sudden Adolfoi deaths after a year

CatSteven · Post by **CatSteven** » 14 Oct 2003, 17:48

Good morning! I thought someone out there could help. I have been keeping 5 Adolfos Corys in a 29 gallon planted community tank for a year. Recently the Corys started to die suddenly about one every other day. They are going on their side and breathing hard and then they burrow under something and die. There are only 2 left that are still vigorous. I have had the water tested: Nitrite=0, ammonia=0, pH=7.2 hardness is a problem coming from the tap at 300. I use an Eheim canister filter with peat and DIY c02. I have a gourami, barbs and 3 otocinclus. Why have'nt the otos been affected? The barbs fin color looks a little faded. I have not been able to get satisfactory advice from the local pet shops. The place the fish came from thinks its the hardness that's killing them and advises water changes with RO water. Another shop says they've lived fine in hard water for a year and instead suspects internal parasites and recommends treating with Hex-a-mit (Metronidazole). I am usually careful about contaminants getting in the water and I can't think of what I might have done to poison them. Thanks to anyone who can offer help.

magnum4 · Post by **magnum4** » 14 Oct 2003, 19:24

when you say

. I have had the water tested: Nitrite=0, ammonia=0, pH=7.2 hardness is a problem coming from the tap at 300.

does this mean when you first started or recently or even better today. sorry i have to check.

first things first it is true that the hardness is up a litttle and they could probably do with softer water, but this does not explain though the series of deaths so sudden and for that same reason it is unlikly to be internal worms.

have you checked temperature, and that the filters or working correctly? have you done any major changes to the tank recently? do you feed live foods?

If it looks like they are having difficulty breathing i would be inclined to boost the oxygen levels. remove the co2 unit and anythink blocking gaseous exchange at the water surface. tern the temperature down to about 24celcius this will increase the oxygen holding capacity of the water.

CatSteven · Post by **CatSteven** » 14 Oct 2003, 20:46

Hello magnum4, sorry, I had the hardness tested after the first one died...it's been down hill from there. I have the temperature set at around 27 celceus but will adjust it as you suggest. I took out the c02 after the third one died, started an airstone and began treating with the hex-a-mite yesterday. I dis-assembled the filter and cleaned it after the first fish died, I think its working. Water is circulating at any rate. I leave an inch of space between the surface and the canopy. I alternate flake food, Hikari sinking wafers and freeze dried tubafex worms. I did remove an aponogeton bulb plant that was shedding leaves and making a mess. This was about a week or two before the trouble started. A lot of debris were stirred up at that time. Could I bring the fish corpse to any one and have it examined?

magnum4 · Post by **magnum4** » 14 Oct 2003, 23:54

This is a silly question as well but what exactly did you clean you biological filter media in?

unless one of your lfs offers an internal investigation service i dont think there is anyone else. you could call out a vet(very expensive). or get involved with a local club they probably have at the very least contacts or may be able to help themselves.

good luck with the corys!

CatSteven · Post by **CatSteven** » 15 Oct 2003, 00:35

I rinse the filter media with cool de-chlorinated tap water. I fill 5 gal. buckets and rinse everything. I am leaning towards something in the substrate getting stirred up while removing that plant as the problem. Or maybe something bad got in the water. The last two are doing o.k. but I am keeping an eye on them. If every thing seems stable after a while, I guess I'll have to get more corys to keep their school going.

magnum4 · Post by **magnum4** » 15 Oct 2003, 00:49

Nothing can get stirred up out of the substrate and be able to kill your corys. the major problems most people incounter are due to water quality. I suggest you buy a full test kit NH3/4 NO2 NO3 pH KH and GH keep a constant weekly check on your water and note down the results, watch for things out of the ordinary. Remember the most common diseases which cause problems are all in the water in and on the fishes skin. however they only become a problem if for some reason the fishes immune system is not 100%.

I recomend you wash out your filter media in water taken out of the tank this insures no major loss of benificial bacterior.

Post by **Silurus** » 15 Oct 2003, 01:47

You didn't say what kind of a substrate you were using. If it is fine sand, then there's a likelihood that your disturbing the substrate may have released hydrogen sulfide (from using too much sand and the subsequent formation of anareobic pockets), though I think it would have more likely killed your fish almost instantaneously (not to mention your being able to smell it immediately).