Pray for the fish...

[Deja Q]

Damn my stupidity for not having a quarantine tank.

The electric blue cichlid with the 'cloud eye' has died, fish has lost its color, and has a gray color to it.

Another electric blue's top fin is gray toward the back but is otherwise acting normal. I suspect that will change.

The third electric blue has a strange crusty substance around its lower lip/mouth and is lethargic, hiding - just like the one with the eye had.

Obviously the fish were hiding something and the stress of taking them home caused the breakout to occur.

No more Petco for me, that's for sure.

I'm treating the tank with Malafix, which I've heard is good. I hope this doesn't spread, I've got 7 lovely tiger barbs and 3 beautiful paradise gourami...

There is some nitrate build-up in the tank, but it's moderate - not high. Ammonia and nitrite are nil. Water is 7.8ph and is relatively hard.

x( :mad: :grr:

Must be karma, I shouldn't have been tempted by their pretty blue color in the first place. :cry:

[soothsayer]

1. it's supposed to be good luck when your fish die

feng shui principle maybe


i figure that's the same as falconers saying it's good luck if your bird poops on you tho

sorry about your fish

[XanaDUer]

2. Crap

Poor fish, poor you. This sucks...
:cry:

[Syncronaut Seven]

3. Noooooo......

Don't shop at Deathco! Find a reputable fish specialist in your city/town/hamlet! Never buy fish from minimum wage flunkies!

I keep a tank of Africans myself & my only casualties are violent ones <evilgrin> I moved last year & gave away my fish, 1,000 miles was just to far to take them. Some of those fish were 12 years old.

Keep your water temp up around 76F, add a teaspoon of sea salt (not table salt) for each ten gallons of water. Use a good filter! I prefer undergravel filters to all others. DO NOT OVERFEED! It's hard to starve a fish but overfeeding will kill them faster than spit.

Quarantining fish is a good idea but I've never had a problem with a reputable dealer, ever. Chain store fish seem to always have something.

Glad to see you back in good spirits Hypno! I think you freaked a few people out last weekend. Fishkeeping is a great hobby! Don't give up, it's very rewarding. If you're good to them they may even breed! That's way cool when it happens.

Harrad.

[Syncronaut Seven]

4. Oh one other thing.

I found once I got the hang of it that I could throw the test kits away. I throw a small handfull of crushed coral or shells in with the gravel & the PH & hardness take care of themselves. Good fishkeeping!

Harrad.

[Deja Q]

5. Thanks

On the plus side, I'll probably get most of my money back. :eyes: One fish is dead, I bet another is going to die within 2 days... not sure about the third, he's surprisingly active... maybe he can be cured.

I did go to a private dealer once. Paid a bundle for some kribensis fish. The lot of them died within a month. :cry: No reason found.

Re: good spirits. Thanks. I hope I stay in good spirits too...