Bummin'

[bikhu]

Picture this....
65 gal tank with 3 Spotted Eruptions...gifts from Simply Free drawing form Frank Fleckner - 2@ 5" 1 about 4" and 2 Web Leopard Snakes bred by Roy and raised by Cary both over 6". Just a beautiful tank of spots. No noticeable aggression, eat like pigs, swim to the front everytime I walk into the room... always beggin for more food and eat anything that goes in the tank. A joy to care for.

One day I come home and my mini dachshund is chewing on something wierd.."what do you have there Theo?" Subtract 1 5" Eruption... jumper.

Another day when going to do a water change I notice that 1 5" Eruption is hiding... somewhere.. he must be hiding.... I don't see him... look around the tank on the floor... subtract second 5" eruption... jumper.
Now mind you the space that they had to go out is only big enough to accomodate the AC filter. Maybe one other space where heater cord and airline go in ... but that is way too small. So.. I cover the spaces to be sure no one else can possibly jump out.

SO now come up to date... Yesterday I go to do wc and open up my tank in preparation for the python... get a call and go upstairs for a quick minute... ADD sets in and I forget what I was doing. A little while later I go downstairs and get ready to start the syphon and I notice .... only two fish visible in the tank... frantically I look everywhere... move sponges... and then decide that I need to look on the floor.... Nowhere... then I get on the floor and look underneath and sure enough under the tank way in the back is a 6" WLS... I finally am able to get it and although it is starting to dry out, it is still barely alive.
I put him back in the water and slowly he begins to breathe but can't maintain boyancy.
I wanted so bad for him to make it and for a while this morning it looked like he might. I put him in a 30 gal tank and reduced the water level to reduce pressure.. I just got home from work and I am very sad to say he didn't make it.
This stinks!!!! I can't believe I was so stupid!

Well please take heed to this... Discus can jump! Please learn from my mistake and protect your fish from this miserable end.

THanks for letting me moan....
peter

[brewmaster15]

Peter,
Thats a bummer to be sure...but I'll tell you.. One jumper...chance... 3 jumpers... somethings up with the tank... :(

-al

[bikhu]

I hear you but after the second one I moved them to a switched up tanks and the new inhabitants of that tank are cool.... no aggression no unusual activity. The one yesterday was from my 45 gal...

[AmberC]

I am sorry for your loss :(

[greyhoundfan]

My tank is tighly covered but sometimes for no apparent reason they'd all scatter, like they were being chased by something. Tank is in living room with no movement in the living room that would set them off. I'm wondering if its due to the elusive stray votage?? Hard to validate. I bought a grounding probe on-line and will stick it in the tank to help mitiagate this. (Hopefully)..

Sorry for your fish..

[roclement]

Sorry for your loss man...I just lost a 24inch Silver Arowana that was with me since a little baby...mind you that this tank was not only covered but taped shut with duct tape!!

Best way to recover is to get some more fish! : )

Rod

[brewmaster15]

Peter,

This time of year theres more Co2 in the water... Not saying this happened...but your water changes may be irritating the fish.

-al

[White Worm]

Even if you dont see aggression, it is there when you are not looking. A surprise nip will send a discus to 50 mph in 1 sec. Then it is a chain reaction and they all dart for a second until everyone realizes it was nothing. Always good to check your water and make sure thats not the problem too and make sure there are no portholes for escapee's

[dpt8]

Peter, I am so sorry to hear about your loss of such beautiful fish !! David

[Elcid]

So sorry to hear that.....scrub scrub scrub then use antibiotic! See Paul for directions :)

[Polar_Bear]

Along with what Al said there is also the possibility of stray electrical current from somewhere (the two most likely canidates are the heater and the lights). I am sorry for your losses Peter but before you add more fish I would definately check to be sure there is no electrical current in your tank.

[Greg Richardson]

there is also the possibility of stray electrical current from somewhere (the two most likely canidates are the heater and the lights).

Great advice. Definetly be first on my list to check.

So sad to read about this. I have read about people losing fish this way but this many makes it even harder to take.

[Kindredspirit]

Peter,
Thats a bummer to be sure...but I'll tell you.. One jumper...chance... 3 jumpers... somethings up with the tank... :(

-al


Al they are trying to get out because something is burning their skin and they just want out of the tank? This is not very common is it? This is a terrible thing ~

Peter I am so sorry for your loss ~ they sounded like were to big to fit thru that opening or did I miss that?

Sometimes I feel we are all just waiting:( ....because eventually something will go amiss...jumpers, cracked tanks, leaks, virus....

On a more positive note....I wish I had some fish I could send you Peter~


Marie ~ http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/29/29_2_15.gif

[GrillMaster]

Sorry to hear about the loss Peter!! Would Theo give them unwanted attention when your not looking?

The point greyhoundfan mentioned is something I have never thought about.

How would you test for stray electrical current?

I have had 10 fish just scatter for no apparent reason before, an if the tank had an opening to go thru, one or two would have landed on the floor. Tape the openings up if ya have to!!

