mystery deaths

[Sue Tegland]

I kept community tanks for 14 years, till 1991, and now I can look back and see what I did wrong from knowledge that's available these days, and have learned a lot in the last 11 months I've had my 35-gal tank.

I have two filters, 1 is a Biowheel, 1 a submersed Fluval, and an air wand. My water quality is always good, and I check all the parameters. Change every week or so, and currently use Prime for dechlor etc. Temp at 79, pH 6.5-7. Several plants and driftwood thrive with a minimum of fuss.
My tank is a hex in more ways than one.

I've gone through several fish deaths wih no discernible disease process going on. With no red gills, bumps or bloats, and every fin and scale in place, they start getting listless and then cork off within a day. Tonight I rescued an albino angel's corpse out of the mouth of a loach and flushed him away. I suspect also that the loaches have eaten every last dead bugger but they seem unaffected by any disease process so far.
I've gone thru Glofish(a mistake to purchase, I know) and plain danios too, 3 each. Some rainbows, a turquoise and a female dwarf neon.

Is there any organism to suspect? I had thought the rainbows maybe were bullied, but the others weren't.
It makes me nervous and also I glance nervously at my wallet. Those are the symptoms in me. But the fish give me no warning. They also have no pocketbook.

[Diana]

Are the fish dying within a few days of you introducing them to the tank?
Are you quarantining the new fish for a month before adding them to the main tank?
Have you ever tested the water in the bag the fish are in to make sure it matches your tank? (GH, KH, pH)

The only disease organisms I would suspect is Mycobacteriosis. Fish can have this slow moving disease, and when stressed will die, even from a mild stress than other fish (without this disease) would have survived.

[Sue Tegland]

Thanks for your input.
I do not have a quarantine tank yet, I admit, and that is next on my list. Funny how otherwise smart people (like me) have to learn from costly and sad mistakes.
They die 3-4 months after introduction, and sometimes later than that, so I don't think introduction to my tank is a problem. I actually have tested the bag water vs. my tank (pH only) and find it to be w/in .5 difference, and use the drip method to acclimate them to my water. The stores I've gotten them from do share the same water system as I have. I also ask how long they've had the fish before I buy.

I am good about water changes, and maybe need to be better. I'll read up on mycobacteriosis, and see what I can find out. Thanks for the direction!
Sue

[Sue Tegland]

OK, I read up on the mycobacteriosis and recall back that the first fish to die mysteriously did exhibit symptoms of lethargic, periodic swimming, with periods of not swimming. He also showed scoliosis and anorexia. This was a glofish danio.
Anyway----eek! We humans can catch this. Yucky. I read an account of one person's experience of catching it. It could have been worse in some people, but it was creepy enough.
I am reluctant to use tank treatments of antibiotics because of the loaches.
Would this be what is recommended anyway?

[mistergreen]

loaches can handle antibiotics.. I don't see why not.

[Diana]

UV sterilizer to reduce the incidence of Mycobacteriosis.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/foru ... -fish.html

[Sue Tegland]

Thankyew! That was an extremely helpful set of posts you referred me to, and I'm afraid the situation described there fits mine to a T.
So, a UV Sterilizer it is, as soon as possible.
I also solemnly swear to have a QT running before purchasing any new fish, and may get it running now, funds permitting.
It sounds like antibiotics would be futile, though I did read mention of some success with one on another site, many addresses ago, that I visited this afternoon, trying to get more info on the TB bacteria.

The discussion does make the mycobacterium problem sound pretty pervasive, since there are many routes that can carry it into an owner's tank, and little accountability. I wonder how people who run many tanks and who run large tanks get around the problem; I see such beautiful ones on YouTube and the like..... it can't be just dumb luck...........

[Diana]

Antibiotics may or may not work against Mycobacteria, but part of the problem is that Mycobacteria may not be the only issue going on. Antibiotics will help against secondary infections that may be trying to get started.
Go ahead and treat with antibiotics as suggested by some sites. I would not trust that this treatment has, for sure, killed the Mycobacteriosis, though.

[Sue Tegland]

There is a new submersible plug-n-play that some folks swear by for versatility and movability between tanks for bacteria, algae, and 'bug' control. Made by JBJ Submariner, available online for about $60. Looks good. There is a similar one at petsmart which has a teeny filter which needs cleaning every 2 days. The online one has a larger filter, and a protective sleeve over the UV light, which I guess is good.
I am afraid to use antibiotics because of upsetting what otherwise is a well-working biofilter. Don't know if that's an unfounded concern or not, but the tank itself seems in balance the last couple months for algae, fertility for the plants, and overall health, and I hate to think of disturbing that.
There was so much less info out (at least it seemed that way to me) 25 years ago, and I just went ahead and made the changes I wanted, willynilly, because i knew less!