Fish dying, help

[Mellym]

So about a week ago and barracuda jumped out of my tank and was found an unknown amount of time later, he was still breathing so I returned him to the tank hoping for the best. Unfortunately he died. The next day and arowana started having difficulty swimming after it worsened he was moved to a tank with less water to keep him upright but he too died.
A few days later a bass in the tank started showing signs of ick and so began treating for that. A secondary infection formed, and within days he died. Now a ropefish in the tank has rings of what look like blood from internal bleeding along his bottom..... what is causing all of this to happen!? Bacteria from putting the barracuda back? What can I do to make my tank healthy again

 

[kewpiefishypewpie]

Test your water and post the results along with other details; tank size, stock, how long tank has been running, city water or well water, filtration, temperature

 

[kno4te]

Test your water and post the results along with other details; tank size, stock, how long tank has been running, city water or well water, filtration, temperature

Gotta answer these first and then can get some sort of idea.

 

[Mellym]

It's a 90 gallon, city water, was originally a sabalo barracuda, peacock bass, valado arowana, pleco, and 2 rope fish ( all young and under 6 inches), the water was tested right after the arowana started displaying symptoms and the nitrites were elevated, but right away did several water changes over a few days and added bacteria supplement. (Retested yesterday and nitrites were no longer elevated) The tank is usually around 73-75 degrees, there is a fluval submersible filter and another filter that hangs on the back. And the tank has had fish in in about 3 months, was running empty to cycle for over a month prior

 

[Gourami Swami]

Hmm, If the tank is running empty, that does not cycle the tank, unless you were adding an ammonia source.
Read about the cycle here: https://users.cs.duke.edu/~narten/faq/cycling.html
The nitrite indicates that your tank is actually still going through the cycle. You have had fish in it for 3 months, but if you have been doing water changes regularly and keeping the water clean, during this time it may have actually prolonged your cycle, as ammonia and nitrite need to reach a peak level before falling, and if you never let them get anywhere (which would normally be good) the bacteria won't have had a chance to build up to adequate numbers for the stock.
Also you mention ich, this could be another irritant that could provoke the cuda to jump. Quarantining new fish for a few weeks in a separate tank is a good idea to avoid introducing anything.
What are ammonia, nitrite, nitrate readings? Higher temp and salt treatment is recommended for ich, but you also need to get the cycle in order.
And this is a side note, but that tank will be too small for all those fish soon, and something in the 300 gallon range will be needed as your fish will grow a few feet long, hope you are aware of this?

 

[duanes]

I agree with Gourami Swami, sounds like the tank was not cycled, and the jumping out, was the fish trying to escape toxic conditions. There were also quite a few sensitive fish in (what I consider "Too small a tank for those fish") which added toxic fuel to the fire.
The ick, is a stress indicator, and happens when fish are thrown together without proper quarantine in too small a space, because any normal immunity is out the window under such conditions.

 

[Mellym]

Hmm, If the tank is running empty, that does not cycle the tank, unless you were adding an ammonia source.
The nitrite indicates that your tank is actually still going through the cycle. You have had fish in it for 3 months, but if you have been doing water changes regularly and keeping the water clean, during this time it may have actually prolonged your cycle, as ammonia and nitrite need to reach a peak level before falling, and if you never let them get anywhere (which would normally be good) the bacteria won't have had a chance to build up to adequate numbers for the stock.
Also you mention ich, this could be another irritant that could provoke the cuda to jump. Quarantining new fish for a few weeks in a separate tank is a good idea to avoid introducing anything.
What are ammonia, nitrite, nitrate readings? Higher temp and salt treatment is recommended for ich, but you also need to get the cycle in order.
And this is a side note, but that tank will be too small for all those fish soon, and something in the 300 gallon range will be needed as your fish will grow a few feet long, hope you are aware of this?

There was bacteria supplements added during that time period and the filters were used from other tanks.
The ich happened after the barracuda jumped
There were no problems prior to him jumping and he jumped because a net had fallen from above the tank into it and most likely spooked him. After he was put back in to attempt to save all the problems started up.
And yes we had intentions to get rid of fish as they grew!

 

[Gourami Swami]

There was bacteria supplements added during that time period and the filters were used from other tanks.
The ich happened after the barracuda jumped
There were no problems prior to him jumping and he jumped because a net had fallen from above the tank into it and most likely spooked him. After he was put back in to attempt to save all the problems started up.
And yes we had intentions to get rid of fish as they grew!

hello,
do you have a test kit, to tell us the water parameters? Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate? I would guess you do, since you said there was some nitrite? The presence of nitrite means that even though the filters were from other tanks, and a bacterial supplement (some of which work- some do not, btw) was added, something must have gone wrong, and the tank is not cycled. If it were, you would be reading nitrite at 0.
I also think that these fish are not a great mix for this tank even temporarily. The barracuda are skittish and fast moving, and arowana are prone to jumping if frightened. And the rope fish are so skinny and slender, tha[t they could become a meal once the arowana or cuda put some size on. Maybe in a larger tank this would be ok, but in the 4' tank the fish will be in each others' faces 24/7. And the arowana will outgrow the tank in about 6 months or sooner, might be smarter to just sell it off now

 

[Mellym]

The water was tested yesterday and the nitrite is only at 0.5 now. So it's gone down significantly. And at this point there is only a pleco and ropefish left anyways

 

[Gourami Swami]

Hmm, what happened to the other fish?
nitrite at .5 is still an indication that the tank did not finish cycling. Plecos are pretty hardy, I would leave the pleco in and test the water regularly (buy yourself a liquid kit- the test strips are unreliable, and if you are buying fish such as these, you are going to need your own kit).
The water should read ammonia- 0 nitrite-0 and nitrate- 1-20ppm. The nitrate will rise as fish produce waste, and water changes are what remove the nitrate. Should keep it at or below 20ppm for healthy fish.