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fish dying

2K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  Jpokerwinski 
#1 ·
hey folks.. I would like some feed back. I have a 10 gallon quarantine tank that I use when I bring new fish home. I have really only used it a couple of times. here is what I do:
I put a dose of EM, general cure and super ICK in the tank.
then I introduce the fish.
I repeat the dose .wait 48 hours.. do a water change..
the fish start dying about 3 days after the water change.i have a sponge filter and a filter on the back that I have the charcoal removed. I out the charcoal back in after the water change. these last ones to die were sword tails.. they looked great, then all of a sudden bam.
 
#2 ·
simple cycle IMHO.

When using the methods in the link in my signature, I initially fed the first fish. Just like clockwork it always dies on the 5th day showing stress on the third or fourth day. When I didn't feed that first fish it always survived.

I also recommend using a planted tank like in my signature but the plants do filter out the meds.

my .02
 
#4 ·
simple cycle IMHO.

When using the methods in the link in my signature, I initially fed the first fish. Just like clockwork it always dies on the 5th day showing stress on the third or fourth day. When I didn't feed that first fish it always survived.

I also recommend using a planted tank like in my signature but the plants do filter out the meds.

my .02
I read your thread.. I have a question. I was going to do a water change on my other tank this weekend and I was going to use 1o gallons of THAT water for the quarantine tank. I was planning on using plants and a sponge filter. do you think that would work? then you are saying NOT to feed them for a WEEK? then only 1 flake at a time?
 
#5 ·
No just during that first week. After that I start feeding one flake per day per fish.

that said they can go for two weeks or so with no feeding.

my .02
 
#7 · (Edited)
I know it is possible to mix some API medications, but I would be extremely hesitant to put in a mixture of three medications like that. Often medications are hard enough on the fish's system that even with just using one, the fish can die from the harshness of the medication alone. With three I could definitely see all the medications themselves as a possible culprit. Some people like to treat fish early before any signs of illness, but that is controversial even with one medication. With three, that is at least as likely to cause problems as it is to treat anything. Some of the ingredients in those medicines will also kill the beneficial filter bacteria that keep an aquarium cycled, so there are more likely to be dangerous spikes in Ammonia and Nitrites in your quarantine tank even if you've made sure to cycle your sponge filter, and that could also be causing problems with fish. Normally you could simply keep that extra sponge filter in your main tank to keep it cycled and then move it to the quarantine tank when needed for an instant cycle, but by adding those medications you basically killed the cycle in the quarantine even if it was cycled before. The timing also makes sense to me if your tap water company, like most now, uses Chloramine in the water instead of Chlorine. Chloramine is an Ammonia compound, so there would be Ammonia in your water. And you just killed all the beneficial bacteria in your filter by adding certain of those medications, so when you suddenly add an influx of Ammonia with the new water and have killed all the beneficial bacteria with your medications, the fish's already weakened bodies just can't handle it and die.



If I were you, I would remove those medications with fresh carbon and water changes and change to only adding medications if you actually see symptoms of an illness. If you aren't already, use Prime as your dechlorinator to neutralize Ammonia. Live plants would absorb any Ammonia in the tap water as well, but many medications will mess with plants so you should check to make sure those are compatible. If the fish are sick, it should become clear during a 4-6 week quarantine, and then you can add a single appropriate medication upon seeing symptoms rather than blasting them with a chemical cocktail right away. I might also suggest using Tetracycline for bacterial infections rather than Erythromycin, because Erythromycin can kill beneficial bacteria keeping the tank cycled whereas Tetracycline should not. General Cure cures ick as well as other parasites, by the way, so I don't think you need the Super Ick Cure in addition to the General Cure. Super Ick Cure also contains copper compounds, which are not safe for treating scaleless fish or invertebrates, so I personally prefer the General Cure for external parasites anyway. To be clear, I'm still talking about making changes when you are only adding one medication at a time.
 
#8 ·
I think you are correct. in my ignorance I am trying to treat a disease that may not exist and it may be combining with other things that are killing them. the next quarantine I am going to do is in a planted tank as Bob suggested and do nothing with medicine until it warrants it. I am running a sponge filter now in my main tank that has cycled and I am planning on doing a water change this weekend to this tank. well the water I am taking out of the main tank will go into the quarantine tank along with the sponge filter.
 
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