My Fish Are Dying!

Hi,

Sorry to join and immediately ask for help - but i'm pretty desperate.

I have a planted fish tank, home to Male Guppies, Neon Tetras, and Mollies, which has been running for around 5 month with no major issues.

On Sunday I bought some new fish from a petshop I had never used before, I bought 3 more male guppies and an Albino Plec (I had heard they're good for the algae)

I also bought a couple of rocks to help give them somewhere to hide.

I got them home, let the new fish float, washed the rocks, put them in, mixed the water with the bagged new fish etc.

As soon as one of the new guppies was out of the bag it was clear it was not well. He could barely move and (forgive my ignorance with terminology...) could not propel himself with his rear fin - almost as if he was paralised. He otherwise looked healthy, very colourful, no white spots, no red gills, fins in good condition.

The other fish saw he couldn't defend himself and had a couple of bites - I couldn't bare to let it happen so I seperated him into a sandwhich bag (it's all I could find) and left him in the top of the tank. He dies about 30 mins later.

The next day one of the other new guppies was found dead at the bottom of the tank - no obvious reasons why, again the fins look ok, no spots, no sore gills.

On Tuesday I checked the fish and was horrified to see two Neons and a Guppie (not a new one) had all died,  and yet again I couldn't see why. Realising this could no longer possibily be a coincidence I took a water sample down to the pet shop, (they use a four-test-tube kit) and they said there is nothing wrong with the water at all - which agree's with the tests I do weekly at home (strip-style).

Woke up this morning to find two more dead Tetras... Went to work and come back to find another neon that looks like it is fighting for life, and my two other remaining neons are looking pale and their fins are almost looking a bit... flakey? - But this hasn't been visable on any of the other casualties.

I've done a 25% water change and I've found a tiny snail stuck to the glass. How the hell did that get in? Could that be an issue?

The Albino Plec has settled in great. He doesn't do much. But he seems happy just relaxing.

Has anyone got any ideas? I have no idea what else to do.

Thank you,
Tom

Hi FC,

Thank you for the reply.

I was thinking that the fish I introduced must have been dieseased because I can't see it being anything else.

At the moment, most of the survivors are either hanging around the very top or very bottom of the tank, they just don't seem to be happy.

The only fish that look fine are the Mollies and the Plec, swimming around happy as anything.

Their last feed a couple of hour ago about 5 or 6 fish didn't eat anything, they showed no interest whatsoever.

I just don't know what to try.

Hi Tom,

I've been looking through my fishlopedia (useful book called Tropical Fishlopedia - complete guide to fish care by Mary Bailey and Peter Burgess) for possible causes for your fish deaths and have come up with one possibility - guppy disease.

The book says that it is caused by a protozoan and mainly affects guppies but can spread to other livebearers and even other species of fish. signs are small white patches commonly around the eyes on guppies, bristling and protruding scales and it occasionally effects the musculature and internal organs. The disease is rapidly fatal. Treatment is via anti-protozoan treatment but serious attacks are generally incurable.

This could explain why you have lost so many fish so quickly? Maybe just check the fish for the white patches around the eyes to be sure?? Definitely research some more before you do anything though.

Surface hanging is common in ill fish - it can be due to hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and they go to the top where there is the most oxygen available. Make sure your filter flow agitates the surface of the water as this increases oxygen in the water.  Also high temperatures can reduce oxygen so perhaps lower the tank temp to the lowest your fish can tolerate (see fish profiles for acceptable ranges).

Sitting on the bottom is also a common 'ill fish' thing as is lack of appetite.

I hope someone with more knowledge gives you some advice soon and hope you find a solution.

Best wishes,

FC

Hi Tom

I Had a similar problem too with the Guppy's. Bought 6. 3 dyed in as many days about 2 weeks later. 2 stayed on the surface and one on the bottom no signs of discolour etc. They just lost the will to live and dyed. I asked for advice on this forum as to possible cause. Guppy's apparently are the weakest when it comes to the stress of transfer from shop to tank. So no other real cause just one of those things. The 6 Tetra's and the 3 Guppy's are doing very well. Whether you were just unlucky with possibly a diseased fish.

Have to say one thing though the advice given to me from the shop on tank keeping maintenance differs greatly from this forum. Ask the question on this forum you wont go far wrong.     

Hi,

Will have a read up on the Guppy diesease now, cheers FC.

Thank you for the info Sue,

I've been a bit nervous about putting medicines into the tank without fully knowing what the cause is, but it's getting to the point where i'm running out of options. If I did put eSHa 2000 or Myxazin into the tank and the fish had something these products could not treat, could it make the situation worse?

Thank you,
Tom

Those meds shouldn't make the fish worse. The worst they'll do is nothing. But if you have inverts (snails, shrimps) they would be adversely affected.

Hi Tom,

Best of luck with your fish. I hope the rest make it!!

Just in case you ever need to' help' a fish on its way the most humane way (and least gruesome!) is to use Clove oil as described by Sue in this quote from another thread - hope you don't mind me quoting you Sue!!
 

Clove oil, sold at chemist shops (old remedy for toothache). Put the fish in a tub of tank water. Find a screw top bottle/jar, add 20 to 30 drops of clove oil (depending on how big the tub is, and how much water is in there) and a bit of water then shake until the oil emulsifies. Pour slowly into the tub with the fish and leave it a few hours. If you take the body out too soon there is the risk the fish is just unconscious. Waiting the few hours ensures it is dead before disposing of the body.
Clove oil stinks. You won't be able to use the tub or bottle for anything else. And I keep a pair of rubber gloves for this as it takes ages for the smell to wash out of your skin.

Let us know how things go!!

FC