75 gallon crashing

pinkrblu · Post by **pinkrblu** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:44 pm

I talked to Kevin and Michael on Sunday about my 75 gallon tank. Something was killing the fish off one at a time. Then all of a sudden it looked like maybe a case of velvet. I used salt Sunday expecting to get different meds Monday if necessary. Monday morning things looked better. Monday afternoon, I had lost another fish and it suddenly looked like ich. I've been keeping the lights off and raised the temp. I treated for ich last night (Jungle product). When I got up this morning, I had lost three black phantoms and a rummy nose. The cherry barbs all look horrible tonight, but I didn't lose anyone else today. I am so sad! What next???

etheonut · Post by **etheonut** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:21 am

Many of the tetra species can only tolerate a small amount of Ich medicine. I believe most products recommend using it at half strength if scales catfish or tetras are present. Ich runs in cycles of approximately 14 days, depending on the temperature so suddenly showing the signs of Ich is not unusual.

I would try to sort your tetras away from the other fishes and continue to treat it like Ich.

Keep in mind that Ich should look like the fish have been salted, there should be no fuzziness or disconfiguration to the white spots. If the spots do not look like granules of salt then you are probably dealing with a different infection. I am only including this because many people see any white marks on the sides of fish and assume Ich. My experience has been that this is not the case most of the time.

Kevin

pinkrblu · Post by **pinkrblu** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 12:03 am

The tank is still sliding, but not as quickly as before. I have lost quite a few fish, but none of my favorites or most valuable. I am still treating ich but I think that is whipped now, just dealing with secondary stuff. I've got a few different types of med for fungus and bacterial infections. I guess I'll decide which to use based on the appearance tomorrow morning.

pinkrblu · Post by **pinkrblu** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 1:58 am

I have now moved my cichlids from the 75 to a bare 10 gallon. The angels seemed much better within a couple hours. I am planning to treat them for secondary bacterial infection tomorrow. I still haven't decided what to do with the rest of the fish that are in there, but I am going to have to break the whole tank down and start over.

Sundance · Post by **Sundance** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 1:25 pm

Good luck with that. What kind of fungicide did you get, and where? If you don't mind me asking. If a fish gets stressed or nicked in my 75 gallon, it gets a white, fuzzy, fungal infection.

I've lost two Gourami's and two Clown Loaches to this. I thought it was a non-conventional decoration that had some spots that didn't have any circulation, and possibly harboring the fungus. I've since removed the item and did a massive WC, but the fungus got the Clowns after that.

Thanks,

pinkrblu · Post by **pinkrblu** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 1:49 pm

Haven't decided yet what to use. I've got Pimafix and Melafix, Jungle products' Fungus Clear and Kordon's Ich Attack. I'm worried about using them with the tetras and the catfish, because they tend to be more sensitive. I got the Fungus Clear at Walmart and the others (I think??) I got at PetSmart (Maybe??) anyway, they are all new within the last couple months.

McKelvie · Post by **McKelvie** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:38 pm

today we moved the three remaining cories and our plecostomus from the 75 gallon to a five gallon on my dresser for now. the chiclids are in a ten gallon in the kitchen. the tetras are still dying. things are not good. thank god my discus tank is problem free.

pinkrblu · Post by **pinkrblu** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:20 pm

UGH!!! We lost an angel today, and another rummynose. A couple of the pristella's are looking kind of rough, but no one else looks like they are knocking on death's door. I am beyond frustrated!

Sundance · Post by **Sundance** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 7:22 am

That's sad to hear. It's frustrating, sad, and sometimes angry when something like this is happening. Best of luck.

etheonut · Post by **etheonut** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 7:29 am

Kenna,

Did the angel look bad before it died, or was this a surprise when it died? What medications do you currently have running in which tanks? Are you continueing to test for ammonia and nitrite in the tanks that are being treated or that have sickness? Many of the medicaction that we use to treat our fishes also severely impact the biological filtration of the tanks. Are the fish that are dieing showing the same symptoms as before, or have they changed at all?

Kevin

pinkrblu · Post by **pinkrblu** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:48 am

The angel didn't look too bad before I left the house yesterday. The tail and dorsal fins had a bit of raggedness to them, but her behavior was okay. Her death was as much of a surprise as it could be when all of your fish are dying.
I'm using Fungus Clear in the 10 gallon with all my favorite fish and Ich-Attack in the 75 with the tetras. I don't know for sure what Meg is using, I think just salt with the cories and the bn plec. She lost one panda, but the others still look fine.

etheonut · Post by **etheonut** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:59 am

Fungus Clear is one of those medications that will rapidly kill your biological filter. Please be sure and check the ammonia and nitrite levels in that 10 gallon as soon as possible. If no one else in that tank looks ragged, and even if they do, I would do a 25% water change. From talking to you it wouldn't surprise me a bit if you had already done this.

Kevin

pinkrblu · Post by **pinkrblu** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:02 am

Oh, yeah. Forgot that part. I don't have any filter at all in this tank. It is just a bare 10 gallon with a 6 inch air stone. I have been doing daily 10-20% water changes to try to keep medication in but remove enough polutants. Also cut way back on feeding.

pinkrblu · Post by **pinkrblu** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:36 pm

Made it through the whole day with no more losses. The angels are kind of sloughing off a layer of slime.....I hope that is a good sign, not a bad one. I think I will do another water change before bed to get rid of some of it. That will make the second one today. I have a brand new filter running auxiliary on my 29 to put in the 10 the angels are in when I stop medicating. Until then I will keep up stupidly frequent water changes.

McKelvie · Post by **McKelvie** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 9:30 pm

things are looking a little better.we haven't lost any more fish. the angels are not all looking so great though

Post by **sumpnfishy** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 10:07 pm

Maybe things are turning around then!
Michael

etheonut · Post by **etheonut** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 7:54 am

I would say if the angels are still in a ten gallon aquarium with no filtration then they are probably suffering from the ammonia and possibly nitrites that are building up between the water changes.

Kevin

pinkrblu · Post by **pinkrblu** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 3:30 pm

We have been doing frequent water changes, but I think I am going to put the filter on today.

pinkrblu · Post by **pinkrblu** » Sun May 06, 2007 9:10 pm

Ok, long time, no update. The 75 is back to normal, a few less plants than I used to have in it, but not too bad. Now the count is something like this...

4 angels
2 male Rams (Anyone know a good source for females? I can't find any!)
1 female betta
2 female guppies
1 female platty
9 black neon tetras
6 Xray tetras
5 neon tetras
5 rummynose tetras
1 bn plec
1 pair corycats
1 panda cory

Yes, it is a rather odd and interesting assortment. I've got another 6 neons growing out in another tank. The Cacatuoides pair that were originally in this tank are in a 5 gallon alone in Megs room.

etheonut · Post by **etheonut** » Sun May 06, 2007 9:14 pm

Check with John at Cichlids and Salt for the rams. He usually has a tank of rams sitting around waiting. Not always, but sometimes at least. It is worth calling to find out.

Kevin