Rope Fish Deaths

[MooseTheWizard]

I recently picked up 3 rope fish, each about 8-10", from my LFS. All three seemed healthy. I have yet to see any eat, but food that is there when I go to bed is not there in the morning. I am unsure which fish is eating it, but I do hope it's the ropes as I have seen all other tankmates eat.

I lost a rope the other night very abruptly. His eyes turned a milky colour and his cloaca became reddened. Nothing was protruding and there was no signs of physical damage, just agitation. The fish's swimming became erratic and laboured, as if it was struggling. There was very little gill movement. I managed to hold the fish near the surface of the water for about ten minutes, during which it seemed to be able to breath but without my support the fish would fall. When reaching the substrate the fish would often fall onto its side or back, and take a minute to right itself. I expected this fish to die as the swimming and motor functions deteriorated very quickly. I went to bed at 1am, and at 6am when I checked the fish was dead. All other tank mates (P. senegalus, P. weeksii, Paratilapia polleni, 2x ropefish) are doing fine, aside from still having not witnessed the ropefish eating.

I have done some research and seen that this erratic swimming followed by a sudden death has happened to others, though I have not been able to isolate a cause. I have been watching my other rope fish carefully but they seem fine and normally active on the dimmer side of the aquarium.

Does anyone have any insight as to what could cause this, what could prevent it, or even what it is?

 

[kewpiefishypewpie]

I recently picked up 3 rope fish, each about 8-10", from my LFS. All three seemed healthy. I have yet to see any eat, but food that is there when I go to bed is not there in the morning. I am unsure which fish is eating it, but I do hope it's the ropes as I have seen all other tankmates eat.

I lost a rope the other night very abruptly. His eyes turned a milky colour and his cloaca became reddened. Nothing was protruding and there was no signs of physical damage, just agitation. The fish's swimming became erratic and laboured, as if it was struggling. There was very little gill movement. I managed to hold the fish near the surface of the water for about ten minutes, during which it seemed to be able to breath but without my support the fish would fall. When reaching the substrate the fish would often fall onto its side or back, and take a minute to right itself. I expected this fish to die as the swimming and motor functions deteriorated very quickly. I went to bed at 1am, and at 6am when I checked the fish was dead. All other tank mates (P. senegalus, P. weeksii, Paratilapia polleni, 2x ropefish) are doing fine, aside from still having not witnessed the ropefish eating.

I have done some research and seen that this erratic swimming followed by a sudden death has happened to others, though I have not been able to isolate a cause. I have been watching my other rope fish carefully but they seem fine and normally active on the dimmer side of the aquarium.

Does anyone have any insight as to what could cause this, what could prevent it, or even what it is?

Despite your other fish doing okay I would test the water ASAP. What size tank is it?

I had something like this happen to a Polleni of mine, I moved him into another tank and a couple of minutes later he began swimming extremely erratically and died suddenly. I believe something hemorraged internally.

Sorry to hear about your fish.

 

[MooseTheWizard]

Despite your other fish doing okay I would test the water ASAP. What size tank is it?

I had something like this happen to a Polleni of mine, I moved him into another tank and a couple of minutes later he began swimming extremely erratically and died suddenly. I believe something hemorraged internally.

Sorry to hear about your fish.

Water parameters have been tested quite a few times since the death, with a WC occurring tonight as there was a few chopped earth worms left overnight. As of last night the levels were 0/0/5-10ppm. It is a 125 gallon planted aquarium, filtered by an FX5 and 2 sponges. Nitrates never exceed 10-20ppm. It's difficult for me to give you an exact number, as I struggle to differentiate between the oranges on the API liquid nitrate test.

 

[twentyleagues]

Well unfortunately this does happen. Getting them to eat prepared foods seems to be a challange for me as well. Mine will only eat blackworms as of now. Maybe try that? I'm gonna get mine fat then try and break them.

 

[MooseTheWizard]

I don't feed pellets, and blackworms is something I'm looking into. Being Canadian, it's hard to find a source for them.

 

[twentyleagues]

Mine won't eat pellets, they try them and spit them out. Won't eat tilapia, silversides, or mysis either. Only thing I've tried was blackworms that they'll eat. Once I'm out I'm gonna try frozen blood worms and soaked pellet in the blood worm juice.

 

[kewpiefishypewpie]

Water parameters have been tested quite a few times since the death, with a WC occurring tonight as there was a few chopped earth worms left overnight. As of last night the levels were 0/0/5-10ppm. It is a 125 gallon planted aquarium, filtered by an FX5 and 2 sponges. Nitrates never exceed 10-20ppm. It's difficult for me to give you an exact number, as I struggle to differentiate between the oranges on the API liquid nitrate test.

That all sounds awesome, I don't know if you're going to find root cause for your poor fishes death. Seems like an unfortunate, random event

 

[jaws7777]

Man that sucks. I would have assumed water quality if not for your other posts in the various sections... you dont seem like the type to let quality slip.

Do you qt new fish ? Could have came home with something from the lfs and it only recently manifested

 

[MooseTheWizard]

I do qt new fish, but as everyone in the 125 was new nothing was separated out from it.

Given that everyone else seems fine I am leaning towards it being some sort of internal problem with the fish. The quick deterioration of motor functions isn't anything a bacteria, fungi, or parasite could accomplish so I am thinking it must be some sort of hemorrhage or injury.

The only thing I can think of, is that the senegal is a bit territorial and currently the boss of the tank. She has nipped a few times, but I seriously doubt she could do enough internal damage to cause this without any external damage being prevalent.

All information I've found about this points to the same sort of prognosis. Quick onset of symptoms followed by death.

The eyes of the ropefish may have been a bit cloudy on acquisition but frankly I never looked closely. I'll continue to monitor all other fish and keep things in check as always, but unfortunately this looks like it may be some sort of rope fish specific issue that crops up from time to time. I'll post in this thread with any other findings I come across, and hopefully the issue can be diagnosed in the future. I highly doubt its treatable once the unusual swimming occurs, as that seems to be akin to a death rattle.

 

[jaws7777]

Was it trying to jump ? If so possibly caused the internal injuries