they don't have the fishes I want!

Advice on how long to wait would be great - othrwise I fear that both of us eager beavers will be excitedly re-stocking this weekend and risk a second outbreak. would, say 1 month be of disease free fish with no deaths be sufficient?

cheers
emma

P.S. Emma isn't really a guppy! My first fish were guppies and my boyfriend signed me up to this forum when I was trying to communicate with them!

 

[linda1503]

Thanks for that, at least I can now go armed with a little info and I'll also study Spooky 76's links. Strange where people get their names from. I found this site and was eager to get on and chat but couldn't think of anything, then I looked in my tank and spotted my CAE so called myself loach. After gaining info off here I returned the CAE to the petshop!

 

[starrynightxxi]

normally when people quarantine new fish, it is for about two weeks, maybe a little over. In that time the illness should start up again if it is still in your tanks, so I would do the same with this tank before purchasing anything new.

 

[linda1503]

oh thanks for that starrynightxxi! 2 weeks it is then.

 

[emmaisaguppy]

yeah thanks - and about 1 more week for me!!!

cheers

 

[Spooky76]

Yeh - rams are easy to sex - pinker.

Im suprised anybody has problems with RAMS, ive never had a problem with them and they are incredibly colourful.

Also check this out

www.thinkfish.co.uk - go to community creator - create your tank and add your fish, it will tell you of any incompatibility problems, will even tell you how best to have your water, hard / soft, temp / PH etc etc. Its a good site. it tells you how many you should have of each fish etc.

Good luck - let me know what you get

 

[Biulu]

www.thinkfish.co.uk - go to community creator - create your tank and add your fish, it will tell you of any incompatibility problems, will even tell you how best to have your water, hard / soft, temp / PH etc etc. Its a good site. it tells you how many you should have of each fish etc.

Good luck - let me know what you get

It is a nice site, but it tends to overstock. I am using it for the compatibility issues, and make sure I stay well below their advised stocking level.

For getting a pair of rams, it is also advised to do some observations at your lfs. If the rams have been there for a while, they start pairing up, and you can easily see that. A male and female do not necesarily pair up; in this sense they are just like humans!