Why Does This Always Happen To Me?

[thisguyek]

Here's a pic of the cleaned up tank. Filled it up with the water from my 55 and let it settle for a couple hours before i dropped the guys in. Everyone seems to be doing quite well.

I was wondering if moving to a significantly smaller tank will affect them? any ideas?

My barbs seem to be doing quite well. I've lost two of them two weeks (I think they were just a bit weak) I decided to put one down this morning. when i woke up i had one caught in my filter. unplugged it, and it floated away. i watched it for ten min just floating around the tank. there must have been something wrong with its tail fin as it couldnt/didnt move it at all. just its little side flippers were going. it got sucked into the filter strainer 3 more times within an hour (i unplugged it each time for it to float away again..) Its top fin was all seperated. I hope i did the right thing. I just didnt see it making it much further

 

[Athena]

OK, so this is the tank you have seeded the filter with from your 55g? So, you'll be needing to do some regular water testing on this tank just to ensure that the portion of media you transferred over is enough to handle the waste produced by the fish in there. Should be fine - but always best to check, given the problems you've had lately.

Hopefully they will be happier in this tank than in with the barbs.

Sorry to hear you lost a barb - I wonder what was wrong with it, though? I mean a healthy barb wouldn't normally get dragged into the filter so for that to happen it must have been poorly beforehand. Yes, I think you did the right thing by euthanising since a fish in that state is usually way past helping with any meds and it would only have suffered a slow death.

Keep an eye on your remaining barb stock, if you notice anything untoward like flicking, rubbing, change in colouration etc let us know.

Gosh, let's hope that's the end of all the problems eh?

Athena

 

[thisguyek]

OK, so this is the tank you have seeded the filter with from your 55g? So, you'll be needing to do some regular water testing on this tank just to ensure that the portion of media you transferred over is enough to handle the waste produced by the fish in there. Should be fine - but always best to check, given the problems you've had lately.

Hopefully they will be happier in this tank than in with the barbs.

Sorry to hear you lost a barb - I wonder what was wrong with it, though? I mean a healthy barb wouldn't normally get dragged into the filter so for that to happen it must have been poorly beforehand. Yes, I think you did the right thing by euthanising since a fish in that state is usually way past helping with any meds and it would only have suffered a slow death.

Keep an eye on your remaining barb stock, if you notice anything untoward like flicking, rubbing, change in colouration etc let us know.

Gosh, let's hope that's the end of all the problems eh?

Athena

yes, this is my 10gal that i had before my 55. Took the filter media from my oldest filter in the 55, so it SHOULD be good to go. I wanted to do a test tongight (24 hrs after populating) but ended up going out... will check in the AM.


Ill keep you posted on my barb population

 

[SJM]

http/books.google.com/books/about/Encyclopedia_of_Aquarium_and_Pond_Fish.html?id=LJj-KgAACAAJ

This book is amazing

 

[thisguyek]

ahh yes! One of my friends let me borrow this some time ago. It is a great book! very informative


I couldnt help myself... but i picked up some green tiger barbs last night. Theyre roughly 1/3 the size of the ones i had! quite a cute bunch so far i have seen no aggression from the bigs towards the littles, so thats good. I do have two littles that have been going at it all morning! will try to get a picture up when things settle a bit

 

[Jenste]

You really might want to consider quarantining new fish before adding them with your current fish.

It is always recommended to quarantine new additions for a few weeks to make sure you don't add a sickly fish in with your healthy inhabitants - you risk wiping out your entire tank that way!

Always err on the side of caution, and do not act impulsively. This should help with your reoccurring fish deaths - planning and patience!

 

[thisguyek]

You really might want to consider quarantining new fish before adding them with your current fish.

It is always recommended to quarantine new additions for a few weeks to make sure you don't add a sickly fish in with your healthy inhabitants - you risk wiping out your entire tank that way!

Always err on the side of caution, and do not act impulsively. This should help with your reoccurring fish deaths - planning and patience!

I understand the risk that I am taking not holding new fish before housing them in my main tank. dont have the finances for a Quarantine tank... and I just set up my small tank to house a few guppies and platties, so the chances of the wife letting set up yet another tank is not happening '

I'ts been two weeks since I dropped in my tiger barbs and one week since my green barbs have been in. In the two weeks i have lost 6 of 9 of the tigers... all of my green barbs seem to be doing swimmingly. they have nice rich green colors with bright orange highlights

Soo... I would like to blame this on poor stock quality from the LFS? I'd like to say its not a bigger problem. Could it be an age difference? my greens are very small yet, whereas the tigers were quite large. no idea how old though...

I have been doing 25% water changes every other day for the roughly a week now... Just did a water check. were at 0, 0, ~15, Ph ~8.2. I just find it strange that its just the tigers drifting off and not the greens.

Anyone have any ideas???

 

[Tizer]

Easy way to tell, go back to the LFS and see if the rest of the barbs are alive and happy in the shop. Im quite lucky having quite a few shops around me, but i never buy new stock, i always wait a few weeks and let them do the quarantine job for me. Tigers are actually quite a hardy fish i've found, but i have had to scoop out the odd one here and there and let it visit the tank with the handle in the bathroom.

 

[thisguyek]

well pretty much waiting out the inevitable... loosing most of my barbs. gunna wait it all out and when its just my pleco left, I'm going to boil my tank. (after taking the plec out of course) I dont know what to do anymore. no one is showing signs that would point me in any direction. just wake up to find dead fish.

Not sure which way to go anymore... if i should find a different stock or just give up the hobby.

This is all so mind boggling and so very frustrating!!!

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

thisguyuk, what fish are left?

Perhaps, if you are down to less than six Tiger Barbs and the plec, maybe its worth advertising the barbs as being free to a local fishkeeper who already has a group? That would then free up your tank quicker and give the remaining fish a chance of a happy ending.

 

[This Old Spouse]

What are the test readings on your 55g? All the readings? And the temp, etc.

 

[thisguyek]

thisguyuk, what fish are left?

Perhaps, if you are down to less than six Tiger Barbs and the plec, maybe its worth advertising the barbs as being free to a local fishkeeper who already has a group? That would then free up your tank quicker and give the remaining fish a chance of a happy ending.

I've considered this... deep down I'd like to figure this out and be the one to give them a happy life, but it doesnt seem possible. I'd hate to give them to someone else on the chance they pick something bad up from my tank and ruin someone elses.... but yes, i have considered this

What are the test readings on your 55g? All the readings? And the temp, etc.

all test are normal. 0, 0, 15ish. ph 8.2 temp 77ish. the same as they have ALWAYS been!! which is why its so tough. are there tests out there to tell me if i have bacteria/parasites???

 

[This Old Spouse]

I sure wish there were those tests. I'd be using them right now.

 

[thisguyek]

so heres my plan...

at the rate im going, i should be down to my pleco shortly. Take out all decor and maybe even gravel. soak everything in hot hot salt water. Start all over with filters and such. cycle with my pleco.

I was thinking about trying sand..... opinions? can i use anything? like sand box sand? but then again... my pleco would be stirring it up constantly, right?

Once my tank is cycled... I was going to move the guppies and platties in my 10gal back to the 55. by that time i might have a few fry that survive from them to repopulate the 55.

After all of that is settled... ill keep the 10 gal set up for new comers.

Does anyone have any other ideas? or things that i've missed? please let me know!