PlanetCatfish.com

Hi everyone

I just got a disturbed call from one of my friends who is at the moment without internet.

A couple of days ago, he bought at a cheap price 20 wild caught C. schwartzii directly from an import.

They seemed stressed from travelling offcourse, but otherwise okay - I saw the fish myself.

He placed them in a new 325 L tank, without any other inhabitants yet. The tanks had been running for 4 days only, lots of bogwood and plants, eksternal 1050 L/hour cannister, substrate Neptun sand (semiround 0,5-2mm).
Waterreading is pH 7,6 and dH 15 - With some say should be OK for schwartzii. Temp is 24 C.
No testkit for Nitrates etc available unfortunately.

The fish has kept dying of one after one - Now 6 are dead. He can't see any parasites with his bare eye, but notes, that the mucus seems to loosen on the fish that are really bad and soon to die, and that the fish that are worst off seem not to be able to hold bottom contact or balance.

Anyone has any advice on what to do or what is wrong, pleace throw a post.

Thanks
Allan (On behalf of Carsten)

I have done some thinking myself - I am a bit slow at that, hehe.

I guess the tank is not cycled properly, så I will suggest him a 30% waterchange right away, and I will visit him asap, bringing

-Tetra pH/kH minus
-Tetra Toru Min
-Aqua Safe
-Black Peat
-Becks Multi (Medication)
-And, offcourse, a test kit for ammonia, NO2 and NO3.

As i reckon, the fish will benefit from a lowered pH/dH

I am not a fan of poering chemicals in any aquarium, but do You think this sounds to be a possible solution in this case?
I am also thinking to sacrifice a weakened fish for a microscopy test scraping for protozoa (tricodina or similar) - But I do think these are allready in play, therefor want to add Becks Multi right away (Some cheap medication against most protozoa and fungi, should get rid of many things, but dont know anything about whats in it).

If anyone has any comments to my monologue, please contribute ;)

Kr Allan

Hey,

huh just remember that rapid ph change (even for a better value) can kill fish.

Not cycled tank can be a problem I would use some bio-starters and test NH3 (sorry I don't know how you call it in eanglish :().

Personally I always use sera nitrivec and it works really good for me :) - you just have to add much more than producer wrote on a bottle - which will cost your friend a lot of money for such a big tank ;].

Regards.

Hi Worton

I think NH3 is ammonia. Yeah, I'll test for that.
We do not have Sera Nitrivec at the local store - or any store around - but Tetra has something very similar. I'll try that then, if nitrates are high.

I'll take it slow with the pH.

Thanks for the advice.
Allan

You should read this: http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4143

iwona

Thanks for the link - But I am aware of that. As You can see, i posted a reply in that thread long ago

I don't think toxins is the issue here. They keep dying off slowly, even now, 5 days after introduction.

Out of twente, he is now down to 12, 2 died today.

Kr Allan