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.
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.
