VERY UPSET I NEED HELP....PEPPERMINTS

[NEVVBIE]

HI ALL
in last 3 days i have lost 2 females and 1 male peppermint and now 1 albino female... i done water test all tests showed OK......
i don't understand i get this cotton stuff like i algae maybe growing on my driftwood i have a 4ft tank split into 4 bays with holes in the dividers have a plastic filter with media in it in each bay.. it gets very dirty fast....
these 3 peppermints i lost i cant work it out :dk::cry::cry:
the peppermints i never really noticed them eating i am using hikari wafers i had some other cheap ones also..by morning the wafers look all broken down uneaten ....now i notice all the albinos are stuck on the front glass towards the top of the tank and sometimes i notice them dart to the surface and comeback down.......i will post a few pics please help thanks....

this is only 1 of them but there is over 5-6 of them all stuck to the front glass towards the top of the tank..

only peppermint left when i look at some of these bristle noses i notice there bristles look all floppy is that normal ?

a happy father....
please help i cant work it out... thanks all

 

[Breamlegend]

where did you get the driftwood from? I dont think your filtration is good enough. I would divide the tank only in two and run a cannister off each half. (thats what I do). Have you tested for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph. Usually when your fish hang on the glass near the top of the tank its a water quality issue. How much air do you have in the tank?

 

[NEVVBIE]

I test the water all was ok

has plenty of air in tank cause of the 4 filters but i think not enough filtration i use to use this tank for growing up fry...
i may need to move these BN to separate 2 foot tanks... and run a filter only reason i didn't put a canister filter is so the baby fry don't get sucked up...

 

[Breamlegend]

It may be a internal parasite/bacterial infection. Re: using cannisters, just cover the intake with flyscreen. The shot of the abn looks red around the anus. Whats their poop look like?

 

[NEVVBIE]

REGARDING pooop

there poop is normally long and thick dam messy i say....
i think 100% i need bigger space for them so have better movement and flow..they are still breeding in that tank well but these dam peppermints just die a lot of money down the drain and no one is helping me get more females
lol

 

[FF MkII]

oooh long poo! Sound like an internal bacteria problem, i would also get rid of that wood asap

 

[Irene0100]

bad luck, you seem to have rotting wood - does it smell a bit when you take it out of the water? you are luck they fry are still alive.
the rotting on the wood may be taking up oxygen in the water. also if you are treating with any meds they sometimes use oxygen so need plenty air stones (in each section).

water tests only show up certain chemicals and not everything, so I would do a 50% w/c as well. they buy some new wood from good lfs.

 

[NEVVBIE]

more are dieing i treated the tank for worm in morning i noticed looks like poo or worm short under 1 cm poo looking things stuck behind a fry net that was in tank i moved fish into...most of the fish that have died are FEMALES all the bristlesnoses are just sticking to the glass towards the top not 1 is in a cave..when I take the DEAD out from females this orange liquid comes from anus hole if that means anything and i notice most of the fish look like they have blood(a lot of red color) towards the anus to end of tail...
now in my other big tank all my venustus are sitting along the bottom of tank and occasional having spazam twitch....

 

[Doodles]

now in my other big tank all my venustus are sitting along the bottom of tank and occasional having spazam twitch....

You are having problems in two separate tanks?

 

[NEVVBIE]

2 separate tanks.... i have a feeling the filter on my big tank is on wheels i take it to my bristlenose tank and run it for a few hours when needed now i have a feeling cause mixing the filter tank to tank now i am killing the venustus.... every one of these bristlenose that have died have swollen stomachs

 

[Brengun]

I would be inclined to think its a water problem first.
Have you checked ammonia, nitrites and nitrates?

Once you rule that one out think about maybe internal worms.
That red anus photo looks very much like callamanus worms. In Australia we use BigL pig and poultry wormer to treat. It paralyses the worms so you can vac them out of the tank. It also works as a bit of a tonic and is not harmful to plecos that I have found.
1ml to 7ltrs water. I think I got my bottle from here http://www.vetproductsdirect.com.au/itemdesc.asp?ic=SYK205

I would also consider using Waterlifes Myxazin http://www.waterlife.co.uk/waterlife/myxazin.htm
It is available in Australia, you just have to nose around some of the online stores or ask you lfs to find some for you.
If my plecs have been fighting or they look to be off their food I use that one.
It does not affect your tanks bacteria and will not cause a cycle.

While they are off their food, feed very sparingly. All that extra uneaten food will not be doing the quality of your water any favours.
Even consider putting in a bit of cucumber or zuccini for them to nibble on.

 

[Irene0100]

sorry you are loosing such lovely fish..
sharing a filter over two tanks is def not good idea. if both tanks now are ill it would certainly suggest there is an infection of some kind thats water carried.
invest in a filter for each tank and consider getting a filter with built in UV for future if you can.
for now its a question of BIG water change and finding the right medicine!