I got 9x 2" logfin super red bristlenose from a very reputable local breeder and I put them in a mature 60 gallon tank today around 2 pm I found 2 dead and then around 8pm I found another 3 dead along with 2 of the 3 blue eyed bristlenose I had that were 3" all the mollies and guppies are fine so is the 6" regular bristlenose. I checked the ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite and they were all 0. I'm doing a 60% water change right now. The only thing I can think that it might be is I started feeding cucumber using a butter knife to weigh it down but I had always read that using silverware was safe am I wrong
Massive die off
- Thread starter thefredpit
- Start date
Sorry for your loss Unless the butter knife had a contaminant on it no doubt that killed them. Did you boil the cucumber first or just cut a slice?
I would have a hard time believing that a fish was contaminated with something that would kill off your tank in hours.
My random thoughts:
Have you done a water change recently?
Did you boil the veggie?
I always do a re-rinse of my skewers before I use them for my veggies to eliminate any old cleaning residue.
Did you float the bag? Perhaps there was something on the bag.
My random thoughts:
Have you done a water change recently?
Did you boil the veggie?
I always do a re-rinse of my skewers before I use them for my veggies to eliminate any old cleaning residue.
Did you float the bag? Perhaps there was something on the bag.
I did float the bag. I didn't boil the cucumber. I didn't rinse the skewer. The last water change was 7-8 days ago. I serious doubt it was the fish because of who it came from and also 1 of the blue eyes looked like it had been dead for a couple days but I didn't see him because he was behind a decoration
what are you using to test your water?
If you havent done a water change in 7-8 days, there is no way you should have zero nitrates.
If you havent done a water change in 7-8 days, there is no way you should have zero nitrates.
I'm using tetra easystrips this tank has a small bioload until I added the 9x 2" longfin super reds all that was in it was 1x 6" common bristlenose, 3x 2.5-3" blue eyed bristlenose, 1x 2" young adult molly, and 6x .5-.75" guppies in a 60 gallon tank
1 more dead and 1 struggling. I moved the struggling one into the net and put him in the bichir tank inside the net as a last resort
you may of just spread the disease... not very smart. Best to quarantine all new fish, even if it means setting up a cheap tote with the bare requirements. Most important is that the fish have a cycled tank, clean water, quality food, some hiding places, proper temps.
Only disease I know that has that sort of killing power is columnaris. But you will see the dead bodies rotting away very quickly if this is the case.
Only disease I know that has that sort of killing power is columnaris. But you will see the dead bodies rotting away very quickly if this is the case.
Floating doesn't mean acclimating. You're getting temps close but doing absolutely nothing to accommodate different water parameters. Baby plecos are sensitive. Its probably stress and shock that are killing them off. Drip or bucket acclimation should be your main stay when introducing new fish.
I disagree with the above post. I have tried many different acclimation processes and each one has pros and cons. I think you need to consider a few things before deciding on how to acclimate your new fish.
How long was the fish in the bag?
Where did you buy the fish, different country?
How different is the water in the bag to your tank, ph kh, gh, temp, nitrate levels, ammo levels ect.
If i am buying a fish from down the road and the temp is close to their new tank I am just scooping them out and putting them in their new tank right away.
If they been in a bag for a day or more I am just dropping them in their new tank too.
The only time I drip is if I am buying within a few hours from home and the bag temps are slightly off and water parameters are different.
I can go into detail if anyone cares to know the reason behind these choices. But my point is that its not always a good decision to do a slow drip acclimation as the bag water could be so toxic that the advantages of the drip is far outweighed by the horrible water in the bag that your exposing the fish too for longer than needed.
How long was the fish in the bag?
Where did you buy the fish, different country?
How different is the water in the bag to your tank, ph kh, gh, temp, nitrate levels, ammo levels ect.
If i am buying a fish from down the road and the temp is close to their new tank I am just scooping them out and putting them in their new tank right away.
If they been in a bag for a day or more I am just dropping them in their new tank too.
The only time I drip is if I am buying within a few hours from home and the bag temps are slightly off and water parameters are different.
I can go into detail if anyone cares to know the reason behind these choices. But my point is that its not always a good decision to do a slow drip acclimation as the bag water could be so toxic that the advantages of the drip is far outweighed by the horrible water in the bag that your exposing the fish too for longer than needed.
