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What is this? I bought 6 small tiger barbs. Only three of them surrvived in my quarentine tank after a few days. The survivors seemed strong, two regulars and one albino. After 10 days, I added them to my 20G tank which had 2 big tigers and 3 cories. After being in the 20G for a week, my 2 big old tigers both die on the same day. Then the next day, the new albino dies the same way too. They died by getting weak and floating around in the current, upside down for a few hours. Then ending up sitting on the bottom upside down usually panting for an hour till they croak. When I scoop them out, they are straight and limp with their mouth open.

Is this like a flu they are passing around? Is it like kennel cough that cats get? ie) if you bring home a new cat then your old ones get sick.

I've got 3 green tigers, from a different source, in my QT tank right now. It is the same tank and water that the other ones were quarentined in--doh. My feeling is that I should quarentine the greens for a month total to avoid getting anyone sick in the 20G. I also guess the greens may get sick or overcame it.

I wish I had quarentined the first new batch longer. Can anyone tell me their opinion on this? The QT is 10G. Both tanks are cycled with healthy filters. PH is 7, 25' C. Ammonia and nitrite are 0. When moving fish I float the bag for 1+ hour and add tank water to it every 10 mins.

Go back to where you bought them and just tell them what has happened. If the batch was diseased many customers would have the same problem. Even if you bought fish from different LFS it is possible they all have the same supplier. If it was a bacteria it could have easly passed onto otheres.

Keith

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Pizpot,

New fish are always a challenge due to stress. The stress of being bagged and going to the LFS, adapting to new temps, adapting to new water conditions, being bagged, going to your tank, adapting to new temps, adapting to new water conditions, intermittent feedings over a period of weeks. Stress weakens the fish immune system to bacterial, viral or parasitic infection.

Generally, new fish should be quarantined up to a month or longer, depending on the source of the fish. Now, the source of your fish is not just the LFS, it is also where the LFS received the fish from, such as an importer of wild fish, a fish farm in Florida, an exporter or breeder in SE Asia or a hobbyist.

Although all sources have risks, I tend to believe (hope?) that the hobbyist is the least risky source. The other initial stock sources may have more significant problems due to internal or external parasites in their breeding ponds or collection sites.

I would personally quarantine for for a month and treat for parasites if the fish are wild caught or from SE Asia.

__________
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