What could be killing my bichirs?

[Kohaku]

Recently a batch of my bichirs died from a strange symptoms.

The night before i slept, they were all ok in the tank. The next morning, some died. I noticed that most of them that died, the tip of the most of their fins and bleached and body slim pealing off with the lips turning white. Not all the bichirs are affected, but some of them have cloudy eyes. It also affect my jaguar cichlid that died yesterday. It does not ook like some fungus as there are no mouldy growth, just peeling slim on the body

The ammonia, nitrate and nitrate level are ok. Water change does seem to work as 2 died the following day. If i were to put some small healthy feeders into the infected tank, they will get the same symptoms in 3hrs and died after 6hrs

Here are some photos of the symptoms of death. Hope some Bro can help me identified the cause of death and its remedy before another wave hit me again. This is the second time I am hit by this disease since i first got hold of some wild caught ansorgii last year.

 

[Kohaku]

This is the first case that happened last year to a wild caught ansorgii, but it is the only isolated case and I manage to isolate it before it spread further.

 

[stevenrox]

i think it's fin rot...add some salt bump up the temp,water changes...

 

[GarNiac]

the answer is the WATER in your tank, did you do water chance??most likely is the chlorine. Sudden death like that is unlikely caused by diseases. When it happen, the water also smell different. Put dechlorinator everytime you do water chance.
I would redo my tank if it happens, and try to save the rest
Sorry for your loss

 

[Kohaku]

i think it's fin rot...add some salt bump up the temp,water changes...

I am sure it is not fin rot as it dun come over night with this kind of damage. I suspect it has to do with the water, but test does not show it.

the answer is the WATER in your tank, did you do water chance??most likely is the chlorine. Sudden death like that is not likely cause by diseases. When it happen, the water also smell different. Put dechlorinator everytime you do water chance.
Sorry for your loss

It happened even before I change water. They have been in this water for almost a week when the sudden death over night. (I do weekly partial water change). I have seen chlorine burnt on fish and its remedy and is very careful whenever i change water. I always remember to add water dechlorinator and anti chloramine. The symptoms are similar with chlorine burnt, but my usual course of melafix and anti chlorine and chloramine does not help this time.

 

[dudey]

looks like ammonia burn. you say everything is in check, can you run a test and post the results?

 

[King-eL]

I have the same symptom before back in 2007. Mine actually occurred when I skip feeding them. The next morning my clownknife will get it first, followed by the spiny eels and then the bichirs. Water changes works but when I skip feeding them again, they get the same symptoms again. Tried salt it didn't work. Tried higher temps it also didn't work. I cleaned my filter and got rid of all the gunk. The next morning even skipping there meal, they never got the symptom ever again.

Try cleaning your filter and get rid of all those gunk as those gunk will make the ammonia to rise up faster than you know causing the fish to get ammonia burn. I actually noticed this with my tanks with FX5. Every time the FX5 stop to get rid of all the trap air, when it runs again it released a lot of brown cloudy water. That's why I'm running with sump now.

 

[Kohaku]

looks like ammonia burn. you say everything is in check, can you run a test and post the results?

Will the result be different if the water has been changed 3 times since this incident? I dun mind showing the results if it helps to identify.

I have the same symptom before back in 2007. Mine actually occurred when I skip feeding them. The next morning my clownknife will get it first, followed by the spiny eels and then the bichirs. Water changes works but when I skip feeding them again, they get the same symptoms again. Tried salt it didn't work. Tried higher temps it also didn't work. I cleaned my filter and got rid of all the gunk. The next morning even skipping there meal, they never got the symptom ever again.

Try cleaning your filter and get rid of all those gunk as those gunk will make the ammonia to rise up faster than you know causing the fish to get ammonia burn. I actually noticed this with my tanks with FX5. Every time the FX5 stop to get rid of all the trap air, when it runs again it released a lot of brown cloudy water. That's why I'm running with sump now.

Hmmm... Sound familiar with what i am doing currently to salvage the situation... I have only a eheim canister filter for the tank and it is does not have "gunk" as I just make a complete wash 2 weeks ago.

Anyway, i have changed the water 3 times since it happen before Christmas. They seem to settle down with no more death, but the cloudy eyes are still around. I applied some mythelene blue solution into the water yesterday for them to soak in a few hours before changing water.

Maybe i monitor the situation before posting again. If there is any other bro here who encountered this before, please share how you salvage the situation. Thanks

 

[King-eL]

Will the result be different if the water has been changed 3 times since this incident? I dun mind showing the results if it helps to identify.



Hmmm... Sound familiar with what i am doing currently to salvage the situation... I have only a eheim canister filter for the tank and it is does not have "gunk" as I just make a complete wash 2 weeks ago.

Anyway, i have changed the water 3 times since it happen before Christmas. They seem to settle down with no more death, but the cloudy eyes are still around. I applied some mythelene blue solution into the water yesterday for them to soak in a few hours before changing water.

Maybe i monitor the situation before posting again. If there is any other bro here who encountered this before, please share how you salvage the situation. Thanks

The gunk are usually stock in some of the filter media and the motor.

 

[dudey]

when you say you made a complete wash of the filter what exactly did you do?

You could have cleaned it too much and killed all the beneficial bacteria causing it to re-cycle and raising ammonia levels.