unexplained deaths

[Tener ds]

:cry:
just done the edge monthly clean up.
the wood comes out and the 3 java ferns are on slate,so easy to remove.
done a head count and half,thats 5,galaxy rasboras are missing :cry::cry:
know sign off them,even in the filter.
did a water test,all ok,nitrates a tad high 25ish.
not happy cos i wonted to try to bread them.
not sure how long they have been missing cos they spend most off the time
hideing.
any ideas?

 

[FF MkII]

PH swings?

 

[Tener ds]

ok, went over my test results,1 water test per week,and there no movement from the PH.stayed at 7.would it change inside a week and then go back to normal?.also was just lookin at the rest of the rasboras and 1 of the males looks fat and has some of the fins sticking out around his belly.would this be bloat?

 

[macvsog23]

I am a bit worried about waht you call your monthly clean up.
Is this were you remove every item in the tank and wash it?

 

[Tener ds]

I am a bit worried about waht you call your monthly clean up.
Is this were you remove every item in the tank and wash it?

HELL NO.....no no.just remove 3 java ferns, remove dead leaves and fish crap ect,remove the wood,clean up dead moss ect,cleaned up in old fish water,and just hover up remining fish waste from the bottom of the tank. then replace.easyer to do with plants and wood out of the tank cos of the small opening the edge has.

 

[FF MkII]

sounds more like dropsy...Can you see the scales protuding? the think with small tanks is that they are not very stable

 

[macvsog23]

Sadly I am with FF on this one and its not easy to cure.
myself I just finish the fish off to stopp the suffering .

 

[Tener ds]

Yes I scales are pointing out. So I need to remove this fish and kill him???

 

[FF MkII]

Notoriously difficult to treat im afraid.

 

[macvsog23]

Sadly as with FF
Should you wish to kill any fish a sharp smack with a hammer is about the most humane in my opinion

 

[FF MkII]

Personally i prefer clove oil.

 

[dw1305]

method

Hi all,
Sorry to hear this, I'd agree with Steve (FF) and Bob's (Mac) diagnosis. Personally in small volume tanks (and certainly in anything less than 50 litres) I'd just concentrate on maintaining water quality and tank stability.

I don't think pH is an issue, or the nitrate reading, although this may have been the result of one fish dying and the ammonia produced from its decay then reducing water quality, before the filter "caught up", and converted NH3 via NO2 to the NO3 you recorded (also NO3 is very difficult to measure, so the actual reading may have been much higher). CO2 may be another issue, it may stress fish at levels far below that produce visible symptoms of gasping etc and eventually lead to mortality in otherwise healthy fish.

The problem in small tanks is because there is just no margin for error and as soon as things start going wrong they can go wrong really quickly.

I'd concentrate on water quality by light stocking (hopefully some of your CPD will survive), regular small water changes, no CO2/Excel etc and very low fertiliser addition. Plants like Java fern and Java moss will grow (slowly) in extremely low nutrient conditions.

It isn't very exciting mix, but I've definitely come around to the opinion that the less there is that can go wrong the better the chance of long term success. Another issue with small tanks is it is difficult to have 2 heaters/filters ,which can give you some back-up in case of failure in larger tanks.

Somebody told me this strategy has a name, it is the KISS ("keep it simple stupid") method.

cheers Darrel

 

[dw1305]

KISS method

Sorry duplicate post

 

[Tener ds]

ok,the deed is done.:cry:not easy.
this "dropsy" will it spread to the rest of the fish?if it does will the tank need to be spripped
and started from scratch?:dk:
i now have 1 small otto and now 5 rasboras left in there
there is no co2 in this tank and very little ferts and easy carbo go in it and it also gets a small water change every day.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Well done, its horrible and I always wait too long, but sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.

I'd carry on with the water changes, it may well be the remaining fish will be all right. You don't need to start again even if the fish die. It is likely to be a water quality issue, so if you change the water and give the filter media a good rinse you should be all right.

I'd axe the "easy carbo", it contains glutaraldehyde which is both a disinfectant and also a growth promoter (as a carbon intermediate in the photosynthetic process) your plants will grow without it.

cheers Darrel

 

[FF MkII]

No, dropsy isnt contagious......If you dont like the "hands on" approach to dispatch of your fish buy a small bottle of clove oil.

You can get it from any pharmacist and its usually used to control toothache in humans as it acts as a anaesthetic. A few drops in a tub of aquarium water will knock the fish out and then while its under will shut down its organs, without the fish knowing.

Forgive me if anyone has any evidence that this way is inhumane.

 

[scatz]

No, dropsy isnt contagious......If you dont like the "hands on" approach to dispatch of your fish buy a small bottle of clove oil.

You can get it from any pharmacist and its usually used to control toothache in humans as it acts as a anaesthetic. A few drops in a tub of aquarium water will knock the fish out and then while its under will shut down its organs, without the fish knowing.

Forgive me if anyone has any evidence that this way is inhumane.

i think the general way of thinking is that the clove oil is used first, then deliver a final blow or put into freeze just to make sure that the death isn't proplonged at all

 

[FF MkII]

i have used it till the end. Its just like us having a massive dose of anaesthetic, will knock us out then kill us

 

[Tener ds]

right just done a small water change on the the edge and found 1 more dead rasbora.
not sure if he was hiding when i counted them yesterday but there is still 5 off them left.
the strange thing about the dead one was he had no tail.
stopped adding easycarbo and low ferts.
just done a water test too:
ph=7.5
nitrate= 5
ammo= 0
nitrite= 0

 

[Tener ds]

just done a 5 liter water change on the edge and checked all the fish,all seam ok and are swimming and eating ok.also gone from feeding once a day to once every other day.
so the tank now gets a 5 liter water change a day and 10 liter on mondays,with no easycarbo and little ferts.
theres also more growth on the java ferns now :dk: