Dead Ruby Nose Tetras - trying to figure out cause

[raydobbs]

Well, I purchased 9 ruby-nosed tetras last night, and awoke after work this afternoon - roughly about 14 hours later, to find three of them dead, stuck to the filter strainer and one free floating.

I removed them from the tank, of course, and placed them in a plastic bag. *Since I could not go back to the fish store tonight, as I wouldn't get there before they closed - I placed that said plastic bag in the fridge, to prevent decomposition from starting, or if it already has - to slow it to preserve the fish remains so that the fish store can find out what killed them.

In case it's a disease, I am diatomic filtering the tank using a Magnum 250 with micron filter and diatom powder as directed by the fish store. *I also turned the temp from 78, to 80 - to nudge tomorrow to 82 in an attempt to either kill the bacterial, or make it's life cycle speed up and make it run it's course very very fast - in hopes it will not kill the fish. *I also added some Stress Coat in case the fish's slime coat had been depleated by the process of introducing them to my tank.

Here is what I am observing from the remaining 6 ruby-nosed tetras. *2 are swimming normally - but suffer from occasional bouts of hiding near where their fallen comrades were found - near the intake of filter, behind a mess of plastic plants. *The others stay hidden there all the time, and 2 of them show a small whiter patch on their backs, near their dorsal fins (hence my fear of bacterial infection). *One healthier looking fish, when he/she shops swimming, will end up at a 45 degree angle (head up/tail down). *He will turn in circles as if confused or dizzy, remaining in the 45 degree pitch.

Here's the million dollar question: *Am I doing something wrong here? *Or am I taking the right percautions here, given the information that I've observed? *What caused this, and how can I prevent it from happening to my other fish?

This is in my 55 gallon aquarium, set up for 4 weeks - tank is just finishing (if not completely) it's cycle process. *The other fish, 9 Rasboras, 9 Tiger Barbs, and 9 Glowlights show no sign of illness, and all remaining fish (except for the ruby-nose tetras) eat flakes when fed. *The tank is using one Emperor dual BioWheel system, and a Rena dual port air pump for extra aeration (mostly for circulation and astetics, but volume CAN oxygenate water if BioWheel is off). *One Ebo heater set for 80 degrees at this point, 78 previously to this incident.

I can take pictures of the dead fish, and provide detailed discriptions of what they currently look like if needs be, just let me know.

[splishsplash]

Ray,

Well, I feel for you. That has got to be incredibly frustrating.  Since all your other fish are acting fine, I would think it has to be an illness in the ruby-nosed tetras.  I think the diatomic filtering is a good idea, I don't know much about it, but I do know it removes very small particles from the water, so hopefully if it is a diesease that'll prevent it from moving to your other fish.

Do you have a hospital you can set up? Even a clean new 5 gallon bucket that you could through dechlorinated water and a heater in? Then you could move the ruby nosed tetras in to that to help further prevent your healthy fish from becoming sick.  

As far as raising the temperature, the only diesease that I know this works for is ich, which is not a bacteria, I don't think. I don't think raising the temp will work on a bacterial infection, and it may just further stress your fish out, as the higher the temperatures, the less oxygen in the water.  

The tetras do sound sick, and it sounds like the one swimming at 45 degrees has swim bladder disease.  That is bacterial. The only time I ever had it happen, the fish was dead before I could start treatment.

I think the best thing to do to prevent this from happening to your other fish is to isolate the ruby nosed tetras.  Take the ones that have already died back to the fish store tommorrow and see if they have any better information. If they hadn't been in the store very long before you bought them, they might not have known they were ill before you bought them.  It sounds like it is a bacterial infection though.  I have never had to treat a bacterial infection, so I don't know what to tell you on that end. I will see if I can find some information for you, and hopefully someone who has dealt with it will post soon.

Jan

[splishsplash]

Is the white patch on thier backs cottony, or does it look like the color bled out of thier scales??

Just wondering,

Jan

[splishsplash]

okay, I found this page, that has a list of symptoms, what they are caused by and treatments.  Looks like a good page, and it may help you some.

http://www.enteract.com/~kohler/fishinfo.html#meds

Jan

[raydobbs]

I lost one more, and made a emergency run to the pet store. *I tell you, one would think I was driving a laboring lady to the hospital at how fast I was going...

Anyway - they said that my water was a little wrong for rummy-nose tetras (ruby, rummy - same color to these ol' eyes) and they are very fragile critters. *They said that the ones I bought will either adapt or die (they leaned on the die side of the argument. *They said if I lose anymore, just bag them up, and bring them back. *I am replacing them with Cherry Barb fish (I think - they mentioned a few fish. *These didn't even blink when I added them to the tank after the 45 minute warm up and aclimate time in their little pet shop bag. *However, they said that I should not add anymore fish after this batch for quite a while. *So I thinking of working on my little Guppy collection, with a large tank.

As far as the white patchs on the rummy nose - the pet shop said that it is a common reaction when they are shocked to the point of death by water conditions. *They all have it, so I am banking on losing them all, and replacing them with the appropriate number of Cherry Barbs.

They did seem to agree to look after these new fish for a little while - to see that they are doing well, and eating healthy. *:>

ADDENDUM:  Lost another one - this one got snagged on the Diatomic Filter intake.  I rescued him, but he was so far gone that he merely twitched (the end was near) so I placed him in a little glass of water (RO) and put him the in freezer (they are cold blooded - they will die long before they would freeze, and the cold will make them go to sleep, and then quickly perish...)  This is turning into a rather morbid experience - just waiting like the Grim Reaper for my Rummy Noses to die off.  :<

[splishsplash]

Man, Ray, I am sorry.  I know it is rough when you do everything to try and provide a good home for your fish and then something like this happens. I am glad that you figured out what was wrong though, so you don't have to worry that a disease is going to wipe out your entire tank.

Good luck with the cherry barbs,

Jan

[johnc]

yeah, rummy nose are a very fragile fish that are not quite so hardy, usually requiring special water conditions, almost discus like conditions to survive and thrive...so if you rwater was off, then thats what happened...also, rummy nose are fast when you are trying to catch then but otherwise, are not very fast or active, they kind of like to just chill, you know...its quite possible your tiger barbs, being nippy little buggers, stressed them out to such a point that death was caused...possibly...try something a little more active, serpae tetras, danios, wild blue ( blue flash ) tetras...they would do better

[Kristin]

 maybe you just weren't quite through your cycle yeet, or you didn't take enough time to acclimate them to the tank water. you are sposed to put the in a bucket or something else to hold them and slowly add tankwater over about 15 minutes to adjust theem to the change.

[clothahump]

I would start going elsewhere for your fish, your store owner should have warned you that rummy nose tetras are difficult to aclimatise.
I noticed you have not given any of your water parameters, what are they?
Find another store and ask them about keeping rummies, if they are any good they will tell you the truth. 8)

[fishboy]

Five months later...............
;D