Sudden Death

[rowens86]

I bought some clown loaches the other day and one of them was deformed and red in the mouth and gills, anyways he died the next day.

So I changed about 30%/18gallons of water, the next day I came home and 2 of my female cherry barbs were dead laying on the bottom, one was kind of plump in the belly and his tail was a little frayed and the other had no visible reason for death??

I'm treating the tank with Triple Sulfa anti bacteria meds, my 8 tiger barbs, 1 red tail shark, 2 male cherry barbs, 4 green emerald corys and the 2 clown loaches I have left seem to be ok for now??

But I don't understand why the sudden death in the cherry barbs, there was no spikes in ammonia or nitrite, heavily planted. Nitrate only around 10-20.

I don't know what was wrong with that one clown loach, but he has infected my whole tank I'm guessing?

Does anyone know what could be happening? I don't want to loose the rest of my fish, maybe I need to treat the tank with some other kind of med?

Any advice on what I should do would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[GrubbyGirl]

It's never a good idea to buy diseased fish and it's an even worse idea to put them in a tank with healthy fish, but I'm sure you realise that now.

Do you have any pictures of the dead fish?

 

[WILDER]

I agree with grubbygirl.

How many gallons or litres is your tank.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

When you say deformed can you explain in more detail please.
Were the clown loaches really skinny looking.

 

[rowens86]

55G

0 ammonia
0 nitrite
0 nitrate
PH 7
Temp 79 F
Plants/Driftwood
Running for a little over a year

One of the other clown loaches died today with no visible indications. All the other fish seem fine : health/color/behavior
Just 1 clown loach left and he seems to be eating lots of snails and swimming with the tiger barbs, but the 2 female cherry barbs seemed perfectly fine the day before they died.
I did not take any pictures, did not come to mind ><

The one that was deformed was not shiny but his mouth was deformed- Missing barbels/whiskers, red face from gills to mouth, deformed mouth irregular shape. I didn't notice at the dim lighted fish store and I guess I should have taken it back to the store instead of putting it in my tank..

The clown loaches were/are all under 2in

I stopped treating with any meds right now, just changing 40% of the water daily, I am pretty confused about this whole thing, What should I do?

Thanks

 

[roadmaster]

Red tail sharks are Known to be territorial and perhaps a bit aggressive as they grow. Is possible that the shark, or the tiger barbs(nippers) damaged the cherry barbs and or harrassed them to the point that they succumbed.
Is also possible due to lack of quarantine that the loach was carrying a pathogen unknown and introduced it to the tank.
I would probably continue with twice weekly water changes of 40 to 50 percent and hope for the best. Randomly medicating fish without knowing what they are suffering from, is often worse than simply maintaining water quality and waiting for clear signs of possible bacterial pathogen that may or may not be present.
Many clown loaches are still wild caught and often do poorly in transport from country to country. Might wait for a week or two after fish have arrived at fish store, before I considered purchasing fish that may have just arrived.
Quarantine will save you from treating entire tank of otherwise healthy fish and small rubbermnaid tub with heater and sponge filter can make a suitable hospital or quarantine tank.
I might be tempted to lower the temp to around 75 degrees F to slow downprogression of bacterial pathogen if this is suspected and I hope you lose no other fish.

 

[WILDER]

Just do some water changes.
If anymore symtoms, or deaths, get back to the board.