# Fish dying



## Vman (Jan 20, 2011)

I helped a friend set up his 55 gallon last week. We put his Calvus and Compressiceps juvies along with the Petricolas into the new tank along with some common pleco juvies. These have been together for the past 6 months. He had a few Calvus and Comps not make it during this time,but never Petricolad or plecos. He just called me and said that 2 Petricolad and some plecos had died. What cdn have caused this. Catfish are suppose to be tough. I though that maybe not enough air,but yeasterday he added s power head. He also has a hang on the back that is rated for ip yo 60 gallon and an Xp1. Filtration should be sufficient. Anyone have a clue?


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## spit.fire (Jan 3, 2011)

not cycled yet would be my first gess


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## Vman (Jan 20, 2011)

The xp1 had lots of media from before and I also bright some of my one bb yo put on hid new filter.wouldn't the Cslvus go first then?What can we do?


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## spit.fire (Jan 3, 2011)

test the water first of all if you can, or bring it to your pet store to have it tested and go from there

even with used media it can go though a mini cycle and take out some of the fish


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## Vman (Jan 20, 2011)

Ive got my buddy bringing all the fish yo my house and then taking a water sample to my buddy Curtis at Petland. I'll keep them here fir a week or so and hopefully no more will die. Thanks for the input.


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## Vman (Jan 20, 2011)

I have the Fish in a breeder box in my tank now. 2 more Synos have died that Is 7 now. All adult and juvenile Calvus and Compressiceps are ok,still labored breathing though.


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## Vman (Jan 20, 2011)

Looked this morning and no mire morts. All seem to be ok. Had the water tested yesterday and the nitrites,nitrates and ammonia levels were very low. What could cause such a disaster. If s mini cycle did occur,wouldn't there be signs in the water test?


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

ph maybe? just a guess.


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## Vman (Jan 20, 2011)

Was told that the ph was also at a normal level. All these fish had been together for a while and we had only one problem before. The Cslvus and Comps had the hole in the head disease. We lost about 6 if them before the metronidazole had helped. Other than that all seemed well.I thought that a bigger tank with extra filtration was better.All the fish together don't even make up one grown fish. They don't dirty the tank that much.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

What's "low" ammonia and nitrites? With non-zero results you can face fish deaths as its toxic even at low levels.


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## Vman (Jan 20, 2011)

I don't remember the exact readings,but my friend said that there was nothing out if the ordinary. Let's put it thus way.There were 8 Synodontis Petricola @1.5" in size,6 Calvus and Compressiceps @1" in size,2 Calvus @2.5" and 4 Plecos @3/4".For a 55 gallon tank with Two filters that are rated in total for 110 gallon and a small amount of fish the water quality should not be an issue. 50% Weekly water changes were done and also siphoning of the aragonite as well.


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Just a couple of thoughts:

- Quite a few fish for a 55g just been set up for one week ? Were filter media from established tank?

- Weekly 50% WC and vacuum aragonite already ? May be a bit too aggressive ?


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## Vman (Jan 20, 2011)

All rocks,drift wood,aragonite and filter were transferred right over. The only thing that was added new was the second filter.Oh and a koralia power head. We let the tank run for about 4 days with media from my tank and new aragonite. Then we transferred the old filter,drift wood,old aragonite and rocks to the new tank. Finally about 4 hours later we transferred the fish.


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

If you didnt keep any of the old water and only used the media out of the filter than I would say your 55 gallon wasnt ready to have fish yet. The nitites and amonia were low in the 55 g because you just added new water to it. Tap water wont have nitrites and little amonia. I would say you put the fish in shock. Did you slowly put them in the 55g tank by floating them in a bag the same way you would after buying some from the pet store? adding more water from your tank to the bag over a period of time?


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

Also if you added all that tap water and than turned the filter on. All that tap water in the tank could of killed alot of the bacteria that was on the media you used from the other filter.


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## Vman (Jan 20, 2011)

Of cours i climatized the fish. I think that the bacteria was killed off by the tap water. Too much new water for the filter media. I just don't get why the juvies survived and not the catfishes.


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