Blue Dempseys Dropping Like Flys - - HELP ME!!!

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
S

SphericalCube

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 17, 2006
169
0
0
44
Arlington, Tx
goomba.predatoryfish.net
HELP, I have no idea what could be wrong with these guys, but they're too expensive to be losing this fast.

I obtained 8 Blue Dempseys from SharkAquarium recently and have had so far 3 of them die and one of them is very pale and looks like he's going to be next. They all eat every time I feed them but they don't spend much time out and about. They hug the bottoms of the rocks and tank furniture at almost all times except feeding. They have only plecos and gold mystery snails for their tankmates, and they have a well lit open 55 gallon to live in.

I keep tons of cichlids, so this is not a stupid water quality/filtration issue. I have their ph 7.6, temp 80, Nitrates and Nitrites minimal. They act very twitchy and rub on the rocks and furniture quite a bit. They have no visible marks on their bodies and nothing I can see wrong with them. Then one day they just start to lose their blue color, they get really pale around the midsection, and they start doing the death dances. Flopping on their sides at the bottom and swimming sideways around in circles, laying right at the surface floating on the hornwort and gasping for air. I have an airstone and a biowheel that aerate the water so I know they have oxygen. I have had them for a month now and the 3rd just died tonight, so it's nothing terrible hardcore but it's still getting them and they aren't cheap. They just seem so twitchy, like maybe their genetic defects are just starting to kick in. The thing is though that they came with 4 others that were given in pairs to two other people and theirs' are still alive. I am at a loss. I have started today treating melafix/pimafix and will treat for 7 days. The only thing I can think of is a parasite of some type. I'm going to rearrange their tank, try to make it a little darker/more hiding area. I do water change every 2 weeks, and I have just set this tank back up after a 90% water change and complete gravel/rock changeout. I put plenty of biomedia and plants into tank and let the water balance before I put them back in so I shouldn't have any new tank syndrome going on. . . I'm at a loss.


Please guys, any help you can give.
Thanks
 
This is not the answer you are looking for but........... Sounds like an ammonia spike to me. Ammonia will "burn" the fish's gills causing the behavior you described which is similar to a fish that needs oxygen. The recent reset of the tank could have caused it and it could be cycling out before you even get a chance to test it after the damage is done. I would try some Prime as an emergency precaution and then add some "cycle" or other bacteria adding products.

Even if this is wrong it couldn't hurt sorry for your loses and good luck finding the culprit
 
To me it does sound like you may have new tank symdrome. I'm not certain about your treament, but most products that I know of will kill off your beneficial bacteria. Do you have test kits? Have you checked ammonia and nitirite?
 
It really sounds like new tank syndrome test for nitrite/ammonia and if your reading anything other than zero do immediate 50% waterchange and daily till it stays at zero,dont hesitate to do it twice in one day,put some media from an established tank in the filter in that tanks filter.A fish as delicate as blue jacks arent going to tolerate any water issues at all esp when young
 
Ok, no offense guys, but didn't I explain that I had cycled the tank? I put plants, gravel, floating bio balls from other tanks and the Emporer 400 Biowheel with already established wheels onto it. I used cycle and stress zyme when setting it up and the nitrates, nitrate, ammonia are nonexhistant. I have used this same method for starting a tank that 1/2 in Chipokee fry were put into and they ALL are fine. I find it hard to believe that Blue Dempsey are more delicate than they are.

I went ahead and put a little more cycle and a few drops of prime in, just in case, but my first thoughts were NTS and I have been testing the water daily and for lack of a better word. . . it's perfect.

I appreciate everyones suggestions I just don't think it's possible that this is the problem. Perhaps an ammonia spike that I might have missed and the "damage is done" but I'm hoping not.
 
hey, i know why they're dying off on you. Because they're blue dempsey's. That's a very simple response. They are really very fragile little guys
 
Take every fish but the blue dempseys. Leave everything else alone. No more water changes if the amonia and nitrites are zero. Leave the PH alone. The only things in the tank should be gravel, rock and the blue dempseys. NOTHING ELSE. No plants or any catfish or pleco for now.

Feed brine shrimp or worms but not to much. Feed as much as you want once they are better and return to normal water changes (30% or less a week). It seems that most people panic when they look sick and try all sorts of things that make it worse. Big water changes are bad IME. I lost one to a 30% water change ofter it was stressed.

Also make sure they are each eating their fair share of food. Mine starved it self cause it was to afraid to come out and eat. I did a water change before going to bed thinking it was the water quality. The next morning it was belly up.

I like brine or worms cause they all get a fair chance to eat. Just put some at both ends and the middle. Good luck.
 
Yah sorry man I wish I had a better response but i do not really know of any Parasites/diseases that cause similar symptoms to ammonia burn. Stick with a few drops of prime and the cycle but you may also want to try some garlic in their food to root out any parasites.

Once again good luck man they are very delicate fish
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom