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Our 4 Year Old Kissing Gourami (7" ) just recently died a slow death do to an unknown cause, we are thinking trauma do to an intoxicated person trying to grab the fish. Any ideas?

ENVIRONMENTAL DATA

Water Parameters

Ammonia: 0.125 (Normal Range 0-.25)
Nitrite (note the “I” ): 0 (Normal Range 0-.25)
Nitrate (note the “A" ): 80 (Normal Range (20-40)
pH: 6.0 (Normal Range 6.8-7.2)
Hardness 150ppm (Normal Range 75-300ppm)
Alkalinity 0 (Normal Range 0-80ppm)
Temp: 79 F (Normal 79 F)


Tank Information

Tank Size: 90 Gal Regular
Stock List (Quantity/Species):
1 Red Capt Oranda (3" )
2 Spotted Catfish (2" )
1 Striped Catfish (2" )
1 Pleko (8" )
9 White Tetras (1" )
Filtration: AquaClear 500



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Additives
30% Water change every 2 weeks. 5-in-1 (Nitrate, Nitrite, Hardness, Alkalinity, pH) and Ammonia Checked weekly. pH raise added very infrequently.

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR SICK FISH

Our 4 Year Old Kissing Gourami (7" ) just recently died a slow death do to an unknown cause. The fish was found mid-day and it was obvious that the tank had been tampered with (light unplugged, food can floating in tank). The usually active fish was found at a 45 degree angle and stayed that way for 24 hrs, then the fish lay on its side on the bottom of the tank, breathing and still kissing, the fish died about 12 hours later. The fish was found dead at the bottom of the tank with red sores, no other fish were effected. Chemistry was normal for near the end of a two week cycle before a water change, except pH was 6.0. Since I was out of town, my housemates balanced pH and performed a 50% water change. Just a few months prior 2 Tri-Color Sharks (6" ), 3 Clown Loaches (2" ) and 2 Stripped Catfish (2" ) died after a Black Moore was introduced to the tank. The Moore was purchased from Petco and died within 7 days, a week later the other fish became sick and died. Cataracs were noted in the sharks eyes post-mordem. A five day course of medication was administered.

Last edited by jared999 at 02-Dec-2004 22:13

Last edited by jared999 at 02-Dec-2004 22:14

Last edited by jared999 at 03-Dec-2004 13:48

Didn't you answer your own question???...

Keep the drunks out of your tank.

Side notes...

The temp is too high.
The filter is too small for a 90 gallon.
Never attempt to manipulate pH. Leave it alone.

--garyroland.

Does that sort of death seem consistent with trauma, why else would a fish sink? Typo on Temp, it is kept at 79 F electronically, how is that. I rarely adjust pH, only if it is really off the scale. Should I try to adjust anything else, I have always taken the no additive frequent water change approach. The AquaClear 500 is rated at 500gph and for tanks up to 100 gallons. Should I not believe them and get a bigger one?

Don't believe them - those calculations are done without media in the filter. With media in, you need significantly more.



Those 5-in-1 are test strips, right? Sadly, while convenient, test strips are highly untrustworthy. I'd take a sample of water to your LFS and have them check it with a real test.

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

From my experience, the 5-in-1s I find to be pretty accurate for everything but pH.

Test strips are not accurate...

The liquid reagents should be used instead and the temp brought down to about 79-80.

Handling trops, especially rough handling with fingers and no net will further stress an already stressed fish and cause all sorts of unnatural reactions leading to death.

Again, leave the pH alone, add another filter like a Penquin 330 bio filter and make sure the tank is biologically balanced.

--garyroland.

Have you checked it against tests with liquid chemicals? I've found significant disparities on every brand of dip tests I've tried, and after even a little time they degrade significantly. A brand new bottle, the first time it's opened, sometimes yields acceptable results, but when you've lost a fish, I wouldn't trust the strips to be accurate.

-Molly
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