Sad DAY

[Jods2518]

Woke up this morning to the majority of my tank litterally dead in the water/

Im on the 7th day of treating For ICH with Rid Ich +, I have been doing daily 25% waterchanges and did a 50% water change lastnight, have done this before with no worries in the past, but yesterday was a different day.

I added the recommended treatment immediatly after the water change and went out for the evening...didn't even look at the tank last night, woke up this morning all all of my Hap's where dead and 2 of my syno's....the only thing left is the 2 pleco's ( which is the reason im treating for the ICH), 2 syno's and 4 mbuna, I'll attach the pics of the deceased as a loving memory.....but I don't get what happened, I checked all levels this morning and all where the same as before, but of course my nitrates are extremely low due to all the water changes

PH-7.2

Nitrite-0

Nitrate-less than 10

Ammonia-0

GH-150

KH-180

This is a 50 Gal tank, and I've put alot of work in raising these fish, Im not so much sad but just really Pi**ed off!!

Thanks all for the ears, and if you could offer some advice as to how to avoid this in the future, would be greatly appreciated.

Jodaye

Edited March 27, 2005 by Jods2518

[RD.]

PH 7.2 ........ in Edmonton???

What do you use for a water conditioner when performing water changes?

I'm not sure exactly what killed your fish, but it sounds like a toxin of some sort. Short of that nothing should wipe out a tank that swiftly, except maybe a faulty heater.

Sorry for your loss.

[African_Fever]

That's really too bad. I'd have to agree with RD in that it sounds like a toxin or something.

Next time, pick up a 10 gallon for a hospital tank. Having a hospital tank is a much cheaper and easier to treat than your main tank, especially if it's for something like your plecos (what I'd just about consider expendable unless they're some fancier variety). For ich, the most effective treatment that I've ever used is simply raising the temp and adding salt. I'm surprised that your syno's lasted as long as they did, as almost all medication can have very negative effects on scaleless cats like synos.

[Jods2518]

ya thanks RD, I use the jungle strips for testing and I think it could be higher than 7.2 but its hard to tell the difference, does 8.4 sound more like it, cause it is really pink...anyways, it hasn't been the thing that changed....but I did open a new bottle of Rid ICH+ yesterday and used that, had the other one for over a year, didn't see an expirey date on it though, and it didn't seem to harm the fish.....I did however use the recomended dosage so I really don't know. I use Prime for water changes

Edited March 27, 2005 by Jods2518

[Vallisneria]

Oh man, i'm so sorry for your loss

NOt sure what it could have been. It could have been the rid ich. It does seem that it woudl have to be a toxin of some kind fo kill them that fast. Did you add enough prime after such a large water change?

[Jods2518]

ya I do my water changes by the 5 gal bucket and I add the prime in the correct amount directly to the bucket before it even hits the tank.

[dunl]

Sorry to hear Jodaye....nothing worse than losing a tank like this.

I second the salt and temp, and "expendable plecos". Unfortunately, salt seems to be the best way to get rid of ich.

[RD.]

I just checked around to see if there were any known issues with using Prime & Rid Ich together at once, and I couldn't find any info to lead me to believe that would have caused any issues.

Sorry, I'm at a loss........

Did you happen to check the temp of the water? Was there sufficient 02 exchange?

[Jods2518]

Yeah I've done the salt thing before but found my fish would then get Bloat.....It's really a Lose Lose situation when it comes to desease in my tanks I find....but the one clown pleco was the only one showing signs of ICH and it was almost gone, this was like the final treatment to make sure it was out of my tank, and I've heard that you have to treat the whole tank with ICH as it will eventually spread to everyone anyways?

I have 2 filters on this tank, an Eheim 2217 and a fluval 304, I think this is kinda over kill but Im seasoning the eheim for a bigger tank that Im hoping to have by the fall....Sufficeint O2 exchange, I think so?

Thanks again for you help gang, not I have to get ready for the restocking, thinking I'll stick with the Mbuna as they seem to be the survivors, any one got any Ideas??

I still have the one Male Red Emp as he was in a seperate tank ready to be packed off to the pet store, but I'll keep him now, as the other 2 are DEAD!! arghh.

I don't have ther rusties in the main tank as they got tuned when I had them in there orriginally, think I'll keep them in thier own 29 gal with some fry growing up....but what i have in there now is:

2 Metriaclima estherae (Red)(breeding group)

2 Pseudotropheus Elongatus “Mpanga”(1 male/1 Female)

2 Synodontis Multipuncatatus

1 Albino Bristlenose

1 Clown Pleco

there's like an empty tank!,,,,ohhh god. :mad:

Edited March 27, 2005 by Jods2518

[Vallisneria]

Edmonton eskimo is selling some of his fish, he has some Mpanga i believe. Try looking at his post in the buy/sell forum.

[RD.]

Damn, I guess this will remain an enigma?

You did the right thing by treating the main tank, ich spreads fast, and can be hidden is areas such as the gills even if there's no signs on the "outside" of some fish. In moderatley hard water, with a high PH (such as we have in most of AB) I've found Coppersafe to be a very safe med when used as directed. (even for scaleless fish)

The only thing left that I can think of is that you got a bad (or outdated) bottle of Rid Ich.

[Majestic_Aquariums]

Really sorry to hear your losses. That really is too bad. I don't have any other idea other than what has been mentioned above as to what would have caused that kind of devistation.

Rob

[Jods2518]

well I have emailed the manufacturer and asked what may have been different between the two bottles of the same product that may have killed all of my fish, will keep you updated as to a response

this is what I sent:

Hello,

I have recently purchased a new bottle of your product and used it in my tank according to your directions and it killed 8 out of 16 fish overnight.

I have been using the product for 7 days and had ran out and went to purchase a new bottle, exact same product I assumed. I was doing 25-50% waterchanges daily and there appeared to be no stress on any of the fish in the tank, until I woke up this morning. Here is the list of African cichlids that where in the tank: (highlighted in red are dead)

2 M. estherae(male/female)

2 C. Borleyi Kandango Red(1 male, 1 female)

1 Sciaenochromis Fryeri (male)

2 Pseudotropheus Elongatus “Mpanga”(1 male/1 Female)

2 Protomelas Taeniolatus (Juvies)

4 Synodontis Multipuncatatus(2 only dead)

1 Clown Pleco

1 Bristlenose Pleco

the tank parameters are as follows:

PH-8.4

Nitrite-0

Nitrate-less than 10

Ammonia-0

GH-150

KH-180

As you can see things seem to be normal and all I can think is that the product that I purchased to finish off the treatment, killed them.

Rid Ich+ 16fl oz

and the only # that i can find that may be a lot # is 09020408

There is no expiry date which would allow one to assume that the product would be good for at least 2 years, which is approxamitly how long I had the product for the begining of this treatment before purchasing the above mentioned product to finish off the treatment.

These fish are worth a good fortune and I have spent alot of time and money on raising them, I would like some response as to how this may have happened.

Jodaye

Edited March 27, 2005 by Jods2518

[chloeclose]

Wow, I am really sorry to hear that...

I hope you get it figured out though!

[ABwildrose]

I have just lost a lot of fish to ich as well, sorry to hear about your troubles. It is a terrible experience. Anyways, let us know if you get a response from your letter.