My fish, which are all at least 2.5-3 yrs old, seem to be gradually dying off, one at a time. The incidents happen weeks or months apart. All fish seem healthy and active, then one will start to look less active. It will swim around when food is given and will suck in bits of food, but then expel them. This failure to eat leads, in some days, to more listlessness and, if I don't euthanize the fish before this, to gasping. I examine them carefully and no other symptoms seem present. I've now lost one brilliant rasbora, a salmon rainbow, and two turquoise rainbows in this manner. I am wondering whether they are simply reaching the end of their lives? I don't know how long they typically live. Three years seems like a long time for small fish. I have lost other fish that just diappeared (probably eaten) since the tank was new, but they hadn't exhibited this behavior.
My local fish expert had no ideas to offer, and the fish looked healthy to her just the other day. Yet this morning a boesmanni rainbow was not eating, a change since just last night. I would appreciate any insights. Thank you.
1. What is the size of your tank?
46 gal
2. What are your water parameters? State the brand of test kit used.
API kit. I regularly check nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and phosphate. In April I had pH (7.9 SU), GH (20-35 mg/l), and KH (50-75 mg/l) checked. I don't have kits to check these parameters myself.
3. Is your aquarium set up freshwater or brackish water?
Freshwater
4. How long the aquarium has been set up?
Almost 3 years (next month).
5. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them? One bristlenose pleco, 5", about 1.3 yrs; two boesmanni rainbows, 3", 3 yrs; one salmon rainbow, 3", 3 yrs; two corydoras cats, 1.2", 3 yrs; six harlequin rasboras, .75", 3 yrs; two brilliant rasboras, 1.5", 3 yrs; 4 danios, 1", 3 yrs. Inverts: one shrimp, numerous ramshorn snails, about 1.3 yrs.
6. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)? The only fish added after initial setup was the pleco. He and the inverts were added 18 mo ago and were not quarantined. They came from the same LFS where I got all the others.
7. What temperature is the tank water currently? 78.8F / 26C
8. Are there live plants in the aquarium? No. Originally the tank had live plants, but I switched to plastic plants 18 mo ago after a big algae bloom while I was on vacation. That's when I added the pleco and inverts. No algae problems since.
9. What filter are you using? State brand, maintenance routine and power capacity.
Marineland Emperor Biowheel 280, check w/ every water change and rinse or replace as needed (usually replace). Power capacity 280 gal/hr.
10. Any other equipment used (aside from heater and filter which are two very important components of the tank)?
Air pump.
11. Does your aquarium receive natural sunlight at any given part of the day? What is your lighting schedule (assuming you do not rely on sunlight for our viewing pleasure)?
No natural sunlight. Eight hrs of lighting daily: 8-10 a.m. and 2-8 p.m.
12. When did you perform your last water change and how much water was changed? How often do you change your water? Do you vacuum the substrate?
A 50% water change was performed a few days ago. I do this about every 2 to 3 weeks, and clean the filter intake and spray bar. I do vacuum the gravel every time.
13. What foods do you provide your fish? What is the feeding schedule?
Aqueon tropical flakes, small portion (less than 1/8 tsp now) once daily. Frozen bloodworms, once daily. I give the pleco a piece of zucchini every other day, and remove what's left on the inbetween days.
14. What unusual signs have you observed in your fish?
Failure to eat, leading to listlessness and eventual approaching death; please see above.
15. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis? If so, what treatments did you use? State your reasons for planning ahead of proper diagnosis.
No.
My local fish expert had no ideas to offer, and the fish looked healthy to her just the other day. Yet this morning a boesmanni rainbow was not eating, a change since just last night. I would appreciate any insights. Thank you.
1. What is the size of your tank?
46 gal
2. What are your water parameters? State the brand of test kit used.
API kit. I regularly check nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and phosphate. In April I had pH (7.9 SU), GH (20-35 mg/l), and KH (50-75 mg/l) checked. I don't have kits to check these parameters myself.
3. Is your aquarium set up freshwater or brackish water?
Freshwater
4. How long the aquarium has been set up?
Almost 3 years (next month).
5. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them? One bristlenose pleco, 5", about 1.3 yrs; two boesmanni rainbows, 3", 3 yrs; one salmon rainbow, 3", 3 yrs; two corydoras cats, 1.2", 3 yrs; six harlequin rasboras, .75", 3 yrs; two brilliant rasboras, 1.5", 3 yrs; 4 danios, 1", 3 yrs. Inverts: one shrimp, numerous ramshorn snails, about 1.3 yrs.
6. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)? The only fish added after initial setup was the pleco. He and the inverts were added 18 mo ago and were not quarantined. They came from the same LFS where I got all the others.
7. What temperature is the tank water currently? 78.8F / 26C
8. Are there live plants in the aquarium? No. Originally the tank had live plants, but I switched to plastic plants 18 mo ago after a big algae bloom while I was on vacation. That's when I added the pleco and inverts. No algae problems since.
9. What filter are you using? State brand, maintenance routine and power capacity.
Marineland Emperor Biowheel 280, check w/ every water change and rinse or replace as needed (usually replace). Power capacity 280 gal/hr.
10. Any other equipment used (aside from heater and filter which are two very important components of the tank)?
Air pump.
11. Does your aquarium receive natural sunlight at any given part of the day? What is your lighting schedule (assuming you do not rely on sunlight for our viewing pleasure)?
No natural sunlight. Eight hrs of lighting daily: 8-10 a.m. and 2-8 p.m.
12. When did you perform your last water change and how much water was changed? How often do you change your water? Do you vacuum the substrate?
A 50% water change was performed a few days ago. I do this about every 2 to 3 weeks, and clean the filter intake and spray bar. I do vacuum the gravel every time.
13. What foods do you provide your fish? What is the feeding schedule?
Aqueon tropical flakes, small portion (less than 1/8 tsp now) once daily. Frozen bloodworms, once daily. I give the pleco a piece of zucchini every other day, and remove what's left on the inbetween days.
14. What unusual signs have you observed in your fish?
Failure to eat, leading to listlessness and eventual approaching death; please see above.
15. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis? If so, what treatments did you use? State your reasons for planning ahead of proper diagnosis.
No.
Subrosa, I did not argue here for the indeterminate size (which confuses me why it suddenly came to that) because I am not saying that a fish can live for as long as it wants. My point is there is always a reason why a fish dies, not because it aged itself but because the conditions where it is in, body functioning and its health conditions in itself did not permit that. A healthy fish just don't flop dead immediately.