MAJOR DISASTER IN THE 265g!!!!!! :-(

[emartin]

I have terrible news about my 265g tank... Something like 95% of the fish in there are dead. When I was doing water changes, as usual I set the python hose near the top since it always in the past on all my tanks stopped siphoning when the water level was below the tube, especially since the python was pulled tightly so it's unbelievable the siphon dragged it underwater...

So I come back an hour later expecting to see 50% of the water gone...instead I see 100% of the water gone, a bunch of dead beautiful fish laying on top of wet sand and less than 5 still barely breathing.

Here's a list of what I lost:
Quad of F1 Mchenga conophoros
F1 8" fully colored Tyrannochromis nigriventer
Wild 5" Tyrannochromis macrostoma
Protomelas 'steveni taiwan' Taiwanee Reef
ALL my peacocks, A baenschi, A. stuartgranti Ngara & Cobue
Buccochromis spectabilis male F1 6"
Exochochromis anagenys 8-9" male

Few survivors that may or may not make it...these two I immediately threw into my 120g with my Nyassachromis after I initially found them laying on top of wet sand barely breathing. They're swimming around a tiny bit in the 265g now.:
Lichnochromis acuticeps 8-9" F1 male
Protomelas spilonotus Mara Rocks 9-10" male
Ancistrus sp. albino pleco (second male not found yet)
Synodontis decorus (one of them looks like it will be fine, the other is floating up top barely breathing)

1 fish will definitely make it, he must've found a small shallow pool of water...:
Chilotilapia rhoadesi

I am not sure if I forgot to mention any fish or not... I am just completely shocked and disappointed.... I can't believe something like this happened to me...

This really sucks...I'm not going to even think of how much money that I've invested into these fish that I just lost...

~Ed

Here's some pictures of the casualties:
http://www.toadscastle.net/marduk/fish%20dead%20265g/small/PICT0059.jpg

http://www.toadscastle.net/marduk/fish%20dead%20265g/small/PICT0060.jpg

http://www.toadscastle.net/marduk/fish%20dead%20265g/small/PICT0061.jpg

http://www.toadscastle.net/marduk/fish%20dead%20265g/small/PICT0062.jpg

[emartin]

http://www.toadscastle.net/marduk/fish%20dead%20265g/small/PICT0063.jpg

http://www.toadscastle.net/marduk/fish%20dead%20265g/small/PICT0064.jpg

http://www.toadscastle.net/marduk/fish%20dead%20265g/small/PICT0065.jpg

http://www.toadscastle.net/marduk/fish%20dead%20265g/small/PICT0066.jpg

[emartin]

Some of the few survivors:
http://www.toadscastle.net/marduk/fish%20dead%20265g/small/PICT0067.jpg

http://www.toadscastle.net/marduk/fish%20dead%20265g/small/PICT0068.jpg

This catfish doesn't look he's going to make it... Time will tell though...:
http://www.toadscastle.net/marduk/fish%20dead%20265g/small/PICT0069.jpg

[emartin]

By the way, I know I am likely going to have the few survivors come done with bacterial infections now probably... Which med should I use to help prevent besides 1cup of salt per 20gallons? I have the following meds:
Triple Sulfa
Furan-2
Metronidasole
Oxytetracycline hydrochloride
Clout
Quick Cure

I do have a 60g that was intended for fish I was going to sell available for putting them into for treatment as well...

I can't believe this happened... I've had some of these fish for 2-3 years now...

~Ed

[gregga]

sorry for your losses.........and I know this wont make you feel better, but trust me when I say every single one of us has had some type of catastrophe over the years.

[emartin]

I remember reading a topic on here back in November where someone lost their entire fish room due to a power outage while they were at work...

This sucks though... I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about those fish... Especially the taiwan reef...here's a photo of him not too long ago:
http://www.toadscastle.net/marduk/265g%2011-2-2008/small/PICT0244.jpg

[EMTBMIKE]

Sorry for your loss.

[bovsbaitboxes]

that sucks sorry for your loss I have some big haps for sale I can give you a deal if you want to get some bigger fish back in there John

[AlishanAS]

Ed -sorry to hear about the catastrophe. :shocked:

As in the case with Artie who lost a ton of fish when a breaker tripped, I'm sure the membership of ECC will pitch in and help you restock when the tank is ready.

[Afreakin]

That Sucks :shocked:

[CJC]

Sorry to hear that Ed. I wish there was something I could do but, I don't keep the same fish you like. I've been thru 1 or 2 fish kills myself due to my own stupidity, we live and learn, to bad the good ones have to learn the hard way.

[Artie]

Ed, my SINCERE CONDOLENCES. Believe me when I tell I know what you're going through. It's happened to me MORE than once & I certainly know how it feels. I've got some assorted juvies that you are welcome to. Good luck.

[emartin]

I just finished flushing out the tank a couple times and added about 9 or 10 cups of evaporated sea salt to help improve breathing and help prevent any illness.

The Lichnochromis looks like he will definitely make it, but the P. spilonotus is still laying down upright ("hugging") the substrate in a cave. He was a lot worse and took a lot longer to recover than the Lichnochromis did.

I found the other pleco hiding underneath a rock in a sand cave he made, and the one catfish is still in the bucket at the top of it but still breathing so I'll have to see what he does.

I'm going to have to quarantine this tank for 1-3 weeks for now to make sure none of them got ill... And surprisingly, the Lichnochromis is fully colored. You'd think he'd be the oposite after what he just went through...

Anyway thanks everybody...
~Ed

[Sharpfish]

I feel horrible for your loss. I know it doesn't help much but, I truely feel for you.

