What the heck is going on here?

[ladynaoko]

Since the 1st of May my fish have started dropping like flies.
1st May - one spiny eel (bought in a different lfs to the one I usually use)
2nd May - one spiny eel (given as a replacement for the above - died within 24hrs)
6th May - one black phantom tetra
10th May - two black phantom tetras

Here are my current Water Parameters -
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Don't have a Nitrate kit at the moment, never seem to be any in stock.

Latest fish added -
1 spiny eel (2nd May - DECEASED)

Tank currently being treated with -
Diluted Melafix (healing a fin tear)
Interpet Anti Slime & Velvet (added 5/5/04 after suspecting velvet in the tank)

Current temp -
76

pH -
6.8

Fish currently in tank -
5 platies (and a few fry)
- 1 scribbled/Queen Arabesque (now debating) pleco [Duke]
- 2 kuhlii loaches [Freddy & Jason]
- 1 GORGEOUS male betta [Steve]
- 4 Schwartz Corydoras Catfish
- 2 Black Phantom Tetras


My fish have only started dying since the introduction of the 1st spiny eel (which as it only lasted 2 hours obviously had something wrong with it..) and as you can see I've lost 5 fish in the past 10 days.

All fish are behaving normally - no spots, faded colours or red gills. They're just dropping dead. After checking the corpses of the two I found this morning I noticed a bit of gold "dust" on them but nobody else in my family could see this so it may have just been me.

Please give me advice if you can.

 

[tstenback]

Have you been doing water changes or are you not because of the meds in the tank already? Sounds like one of your eels brought in something but there are no good signs of what that might be. So i would recommend a 50% water change right away and watch for any symptom that you can see, there is always something but it may be very hard to figure out. Keep us posted.

 

[smithrc]

not knowing anything about the eels... are they preditors? could they be scaring the fish to death? (or chasinf them into the glass - that sort of thing)?

 

[noelberg]

if there was gold 'dust' on the fish, then that sounds a lot like velvet, and IMO you should continue medicating just to be safe.

You tank definitely doesn't look overstocked, and your tested parameters show this. The species in your tank should all be good neighbors to each other, so there shouldn't be any unnecessary stress.

Has your lfs had any problems keeping fish lately? (Maybe they too had a velvet outbreak?)

Sounds like you're already taking the best course , so it might be a waiting (and medicating) game from here on out. Maybe use a quarantine tank with your next new addition?

Good luck - we're pulling for you

 

[ladynaoko]

tsten: I haven't been water changing because of the meds in the tank - the meds went in on Wednesday so I can change the water & remedicate tomorrow.

smith: the eels died withing 24hours of getting each of them (one only lasted 2 hours)

noel: thanks for the support I'm glad I'm taking the best course of medication for my fish. I can't set up a quarantine tank anywhere though due to lack of space . The place I got the eels from I'd never used before and when I went back again a lot of the fish were dead I'm not going there again...

 

[noelberg]

ugh definitely sounds like a bad lfs! or at least poor quality fish. Sounds like an eel brought something nasty with him

GL again