loosing a fish every 2 weeks

[zeebo]

hi, perhaps someone can figure this out . I have a 30g with 8 platy(all from same 2parents/siblings-they have been breeding for about 2 yrs now) . I have kept them because my husband asked me to. they vary in size.I don't plan to keep them forever,just to keep the tanks cycled for future amazon fish.

I also have a 20g with about 25 more offspring of same origional 2 platy and this tank continues to have babies . I am trying to get them 2 at a time in the 30g so I can use the 20g for a q-tank. No babies in 30g. No deaths in the 20g.

However , for the past month and a half, I have been loosing 1 platy every 2 weeks in the 30g. First thing I notice is hanging around at top in one place, this goes on for a few days, then it goes to the bottom for a day , next day is dead. It happens same way every time. Different sizes are dying so not age. They are inbred, but show no outward signs of deformities.something is causing a prob in the 30g. It's almost like clock-work that one will become ill .

30g tank info-2 Marineland bio-wheel HOB's with cartridged removed and using bags of clay biomatrix. I hydra-sponge filter and 1 air stone.

gravel bottom-vacuum once a month

feeding -very light, flakes

ph-6.8, amonia-0.10 (rom tap-use extra Prime,same as all tanks,)ni-0,na-20 ,wc 20% weekly-I match the new water to that tank ph.

So I need to find out what is causing the deaths before I move any more platy from the 20g to the 30g. I am only moving them temporarily,and will take them to the store at a later date.

Could this be caused by so much inbreeding ? Or something else ? I have been banging my head trying to figure this out.

I plan to eventually use this 30g for a small L, but can't until I know it is safe.

ANY ideas would be greatful. thanks

 

[zeebo]

anyone wanna take a stab at this ? Please ?

 

[Lornek8]

Not inbreeding. Typically takes more than a couple generations to create problems.

When do you test the water? Ammonia should go away after a reasonable amount of time.

Are there any other signs before the fish perish? Do they get skinnier? Any slime or other outward symptoms?

 

[zeebo]

hi Lorne, thanks for responding. No, nothing strange looking at all. They look normal, even in death.

I test the water once a week , just before a wc.
There is no special time before or after a wc when it begins. It begins by noticing 1 platy not swimming around as others. It hangs at the top, always the same side of tank, and won't eat. This goes on for about 2 days, sometimes 3 ,but no more that that. Then it will drop to the slate, or rocks and hang there for a day. Next day -dead.

No slime. Every one of these fish were born in the 20g. No fatalities in the 20g. Same ph .

I am afraid to move anymore as I feel it is a death sentence. :dk: I am totally stumped here and can't purchase any new fish until I figure this out. Hope I answered all your questions.

 

[Lornek8]

What else besides the platy are in the 30 gallon?
Was there ever a problem with disease in the 30 gallon? Was it affected by the issues you had with the rummy noses?

 

[zeebo]

hi Lorne,
1 celebe , a lone survivor of a wc with a substantial PH difference quite a while ago. Now I match my ph when doing wc's.
Never an illness in this tank.

No, the rummy nose tetra have always been in the 54g. Reason I want to use the 20g for a q-tank . Learned my lesson.

Now, I may have the answer , :wb: I removed the cartridges from the 30g and replaced with clay biomatrix quite some time ago. However,I was switching them by staggering , removing one cartridge every 2 weeks or so, so I wouldn't have a mini-cycle. Something must have had me busy and I have not cleaned one of the filters in over 2 months to my best guess. Today I decided to clean it, and found there was still one cartridge left in there, althogh I had removed one of the 2 previously--and forgot to remove the other by not doing a filter cleaning. Could this be the cause ? I know there is carbon in these filter cartridges, so could it be possible it has been releasing toxins back into the water , or would that kill all the fish at one time ?

So either this is the cause , and I have removed the last cartridge, but I cut the sponge part off, and rinsed in old tank water and stuck it back in , just the blue sponge , not the cartridge. Or is this problem caused by something else?

Was it ok to cut the sponge off the cartridge and stick it back in the filter or should I remove it ? With the tap amonia issues recently, I did it for that reason. Necessary ? :dk:

Do you think the old cartridge is the culprit ?

 

[Lornek8]

Anything involved with the filters should affect all fish or at least more than a single fish every 2 weeks. I'd also think it's affect a group of fish like all the fry as they may be weaker or all the oldest of fish for a similar reason.

From the sounds of it, it seems to be a disease of some sort. Something like an internal infection which was the reason to ask about the other fish in the tank. Even this though i'd think would affect multiple fish at a time.

 

[zeebo]

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ok , here is a picture of the fish in the 30g. Some are sub-adult, pre-adult and newly adult.

So if it is a disease, what would I use to medicate ?

Thanks,

 

[zeebo]

ok, I forgot to mention, the photo of the platy above is when they are showing no signs of illness, just wating to be fed.

How do I go about figuring out what kind of med to use ? This needs to be fixed. Thanks

 

[Lornek8]

My best guess would be an internal bacterial infection of sorts. Its about the only explenation for random fish getting it, no outwardly signs, and not everything in the tank affected at once. You know I like the Mardel stuff. Maracyn & Maracyn II would be my treatements.

 

[zeebo]

hi Lorne, thanks for the advice. Will get those meds asap.

* question, will the meds destroy my filter media so I know what to expect ? I am assuming use both at same time ?

A million thanks for your support .

 

[Lornek8]

I like to useboth at the same time. Too often i had used the one described for the condition i was seeing only to hae the other work as a follow up. As the are from the same company i feel comfortable using them together.

They may impact the filters but. Ive neber had them completely destroy a filter. In fact i typicaly dont notice a difference (i dont test).

 

[zeebo]

thanks Lorne , I will pick some up this weekend.

appreciate all your help !

 

[zeebo]

hi, well my hard drive crashed, lost everything so gotta borrow one when I can till mine is fixed.

OK, I am on the fourth day of the maracyn & maracyn 2 treatment in the 30g tank. All seems ok so far..no losses. cross fingers.

....and I did not want to contaminate the python so i did not do a vacuum prior to medicating.

thanks again for your help