Hope somebody can help.
A week ago I noticed my biggest Dat. microlepis looking very lethargic and unbalanced. Nothing visible but this was after 3 or 4 days of not eating which was very unusual.
Overnight got rapidly worse, laying on its side and just hanging. No rapid gill movement, still nothing obvious. Transferred to another tank but it got worse and died overnight.
The aquarium is 1600 litres, filtered with 7 large externals (Eheim 2080's and FX5's) plus 3 internal filters. Water parameters are:
pH - 7.0
NH4 - 0
NO2 - o
NO3 - 40-50mg/l
PO4 - 50mg/l
KH - 40mg/l
GH - 360mg/l
Temp. 26 Celsius
Inhabitants are:
Datnioides pulcher x 2 - 35 to 45cm
Datnioides microlepis x 6 - 10 to 25cm
Datnioides undecimradiatus x 4 - 10 to 25cm
Matacembelidae x 3 - 30 to 40cm
Mastacembelus erythrotaenia x1 - 60cm
Polypterus ornatipinnis x 1 - 45cm
L-numbers x 4 - 10 to 20cm
Clown loach x 12 - 10 to 25cm
Yesterday the same happened to one of the Dat. pulchers (not included in the 5 above). Symptons identical although some spasmodic twitching was noticed.
Possible clues.
Ten days ago a large portion of live river shrimp were given. These were all eaten rapidly, mainly by the Dat. pulchers and the dead Dat. microlepis. However, also eaten by all the other fish and they appear to be fine, still eating well including the clown loach and Dat. undecimradiatus which I have always thought to be the weakest of the Dats. These were also eaten by the other three Dat. pulcher in another tank and they are fine too.
Also ten days ago, a new delivery of frozen lancefish arrived. I have had problems with these in the past when they have obviously been defrosted and then refrozen but these were still frozen individually, smelt good and produced no cloudiness in the water they were defrosted in. Again, these have also been eaten by the other Dat pulchers and also the Dat undecimaradiatus in this "problem" tank and these fish have no problems.
Anything bacterial I would expect to affect the Clown loach first, surely the most sensitive fish in this aquarium?
This evening I noticed the next largest Dat microlepis looking "off-colour", just hanging in the water.
Several 30-40% water changes have been carried out over the last few days and, in the absence of any symptons, the water has been treated with Esha 2000 for possible bacterial problems.
I could transfer the fish to other aquariums but I have several problems with doing this:
1) Will I transfer whatever the problem is to the other tanks.
2) The other tanks will then be overloaded and will need the filters from this tank to maintain them, could the problem be within the filters and by doing this, again risk transferring the problem?
I think that is all the information I have available. Any questions please ask. Any thoughts, please let me know.
Thanks
A week ago I noticed my biggest Dat. microlepis looking very lethargic and unbalanced. Nothing visible but this was after 3 or 4 days of not eating which was very unusual.
Overnight got rapidly worse, laying on its side and just hanging. No rapid gill movement, still nothing obvious. Transferred to another tank but it got worse and died overnight.
The aquarium is 1600 litres, filtered with 7 large externals (Eheim 2080's and FX5's) plus 3 internal filters. Water parameters are:
pH - 7.0
NH4 - 0
NO2 - o
NO3 - 40-50mg/l
PO4 - 50mg/l
KH - 40mg/l
GH - 360mg/l
Temp. 26 Celsius
Inhabitants are:
Datnioides pulcher x 2 - 35 to 45cm
Datnioides microlepis x 6 - 10 to 25cm
Datnioides undecimradiatus x 4 - 10 to 25cm
Matacembelidae x 3 - 30 to 40cm
Mastacembelus erythrotaenia x1 - 60cm
Polypterus ornatipinnis x 1 - 45cm
L-numbers x 4 - 10 to 20cm
Clown loach x 12 - 10 to 25cm
Yesterday the same happened to one of the Dat. pulchers (not included in the 5 above). Symptons identical although some spasmodic twitching was noticed.
Possible clues.
Ten days ago a large portion of live river shrimp were given. These were all eaten rapidly, mainly by the Dat. pulchers and the dead Dat. microlepis. However, also eaten by all the other fish and they appear to be fine, still eating well including the clown loach and Dat. undecimradiatus which I have always thought to be the weakest of the Dats. These were also eaten by the other three Dat. pulcher in another tank and they are fine too.
Also ten days ago, a new delivery of frozen lancefish arrived. I have had problems with these in the past when they have obviously been defrosted and then refrozen but these were still frozen individually, smelt good and produced no cloudiness in the water they were defrosted in. Again, these have also been eaten by the other Dat pulchers and also the Dat undecimaradiatus in this "problem" tank and these fish have no problems.
Anything bacterial I would expect to affect the Clown loach first, surely the most sensitive fish in this aquarium?
This evening I noticed the next largest Dat microlepis looking "off-colour", just hanging in the water.
Several 30-40% water changes have been carried out over the last few days and, in the absence of any symptons, the water has been treated with Esha 2000 for possible bacterial problems.
I could transfer the fish to other aquariums but I have several problems with doing this:
1) Will I transfer whatever the problem is to the other tanks.
2) The other tanks will then be overloaded and will need the filters from this tank to maintain them, could the problem be within the filters and by doing this, again risk transferring the problem?
I think that is all the information I have available. Any questions please ask. Any thoughts, please let me know.
Thanks