Sick Fish

[PaulineMi]

Thanks Scott. 

I swore never to get rams again due to how delicate they are but I broke down and got these..  The pair in the discus tank spawn regularly and I so want to put them in their own tank. I'd love trying to have them raise a spawn. However "don't mess with success" keeps coming to mind. I'm afraid if I move them they'll die.   

As we learn, the fish train us well.....

Ain't that the truth!  I've always contended that our critters train us if we watch and learn.

[PaulineMi]

I've bleached everything, including the tank, that was used for the angel.  Is it safe to re-use sponge filters that have been bleached and left to totally dry out?  It's been a few years since I've had an episode like this............

[Mugwump]

Sure, I'd rinse em again for any dust, etc from sitting....pop em in a tank to get them seeded...

[PaulineMi]

I think I've figured out what happened in my Angel - Diamond Tetra tank.  Our first power outage during the ice storm lasted for a full day.  We spent several hours trying to get the generator going. A trip to the store due to a having to replace a dead battery and needing additional gas, etc. took quite a while. That may have been just enough time to cause problems in the canister filters, two big Eheims, to build up some toxins. When the power finally came on...poof...who knows what anaerobes or toxins were released into the tank.

The daily water changes and the UV sterilizer may be what kept the the survivors going.  I have two of my eight diamond tetras left, five of the six angels, I think the cories are okay and the White Cloud mountain minnows are fine. The canisters are cleaned and have seeded floss in them from the healthy tank HOB filters.  All of the fish are swimming around again rather than just hanging in the water column.  Hopefully things are on the right track again.

Anything I may have overlooked?  Advice is welcomed.   

[BillT]

That may have been just enough time to cause problems in the canister filters, two big Eheims, to build up some toxins. When the power finally came on...poof...who knows what anaerobes or toxins were released into the tank.

I like your diagnosis. Did anything smell like rotten eggs? Hydrogen Sulfide (which can be toxic) can be generated in these conditions. Some fish are more sensitive to these things than others.

[Mugwump]

That's a good bit of deduction, Pauline....and I think you may have hit the issue spot on....

[PaulineMi]

Well I wondered about the tetras initially.  I have found some of them to be pretty sensitive so I started thinking about possible nitrate issues, old tank syndrome (not applicable) and then remembered a saltwater guy commenting on canister filters being nitrate factories.  Then, voila! The power outage connection to anaerobes and toxins dawned on me.

I didn't notice any odors, thankfully.  I'd bet there'd be more angel deaths if that occurred.

[PaulineMi]

Appears that things are looking better in the "sick fish tank".   

[Mugwump]

LOL...well I guess so.....sweet !

[wsantia1]

It's great that you seem to have solved your mystery.

[PaulineMi]

Tentatively .... I'm a happy camper.   

[BallAquatics]

.... I'm a happy camper.   

From the looks of it, you're not the only one.  Great job sorting it all out Pauline.

Dennis