ChicagoDiscus.com     Cafepress Store

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 18

Thread: BN's dying

  1. #1
    Registered Member KJoFan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Windom, MN
    Posts
    741

    Default BN's dying

    I thought BN's were supposed to be fairly adaptable/hardy fish? I don't seem to have much luck with them. I've had 4 die on me in about 2 weeks time. One seemed to get injured by choosing to hideout in the uplift tube of the sponge filter, so that kind of explains that. The next three have all died in my one discus tank. I had just put them in there on Wednesday and 3 of 4 have died. Two were ABN's one was a BN. All of them came from the same source (a local hobbyist) and were in good health. I put two in each of my 55 discus tanks and they seem fine. I put the remaining 4 in my 75 discus tank and that's where 3 out of 4 died. I moved the remaining one to one of my 55's for fear it'd die too.

    It seems odd to me that they only die in the one tank. They had zucchini to munch on so they shouldn't have been hungry. The temp was mid 80's like any typical discus tank. What's going on? I'm afraid to put anymore in that tank again but I'd really like to have some in all my discus tanks. They weren't fighting or anything. They'd survived in a couple 10 gallons tanks while in QT previously.

    Anyone have any ideas? It shouldn't be something coming from my discus because some discus in my 55 are from the same source as those in the 75 so should have the same "bugs".

    Ok this got kind of long, sorry about that!
    -Karen

  2. #2
    Registered Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts
    36

    Default Re: BN's dying

    Hmm...sounds strange. Do you have any other stuff for it to eat beside zucchini?

    When they get to be about 1", they eat frozen blood worms. They also LOVE driftwood (real driftwood) not fake plastic stuff. Algae on the tank would also be good if you have any. How about plants? They also help clean the leaves of plants and eat some half rotten plant matter (at least mine does).

    They are really hardy and not all that demanding. Could it be other fishes are attacking them while you are not looking?

  3. #3
    Registered Member KJoFan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Windom, MN
    Posts
    741

    Default Re: BN's dying

    I feed veggie or algae wafers as well. There wasn't driftwood in the tanks but I didn't think that was essential for life? There wasn't much algae in there, hence the zucchini. And no plants, it's a barebottom discus tank. But from what I understand....lots of people keep them in their bb discus tanks, right?

    I don't think other fish are attacking them, but I can't be sure. They don't have any damage that I can see post death.
    -Karen

  4. #4
    Registered Member Jason's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Ontario
    Posts
    1,658

    Default Re: BN's dying

    I did'nt have any luck with them in discus tanks until I slowly adapted them to the heat in a seperate tank. Try starting them out at 75dgF in your quarantine tanks then raise if to 86dgF over the course of a few weeks, than put them in with your discus.

  5. #5
    Registered Member Derock's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    London,Ontario
    Posts
    136

    Default Re: BN's dying

    I had the same thing happen to me . I believe it is the temperature that does them in. I never have had the same problem and the tank they all died in has never had a disease. I agree in putting them in a tank and increasing the temp slowly also. Sorry that you lost some fish,D.

  6. #6
    Registered Member tpl*co's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Central California
    Posts
    2,649

    Default Re: BN's dying

    Did you slowly acclimate them to the higher temps? 1" bristlenoses are really fragile. How much water/air flow do you have going on in the tank?

    Tina

  7. #7
    Registered Member Ed13's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Puerto Rico
    Posts
    3,735

    Default Re: BN's dying

    Increase the oxygen content in the water,slowly adapt them to the temp, do provide more food than zuchinni.
    The one in the uplift tube is easily explained, all plecos evolved the suckermouth in order to hold themselves in the fast flowing waters(not to eat algae) so they seak the current. One thing though remember that these areas are rich in oxygen and low in temp, he could be telling you there was not much dissolve ooxygen.
    My first few BN went through the same in Q even after all of the above, Quickcure(Formalin malachite green combo) or Aquarisol if you think the FMG combo is too strong, stopped all of this. Maybe flukes were involved
    When science and magic collide, the story begins.

  8. #8
    Registered Member KJoFan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Windom, MN
    Posts
    741

    Default Re: BN's dying

    Quote Originally Posted by tpl*co View Post
    Did you slowly acclimate them to the higher temps? 1" bristlenoses are really fragile. How much water/air flow do you have going on in the tank?

