PICS! 20 long, dwarf compressiceps

[eklikewhoa]

Is the heater used old?

[aquabee]

Brand new.

[SunnyHouTX]

Sorry for jumping in so late. B, you've got a puzzler in your hands. Either that or the comps are just so very delicate.

Sent from my Nexus S

[eklikewhoa]

Sorry for jumping in so late. B, you've got a puzzler in your hands. Either that or the comps are just so very delicate.

Sent from my Nexus S

doesn't explain the problem with the white clouds though.

[SunnyHouTX]

True. Maybe they "sensed" the tragedy that came upon the comps and now that that it's done with, they're feeling better themselves.

Sent from my Nexus S

[aquabee]

Heya Suntown. Was wondering where you disappeared to.

I added a fairly vigorous airstone and now the white clouds are playing in the current. Several days ago when I put the airstone in, they huddled away from it on the other side of the tank.

Q, I know I've had fish die in a tank and the other tankmates haven't cared... but I just had 4 comps die excruciatingly slow deaths. They've GOT to be releasing some sort of pheromone or something negative into the tank besides ammonia. Perhaps it was stress that killed my comps and made my white clouds act weird. Or maybe the wood had something bad in it and that killed the comps as well as made the white clouds act weird. Think I should leave the wood out no matter what and get new pieces? The tank looks bleak. River rocks haphazardly strewn about, a random airstone, and no beautiful wood pieces to add depth. The middle and upper water columns are totally empty.

[Complexity]

Normally, when you have a tank with stable fish and you introduce new fish which quickly die and then the original fish in the tank start showing signs of problems, I would suspect that the new fish introduced some kind of bacteria or parasite into the tank. However, in this case, the breeder is known and there have been no physical signs of disease. This is what stumps me.

Without any diseases involved, I'd then suspect that the dead fish contaminated the water due to decay, but I know these fish were removed promptly so that's not it.

I'd think perhaps stress, which may have been the case for the comps given their long car ride home, but I can't imagine the white clouds being stressed by what's happened.

So I'm at a complete loss. We may never be able to figure out what happened. I just hope the fish continue to improve.

[aquabee]

Normally, when you have a tank with stable fish and you introduce new fish which quickly die and then the original fish in the tank start showing signs of problems, I would suspect that the new fish introduced some kind of bacteria or parasite into the tank. However, in this case, the breeder is known and there have been no physical signs of disease. This is what stumps me.

Without any diseases involved, I'd then suspect that the dead fish contaminated the water due to decay, but I know these fish were removed promptly so that's not it.

I'd think perhaps stress, which may have been the case for the comps given their long car ride home, but I can't imagine the white clouds being stressed by what's happened.

So I'm at a complete loss. We may never be able to figure out what happened. I just hope the fish continue to improve.

Yeah. The breeder is known and has been calling me every day since this whole ordeal started. And other juvenile comps from the same batch in the same tank in his home are doing well. He's been watchin 'em like a hawk. The only other juvie comps he's sold are doing well in their new home as well.

[Complexity]

Think I should leave the wood out no matter what and get new pieces?

If the wood isn't anything special to you, then there's no reason to mess with it. Toss it for the peace of mind if nothing else.

If you really like the wood, then you can clean it and then test it out with some cheap fish like guppies or whatever. If they survive for a month without any problems, you can determine the wood is safe and put it in your tank and then give the cheap fish away to someone who will enjoy them.

[eklikewhoa]

how much did you pay for the wood?

[aquabee]

I love those pieces. But I don't have an extra 20 long to keep the pieces in to test with cheap fish. :(

[aquabee]

how much did you pay for the wood?

It was discounted by a friend at an LFS. I probably paid about $25 for all 3 pieces. So I'm losing that, plus the $30 for the comps. Bleh.

[Complexity]

Sounds like it's worth your time and trouble to clean the wood. Reintroduce it into the tank after your fish recover, but before you get your new comps. Then just watch things carefully. If the fish show any signs of problems, then you know you have to toss the wood. Otherwise, you're home free.

[aquabee]

Sounds like it's worth your time and trouble to clean the wood. Reintroduce it into the tank after your fish recover, but before you get your new comps. Then just watch things carefully. If the fish show any signs of problems, then you know you have to toss the wood. Otherwise, you're home free.

How do you typically clean driftwood/manzanita? I've heard bleach, then sun-dry for a week. I've heard this for bacteria/parasites though but I don't know how to try and strip it of possible contaminants.

The new comps won't be ready for the tank for a couple months, most likely. They're still very small and they grow at a snail's pace (not Eli's pace though Q, we all know how special he is! lol). I have stappersii/meleagris, 3 of 'em, that are arriving at my friend's place (same person who breeds the comps) on Saturday but he's agreed to hold them for me til things stabilize in my tank.

[Complexity]

I'd try to power wash it and then bleach it as already suggested. It would be with the idea that the contaminates would be on the outer surface of the wood and not soaked into the wood itself. Unless the wood was waterlogged in a contaminate or the tree grew in a contaminated area (so that the contaminate is actually a part of the tree), it's unlikely any contaminates are anywhere other than the wood's surface. It's more likely that something got onto the wood after it was collected.