QT'd rummynose dropping like flies

[jandb]

Hello. I purchased 50 rummynose from a wholesaler for my downplay tank. I've had the qt'd in 81 degree water with less than 10ppm nitrate and aquarium salt for a week. I've also soaked their food in metro. I'm loosing at least 2 a day. The couple I've seen die have been spiraling around before hitting the bottom. Does anyone have any advice? Thanks.

 

[Charney]

these guys can be touch. Sorry relate response. I would crank up the heat. Still have them? IF still issue can can discuss options

 

[jandb]

Thanks for the reply Charney. I have cranked the head up to about 84. They've leveled out some. I'd wager I have 20 or so left. I've had terrible luck with both the rummynose and cardinals I bought in bulk.

I bought around 25 chunky cardinals at the same time. I qt'd them in an identical 20 long. After day 17 I was going to out them in to the display tank. I triple checked them and noticed ich. It was crazy to me with the salted water and temps in the 83 range. That was a week ago and I lost all of them as of yesterday. I saw the ich and added a uv. Did 20-30% daily water changes daily. Kept the salt up. After day 3 of ich I noticed the tails of the ines that were dying turned kind of clear. Could that have been neon tetra disease? Any advice on either of the these issues would be appreciated. I drained the cardinal tank last night and after everything dries out I'm gonna try again with a seeded sponge filter. Thanks in advance.

 

[Charney]

completely cycled tank? no ammonia spike?
I have heard that both can have very high mortality rates when first imported. Was the tank salted before the fish were in it? I have heard reports of them being sensitive but I have not experienced that.
I would consider adding them to a very warm tank with salt or even consider handling them like panda uarus. I use formalin/meth blue in the water such as most ich meds off the bat.

 

[duanes]

I just googled the Columbus (LewisCenter) Ohio water quality report.
Average pH is 7.8, with 7+ grains of hardness (medium hard).
This is not the kind of water I would consider to be healthy for wild tetras of the Amazon region. They would appreciate a pH of 5 with almost no hardness.
And although Panda uaru were one of my most desired fish, I had water similar to yours, and it would be a losing battle to try nd keep them.
The kind of water parameters you have would be extremely stressful for the fish you ordered.
And by adding salt, you are making the water even more osmotically inhospitable.
If it were me I'd stick to locally raised tetras, or fish that are comfortable in your water conditions.
From looking at the constituents of your local water, ou have the kind of water that works for Central American, rift lake African, or the South American species from west of the Andes, not for soft water Amazonian species.

 

[skjl47]

If it were me I'd stick to locally raised tetras, or fish that are comfortable in your water conditions.

Hello; This is good advice to match the fish to the conditions you have.

 

[jandb]

completely cycled tank? no ammonia spike?
I have heard that both can have very high mortality rates when first imported. Was the tank salted before the fish were in it? I have heard reports of them being sensitive but I have not experienced that.
I would consider adding them to a very warm tank with salt or even consider handling them like panda uarus. I use formalin/meth blue in the water such as most ich meds off the bat.

Yep, qt's are completely cycled. Been set up for years. I did salt them prior to adding the fish. In retrospect it cold have been done slowly and after. They're doing pretty well now and the temps are in the 83 range. I have two tanks of them and have lost one fish in the last week or so.
Tell me more about the formalin/meth blue regime you use?

 

[jandb]

I just googled the Columbus (LewisCenter) Ohio water quality report.
Average pH is 7.8, with 7+ grains of hardness (medium hard).
This is not the kind of water I would consider to be healthy for wild tetras of the Amazon region. They would appreciate a pH of 5 with almost no hardness.
And although Panda uaru were one of my most desired fish, I had water similar to yours, and it would be a losing battle to try nd keep them.
The kind of water parameters you have would be extremely stressful for the fish you ordered.
And by adding salt, you are making the water even more osmotically inhospitable.
If it were me I'd stick to locally raised tetras, or fish that are comfortable in your water conditions.
From looking at the constituents of your local water, ou have the kind of water that works for Central American, rift lake African, or the South American species from west of the Andes, not for soft water Amazonian species.

I appreciate your research and advice. I've always had better luck with these guys that have been at lfs or otherwise for quite awhile versus ones that were just brought it. The person I know has had them for over a month in the same water as me. This is just the first time in many, many years I've had this happen.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

I appreciate your research and advice. I've always had better luck with these guys that have been at lfs or otherwise for quite awhile versus ones that were just brought it. The person I know has had them for over a month in the same water as me. This is just the first time in many, many years I've had this happen.

as it seems you've had rummys before my advice maybe moot, but going off of what duanes said I've had the BEST luck with rummys or any similar tetra from SA in water I have a large concentration of tannins in. I had 13 or so rummynoses in my piranha's tank and its a blackwater tank, they thrived in there as apposed to others ive kept in my terribly hard water without any black water treatment.

 

[jandb]

as it seems you've had rummys before my advice maybe moot, but going off of what duanes said I've had the BEST luck with rummys or any similar tetra from SA in water I have a large concentration of tannins in. I had 13 or so rummynoses in my piranha's tank and its a blackwater tank, they thrived in there as apposed to others ive kept in my terribly hard water without any black water treatment.

I appreciate the thought and I think you're right. I've had shoals of them for over 10 years. I qt a bunch to put them in my planted 340 gallon. At one point I had over a 120 of them. Over the years it's been heavily planted (although thinned out now) with a bunch of driftwood. The c02 gets the pH in the 6.5 range. They're always done real well once they've got there. In my opinion there's very few things better than a ton of rummynose going back and forth in a nice, tight school. I don't know if any other fish that's better at that.