Fish dead

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Bagstar

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 25, 2006
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Uk
I have just added 2 firemouths and 2 Kribensis to my tank which now has:

10 mixed Tetras
5 Clown Loaches
1 Bulldog Pleco
2 Keyholes


Last night when I got home from an evening out I found one of the Firemouths dead in the tank and there was no sign of one of the Kribs, I took out all my decor and done a water change this morning and there is no sign of the Krib so I assume he has had it as well.

When I got the fish last weekend one of the Kribs died on the way home in the bag and one of the Firemouths looked very unwell and only lasted a few hours in my tank. I took the dead back to the shop last weekend along with a sample of my water which they tested and said was very good.

Normally I would accept that the odd fish does just die but for 4 fish to have died in a week makes me think something is wrong. Could it be a problem in my tank or could it be a problem at the LFS? I would like to hope that it is a problem their end as my tank seems very healthy at present and has been established for quite some time.
 
It's difficult to tell for certian without a lot more information....BUT...it seems likely that if none of your existing fish have any health problems then you either got some sickly fish OR your water perams are WAY differant than those at the LFS the fish came from.

Time to get out the test kit just to make sure and then if everything matches.....find a new LFS.
 
water temp shock maybe?
 
The problem may not be that you have BAD water but that it's a lot differant than the LFS.
 
Onion01;1107140; said:
water temp shock maybe?
Click to expand...

The Firemouth was in the tank for a week before it died and the 1st Krib that died did so before I got it to my tank.
 
I think wolf makes a good point. Your water may be very different compared to the water at the LFS. How are you acclimating your new fish when you first bring them home?
 
Do you test for pH? I have lost fish over a drop in pH from the LFS to my home. I took a sample from the LFS and tested it against mine after I returned the dead guy. It went from 8.5 - 7.2. That is the only thing different I could find. Some fish this wouldn't affect, but others it can kill.
 
I agree, you need to test the water from the LFS so you can see how it matches up to the water in your tank.


You said you tested your water and it was good, but for what?
You should have tested for:
Ammonia
Nitrites
Nitrates
PH

and if possible kH and gH.

You could have old tank syndrome. This happens if you top off your tanks with tap water a lot or don't do water changes all that often. As water evaporates from your tank all the disolved solids and minerals stay in your tank.
Just like if you have a bucket of saltwater. As the water evaporates, the salt (which is solid) stays in the bucket and the salinity keeps rising.
If you're not topping off with distilled or good R.O water, which is free of everything but the water itself, you're adding more and more minerals and such to your tank. Your own fish will slowly acclimate over time and it may take a long time to see any effects in them, but when adding new fish which are used to their own water they may not be able to adjust fast enough.
This is especially bad if the water you use to do water changes and top off is already high in total disolved solids, because your aquariums water can end up almost unliveable for all but the fish aleady in the tank and adjusted to the water.

Or it could be a problem with the LFS, the fish themselves, any number of things, but that's an idea.
 
One of the more recient tests I've started using is the TDS....or total desolved solids...this is a great way to avoid the sort of build up of material over time that leads to "OLD TANK" syndrome.

The FDA allows 500 ppm TDS in drinking water. I change my tank water long before it get that high...usually around 280 to 300...
On any given day the TDS in any of my tanks is 150 or below.
 
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