New Tank Log: VikingMummy

[VikingMummy2015]

Didn’t have a funny belly one...one has a missing eye but he’s still getting on fine (son has called him Patch). There was no indication of anything

[VikingMummy2015]

I was feeling really happy after water change this morning, all accounted for, tank looking good etc. Lights on just now and another dead rummie just flat out on the substrate.

I have never had so many fish drop dead on me for no obvious reason. In 5 days that’s 1 cherry barb (clearly stuck between glass and filter so not nice but known cause), 3 ottos and 2 rummies.

What do I do? When do I consider it’s more than bad luck/issues from transport?

[VikingMummy2015]

Oh ffs....someone tell me what’s going n on my tank because I think I have spotted the remains of a cherry barb (they hide and I can’t swear to seeing more than 5). Spent 20 minutes trying to get it out but it’s small and hard to see, especially without alerting my boy to the situation. Parameters tested again and all solid. Hasn’t even been a pH swing with the water change.

[Andys temperate tank]

I wish I could help VM. Must be crap.

What's the surface agitation like? Maybe lack of oxygen?

[Suse]

I'm sorry to hear this VM

I don't have much to suggest. My go-to is always great big water changes as whether it's infection, toxin, weakness from transport, whatever, clean fresh water will usually help.

What frozen food are you giving them? Is it gamma radiated? Could there have been some residue in the tank? Just thinking out loud.

As you know rummies and otos are both fragile initially so it could still just be bad luck. Hope things turn around for you soon.

[VikingMummy2015]

Definitely only 6 cherries now .

The tank was empty and I wiped it down with vinegar and salt water, rinsed, dried, same as all previous tanks.
Flow has been slowed because of the honeys so no real surface agitation (but I see the barbs surfing the flow from the external). Wondering if the extra flow is actually what’s stressed the cherries? I’ll try aiming one of the outlets up and see tonight how that affects the whole tank behaviour. The cherries are either surfing in the back corner or lurking in the undergrowth. Rummies zoom up and down as a school, occasionally joined by an Otto or two for a length. Cories are literally all over the tank at every level.

The frozen is a mix: Aquadip, Aquadistri, Aqua Food and Betta Choice (not used that one yet). Doesn’t mention irradiation. The Aquadistri was what I was feeding before the tank shuffle, others are new.

[VikingMummy2015]

So far so good this morning. 6 ottos, 6 barbs, 6 of each rummy, 2 honeys and a multitude of cories. Got the surface moving and it does look a bit more blowy (salvinia getting pushed about and can see the fish surfing a lot more). Might push one outlet back towards the glass again and see how that goes. Other option is adding an air stone and putting both outflows back to how they were (no surface agitation).



The repashy lollipop went down a treat with all the tank. It was mobbed. Just have to hope the ottos got some.

[plankton]

Fingers crossed from now on.

[Ric]

Fingers crossed you and the tank have turned a corner here.

Just wondering when you say "No surface agitation" - is that how you had all your tanks set up? I've always gone for the opposite: agitate the surface to facilitate gas exchange and then go about creating quiet areas through the use of plants, rock and wood. Perhaps this is what @Andys temperate tank has been hinting at: low oxygen level overnight when the plants start using up oxygen? (Just throwing this out there, as something to consider..)

[VikingMummy2015]

@Ric the 57 has been low flow surface because everything says that’s best for honeys and that barbs prefer quieter too. Then when I said I had 2 filters for this tank, the concern was the honeys getting blown about so I have the internal baffled and I had the external outputs blowing towards the glass. So it *might* have been oxygen stress alongside being fragile for the ottos and rummies, however it would have surprised me with the barbs given their previous set-up. But if this hobby teaches us anything it’s that you can’t always guess! I am a bit nervy because it looks blowier (although there are quiet patches). But if I get through to the weekend with minimal deaths (you know, maybe only 3 or 4 at this rate) then I’ll be thrilled