Bichirs dying for no reason?

[Anderman]

My 230 gallon is the death of my bichirs! I thought other fish in the tank where stressing them and they where dying from that as there was basically no signs on the fish. I removed the bichirs and they did all fine in other tanks. A couple of days ago I had to do some rearranging and added some bichirs back in my 230 gallon. My albino has died already and I just moved him 5 days ago. Whatever it is it's killing them fast. The other bichirs are eating and seem to be doing fine but some have patches on there skin or just kind of a color change as it's not fungus or anything. I can't see it being a ammonia issue but I am going to get the water checked. The tank houses clown loaches,severum,kitumba giberrosa,couple cubans and such and I am not having problems with any of them. The tank gets regular maintenance and has 2 aquaclears 110 and a fx5 on it and 2 powerheads to boot. Has anyone had this type of problem with bichirs and are they sensitive to anything in water that might not bother other fish? I have scaleless fish like clownloaches and they are fine,so you got me?!?!

 

[Hao]

My 230 gallon is the death of my bichirs! I thought other fish in the tank where stressing them and they where dying from that as there was basically no signs on the fish. I removed the bichirs and they did all fine in other tanks. A couple of days ago I had to do some rearranging and added some bichirs back in my 230 gallon. My albino has died already and I just moved him 5 days ago. Whatever it is it's killing them fast. The other bichirs are eating and seem to be doing fine but some have patches on there skin or just kind of a color change as it's not fungus or anything. I can't see it being a ammonia issue but I am going to get the water checked. The tank houses clown loaches,severum,kitumba giberrosa,couple cubans and such and I am not having problems with any of them. The tank gets regular maintenance and has 2 aquaclears 110 and a fx5 on it and 2 powerheads to boot. Has anyone had this type of problem with bichirs and are they sensitive to anything in water that might not bother other fish? I have scaleless fish like clownloaches and they are fine,so you got me?!?!

sumthing is prob sucking its slimecoat

 

[machine]

any pleco or algea eater n the 230gal?

 

[tcarswell]

any pleco or algea eater n the 230gal?

exactly.. Either that or you have a night time bully maybe just chasing them? How do their fins look ? Is there an issue with bacterial infections in that tank?

 

[jschall]

I can't see it being a ammonia issue but I am going to get the water checked.

Sorry for the loss of your fish, but I have to ask this:
WAIT WHAT? "get the water checked" instead of "already tested the water myself?" You have a 230 gallon tank and no test kit?

And yeah, sounds an awful lot like something's eating their slime coat.

 

[Rockbass6]

If clown loaches are fine and bichirs are dieing it is not water quality. Clowns would be down hill before your polypterus. I am going with everyone else and saying a pleco is causing you problems. Make sure he is well fed or just remove it, things should improve for you.

 

[Anderman]

any pleco or algea eater n the 230gal?

Harlequin shark and a vampire pleco. They are the only two bottom feeders that stayed constant other then the clown loaches. The bichirs did fine in the 180 with a lrg red tail shark. I figure it may be the vampire pleco. He never comes out in the day and the harlequin shark does and I have never seen him harass the bichirs.

 

[Anderman]

Sorry for the loss of your fish, but I have to ask this:
WAIT WHAT? "get the water checked" instead of "already tested the water myself?" You have a 230 gallon tank and no test kit?

And yeah, sounds an awful lot like something's eating their slime coat.

No sense in having a test kit when your color blind!!!Not kidding I am color blind, I don't see black and white but it's a type of color blind that gives me trouble with blue/purple and brown/green and such. I made it 20 yrs in the hobby without a test kit so hopefully another 20yrs.

 

[Anderman]

Well I took out the harlequin and put in the red tail so we will see if another bichir shows any signs of stress then I guess the vampire pleco gets the boot.

 

[jschall]

No sense in having a test kit when your color blind!!!Not kidding I am color blind, I don't see black and white but it's a type of color blind that gives me trouble with blue/purple and brown/green and such. I made it 20 yrs in the hobby without a test kit so hopefully another 20yrs.

You could knock on your neighbor's door every day to ask what color the test is!