Kevin Posted December 14, 2006 Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 (edited) I have had challenges with my planted community, ever since I picked up my Jeff Rapps fish and deposited them in it without quarantine (is there a dumb @$$ smiley). I have been dealing with a protozoa (grey slime disease) and ick. I did not want to salt and heat as it would kill all of my plants, so I used a formalyn/malachite green remedy which worked on half of the problem (the ick) but not the other half. So I did a massive water change and waited 2 days and hit them with Clout. The clout got rid of the grey slime, but it killed a royal pleco and a butterfly pleco. And....the ick came back. So tired of medication and really frustrated I did another massive water change and went to salt and heat. This took care of the ick and everyone was ok except for the Jeff Rapps Heros Effaciatus who passed on. I was at about 7 days of heat/salt and I had to go to Calgary for 4 days for a course (last Saturday). While in Calgary I had an unfortunate fish tank episode (different story, very positive outcome - thanks Tim). But I got home today and I had the double wammy of my venturi hose on my power head slipping off(it was supplying airation) and my cannister filter (XP3) stalling while I was gone. This resulted in not surface agitation at all, therefore no oxygen in the water. So in this already stressed tank I lost... a 6 inch electric blue dempsey a 3-4 inch male panamenses a Clown pleco that was my first pleco when I started with fish again 3-4 years ago a siamese algae eater (same story) a severum that was growing into a beauty and a number of oto cats The only thing that survived in the tank was a small school of sterbais cories and 3 honduran red points and a lonely female panamenses (they were a breeding pair). I also now know what they mean by the sweet smell of death - my whole house has a sickly candy smell to it! Sorry about the sob story but I wanted to pass on 2 important lessons: 1) Quarantine - none of this would have happed if I had 2) Always use an airstone when medicating - you never know when your filter may fail. Kevin Edited December 15, 2006 by Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatpuffer Posted December 14, 2006 Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 Sorry for your losses. Dont really know what to say. Jonah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nandopsis Posted December 14, 2006 Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 BTW - this hobby sucks right now!!! And so does Jeff Rapps!!!Kevin Kevin i'am real sorry for your recent losses, but please don't blame the hobby or Jeff for your lack of good judgement. Always quarantine new fish. Once again sorry and hope your luck changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maniac Posted December 14, 2006 Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 Dude that just royally sucks man :cry: Hope the next batch are great for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canucklehead Posted December 14, 2006 Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 That sucks, a 4 inch pamamensis is a rare fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGr8Blade Posted December 14, 2006 Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 That sucks BIG TIME! Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vapor Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 Sorry to hear of your troubles. Hope things get better from this point on for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainmaker69 Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 That is a bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Chicklets Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 It is a sad thing to lose that much, but like Jay says you can't blame Jeff. Often times there are other variables that cause problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little sea Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 Sorry, mate. You did what you could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaggle Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 sorry about your loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 That's a real drag... :cry: I'd recommend taking infected fish out of the main tank - even if it's every fish. I find it easier (and cheeper) to medicate in smaller tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted December 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 That's a real drag... :cry:I'd recommend taking infected fish out of the main tank - even if it's every fish. I find it easier (and cheeper) to medicate in smaller tanks. Good point, my plants would be in better shape at this point as well. Thank you as well for all of your kind words, I was pretty upset when I wrote the original post as I have rarely lost fish before and to lose nearly a whole tank was rough. I am not blaming Jeff Rapps for these issues, it started with a rough fish and then there was a whole string of tough decisions and worst case scenario outcomes. I am however very dissapointed in some of the fish that Jeff Rapps sent to Calgary. My experience was bad, and many of the other fish that I saw come through Petland were in rough shape as well. He shipped fish such as the brasilenses that had serious issues with hex or another internal parasite. Per one of the staff, all of these fish died and any experienced cichlid keeper could tell by the pinched forheads that they were in bad shape. Pinched forheads do not happen over night and are generally a sign of a very sick fish. That being siad, my Midas is a beauty and the Honduran Red Points are really nice. I just think that if you are going to keep up a reputation as a premier distributer, you can't ship out sick fish. His company shipped sick fish, and his reputation is tarnished in my eyes. On another note, I did email him a question regarding the slime disease 3 weeks ago and I did not get any response. I did not expect a reply, but he sure would have redeemed himself if he had written back. Thank you again for all your great support, the best thing everyone can do is start cycling a quarantine tank. I started mine tonight as I am thinking about a group of sultan plecos!!! Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midgetwaiter Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 Don't be too hard on yourself Kevin. If we did a little survey of experienced aquarium keepers around here 75% of us would admit to doing this despite knowing better and 24% of the others are probably lying. Keeping a Q tank cycled all the time is going to be a b*tch, I prefer to either keep a sponge filter going in the display I can move more or sure I have some extra bio media stuffed somewhere. Sorry you have a rough one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toirtis Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 Gods, that is awfulk...I am so sorry for you...those were some great fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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