last night i got in late, after a quick look around the tanks i notice a bristlenose plec in one of my 30G not moving. this tank is my bristlenose breeding tank, it's a bit of a mix up of decor as i also use it to grow out young tied java. so occupants were, 5 adult bristlenose, with fry always on the go but this really is a holding tank as i normally move the adults about between all my tanks but i had the 2 males and 3 females in there. also i had my recuse fahaka in there growing out and sort of in quarantine.
in the 3 years this tank has been running there has never been a single issue, 50% water change weekly and a vac out, it has a 1200 LPH internal on a spray bar.
only recent changes has been a new light, some drift wood out of a tank i closed down some more sand added to cater for the fahaka and thats it, all of it was cleaned before i put it in.
anyway last night i found a dead bristlenose, one of the younger females. I put it down to the fahaka who has helped himself to a few of the fry here and there but seemed more interested in frozen prawn than fry. this morning i had an early start so was out before the lights came on. got home this afternoon to find the fahaka dead and then digging around i found 1 male bristlenose (i had him nearly 4yrs) and 2 females dead, all the fry in fact nothing looked alive.
first thing i did is check waters and ammonia was 0, nitrites was a little high at 0.5, there was no foul smells and all the plants look good just no reason for it, filter working fine, heater fine etc. I'm stumped and gutted i got one fish left out of a group and to top it off i lost the fahaka.
i have done a 90% WC and left the last male bristlenose in there as i don't want to risk moving him into another tank if its fish related. only think i can think of is something in the tank killed the bristlenose and then kill the fahaka via ingest.
gutted and stumpt...... and now have a spare 150G that i just bought for it.
in the 3 years this tank has been running there has never been a single issue, 50% water change weekly and a vac out, it has a 1200 LPH internal on a spray bar.
only recent changes has been a new light, some drift wood out of a tank i closed down some more sand added to cater for the fahaka and thats it, all of it was cleaned before i put it in.
anyway last night i found a dead bristlenose, one of the younger females. I put it down to the fahaka who has helped himself to a few of the fry here and there but seemed more interested in frozen prawn than fry. this morning i had an early start so was out before the lights came on. got home this afternoon to find the fahaka dead and then digging around i found 1 male bristlenose (i had him nearly 4yrs) and 2 females dead, all the fry in fact nothing looked alive.
first thing i did is check waters and ammonia was 0, nitrites was a little high at 0.5, there was no foul smells and all the plants look good just no reason for it, filter working fine, heater fine etc. I'm stumped and gutted i got one fish left out of a group and to top it off i lost the fahaka.
i have done a 90% WC and left the last male bristlenose in there as i don't want to risk moving him into another tank if its fish related. only think i can think of is something in the tank killed the bristlenose and then kill the fahaka via ingest.
gutted and stumpt...... and now have a spare 150G that i just bought for it.
