[Lonestarbandit]

So did a water change 3rd this week due to algae bloom and suddenly all 3 of my gorgeous raised from tiny guys tennison barbs all 3 went into shock and promptly died before i could do anything.
Also an old black neon I had in there with them.
The catfish of various types and platies and mollies shrugged off whatever happened.
But I single handedly in 3 seconds killed my best fish.
What the bloody hell may I say?
Its not as if our water changed we arent on city water and I always use Seachem safe.
No Bleeding idea what just happened to my favorite fish in that tank.
Temp fine. No problem in other tanks.
I am clueless.

 

[WaterLife]

I would have said drastic temperature difference (much colder new water), but you say it's not that.
Can you test the water parameters of the tank and (I assume) well water?
How are you dispensing the new water into the tanks? (bucket, powerhead/waterpump, faucet, etc)

The tank with the dead fish, was that the first tank you added water too?
Any chance some chemical got in the well water/tube/pump/etc?

 

[mistergreen]

Call up your water company on what they added to the water around that day. They sometime add extra chlorine or chloramine based on what they find in the water.

 

[thedood]

So your on a well. Any farms spraying in your area? Any other parameters change like ph?

 

[PlantedRich]

Victim of fracking, perhaps? While it seems obvious that changes in the underground will make changes in the WHOLE underground eventually, it is often debated but we are told it doesn't happen. What the experts from the oil industry have not explained is why there are now earthquakes in areas where there were none. When the earth moves and shakes it causes the underground streams to change as dirt and debris are rearranged. If it is a private well with no monitoring done, you may now be getting a different water.
But then it may also be a lot of other things that are more personal. Any chance that in doing the water change there was a fair amount of the substrate stirred to release gases, etc. that we often can't measure? Also it would be helpful to describe how the fish acted when dying.

 

[Lonestarbandit]

But I changed water in 3 55g same time same water no one affected but those tennison and 1 OLD black neon.
No deaths or anything in other tanks.
Same water same water temp same everything .
Those 4 fish just started ripping around flipping upside down and bam dead before I could even process what happened.
Not even my cherry shrimps in other tanks were affected.
Just 1 tank and just those inhabitants. Other inhabitants of the death tank fine.
I'm driven to believe it was SOMETHING in that tank but tests found nothing out of the ordinary.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

 

[bigbadjon]

By tennison barbs I assume you are talking about Roseline sharks? Are you sure they weren't already in bad shape from whatever was causing your algae bloom? They require clean, highly oxygenated water.

 

[WaterLife]

Of the 3 55 gallon tanks filled at the "same" time, was the tank that had fish deaths, the 1st to be filled of the 3? (sometimes the first portion of the incoming water may be tainted from whatever)

 

[Lonestarbandit]

By tennison barbs I assume you are talking about Roseline sharks? Are you sure they weren't already in bad shape from whatever was causing your algae bloom? They require clean, highly oxygenated water.

Yes, roseline sharks by another name.
Relatively certain. There is plenty of oxygen available in all of my tanks and I had raised them (2 of the 3) from very small to a good fat and robust looking well colored state.
You may be on to something however in that it has to have been SOMETHING algae related......maybe toxic algae?? Stirred up during the water change? It was the micoscopic type bloom bright green water even a day after a 50% change..... It hasn't happened again after the 4th change but small consolation since they are all 3 dead.

 

[CowBoYReX]

It's denison barbs, not tennison

 

[Lonestarbandit]

It's also called idiot auto incorrect on my phone but yes you are correct.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

 

[Nordic]

You may be on to something however in that it has to have been SOMETHING algae related......maybe toxic algae?? Stirred up during the water change? It was the micoscopic type bloom bright green water even a day after a 50% change.....

Eutrophication (Greek: eutrophia (from eu "well" + trephein "nourish".); German: Eutrophie) or more precisely hypertrophication, is the ecosystem's response to the addition of artificial or natural nutrients, mainly phosphates, through detergents, fertilizers, or sewage, to an aquatic system.[1] One example is the "bloom" or great increase of phytoplankton in a water body as a response to increased levels of nutrients. Negative environmental effects include hypoxia, the depletion of oxygen in the water, which may cause death to aquatic animals.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutrophication


The corys and livebeares are all capable of breathing air so they will survive lower oxygen than inhabitants of an oxygenated fast moving stream

 

[Lonestarbandit]

Eutrophication (Greek: eutrophia (from eu "well" + trephein "nourish".); German: Eutrophie) or more precisely hypertrophication, is the ecosystem's response to the addition of artificial or natural nutrients, mainly phosphates, through detergents, fertilizers, or sewage, to an aquatic system.[1] One example is the "bloom" or great increase of phytoplankton in a water body as a response to increased levels of nutrients. Negative environmental effects include hypoxia, the depletion of oxygen in the water, which may cause death to aquatic animals.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutrophication


The corys and livebeares are all capable of breathing air so they will survive lower oxygen than inhabitants of an oxygenated fast moving stream

Great info Nordic but also had a red tailed shark, 2 banjo cats and 2 raph cats?
That was in that 55g.
Did water changes same hour on all other tanks some having neons, various shrimp, bala sharks, etc with no issue.
Only this one had the bloom and also the deaths. But that is a good point only the fast movers were killed.....

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

 

[bigbadjon]

I wish we could narrow it down for you. I keep barbs almost exclusively and know how long it takes to raise up nice specimens. Last time I had an issue like this I had some large trapdoor snails die burrowed under a rock. I had 4 very large tiger barbs die in short order. It does seem like when you have an issue its the most valuable ones to suffer.

 

[Lonestarbandit]

I wish we could narrow it down for you. I keep barbs almost exclusively and know how long it takes to raise up nice specimens. Last time I had an issue like this I had some large trapdoor snails die burrowed under a rock. I had 4 very large tiger barbs die in short order. It does seem like when you have an issue its the most valuable ones to suffer.

Sadly yes. They were gorgeous and sleek when I got them well you know tiny and malnourished.
And they were nearly my most expensive fish.
To lose all 3 was disheartening.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

 

[Kegan Clark]

I read so many of these stories about sudden tap water changes--this is why I use RO in all my tanks, I just don't trust the public infrastructure in the US. You hear stories all the time of water companies suddenly adding 10x chlorine to the water (oopsy!) for a few days, suddenly raising KH from 1 to 12, etc.

Safest thing to do imo if you spend real money on your fish is just get an RO unit. Never trust the government with your fishes' lives!

 

[Lonestarbandit]

I am employed by the Federal Government lol and I am not on a municipal water supply but rather a very small co-op well system. Luckily this was isolated to one of 4 tanks so I can't really fault the water as this was the last tank to be changed and no issues prior.
Also if I spend any more real money I will have to look for a new wife!

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

 

[Nordic]

Try petco for some replacements, I believe they are quite into conservation and avoiding wild captured fish, where it is problematic (unlike a drying out river bed, where collection is the smart thing to do).

 

[Lonestarbandit]

Try petco for some replacements, I believe they are quite into conservation and avoiding wild captured fish, where it is problematic (unlike a drying out river bed, where collection is the smart thing to do).

I like Petco I am on first name and cellphone number status with the aquatics manager. Great fellow does special orders for me sometimes.
But given the price I will likely wait till the 50% or so off sale from Petsmart and get them at 5.00 instead of 10.00 each.
Otherwise I do prefer Petco.
Both Petco, Petsmart and the LFS all buy from Segrest Farms anyway.
http://www.segrestfarms.com/

 

[Nordic]

Nice operation that. I have seen the tour on youtube.