# Help new fish killing off old



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

I picked up some head andf tail tetras as well as some rosybarbs at Big Al's last week. Well we are into day 8 and now my old fish are dying off. I have had 3 of the new ones dieas well . 2 WERE JUST DEAD WITH NOTHING WRONG TO BE SEEN AND ONE HAD A HUGE RED ULCER ON ITS TAIL THAT ARRIVED OVERNIGHT.
oNE BETTA DIED SUDDENLY, 2 CORYDORAS HAVE DIED AND THE 3RD IS TEARING AROUND THE TANK LIKE NO TOMORROW. mY BIG OLD bn PLEC- MY FAV FISH- IS COVERED IN RED ULCERS. tHESE DEVELOPED VERY SUDDENLY.
mY OTHER BETTA HAS FUNGUS ALL OVER HER FACE.
Ihave put my plec into a q tank and have started tetracycline but really don't know what I am treating.
I will try kanapax on the betta unless someone has a better idea but her colors are fading fast.

the remaining new fish are looking ok at this point but I am not holding my breathe.
Last time I bought tetras at BA"S I had the same problem. I q'd them for 3 weeks with no issues but when i put them in the main tank they started to drop like flies and took out a few of my old fish.
My cories and Bn are into their 4th- 5th years.
Sorry for the big print. I just can't bother to retype it. I hit caps lock by mistake.


----------



## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Ouch. Well, it of course sounds like some sort of very virulent and nasty infection. Good luck. I fear you will need it; it sounds like this one works very quickly indeed.


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

thanks and to add insult to injury I lost 2 old bettas that live in their own tanks. Not associated with any of the other stuff going on- just old age.
Also we seem to have carpenter ants in the wall under the window of my old fish room so that is extra fun.:sad:
To top it all off we are going on a months holiday in a couple of weeks.
It never rains but it pours.
I hate even getting out of bed lately- don't know what i'll find.
I am wondering what kind of bacteria could cause so many different symptoms. time of onset of noticable symptoms to death is 1-8 hours.


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

plec is doing well with tetracycline and presently there are 7 of 12 of the new fish alive in a tank of tetracycline. However now they have developed ick so am treating that as well.
The guppies in the tank ajascent to the tank with the problems has had 4 of the guppies in it die in the last 2 days as well as one platy that is on her way out.
I am wondering if this is " coincidence" as the guppies are about a year old- they were born in JUne last year as was the platy OR if whatever these fish brought in is somewhat airborne. I have been meticulous in bleaching the nets and tank tubing and sitting in the sun between water changes on the various tanks.
In fact each tank has its own net but I do share vaccuum tubing.

I was in to the store to pick up sdome Stability and ICk treatment this morning and they asked me if i was accusing them of selling sick fish. So I told them I was accusing them of selling fish that carried some kind of virus that my fish had no immunity to. They said i could expect that as the fish come from Asia, but that they "Never"have any problems in the store when they move fish from tank to tank for display purposes. I wonder what they add to the water to prevent disease? They say nothing but is that true:?:


----------



## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

No, not true. Their own losses are no doubt staggering compared to yours.


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I do think places that run UV sterilizers keep carrier fish from spreading disease until you take them home. After a few generation of selective pressure, nasties start multiplying faster.


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

Mag labs have a product called Protect-ease That they say helps transition new fish into the tanks without losses. HAve you heard of it?

PROTECT-EASE $2.72 Probably the US price!


A mild treatment that helps protect against the parasites and organisms that cause ick and /or white, cottony body and fin fungus. Neutralizes harmful heavy metals and chelated copper Protects against environmental stresses and imbalances Soothing, double slime-coat protection promotes natural slime-coat production Helps wounds and abrasions heal, thereby reducing the risk of infection and re-infection Helps eliminate stress during transport, increasing survival rate. 
http://www.magfloat.net/


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I haven't heard of it. Though it looks like it was Mydor and was sold for ponds in the past. I'm generally against half-dose meds on the grounds that you'll have resistant diseases Many of these things are aloe and salt

I do know someone who gets in wild fish and treats as if they infected with everything before he lets them loose in his systems. Dips for external parasites, medicated food for internal parasites, etc. At this point, if I were you, my QT might include Cloud and other 'aggressive' meds in the hopes that any fish that survived QT might actually have a chance of staying healthy. Either that or 'blacklist' big al's and drive however far you need to find a local club. http://www.caoac.ca/clubs.html

The mention of metals is a possibility. Any good water conditioner should have have a trace of EDTA to heavy metals. Sounds like this product has copper to kill things like hydra, but I don't know of anything that will help against viruses. Have you tested for lead, arsenic, etc. in your water? Though I'd expect those to slowly sap a fish's vitality rather than kill quickly.


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

NoI have not tested for these myself but the water reports for our area as published by the town indicate that everything is within 'safe levels' for humans and pets.
I think that the issue is the new fish themselves.
My plec has recovered from his sores at this time and I am extracting the tetracycline from his tank Also it is in the midst of cycling too. Poor guy is in a 5 gallon tank- the only one I have left. I am afraid to add any biofilter from event the 2 tanks that have not been affected.I am feeling paranoid and don't want to kill any more of my babies.
We have been away for the weekend and I came home to find that the 20 gallon that houses the infected fish has 2 more dead despite the course of tetracycline and Ich-ease.
The tank next to it also lost a 3 year old cardinal tetra. The day we went away I lost 5 guppies in the tank next to the problem tank.- same tank as ther cardinal.
I would not suspect a problem with the town water as the 2 tanks in the next room seem to be ok. 
The closest fish club is 30 miles away in either direction from me. However I think that I will just close this tank down if they all die and just deal with 4 tanks instead of 5!.


----------

