Pseudeutropius Brachypopterus.

saraya · Post by **saraya** » 27 Apr 2006, 09:57

Hello. I was wondering if anyone could advise me. I had 6 Pseudeutropius Brachypopterus, but sadly this morning I am down to 5.

Iâ??ve had them for about 3 and a half years.
I noticed yesterday that one looked very, very dark in colour. Almost black. His body colour blended with his stripes.
They are in a 4ft tank, and live with Cardinals, Gold Rams and a 4-inch L47. Internal and external filter and a spray bar.

Ammonia and Nitrite are 0.
Nitrates 10.
Temp 26.
PH 7.2

This tank has a small water change every other day, and a larger one on Sundays. I test my water weekly. I have doubled checked this morning and all is well.
No new fish have been added to the tank. No changes in food and no new wood or plants. They were an inch when I got them, and are now just under 4 inches.

He ate last night, was still swimming with the others and the only sign of anything being wrong was his darker colour. And this morning he was dead.

Any ideas? Thank you.

saraya · Post by **saraya** » 28 Apr 2006, 06:39

I am very worried this morning, as another fish has darkened in colour. All other tank inhabitants are fine. No other visible problems.

I had started to wonder yesterday, if he had just died of old age. However, if I have another one on the way out this morning, I feel that is unlikely. The fish is swimming and breathing normally. Again, the only hint that something is wrong is the darkened colour.
Water parameters remain good. I am truly stuck.

Please, please can someone advise me?
I really donâ??t want to lose my whiskered friends.

saraya · Post by **saraya** » 28 Apr 2006, 12:34

Iâ??ve gone to my LFS this morning to purchase a new test kit to double check my results.
Ammonia and Nitrite still reading 0
Nitrate appears to be just under 10.
PH still reading 7.2.

I sure the fish is question is dying.
Heâ??s broken off swimming with the others and is under some wood. Heâ??s about half an inch of the bottom, and the only way I can describe it, is he is swimming frantically on the spot. His whiskers are flat, back across his head, and heâ??s breathing fast. His colour seems even darker.

I donâ??t know what is wrong, and I donâ??t know what to do.
I have all sorts of medicine on standby, but as I donâ??t know what the problem is, I donâ??t know how to treat.

Iâ??m now desperate. Any one? Please?

Post by **Silurus** » 28 Apr 2006, 12:38

Your pH is on the high side for P. brachypopterus, but if you've kept them for more than 3 years like that, I don't think that would've been the problem.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 28 Apr 2006, 12:41

I feel for you, but unfortunately, I have no advice to offer.

Double checking the nitrate is a good thing - I've had my test-kit fail to read properly due to old age...

--
Mats

saraya · Post by **saraya** » 28 Apr 2006, 12:53

I did wondered about the kit, as I canâ??t see an expiry date on it. The new kit is giving me the same results though. (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Inc master test kit.)

I have been incredibly lucky in my years of fish keeping, in that I have only ever encountered white spot. Itâ??s so frustrating, as Iâ??ve researched until my eyes feel like they will bleed, but I canâ??t find matching symptoms.

I realise the PH isnâ??t ideal, but they have appeared to thrive until now. They are great little characters, and I havenâ??t seen them in my LFS since I bought them.

Thanks again for replying. I wasnâ??t sure if people were stumped, or if I had broken a forum rule somewhere and was being ignored!
I donâ??t think there is any hope left for this fish, but Iâ??m just praying the other 4 remain healthy.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 28 Apr 2006, 13:02

One thought would be to take the fish without hope and transfer it to a hospital tank, and add some general tonic (i.e. multipurpose medication), just to see if it helps or not... It's not sure to help, but if nothing else, you're trying something...

With no particularly clear symptoms, it's hard to give any advice on how to cure it, unfortunately.

--
Mats

saraya · Post by **saraya** » 09 May 2006, 08:39

Hello, I wanted to make one last attempt with this thread to see if any one can shed some light.

Over the last 12 days, I have watched them die. I have only one left now.
All other tank members are perfectly fine, and all water parameters remain the same.
I have a 100L permanently running for quarantine purposes, and I did experiment with the last 2 fish to die.
As soon as fish number 4 showed signs of darkening, I moved him into this tank and added Melafix and Pimafix. As with the others though, he was dead within about 12 hours.
I did something similar with fish number 5, but instead of using the previous 2 treatments, I added half a dose of Protozin. The only difference was that he died sooner, within about 6 hours.

My one remaining whiskered friend is still in the main tank and looks completely normal, however judging by the last few days, I am expecting him to go darker tomorrow and die.

I am so perplexed by this. And feel so very frustrated and helpless.

I was wondering, is it possible that the average life span of a fish species is not as variable as that of people? Could it be possible that fish kept together under the same conditions, in the same tank, really do have some kind of body clock that tells them when their time is up?
Is it feasible that 5 or 6 fish die of old age in less than 2 weeks?

Or am I just grasping at straws as I have failed these guys?
Thanks for any input.