sick fish?

[Thumpya]

Hi there I have 8 or 9 Harliquin Rasboras in my tank, and every few months I've been finding a new dead one  just before they die I have noticed they puff up, look real ugly like 

I have a community tank with neon tetras, corys and rummy nose tetras and they don't seem to be affected. I was wonderiing if this was the life of a rasbora? Is it just how they grow old and die?
I have had them for 2 years now I get 2-3 every 3 months or so. It's not a huge issue for me but... 

and no they have no fungus growing on them before they die, no white stuff or spots.

Just wondering

[dan2x38]

can you post more details: age of set-up, water change frequency, recent additions, NH3, NO2, NO3, tank size, what you feed how often, and whatever else.......

[Thumpya]

Sorry about that,

AH 72gal, weekly water changes (although last week I've had Blue green alge, grrrrrrr) all my measurements come up normal

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
pH is in the high range 7.6

it's been up and running for about 4 months since Ive moved it to the basement , and I feed them just a staple food.

[Rocco]

Sounds like dropsy..I had a platy die of it a few weeks ago...look on google + type in fish drospy....if it was dropsy they tend to puff up and look like a pinecone all spickey and such ( their scales stick out) I think it can be treated with medicated fish food...and yeah its really gross... lol

[dan2x38]

It does sound like dropsy or bloat they are secondary illnesses. Here is a link that discusses it: http://aquaworld.netfirms.com/Disease/Dropsy.htm Good luck usually over feeding is the root cause. Do your rasboros get to the food first when you first drop it in?

[Thumpya]

Thanks everyone,

That could be the problem although I don't think I over feed the fish I usually feed for three days then nothing for one sometimes two days of fasting. I did notice tonight that he has a red dot right on his belly?  Hmm?

I have him quarantined to see if he makes the night.

[Montrealguy]

Bloat and dropsy are radically different problems with similar symptoms.
Bloat usually affect herbivores, which Rasboras are not. That leaves dropsy, which is when an infection spreads throughout the fish and affects the kidneys, causing it to swell up. Most of the time, it's untreatable and quickly fatal. Since aquarium antibiotics were banned in Quebec, I have seen no difference in survival rates from these symptoms.
Your red dot points strongly to a bacterial infection.
If it's hitting off and on in only one species, then it's the fish are carrying something that gets them when they are older, stressed, run down etc. Rasbora come from blackwater - very acid water in which few bacterial pathogens do well. Their immune system has never had to evolve to deal with a lot of the things they meet in captivity, and so, they are prone to infections. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news...

[Thumpya]

Thanks Montrealguy,

Im not too concerned about the rasbora I do have him away from other fish so that's ok.. I can  always get another right?
Say la vie