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swordtails keep dying :(

Discussion in 'Fish Diseases & Cures' started by sweetdest, Apr 15, 2012.

  1. sweetdest

    sweetdest Thread Starter New Member

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    Can any one tell me how to take care of swordtails i cant keep any alive past 3 months :( I can get tetras & giant danios that are in the same tank to live for 2 or 3 yrs
     
  2. MasterBlue

    MasterBlue Active Member

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    What temperature is your tank? Swords are tropical fish and like warmer waters.
    High nitrates is what the water was? water changes, and trying to find out why should be our next step.
     
  3. sweetdest

    sweetdest Thread Starter New Member

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    The temp is usually 76 or 78. The nitrates where a little high. We do a 20 to 25 % water change every 2 weeks
     
  4. MasterBlue

    MasterBlue Active Member

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  5. sweetdest

    sweetdest Thread Starter New Member

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    yes a few days ago the gravel was vacuumed. Maybe we need to do it more often than every 2 wks.
     
  6. MasterBlue

    MasterBlue Active Member

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    Where are you getting these fish? Are there any signs of illness or stress when you get them, or does it suddenly develop? Are there any at all? Maybe have your source water tested? If it's tap water do you use a declorinator?
     
  7. sweetdest

    sweetdest Thread Starter New Member

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    We usually get them from a local pet store that sells mainly fish & sometimes from petsmart & no they dont show signs of stress, just out of the blue some of them get sick or they just die. My fiance puts something in it when he cleans the tanks so im pretty sure its declorinator. I think that the waters not getting changed often enough cause ive noticed a couple of times 1 or 2 fish would also die in the 29 g & both tanks get cleaned @ the same time & usually when we get the water tested its fine. I dont know if swordtails require cleaner water or what
     
  8. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    sounds like it's a water chemistry issue.

    Make sure he's adding the proper amount of dechlorinator every time he replaces water (Seachem Prime dechlorinator can be added directly into the tank BEFORE you pour the clean water into it & you can easily dose for the entire volume of your tank to be on the safe side, rather than trying to calculate how much water you've removed in order to configure the proper dechlorinator dosage).

    What size tank is this and how much (how many gallons/what percentage) of water is being siphoned every 2 weeks?

    Inhabitants...what's in the tank and how many?

    What did the water read exactly? and you may want to invest into a good master LIQUID test kit such as Api which I'll link here--> http://www.amazon.com/API-FRESHWATER-MASTER-TEST-KIT/dp/B000255NCI
    pH-sudden changes can cause death
    Ammonia- Any amount of ammonia is lethal
    Nitrites- 0 or Reduce with water changes
    Nitrate- You want this as low as possible (40ppm or less).

    To avoid issues:
    • Test water with a quality unexpired liquid test kit to make sure you're a) cycled b) not going through a mini-cycle c) avoiding issues before they become major problems
    • Don't Overstock Livestock
    • Avoid Overfeeding
    • Perform regular partials siphoning from the bottom of the tank and vac. substate to remove any uneaten/excess food & fish waste.
    • Add Dechlorinated Water after your partial (Seachem Prime is a great dechlorinator and you can simply dose for the entire tank volume if you want to be on the safe side).
    • Steady/consistent water temperature (aquarium heater & digital thermometer to monitor)
    • and Even Adding fast growing Live Plants Can help keep your aquarium healthy
     
  9. sweetdest

    sweetdest Thread Starter New Member

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    k i'll make sure hes using dechlorinator. It's a 55 g & he does 20 to 25% changes every 2 wks. Theres 2 loaches, 2 platys, 2 giant danios, 4 von rio tetras, a albino tetra & 6 or 7 swordtails
     
  10. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    well he's definately not overstocked :)
    check on the dechlorinator, if possible take a water sample to your local fish store and have them retest (take a piece of paper so you can write down the readings...you'll want them for reference), and you may want to check that they aren't being overfed (which leads to a whole host of water issues...I know when I first started that was the hardest thing to get a grasp on, how much to feed and I was really shocked when I learned how LITTLE they needed. An older fish keeper once told me only feed them an eye's worth).
     
  11. sweetdest

    sweetdest Thread Starter New Member

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    k thanx for your help :) He tries not to feed them too much, i know he feeds them every other day
     
  12. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    your most welcome,
    and it's difficult to figure out how much to adequately feed them without running into overfeeding...especially at first!

    Also, when cleaning the filter is he simply rinsing everything under tap water...or using a bucket of tank water? IF using tap water it could be creating mini-cycles. Just a side thought.
     
  13. sweetdest

    sweetdest Thread Starter New Member

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    I'm pretty sure he rinses every thing under the tap water
     
  14. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    that could be your issue right there. Using chlorinated tap water to rinse stuff and then adding it back to your tank can be adding baddies right into his setup.
    Aquarium Stuff should be rinsed in a bucket of aquarium water-->
     
  15. sweetdest

    sweetdest Thread Starter New Member

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    well i talked to him, he said he rinses everything in the tank water.
     
  16. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    that's good then, I'd still say it's gotta be something water chemistry related and to have the water re-tested.
     
  17. Crazyspicychef

    Crazyspicychef New Member

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    I have the same problem. Water chemistry fine.
    Gave up on swordtails. Plattys too.
    Molly's are fine. No clue?
     
  18. michael

    michael Administrator Staff Member

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    Can you provide more information about your setup? How many times have you had swordtails and platys die in your tank and how quickly after being added?

    I've rarely heard about only one type of livebearers being unable to thrive consistently in a tank and it usually had more to do with the location from where they were purchased and factors other than species related.