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Inverts and scaleless fish dying

Discussion in 'Fish Diseases & Cures' started by copperhead.mike, May 7, 2010.

  1. copperhead.mike

    copperhead.mike Thread Starter New Member

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    So I am having issues with one of my retail systems. Two weeks in a row I have lost all of my ghost shrimp, all of my red crabs as weel as chinese algae eaters and redtail sharks. I have tested for copper and come up with nothing. Ammonia nitrite and nitrate are also zero. The system is about 900 gallons and about 300 gallons is pulled weekly. Any ideas?
     
    copperhead.mike, May 7, 2010
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  2. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    Ph? Water Temp & is it stable? are you dechlorinating before adding the clean water with something such as prime?
    Dosing the tank with anything?

    assuming this tank is cycled with your readings, but amazed your nitrates are at 0?
     
    MOD_Dawn, May 7, 2010
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  3. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    You say retail system, so I assume these are several tanks hooked up to a main filter system and everything dieing are in different tanks throughout that system, correct ?

    What kind of test kit are you using ? It is pretty odd to have 0 nitrates unless your tank(s) is pretty heavily planted.
     
    Anthony, May 7, 2010
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  4. copperhead.mike

    copperhead.mike Thread Starter New Member

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    Your correct on the system. The test kit for Nitrate Nitrite and Ammonia is a tetra test kit. For copper I used the seachem kit as well as an API kit. When I said zero on the nitrates I really meant that they were low enough that I was not concerned. The test shows it between 0 and 12 mg/l. It is more on the low side of that scale as well.
     
    copperhead.mike, May 7, 2010
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  5. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    These are liquid tests though right, mainly the copper test.

    Is there any chance salt was added to the system ?

    What about any recently used medications ?
     
    Anthony, May 7, 2010
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  6. copperhead.mike

    copperhead.mike Thread Starter New Member

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    All test are liquid except the Seachem copper test. It has one liquid regent and on powder regent. Part of the reason I tryed the other brand was in case the Seachem test was old though the expiration date has yet to be reached. I do not use any salts in this system as it houses mostly small tetras and other south american species. There hasnt been any meds. in this system for several months. The last one used was Quinine Sulfate in a low dose. That was about 3 months ago and there has been no problems since then. There is a 30watt UV on the system with a bulb that is a couple of months old.
     
    copperhead.mike, May 7, 2010
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  7. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Are these coming from the same supplier ? What does their water test in comparison to yours ?
     
    Anthony, May 7, 2010
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  8. YellowCichlid

    YellowCichlid New Member

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    You're the only one that has access to the tanks?
     
    YellowCichlid, May 7, 2010
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  9. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    did you try testing your water source? (i'm still going with something coming in through the water and not illness or other fish)..I'm wondering if your having fluctuation in case you wonder why I'm asking this.

    I keep all of these species (minus the red crabs) and know that most require pristine water conditions...but the cherry shrimp can live through just about anything ime with them. [icon_e_confused.gif]
     
    MOD_Dawn, May 7, 2010
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  10. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    I don't think it's an illness either.
     
    Anthony, May 7, 2010
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  11. copperhead.mike

    copperhead.mike Thread Starter New Member

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    They all came from the same supplier. I have been getting the majority of my freshwater from this supplier for several years. I have never had any problems with these species before from him either. I have tested my water supply for the basics and turned up nothing. I have not asked my supplier what his water is looking like but will be doing that on monday. As far as access to the system, I have talked with all of my employees and they have not dosed the system or done anything out of the ordinary. I have check all of the tanks for any foreign object that a customer or their child may have dropped in and still nothing. I have sent a couple of fish in for a necropsy as well as sent off a water sample to see what can be found. The local university seems to think its bacterial and it very well may be but its strang ethat it is only effecting scaleless fish and inverts. I have several sensitive species in the system that have shown no signs of stress. I am out of ideas.
     
    copperhead.mike, May 7, 2010
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  12. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    If you feel it's bacterial then you could always try using so Melafix but like like you said it's odd that one the scaleless and inverts are being affected. At this point I'm at a loss but maybe when you hear back from the supplier something will make sense.
     
    Anthony, May 7, 2010
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  13. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    yea, I don't get the only scaleless part.
    I normally due Melafix & Pimafix together with great success, but let us know if you get any info back from the supplier or necrop.
     
    MOD_Dawn, May 8, 2010
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