Cloudy Eyes and Sudden Death

[angel]

My angelfish in the adult tank are dropping fast. Everything was fine last night, but this morning one was dead. Then another. I checked parameters. ph 7.5, ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates only thing up at 40. I did a 70% water change and cleaned the filter. Three more are now dead. The only physical symptom they have is some of them died with cloudy eyes. If I don't find out what this is in a hurry and how to fix it I'll have no adult angels left! Anyone?

[razer27]

do your fish look fuzzy or have a film on the body? it can be hard to tell i have had fish get cloud eye but never lost one to it no3 @ 40ppm isn't going to kill hardy fish did you see em flashing ? a pic may help if you can post one i would salt the tank and raise the temp mealfix may help to if its bacterial or a fungus infection and it sounds like one to me sorry i cant help more

[angel]

Thanks I did salt the tank and there's no fungus. The dark ones I can tell there's no film on their bodies either but the light ones it's difficult to tell. No flashing. I'm at a loss. Some of them are now moping at the bottom of the tank and didn't eat. Others--the smallest ones--are up swimming and did eat. I've gotten new additions twice in the last two weeks. Both from experienced hobbyists. No food changes. I can't think of anything else to say to help tell what it is, and I didn't take pics of them I just got rid of the dead bodies. It didn't seem there was enough to take a pic of but maybe I should have.
Thanks razer. Appreciate the idea sharing. If you think of anything else type it in please.

[sirknight]

Tina,

for fish to die that fast, something happen to the water.

Are you doing any painting, cleaning, etc near this tank. Something get dropped into the tank.

I would look at some kind of poisoning first. then go from there.

sorry for the late reply

Joe

[razer27]

i don't think it going to be poisoning or all the fish would be sick any new symptoms ? you may of had a new cycle dew to the new fish it could be why your nitrates were up . ammonia, nitrite,nitrate poisoning + stress from the new fish and large water change may of been to much for them but i doubt it would of killed them so fast. how are they doing today?

[angel]

No painting or cleaning that I know of, but I'll check with Dennis to see if he was doing anything in there. We have this popcorn stuff on the ceiling I'll check to see if any of that is missing, too. Maybe it could have dropped in with the kids jumping or slamming doors. I occasionally forget and leave the hood open so it would be possible. I've talked to one of the guys I got new angels from and he says his are all fine as of this morning, plus he's been doing fish for 45 years and angels for 10, so if it were anything brought in it would likely not be from there. I'll check with the other guy I got them from just to be sure. Think he was really thorough too, but it can't hurt to ask. It's got me sick, Joe! You know how I can't stand to lose even one fish and all this many--it's just too hard to watch! Plus I lost my mama fish. That's gonna hurt even if the rest make it. Then if they don't I have to decide what to do different to start over so it doesn't happen again. I lost a blue orchid to bloat last week too. And one multi shellie got beat to death by the others. It's been a rough week.

[angel]

Last night all the remaining fish ate, This morning I had one distressed. I moved him to a hospital tank. The others I fed. They wouldn't eat. There are a LOT of snails in that tank. I never considered the bio load with them. But even so, they were fine like one minute and sick and dropping the next. It doesn't much add up to bio load, they should have been sluggish I'd have thought. But then that's why I"m asking--I just don't know!

[kimberlie]

i bet its the popcorn on the ceiling ....i had 4 betta bowls and we had some work done to our ceiling which also has the popcorn....i guess where the guys were messing w it some some it fell into the water all my bettas died all 4 of them one right after the other 4 days in a row....i took like 2 days for the 1st one to die then all of them followed...their fins like started to dissolve..of course you couldnt see anything in the water bc the popcorn is just powder..after the 1st one died i changed all their water but it didnt help....i think it was too late the only one that made it was the one in the covered tank....so if the lids were open & the kids knocked some loose that stuff is definitely a killer!! im sorry!!!!

[allierw]

We lived in a house with a popcorn ceiling for 6 years, kept fish for 2. Did serious painting/remodeling and never had a fish death. We have lids/hoods but I never covered up the tanks or anything.

What kind of dechlorinator do you use? Do you use something like Prime or Amquel +? If so, that might cover up bad water parameters like a minicycle. Or maybe the minicycle was over by the time you tested. I hope your fish stay on the road to recovery. It's really rough when they start dying off for no good reason.

[angel]

I use stress coat plus. Tested yesterday when the first fish died. They're still dropping. Gonna clout.

[sirknight]

Tina,

You are treating your fish and still don't know what you are treating for.

Try moving the fish to a fresh tank bare bottom with a sponge filter before you start adding chemicals without knowing what is going on.

I have lost fish to windex glass cleaner because of ammonia from it.

Also a couple of years ago when I lived in Hendersonville (about this time of the year) I lost 6 tanks of show guppies to bad water from the tap, ever since then I run all my water through a pre-filter and carbon and have never had that problem again.

Joe

[oneyoda]

While I haven't a clue what to tell you to do; I am truly sorry for your losses. Hopeing all turns out well. - Phil

[angel]

Ok, Joe. I'll try it. I know this time of year they put in extra chemicals to deal with algae blooms. Anything's possible.
Thanks, Phil. I'm hoping to save the last 6(I thought there were 5 but there's one more)