Adventures in Aquaria - The KevinVA Story

**Slaphppy7** · 06-10-2014, 12:50 AM

Dang, sorry Kev...I wish I could wave a magic wand and fix it, but...

At least good news with the hatchets....have the angels finally decided to behave themselves?

**steeler58** · 06-10-2014, 12:55 AM

That's the "down" side of fish keeping, just when everything seems to be fine a fish comes down with something, I pulled a dead Cardinal out of the intake tube last night, first loss since I started using IAL.

**cm12setx** · 06-10-2014, 01:03 AM

Kevin sorry to hear about the BRB. that stinks to have them do this over all this time. but I have a question for you? are aliens still visiting you tank again? do we need to send you little tin foil hats for your fish friends. o and some for the clams, shrimp and all the critters.

**JudiJetson** · 06-10-2014, 01:05 AM

Geez Kevin & Lee, sorry to hear of the losses...nothing worse than when you can't figure out the exact why and how to prevent it completely. It's even more difficult when we keep multiple species in one tank even though the conditions are all acceptable.

**fishmommie** · 06-10-2014, 01:13 AM

Sorry about your losses, Kevin. Hope it's not your angels that are taking out the hatchets. My angel chases the harleys but that's it. She never attacks them when she catches up so hopefully, you're aren't the culprits.

As for the barb - Are barbs top feeders? Do they attack the flakes on the surface? If so maybe they're gulping air when they're gulping their food.
If so, what about releasing the flakes below the surface so they start sinking right away to avoid the air gulping? Your bottom feeders will also love you for it.

If that's not it, then I have no clue :o(

**steeler58** · 06-10-2014, 01:17 AM

Originally Posted by fishmommie

Sorry about your losses, Kevin. Hope it's not your angels that are taking out the hatchets. My angel chases the harleys but that's it. She never attacks them when she catches up so hopefully, you're aren't the culprits.

As for the barb - Are barbs top feeders? Do they attack the flakes on the surface? If so maybe they're gulping air when they're gulping their food.
If so, what about releasing the flakes below the surface so they start sinking right away to avoid the air gulping? Your bottom feeders will also love you for it.

If that's not it, then I have no clue :o(

Cindy could have something here, I've seen Tiger barbs have similer symptoms to this year ago.

**fishmommie** · 06-10-2014, 01:18 AM

Originally Posted by steeler58

Cindy could have something here, I've seen Tiger barbs have similer symptoms to this year ago.

When I first got my blood parrots, they had to gulp at the top for their flakes. A couple times I found them upside down in the tank, did some reading, and realized they were gulping air. So I started releasing the flakes in the water. It's never happened since. Now I do it in all my tanks. We go through a lot of paper towels and soap here LOL

**Slaphppy7** · 06-10-2014, 01:29 AM

How do you do that?...supposedly it's the way to do it for bettas, too

**KevinVA** · 06-10-2014, 01:39 AM

Thanks guys.

Cindy, I wish it were that easy. ;/

I've been feeding that way for at least the last year+. I never just throw flakes on the surface of the water... I dip and crumble them in the water. I actually had to switch it up last night for the hatchets, because they couldn't get to the flakes before the angels did. So I threw flakes on the surface in there.

I have no idea what's causing this, but I've tried feeding peas, garlic flakes, and fasted the sick ones for days... none of the usual will fix the "swim bladder" probs. Otherwise, I've dosed prazi pro as a preventative for new stock... so they've at least been hit with that on several occassions. I've also fed anti-protozoan flakes, while I've been heat treating the tank for ich (which is completely gone now, btw). I'll be lowering the temp starting tomorrow.

Oh, and sorry for your loss, too, Lee. Mystery death, I presume...

**fishmommie** · 06-10-2014, 01:44 AM

Originally Posted by KevinVA

Thanks guys.

Cindy, I wish it were that easy. ;/
I've been feeding that way for at least the last year+. I never just throw flakes on the surface of the water... I dip and crumble them in the water. I actually had to switch it up last night for the hatchets, because they couldn't get to the flakes before the angels did. So I threw flakes on the surface in there.

I have no idea what's causing this, but I've tried feeding peas, garlic flakes, and fasted the sick ones for days... none of the usual will fix the "swim bladder" probs. Otherwise, I've dosed prazi pro as a preventative for new stock... so they've at least been hit with that on several occassions. I've also fed anti-protozoan flakes, while I've been heat treating the tank for ich (which is completely gone now, btw). I'll be lowering the temp starting tomorrow.

Oh, and sorry for your loss, too, Lee. Mystery death, I presume...

Well darn. I was so hoping that would be the answer. perhaps BRB's have a penchant for swim bladder because of the the way their internal organs are aligned? In any event, maybe someone here will know the answer. Or, maybe feeding them that way has lengthened their lives only there's no way to tell.

And Lee, I'm sorry. I missed that you lost a fish. sometimes no matter what you do ....