I agree with Al also that the water is really oxygenated this time of year. I was doing 50% WC's from the tap. My water was heavily oxygenated, but cant verify that it would cause jumpers. My fish would just huddle in one corner, turn dark, an breathe heavy. They had no intention of jumping anywhere. It took a good hour for them to move out of the corner they were huddled in. I had to actually push the whole huddle out of the corner they were in to vacumn. I switched to aging the water, an they seem to like it better. They dont cower in the corner an definately dont turn as dark. They still are a lil stressed with the WC's, but not half as bad. They are still new, but are coming around.

I am very curious about the stray current thing though.

Again that sucks to lose 3 fish in a short period of time. :(

[pcsb23]

Peter, what a disaster, I can't add any suggestions to those given, only my condolences.

[GrillMaster]

Peter...If ya get yer tanks in order(what is causin this), an have a quarantine tank. I will be more than happy to give ya a few snakeskins to replace the ones ya lost.

Yer not to far, so it will just cost ya a lil time an gas...

I hate to see anyone lose fish!!

PS: They came from Al as well...

[bikhu]

HI Everyone ,
So the water conditions are good. O nitrate, ammonia and nitrites... As far as water changes and CO2... certainly a possibility but there is nothing else to suggest this as a problem. THe stress coats stay intact during water changes, the fish do not shy from the changes and are ready to eat as soon as the tanks are full. The fish actually seem to play in the incoming water stream. To help dissipate the gasses in the water, I aerate the water through vigorous agitation. I should mention that the fish losses have been over the span of many months and this has been in two different tanks so the likelihood of stray voltage is small. I tend to think that this probably more of an unfortunate coincidence with highly spirited, very healthy, strong fish. Oh by the way Theo is 8" tall at the shoulder, miniature long hair dachshund. THe tanks are on iron hip stands.
Bastalker, thank you for your very generous offer. I would gladly take you up on it out of selfishness but it would be false pretense as this is not a case of a guy with no fish that just took a huge loss. I still have fish and this loss has been over time. To be honest I have been thinking about getting out of the hobby due to financial reasons. I tell you what though... I have a sister that lives in Mystic. Maybe the next time we visit her I could stop by and check out your set up.
I will keep an eye on all the suggestions people have made and I appreciate everyones kindness. Thanks Y'all!
peter

[GrillMaster]

Hey Pete, hang in there bud!! I know it can get a bit pricey, but ya got neighbors...:D

If you are comin down this way, feel free to pm me an I will give ya directions to my place.

Dont give up just yet!! ;)

[Ardan]

Sorry to hear of the loss, Peter.
I would also check the water, ph, light changes (shadows, flickering) any chlorine?,
Ardan

[brewmaster15]

Mark,
That was SIMPLY GENEROUS!!!:) and that coming from a guy with only a tank of Discus.:) Grade A all the way Mark!:)

-al

[GrillMaster]

Mark,
That was SIMPLY GENEROUS!!!:) and that coming from a guy with only a tank of Discus.:) Grade A all the way Mark!:)

-al

Al, Since I have been here at SD, I have seen more generosity from forum members just tryin to help out their fellow enthusiasts. It is actually heart warming.

I have seen you on numerous occasions give away alot of fish to help out the members here at Simply.

I know I just have 1 tank with discus in it, but its a 55G with 10!! They aint gettin no smaller...I just wanna be part of the sharin!!!

Plus ya gave me an awsome deal on the fish!!:D ;)

[GrillMaster]

Hows it goin up there in Mass bud?? Ya still with us?

[bikhu]

Hi Mark,
Yup... I am still here. Things are going pretty well. Everybody else is hanging in there and water quality is good. Heading down to Mystic on Sunday... just a day trip to hang with my sister and her hubby for a few hours. They live up on Mystic Ave. Thanks for asking!
peter

[GrillMaster]

I live just up the street. You are more than welcome to stop by.

[jpfelix]

you can use a multimeter to test for stray voltage. you'll want to measure in millivolts. another contributor can be powerheads (esp. zoomed ime).

sorry for your loss. i hate jumpers!! although i get them more in my reef tanks. usually at night.

[traco]

Sorry to hear about your fish losses.

So, a grounding probe would be a good thing to have running in a tank it sounds like?

[jim_shedden]

First of all : I am very sorry to hear about this. Very freaky. But it brings up something very strange.
Al: I am not sure if you remember or not but some years ago I had mentioned that a freind of mine from the Ministry of Natural Resources up here in Ontario was describing to me a phenomenon (sp) in which they were getting reports of fish dying because of ozone. They said that when there is a presence of lightning the fish in small ponds were dying because of the increase in ozone which is a by-product of lightning. In saying that I have noticed my fish acting up when lightning was around.
Peter: Out of curiousity.......how has the weather been down your way?

Jim

[Cosmo]

WOW Peter, what a bummer :cry:

I've only had one Discus ever jump and best I can figure is he hit the lid on the tank hard enough to push it open long enough for him to fly out :confused: That was back in the days when I had the plastic hoods with plastic flip open doors. May not be the open space in back that's the problem :confused:

Hope you figured out what was spooking them

Jim

[Riche_guy]

Along with what Al said there is also the possibility of stray electrical current from somewhere (the two most likely canidates are the heater and the lights). I am sorry for your losses Peter but before you add more fish I would definately check to be sure there is no electrical current in your tank.

How can this be tested in water??

[Moon]

How can this be tested in water??

Just use a multimeter.

[Riche_guy]

Just use a multimeter.

From what to what?