    Tina
    I didn't acclimate as slowly as I should have I think. And these aren't 1". A couple were probably 2" or so and the other two were probably full grown or nearly.

    The tank they have all died in thus far has a Hydro V and two AC70's, it's a 75g.
    -Karen

  9. #9
    Registered Member KJoFan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Windom, MN
    Posts
    741

    Default Re: BN's dying

    Quote Originally Posted by Ed13 View Post
    Increase the oxygen content in the water,slowly adapt them to the temp, do provide more food than zuchinni.
    The one in the uplift tube is easily explained, all plecos evolved the suckermouth in order to hold themselves in the fast flowing waters(not to eat algae) so they seak the current. One thing though remember that these areas are rich in oxygen and low in temp, he could be telling you there was not much dissolve ooxygen.
    My first few BN went through the same in Q even after all of the above, Quickcure(Formalin malachite green combo) or Aquarisol if you think the FMG combo is too strong, stopped all of this. Maybe flukes were involved
    I would have provided more food than zuchinni, I just hadn't gotten to it since they had only been put in the tank for a day or less.

    The one in the uplift tube was when they were in a 10, so not enough oxygen could have easily been the problem there. I didn't notice him or get him out as soon as I should have and I think he ended up injured, so that was my fault for sure.

    I'm not quite sure I follow you on what you mean by your first few "went through the same" you mean with the lift tube or with dying? I haven't checked on the remaining ones today so far, I hope they are ok.

    Would you all suggest taking them back out of my tanks and going through the acclimation process now or just hope they've adapted now after a couple days in the discus temps?

    Thanks for all the input guys I really appreciate it, I hate that I keep losing these guys.
    -Karen

  10. #10
    Registered Member jmcholden's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    ElCajon,CA
    Posts
    53

    Default Re: BN's dying

    I would start by checking your water? Something has to be out of wack.....PH?

  11. #11
    Registered Member Darren's Discus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    townsville queensland
    Posts
    3,057

    Default Re: BN's dying

    Karen,
    have you used any products containing proziquantel as this will knock them off,also pumpkin is a very good food for BN.


    cheers
    Darren Burgess
    Townsville Queensland Australia
    townsvillerocks@gmail.com

  12. #12
    Registered Member KJoFan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Windom, MN
    Posts
    741

    Default Re: BN's dying

    Nothing is off with my water Ph or otherwise and I haven't used any medication with them or in the discus tanks. I had two more die yesterday.

    I took the remaining three out, put them in a 20L and filled it with some of my aged discus water, I will let that slowly cool to about 75. Then over the course of a few weeks I will start to up the temp to where my discus tanks are. Hopefully the last 3 will survive.
    -Karen

  13. #13
    Registered Member tpl*co's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Central California
    Posts
    2,649

    Default Re: BN's dying

    How does their stomach look like on the dying ones? Is it sunken in or dark? How was the fishes overall color? Pale? Color of their poop?

    Bristlenoses eat a lot and poop a lot.


    Tina

  14. #14
    Registered Member KJoFan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Windom, MN
    Posts
    741

    Default Re: BN's dying

    From what I could tell they didn't look "off" at all. No hollow stomachs or anything, overall color was fine (by fine I mean the same as or comparable to those that are still living), poop wasn't light, tended to be dark brownish or greenish depending what they were feeding on.

    But I believe (I haven't had a chance to look closely today) the remaining three are doing alright so far back in the 20L with lower temps. Hopefully they will be alright and I'll slowly adapt them to the higher temps and all will be well.

    Only thing is now, I won't have enough to go in all my discus tanks.
    -Karen

  15. #15
    Platinum Member Ryan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2000
    Location
    Palm Coast, FL
    Posts
    6,428

    Default Re: BN's dying

    I have 12 of them divided among 3 tanks ranging in temp from 78 to 84 and they've all done really well. I feed them zucchini and catfish chips, but they also love bloodworms and leftover bits of flake or beefheart.

    I would rule out the uplift tube as being a problem. Mine go inside the uplift tubes all the time to eat the slime off of the inside of the tube. I've never lost one because of this. Sometimes they stay there all day until the light is off, then they venture out into the tank to forage.

    It may be a good idea to provide some kind of shelter or hiding place for them. Little caves work well. Mine don't like to be out in the light most of the time.

    Ryan

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Cafepress