# Fish Dying! Please HelP!



## jeffk (Apr 14, 2006)

Hello,

I dont know if right place to post this, but need help so worth a try.

Over past 2 weeks i've had a few fish die, I have *NO IDEA* why. All the parameters are right and everything. 

Last night I cam home and one of my Bosemani Rainbows was very sluggish and stayign toward the top, this mornign hew is still breathing but lost alot of color and is hangign out in the corner bottom now and not moving.

Any ideas what I can do? Is he sick maybe? If so, what does he need any ideas? He looks washed out, the front part of him more white then yellowish then usual.

Please help.

Jeff


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

what are your water parameters?
temp?
what have you done different or what has changed recently?
How long have the fish been in there?
How long has the tank been setup?
co2? 
substrate?


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## jeffk (Apr 14, 2006)

78 degrees
I havn't changed anythign recently. The only thing i slighty changed, was let the DIY co2 run out and didn't replace with more co2 yet, because I bought pressurized, but havn't hooked it up yet.

Eco Complete

fish in there about a year and tank set up close to that

no ammonia, ph is about 6.6, no nitrites, and almost zero nitrates now

I havn't dosed ferts in about a week as well.



eklikewhoa said:


> what are your water parameters?
> temp?
> what have you done different or what has changed recently?
> How long have the fish been in there?
> ...


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

any candles, scented sprays, febreeze, etc?


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## jeffk (Apr 14, 2006)

Not out of the ordinary over the last 2 weeks, occasionally spray lysol in the room, but dont know that i have recently.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

When was the last water change? 
If you did do a water change what is the readings on the water you used?


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## jeffk (Apr 14, 2006)

Last weekend. I am not sure, I will have to test it and get back to you!



eklikewhoa said:


> When was the last water change?
> If you did do a water change what is the readings on the water you used?


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## jeffk (Apr 14, 2006)

Out of tap

nitrate 0 [expected to be higher]
ph 7.6
nitrite 0

didn't test amonia


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## Gary Greguire (Jan 13, 2007)

could be lack of 02 try an airstone untill you get your co2 set up again....


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Did you use a dechlorinator, such as Seachem Prime? If your water has chloramines in it it will release both chlorine and ammonia into the water until all of it is dissipated.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

In addition to the other good suggestions you've gotten, is it possible that your city (if you're on city water) has been doing something out of the ordinary with the system lately?

I would try to avoid ever spraying anything in the room if you can. Even if it doesn't affect them right away, it can build up in the system over time.


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## jeffk (Apr 14, 2006)

Thanks all. He's still struggling, think its inevitable he's gonna die. I'm more concerned why a few fish have died lately. 

I have an airstone in there as suggested.


I dont think anythign has changed in the citys water parameters, as I tested everythign but ammonia on the tap.

I use Prime as a dechlorinator as one of you asked.


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## riverspryte (Sep 16, 2006)

*sick fish help*

One thing that seems to work pretty well for getting rid of mystery fish illness is an old-fashioned salt bath. You don't want to do this in a planted tank, though. Get a smaller tank, five gal seems to work the best, and don't put anything except an artificial decoration in. Keep the lighting low, and add one teaspoon of salt per gallon for the first dose. Then, for five days, add one teaspoon twice daily, and check for improvement. This works wonders for my bettas, and rainbows are generally hardy, so it should work with them. The salt kills some fungus and bacteria, and helps with osmoregulation. I like to also use aquarisol in the hospital tank to kill of parasites. I hope you figure out what wrong with the tank.


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## riverspryte (Sep 16, 2006)

Also, if you do the salt bath, have a small filter in the tank. If you have one already, remove the bacteria covered cartridge, because the salt will kill all of the beneficial bacteria. I like a small sponge filter the best.


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

riverspryte said:


> Also, if you do the salt bath, have a small filter in the tank. If you have one already, remove the bacteria covered cartridge, because the salt will kill all of the beneficial bacteria. I like a small sponge filter the best.


Do you have any kind of info to back up your statement about salt kill beneficial bacteria? My cichlid tanks get 1tbsp per 5g of epsom and aquarium/rock salt every waterchange and I think my beneficial bacteria is there.


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## blyxa (Jan 1, 2007)

Well, yours is a lower concentration than 1tps per gallon and if the sick fish has a bacterial infection then that concentration will help. My betta had fin rot and the salt bath fix that up quickly.


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## riverspryte (Sep 16, 2006)

> Do you have any kind of info to back up your statement about salt kill beneficial bacteria? My cichlid tanks get 1tbsp per 5g of epsom and aquarium/rock salt every waterchange and I think my beneficial bacteria is there.


I use table salt for medicating my fish, so that might be why the bacteria die. I don't think that the aquarium salt kills it like regular salt does. The only info source I can cite is a fish care book that I got a while ago, and it specifically says to use table salt not aquarium salt for medication. I should have specified that in my other post.


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## sandeepraghuvanshi (Feb 22, 2007)

Hi
Your tap water ph is 7.6 and ph of your aquarium is 6.6 . A change of 1 degree is too much for fish.
Is there anything in your water that is altering ph on a larger scale.
What is usual ph of your aquarium?
Further nitrates cannot be zero, there might be a problem with your test kits.
When we stop injection of Co2 ph is altered, but normally diy Co2 unit do not produce that much co2 so that ph is altered.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

jeffk said:


> Hello,
> 
> I dont know if right place to post this, but need help so worth a try.
> 
> ...


Dear Jeff,

Chances are very good (95% is my "guessestimate") he's got mycobacteriosis. This incurable bacterial disease is pervasive in the hobby, but it has particularly invaded Rainbowfish breeding farms. You did nothing wrong. This fish was doomed when you purchased him.

If you want to prove it has mycobacteriosis, have a fish veterinarian autopsy and examine the fish. Call a veterinary school or your state's animal health diagnostic lab. You might get lucky and find someone who will do it for you for a small fee. I paid $35 to $100 for autopsies on my fish to confirm that my sickly fish had it.

Here's a website describing the disease in Rainbowfish. Also, you might want to read my thread ('Diseased Fish') in this forum.

I am working on an article on mycobacteriosis in Rainbowfish that, if all goes well, will be published in _Tropical Fish Hobbyist_ this summer. Mycobacteriosis has been the hobby's dirty little secret for far too long.

My advice (based on my own sad experience): Quarantine all Rainbowfish for at least 3 months.

First-class article about mycobacteriosis:
Mycobacteriosis


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