Why Did My Baby Bristlenose Die?

[BBrain]

Size of Tank: 27 U.S. gallons (30"x12.5"x18"H)
Temp: 26 C
pH: without CO2 7.3-7.4, with CO2 6.6-7.2 (problems)
Ammonia (ppm): 0
NitrIte (ppm): 0
NitrAte (ppm): 5
KH (degrees): 5-6
GH (degrees): 10-12
Ferts: Flourish and clay substrate tabs, liquid Seachem Comprehensive (2ml, 2-3X/week), liquid Leaf Zone (K & Fe)(manufacturer's recom. dose)
CO2: DIY, with problems (0-50 bubbles/min.)
Lighting: 2 wpg: 54 watts "daylight" (Cool White) fluorescent T-8 (4100K)
Substrate: gravel (has a small amount of shell bits)
Filtration: one Aqua Clear 50 power filter (capacity 200 gph)
Water changes: 20-30% once per week
Fish: 9 Glowlight Tetras, 3 Peppered cories, 3 baby Bristlenose plecos
Plants: mostly Cabomba & Amazon Sword species (small to large), plus a few Java Ferns, Hygrophila polysperma, Rotala sp., Bolbitis, Anubias barteri var. nana, Hygrophila difformis


I just found one of my baby bristlenoses dead, upside down on the bottom.
His belly was slightly swollen.
There were some grey areas on the skin of his belly.
Dissection showed a pink lump (with a couple of tiny red marks on it) inside the abdomen, by the intestine. I couldn't see anything else, since the fish was so small (31 mm), and I don't have a dissection microscope.

My tank is infested with some kind of water mite, that appears to only be eating detritus off the wood. I have a topic about that, with pictures, here: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=167817
The plecos graze algae, and wood fibre, off the wood.

Does anybody have any idea why this fish died?

If my other fish are at risk, I'd like to dose a medicine in the tank, and if possible, a med that will also kill those mites.

Thanks a lot.

 

[WILDER]

Sounds like a tumour, was the tumour near the swim bladder as if the lump was pressing on trhe swim bladder that why he could of died upside down.

 

[BBrain]

Thanks very much, Wilder. I really appreciate your dedication to always helping us.

I think you're right about a tumour. And yes, it was near the swim bladder.
I had noticed for awhile (maybe more than a week), that he had quite a fat belly. So I think he must have been suffering for awhile. Poor little thing.

I only got 3 of these babies, and I think they are quite a rare species of bristlenose. I don't know the L number, but the common name is Silver Tipped Bristlenose Pleco. They are very beautiful!

I know tumours have no known cause, but those water mites perhaps had something to do with this. (There's hundreds of them.) I can't take a chance at leaving them be, so I'm gonna nuke 'em!
I think I'll use Jungle Lab's Parasite Guard, which is a mixture of sodium chloride, trichlorfon, and diflubenzuron. The bottle says it'll kill gill mites, so it should also kill water mites.

Thanks again, Wilder!

 

[WILDER]

Ok bless him R.I.P.
Becareful with the med as you know scaless fish are funny with parasite meds.
Increase aeration alot as its going to be tough for the bottom dwellers.
Good luck.