Sudden bichir deaths??

[Cohazard]

I know this doesn't help much now but, PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEASE, everybody set up a quarantine tank!!! NEVER-EVER put a new fish into an established tank with your other prized fish! Sorry for your loss!

Good advice.

I need to get a 10g to throw under the tank for quarantine setup. I have a 20L that I bought for that purpose, but it doesn't fit under the tank.

I'm starting to think it was an external problem though, rather than the fish.

I remember wiping down the tops of the lights, glass etc, and seeing that some of the dust I was wiping away got into the tank. I didn't think it was a big deal at the time, but who knows??

I treated with parasite clear, and have added 1tsp/gallon of salt. So far everything is groovy again, and no new deaths to report.

I will treat with tetracycline anyways, just to be sure.

Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[nachocheese70]

I know discus and bichirs are worlds apart (or at least an ocean), but you can't discount the possibility of a carrier that doesn't show symptoms. It happens all the time in nature.

I know this doesn't help much now but, PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEASE, everybody set up a quarantine tank!!! NEVER-EVER put a new fish into an established tank with your other prized fish! Sorry for your loss!

Would you recommend to always dose all Q-tanks with antibacterial meds, and what is a good treat rate (use full blown concentration, or a 1/2 dose unless you see signs of infection)? The reason I ask is if there is a carrier, then that fish will never get sick or show any problems.

 

[Cohazard]

Would you recommend to always dose all Q-tanks with antibacterial meds, and what is a good treat rate (use full blown concentration, or a 1/2 dose unless you see signs of infection)? The reason I ask is if there is a carrier, then that fish will never get sick or show any problems.

I would recommend a full dosage treatment.

A healthy fish will be able to handle the meds, and if it's a sickly fish, it needs the medicine anyways.

When I had a q tank before, I always treated with coppersafe, and salt/heat treatment as precautions.

 

[rjmtx]

If you have a quarantine tank that is alread cycled with some mollys or tetras or some other cheap fish in it, they would probably come down with something if the new fish was acting as a carrier. Personally, I don't do prophylactic treatments on fish (except when I was keeping discus-those are some picky fish). It's all up to you. My motto as a former LFS employee and long time fish keeper, once again, is "do as I say, not as I do." Good thing I don't have kids...

BTW, are your other fish still doing ok?

 

[Druu]

Totally stupid question, and I don't want to add insult to injury, but do you still have the bodies? The Biodiversity museum on my campus doesn't have any specimens of polypteriformes and I'm sure they'd accept a donation. Two of my professors play a large role in managing the collection and I could facilitate it with them. Again, sorry for the loss and I don't mean to piss ya off.

 

[Cohazard]

If you have a quarantine tank that is alread cycled with some mollys or tetras or some other cheap fish in it, they would probably come down with something if the new fish was acting as a carrier. Personally, I don't do prophylactic treatments on fish (except when I was keeping discus-those are some picky fish). It's all up to you. My motto as a former LFS employee and long time fish keeper, once again, is "do as I say, not as I do." Good thing I don't have kids...

BTW, are your other fish still doing ok?

Yes, all the other fish are fine, not showing any outward signs of illness/parasites etc...

I still have no clue what happened.

I think it was a freak occurance. I'm doing a water change right now and found a lead weight from a plant under one of the hiding spots the bichirs are always under. I hope that's not involved.

Totally stupid question, and I don't want to add insult to injury, but do you still have the bodies? The Biodiversity museum on my campus doesn't have any specimens of polypteriformes and I'm sure they'd accept a donation. Two of my professors play a large role in managing the collection and I could facilitate it with them. Again, sorry for the loss and I don't mean to piss ya off.

Not a dumb question at all and no offense taken.

I didn't keep the bodies though. I was planning to freeze them since it was my first bichir loss ever, but decided I didn't want that kind of reminder around.

 

[dunga]

also the temp could kill your bichir i lost my lapr to heat he was 17inch in california this summer got pretty warm but my palmas and ornate are ok thank god

 

[Onion01]

did you do any water changes before. Might have been sudden temp shock. That is what killed my senegal, and he suffered like yours. Had a red nose and anal fin.

 

[Cohazard]

did you do any water changes before. Might have been sudden temp shock. That is what killed my senegal, and he suffered like yours. Had a red nose and anal fin.

Last water change was 3 or 4 days before hand, and neither shows inflamed discolored parts of the body, except for a little bit of red on the congicus' belly, which I'm not sure is related to it's death (I think it came afterwards).

The good news is that all my other fish are fine.