Diagnosis needed:Lost my New Guinea Red Rainbowfish today...

[murgus]

Sad day today :cry:

Came home from work and found my New Guinea Red Rainbowfish dead.  Everything seemed fine last night, although I did add 3 White Cloud Mountain minnows.  All of the other fish seem fine (current inhabitants are 3 Boesmani, 1 Turquoise, 3 yoyo loaches, 2 zebra loaches, 6 WCMM, 1 CAE and 2 shrimp).

It is the strangest thing really, the body was almost all white :?: Has anyone encountered this? I have read some bad things about the CAE turning on other fish and compromising their slime coat - is it possible this is what happened?

I'd really like to know what caused this so that I can treat the tank if necessary.  No pictures I am afraid.

Any/all help appreciated.

Thanks,
murgus

[murgus]

Just tested the water:

ammonia: 0-0.3 (I can never tell if it is clear enough to be zero!)
nitr I te: 0.1
nitr A te: 15

I did a 25% water change 2 days ago - are the elevated readings due to the dead fish being in the tank for (up to) 20 hours?

Thanks,
murgus

[mseguin]

Probably, although I'm not sure if that's long enough for nitrite to show up.
How old was the fish? Could be the CAE, although I'd like to see one try to catch a rainbowfish.

[murgus]

I got the New Guinea on Oct 28 - it was a rather big fish (for rainbowfish in the area anyway) about 2"-2.25".

Thanks,
murgus

[blueturq]

Any measureable amount of Ammonia and/or NitrIte, means that the tank isn't fully cycled, so that might have had some effect on in it.

Although, one could argue that your other fish seem unaffected by this.

I also tend to agree with mseguin on if age could be a factor aswell.  How old was the fish? How long was it in your aquarium

[murgus]

Any measureable amount of Ammonia and/or NitrIte, means that the tank isn't fully cycled, so that might have had some effect on in it.

The tank is about 10 weeks old - it might be a mini-cycle but this tank was fully cycled at one point.

Although, one could argue that your other fish seem unaffected by this.

I also tend to agree with mseguin on if age could be a factor aswell.  How old was the fish? How long was it in your aquarium

All I know for sure is that I had the Red for about 4 weeks with no signs of any distress.  It was about 2" when I got it - I haven't been able to locate any references that loosely relate length to age in rainbows.

Thanks for the help.

murgus

[murgus]

Perhaps it was stressed as it was the only New Guinea Red?  Although the solitary turquoise seems fine...

Thanks,
murgus

[blueturq]

Perhaps it was stressed as it was the only New Guinea Red?

That's a very good point.  That would apply to something like a tetra, a rasbora or a danio.  Rainbowfish.... ehhh, they seem to be a little different, because different Rainbowfish types will school together (which is a very unique and beautiful site to see!)

Although the solitary turquoise seems fine... Thanks,
murgus

Yes, exactly..... I don't think it was stress that caused the death of the Red Rainbow, seeing as you have a single Turquoise Rainbow with Bosemani Rainbows... I think you mentioned that in an earlier post?

The Turquoise Rainbow probably hangs out with the Bosemani's I assume?

[murgus]

Yes, exactly..... I don't think it was stress that caused the death of the Red Rainbow, seeing as you have a single Turquoise Rainbow with Bosemani Rainbows... I think you mentioned that in an earlier post?

The Turquoise Rainbow probably hangs out with the Bosemani's I assume?

Yes, they are quite chummy - come to think of it, the Red might have been a little "distant" with the other rainbows, not really hanging out with them like the turquoise.

IF it was stress-related, could it have happened that fast (lights out at 11 pm all is well, dead by 5pm)?

Thanks blueturq.

murgus

[mseguin]

Stress can lead to parasites (such as ich) and some of them act very quickly ocne they get a foothold.