Unexplained Deaths (too Many!)

[eegs102]

Tank size: 180L (Juwel Rio 180 with Standard Filter)
pH: not known
ammonia: 0ppm
nitrite: 0ppm
nitrate: between 0ppm 5.0ppm
kH: not known
gH: not known
tank temp: 20degrees C

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):

No visible marks / fungus etc. Fish become lathargic and seem to end up floating tail up around the tank. They then die usually the same day they begin floating tail up. Once they've died there still seems to be nothing visible on the fish to give assistance with diagnosing the problem.

Volume and Frequency of water changes:

Typically approx 15% per week

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank:

none - only water treatment when adding new water

Tank inhabitants:

Community Tank -

Neon Tetra's / Guppy's / X-Ray Tetra / Rosy Tetra / Cherry Shrimps / Opaline Gourami's

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):

Approx 2 weeks ago:
Cherry Shrimps
Guppys (Male & Female)
Plants

Exposure to chemicals:

none that Im aware of!!

Other Info:

I've recently changed my lighting system due to the previous one failing. Its now a arcadia i-bar but as its intended as a direct replacement for the previous system I dont suppose that should have any bearing on matters. The tanks been running for a few years now and has been really stable with very few deaths or problems!

Since replacing the light I've seen some new algae growth particuarly on the rear of the tank which is a brown fine algae that just coats some leaves and sections at the rear of the tank (in between cleaning it off!).

 

[WILDER]

Do any of your fish look darker in colour or pale.
Any fish thin or bloated.
What does it look like when the fish to the toilet.
Check the gills over to see if there pale with excess mucas on them, or red and inflamed.
Check the anus of the fish to make sure it not enlarged or red and inflamed.
Any red streaking in the fins.
Finally are any fish looking lethagic and not eating.

 

[eegs102]

A couple of the rosy tetra's have been looking unusally pale.

Several of the Neon's appeared to have extremely red gills.

All of the fish seem to be eating fine without exception.

Thx.

Do any of your fish look darker in colour or pale.
Any fish thin or bloated.
What does it look like when the fish to the toilet.
Check the gills over to see if there pale with excess mucas on them, or red and inflamed.
Check the anus of the fish to make sure it not enlarged or red and inflamed.
Any red streaking in the fins.
Finally are any fish looking lethagic and not eating.

 

[WILDER]

Red gills can be due to bad water quality, not enough aeration in the tank.
Gill flukes are the fish flicking and rubbing against objects, or laboured breathing.
You say some fish look pale are they producing more slime coat.

 

[Colin_T]

If the fishes are floating or having trouble keeping level in the water then the problem is internal. Probably an internal bacterial infection which is causing the internal organs to fail, rupture, etc. Then the fish loses its buoyancy and floats around until succumbing.
Internal problems are notoriously hard to treat because you have to get the medication inside the fish and by the time you know the fish is sick they usually aren't eating.
If the fish are dieing one every month or so then the likely cause is tuberculosis but if the fish are dieing every day or week then it is more likely a general bacteria or protozoan infection.
If you feel the need you can take one of the sick fish to a fish vet and have them euthanasia and biopsy it. Then they will be able to tell you exactly what it has and you can try treating them. In the mean time cut out any meat foods or live freshwater foods (tubifex, daphnia, etc). Feed them flake, pellets or frozen brineshrimp and see if that helps. You could have a bad batch of food that s carrying bacteria or has just gone off. Likewise the live foods could be contaminated with something. Brineshrimp and flake food should be clean and remove the other foods as a potential source of infection/contamination.

 

[CFC]

Agreed it sounds like a bacterial infection.

The only internal bacteria medication available in the UK without a vets prescription is Interpet #9 Anti Internal Bacteria medication, it should be available from any good fish store for around £5 a bottle.

In the instructions it says to dilute in warm water, this should be warm to the hand (around 40c) to activate the ingredients and be clean water not taken from the tank, i use cooled boiled water from the kettle when preparing Interpet medications.

 

[WILDER]

I would research gill flukes as they cause bacterial infection as in there hooks they carry a nasty bacteria which enter the fish when the parasite peirces the skin,
With the gills being really red and inflamed you need to rule gill flukes is not causing the bacterial infections.