Disease in community tank.

[kamikaziechameleon]

Ok had a thread going on this issue when I thought it was water parameters:

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...ters-perfect-ammonia-nitrate-but-high-nitrite

Still don't know what was happening then but managed to get my tank stable and yet I've lost 4 fish since that and look to loose another as I type this.

here is a pic of my tank:

My water parameters are not showing any traces of ammonia, nitrate, or nitrite. PH is about 8.

The fish in question are rainbows(celebs and dwarf neons) and are kept in a tank with a Twig Catfish, plants and inverts(nitrite and malaysian trumpet). Beyond death there are no visible signs of illness in the fish. The one now who is stressing is breathing heavily at the water surface but that has not been the behavior of all the dieing fish. Some literally just spaz, float upside down or dart almost uncontrollably around the tank. Any broad spectrum meds that are invert safe you could recommend, Its also hard to feed these fish as their mouths are so small they let things sit in the tank for a while10-30 mins to soften at that point medicated food looses it medicine.

 

[cichlid_starter]

How big is the tank and which particular fish have you lost?


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[mr.bigglesworth]

Maybe testing water incorrectly? Other than that idk

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[kamikaziechameleon]

update 2 more fish dead...

The tank is using old gravel, old filter, old tank... nothing is new the filter was pulled off another and dropped on this one same day. Then after a week I dropped in the inhabitants and started loosing fish withing 2 days. I know how to test and have been continually testing the water. I've seen that for a time I was getting symptoms of cycling. I added in 2 old sponge filters from another tank in my basement and that fixed the water parameters. I've been several days into a good tank and still loose fish often without warning. Would maracyn 1 and 2 damage invertebrates???

 

[kamikaziechameleon]

tank is 25 gallons I think 30 inches long 12 inches deep 16 inches tall

other thought, the gravel sat in water in a bucket for a couple months after adding to this tank I noticed the bucket had red rings(liek an algae) on the bottom, would this indicate some sorta bacteria problem, the bucket has been in a dark corner in my basement no sun light. It looked like a red algae.

It was gravel from a tank that had a mystery disease over a year ago that had caused sudden and rappid die offs in the tank but the tank leveled out and was setup with the gravel for another 4-6 months so I thought the gravel was safe and the fish from that tank made it into gen pop on this end with no ill effects.

 

[kamikaziechameleon]

Lost another rainbow, only one fish died today maybe the illness is slowing. I'm convinced its an illness as the fish would have all died at once not one at a time over several days if it were anything else.

 

[cichlid_starter]

No red spots or sores? What's your temp?


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[kamikaziechameleon]

temp 78 have 2 thermometers so I know its 78. No visible external sores on the fish. I'm thinking there is **** in the substrate that is bogus.

Is maracyn dangerous for inverts? If not I'm going to dose that and maracyn 2 soon as it arrives in the mail.

 

[golcondorus]

I agree with the other thread, you have contaminated gravel


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[kamikaziechameleon]

BAH, ok here is the question I have what do I do to save my plants, inverts, and fish respectively please help. Assume the gravel had that disease buried deep down inside. I remove the gravel but there is still disease in the tank so how do I treat thing and separate them out. Or do I pull the gravel and treat the tank as one and if so with what please inform. I just need something of a step by step as there is a definite investment in the plants and inverts, but at the same time I need to make things safe for the fish.