Edit: rocksor - It was definitely bacterial, I have little doubt. Second guess would be some kind of leeching, or sensitivity from the older ones. The ph is about 7.5, it was checked a couple weeks ago. The stock level was already so low before all this, now it's barely anything. Thankfully, spikes are the least concerning to me now. Four little fish in a 55g.
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The two youngin's seem to be good now. The male was always looking okay but now I'm pretty sure the female has made a full recovery. Again, she didn't have the same symptoms the older three had though. I'm not sure why my older three were prone to whatever it was and not the young pair. But I'm happy those two made it. There isn't much of a photo op here though, they're not nearly as active and bold as my older three. The tank looks dead, aside from the bichir occasionally putt-putting past.
The plan is to give it a couple weeks and make sure everything is still good. Then I'm going to put the two last ropes, the bichir, and pleco in the 40g breeder I have and plan on putting a third young rope in there and call it done. 4 polys and a pleco. The lovely community I had died with my older babies, now I'll settle for a quiet mini group. Still blows me away though how I could be watching the group dance one night and considering adding a 6th member and a week later... well.
Thanks everyone for listening and pitching ideas. I don't know how or why it had to happen, but it did. Time to pick up, move on, and remember as fondly as possible. Cheers.
Cat
