Albino Bristlenose Pleco's babies...most died

5666 Views 3 Replies 2 Participants Last post by Flint, Feb 10, 2014

jeeplassie

Discussion Starter · Feb 9, 2014

I am not a new tank owner, but I am new to having baby pleco's.
I have a simple 20 gal, with bio filter and giant resin rock with caves in it for deco. I also had a large plastic vine plant deco which I have since removed. I had a male bristlenose pleco, 2 cory's, and a few neons. oh and a snail. My daughter had a female pleco but her tank dived so I put her female in my tank. I then lost sight of the male. Both the male and female were about 2 inches at that point. I figured the male must have died because I didn't see him for about 7 months, even after intense searching. Turns out, he was being daddy. I looked in my tank about two months ago and had around 10 babies, that I could count. Then about two weeks later, I had another 10 or so. Then about a month later, I had another 20. needless to say, I had a ton of baby fish and all seemed to be doing great. I mainly feed algae wafers, plus a pinch of flake, and a couple of sinking food for the cory's. I fed them about once every day or two. I also put some zucchini in the tank and the babies loved that. I always remove the remaining after a couple of hours.
Today I was getting ready to carefully clean the tank, and remove the bigger babies to take to the local aquarium. All the babies, and all but one neon were dead. The cory's look ok, and the female pleco looks alright. I am assuming the male is ok too because I very rarely see him, and I have another fresh batch of about 40 babies.
I cleaned (carefully vacuumed) the tank, removed the plant and dead fish, and changed the filter. The water tests fine. The plant had some form of fungus on it, probably from rotted food I'm guessing. The babies all look good...swimming around nicely and eating....but they seem to have teeny tiny white spots on them here n there. I cannot tell if those are naturally there, or if it could be ick, or even air bubbles. I would like to save them of course, and the remaining fish I have. any ideas?

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Flint

· #2 · Feb 9, 2014

I have a simple 20 gal

Long or tall?

I had a male bristlenose pleco, 2 cory's, and a few neons. oh and a snail. My daughter had a female pleco but her tank dived so I put her female in my tank.

Corys need to be kept in groups of at least 6, the same with neon tetras. Please increase your schools.

needless to say, I had a ton of baby fish and all seemed to be doing great.

This is where your problem began.

and changed the filter.

How exactly did you change the filter?

The water tests fine.

What test kit are you using? Please post your exact parameters.

probably from rotted food I'm guessing.

Rotted food = excess ammonia in an already overstocked tank.

but they seem to have teeny tiny white spots on them here n there. I cannot tell if those are naturally there, or if it could be ick, or even air bubbles.

Photos of this would help. Do they look like salt grains?

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jeeplassie

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 9, 2014

My 20 gal is a taller one, I have always kept 2 cory's with no problems, and the neons were in a group of 5, as they school better in odd numbers.
I understand there were too many babies for the tank, this is why I was taking them out. for several months however, they were doing fine. I wanted to wait until they got a little bigger so I could not only see them, but catch them too.
the filter was changed and fresh ammo/carb was put in...same as I have done for years.
My test kit died (the ammonia bottle sprung a leak) so I had the local aquarium test it. I do not remember the exact parameters but everything was in the ranges they were supposed to be in.
I understand rotted food causes ammonia spikes...it tested clear however. and I did try to get pics, but the camera won't go that close. The babies are really tiny, and transparent.
I think I forgot to mention the fish all died overnight. They were all white, and no ick fuzz on them at all. Even the neons were white, but all smooth with no fuzz whatsoever on them. This is what confuses me. I'm no stranger to ick and this really does not resemble it from my experience. but yes, it does look like little salt grains and that does remind me of ick. This tank has been established for over two years with no problems at all..how could they have died overnight, and all turn white like that?

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Flint

· #4 · Feb 10, 2014

My 20 gal is a taller one, I have always kept 2 cory's with no problems, and the neons were in a group of 5, as they school better in odd numbers.

What kind of corys are they? There are only a couple of suitable species for such a small footprint and just because you have kept the corys with "no problems" doesn't mean there actually are no problems. This fish is social and needs to be with others of their own kind. It is very stressful for them not to be, as the numbers make them feel safe and compromising their stress levels for your pleasure will ultimately lead to an untimely death. I'm glad the neons have a proper-sized school.

for several months however, they were doing fine.

They were doing fine but their existence was compromising your water quality, which I'm sure lead to the quick decline in your tank. I would suggest putting either the male or the female in another tank so overstocking doesn't become an issue again.

the filter was changed and fresh ammo/carb was put in...same as I have done for years.

Did you change all of the media?

My test kit died (the ammonia bottle sprung a leak) so I had the local aquarium test it. I do not remember the exact parameters but everything was in the ranges they were supposed to be in.

Exact numbers are going to help us help you. You can buy the ammonia bottle separately for a few dollars. Can you give us your Nitrites and Nitrates?

I think I forgot to mention the fish all died overnight. They were all white, and no ick fuzz on them at all. Even the neons were white, but all smooth with no fuzz whatsoever on them. This is what confuses me. I'm no stranger to ick and this really does not resemble it from my experience.

This and this -

but yes, it does look like little salt grains and that does remind me of ick.

Contradict each other. You say you are no stranger to ich, yet you describe ich as fuzz. Ich does not resemble fuzz at all. Ich is a big possibility due to the massive load on the tank. Your parameters were most likely off and the pet store mistaken or just telling you what you want to hear, because unless you have an RTS or something that has the mentality to go on a killing spree, it had to be your water quality.

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