2 weeks ago, I consolidated 2 tanks by adding a royal panaque and a leopard cactus pleco to my angelfish tank (also had 3 corys, a gourami, 2 congo tetra, whiptail catfish, bulldog pleco). I've since lost the two smaller corys and the gourami. The gourami's death I saw coming as he had ascites for a couple of weeks. He was at least 3 years old (I've had him that long and he was full-grown then). The corys have also been in the tank for 3 years. They were the fish I started the tank with originally so it's sad to see them go. Could one of the plecos have killed the corys? My other concern is water chemistry, I need to go pick up a new test kit as I just realized how old the current kit is. I do 10-20% water changes every 2 weeks, but missed last week. I'm going to go pick up a test kit this evening and will post the results, but the tank has been set up for 3 years so it's hard for me to imagine it being water quality even with the recent addition. I just wondered if it could be aggression b/w the fish.
Ideas on what would have given him ascites? I thought that was just a sign of organ failure (as in kidney or liver), not a sign of infection? He was continuing to eat even after it developed. It was a cyclical process: one day it would be fairly pronounced, the next day almost gone. I actually thought he was looking really good the day before he died. The corys on the other hand, would be there eating one night, the next day nothing but remnants of their "armor".
FWIW, I got the results of the water analysis:
pH 7.0
Ammonia/nitrite 0
Nitrate 30-40 (too high for my liking, it's usually <10)
I did a 30% water change, will check the water tests tomorrow and probably do another water change.
There have been no new fish added to the tank for a year until the addition of the two plecos, they've been in their tank for over a year as well. In fact, no new freshwater fish since early last summer and these are the first deaths since then. Everybody is feeding normally (i.e. like pigs!) and I have a pair of angels preparing to spawn as well. I'm really stumped. I can run some anti-parasitics through the tank, to see if that helps. Beyond that, I don't even know where to begin. I don't even have a body to examine since they are being eaten so fast! (Except for the gourami, he must have died shortly before I found him as he looked normal except for the not-so-minor detail of being dead.)
I appreciate your help, think I'll check some other FW forums to see if I can find some more ideas.
catdoc wrote:Ideas on what would have given him ascites? I thought that was just a sign of organ failure (as in kidney or liver), not a sign of infection?
I take it that 'ascites' in this context is the same as 'dropsy'? Ie body swelling due to accumulation of fluid in the body cavity?
It seems quite a few infections can lead to organ failure and resulting accumulation of fluid. My first encounter with dropsy was through fish tuberculosis, and presently I am losing fish to an extremely virulent systemic infection, possibly by Flexibacter, which in a few of the infected fish led to dropsy shortly prior to their death.
But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I will be unique in all the world..... You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Could one of the plecos have killed the corys? My other concern is water chemistry, I need to go pick up a new test kit as I just realized how old the current kit is. I do 10-20% water changes every 2 weeks, but missed last week. I'm going to go pick up a test kit this evening and will post the results, but the tank has been set up for 3 years so it's hard for me to imagine it being water quality even with the recent addition. I just wondered if it could be aggression b/w the fish.
