PlanetCatfish.com

Hi. I hope someone can help me.

Less than two weeks ago, I bought four small spotted catfish for a new 29 gallon freshwater aquarium. The tank was filled and running a filter for about three months without fish.

Everything seemed OK until a few days ago, when the catfish stopped eating. Next, they started swimming wildly and spending most of their time towards the top waterline instead of at the bottom like they should. Then, they got listless and also displayed labored breathing and reddness in the area of their fins.

Two of my fish have already died, and the other two will be dead soon I'm sure. Needless to say, I'd like to figure out what happened before I get any more.

I've checked everything I know how to-- temperature, pH, ammonia, nitrites, nitrate, hardness-- it's all normal.

Shortly before this all began, I added about a gallon of water make up for evaporation. I used the correct amount of a water conditioner designed to neutralize chlorine and chloramine.

The only working theory I have is that the conditioner didn't work and the water was still chlorinated. Is this possible? Would 1/29 of chlorinated water have such an immediate effect on the fish? Can I even test for chlorine?

If anyone has some advise, I'd be very grateful.


Regards,

Joe

How did you cycle the aquarium?
You say all the test results are normal, what is normal to you?
Sounds like ammonia or nitrite build up to me.

Ammonia and nitrite were both 0 ppm.

Joe

Also, temp: 76, pH 7.2.

By "Spotted Cat" do you mean Spotted Raphael (Agamyxix Pectinifrons)?
If so then I have had the same experiance.
I had been housing my adult (6") pair for over three years when I introduced six juviniles (2") to their 125g tank. Within one week I had noticed one by one the juvie cats behave in this exact fashion, not eaten, floating atop the water and an inability to controle their swimming. I figured that I had gotten unlucky and purchaced fish with early signs of Swim Bladder Disease.
I unfortunately lost all but one of my cats, my two adults among them.

I cannot say for sure if your case is the same as mine, but you should research the term and judge for yourself. I took the liberty of doing a search for you, hope this helps.

http://freshaquarium.about.com/gi/dynam ... mbldr.html

Peace,
Matt