[fishboy]

terrible news ed... real sorry to hear it and see it.. thanks for the call

[DNICE]

I am so sorry for your loss. Some really beautiful fish you lost. I just got rid of a few large Haps. and Peacocks.

[emartin]

Just remembered I took a few photos in January. Here's some of the fish I lost:
http://www.toadscastle.net/marduk/hap%20pics%20jan09/small/PICT0020.jpg

http://www.toadscastle.net/marduk/hap%20pics%20jan09/small/PICT0024.jpg

http://www.toadscastle.net/marduk/hap%20pics%20jan09/small/PICT0035.jpg

[emartin]

The larger wildcaught Synodontis decorus (measured at 8") didn't make it. It's younger wildcaught companion (6") did however...

List of survivors:
Lichnochromis acuticeps 8-9" male
Chilotilapia rhoadesi 3" male
Protomelas spilonotus Mara Rocks 9-10" male...

The Lichnochromis didn't eat when I put in a small amount of frozen food to see how badly stressed they were. The other two cichlids pigged out however.

I'm thinking of medicating the Lichnochromis if he doesn't improve over the next couple of days... Currently there is ~13 cups of salt in there, and I have a 40gal tank I can move him to for treatment if I have to. I was thinking of going with something a long the lines of an anti-bacterial anti-fungus medication like Furan-2, Triple Sulfa, or Oxytetracycline hydrochloride. Any thoughts?

~Ed

[fischfan13]

The Lichnochromis didn't eat when I put in a small amount of frozen food to see how badly stressed they were. The other two cichlids pigged out however.

I'm thinking of medicating the Lichnochromis if he doesn't improve over the next couple of days... Currently there is ~13 cups of salt in there, and I have a 40gal tank I can move him to for treatment if I have to. I was thinking of going with something a long the lines of an anti-bacterial anti-fungus medication like Furan-2, Triple Sulfa, or Oxytetracycline hydrochloride. Any thoughts?

~Ed
Over thinking, you are.
"Badly stressed"?
Absolutely.
Anti-bacterial?
Anti-fungus?
Triple Sulfa?
Oxy....?
Absolutely not.

Stop feeding them. They are quite possibly stressed, and adding food is only giving you some satisfaction that a few will eat, it is not helping them.
Do you have an HOB style filter?
I would add one on. These fish were O2 deprived, and maybe, just maybe the Lichnochromis would benefit from the water level brought down and some O2 enriched water entering the tank.

[emartin]

The tank is drilled and has a large sump, with two of the return jets pointing upwards at the top of the tank.

I don't think I am overthinking a bit... I am worried about its health and I figured feeding would let me know how stressed they are. The two fish eating in my opinion let me know that they should be fine besides a few missing scales, etc.

I'm just worried that all of them being out of the water for up to an hour has exposed them to some potential illnesses and I just want to be extra observant.

What I meant though was it's not iminent that I am going to treat him with meds, rather I want to be prepared to hit him hard if he doesn't improve or worsens after a few days swimming around, because I'd think after a good couple of days of swimming in virtually crystal clean water he would show improvement.

Currently though I am going to stop feeding. I just wanted to throw in a small amount to give them a bite to eat and see who was feeling better after their ordeal early this morning.

I still can't believe this happened though... What luck do I have to have such an awful accident (I guess you'd call it that) where the python hose for the first time in 2 years pulls itself from the top of the tank down 30" to the bottom draining all the water...

~Ed

[Ironman]

Hey Ed,


First, sorry this happened, but as some said we have all had something like this happen. I myself have come pretty close to having something similar happen to me. With that said. My solution was to go to home depot and purchase a washing-machine J hook. It allows you to lengthen the hose as far as you like and you can hook it up on the rim of the tank. Hope things work out for the remaining survivors.



Good luck,

Phil

[eggzackary]

What a tragedy, I hope your survivors pull through.

[joe_jaskot]

Adding medications to fish that aren't sick may only stress them more. If the fish were damaged, I would add melafix for 7 days. That is one product that works in healing wounds, damaged fins and curing bacterial infections.

[mack74]

Ed sorry for your loss. Like most have stated it happens to us all at one point. Never the less is still hard. If there is anything u are looking for and I have you are welcome to them

Mike

[nick a]

Really sorry to hear that. I know how hard you worked to get that tank the way you wanted it.

[AMBUSHPREDATOR]

Sorry to hear that Ed.

[misterted]

About 12 years ago I had a 55G full of Julidochromis Regani and J. Marlieri.
I didn't leave the air conditioning on and it was in the middle of a hear wave.
The temp in the tank was 110 degrees and they all died.

It sucks when it happens.
Sorry to hear that it happened to you and you lost those gorgeous fish.

[Julie]

I'm the queen of overflows... and over siphons, so I know exactly how you must feel. I once did a wc on my stingray tank... and only becuase she was flopping on the bottom making a racket did I realize in time what I had done!

There are a number of antibacterial meds out there to use if you need to, but I'd go with just a slightly raised temp and salt until you know for sure you need to add more.

Best of luck!

[Donzi]

Ed - really sorry to hear about your loss, having seen your tank personally I know how amazing your fish were. Please let me know if I can provide anything for you.

[AMBUSHPREDATOR]

Ed what happened to you with your python is not uncommon it's happened to me often . Never get complacent , bad thing's and longshot's Alway's happen eventually . But I never leave my tank's when draining I hope you won't in the future. Fishkeeping seems to be all about pain sometimes , that's what separates to casual fishpeople from the hardcores. The casual's are officially out of fishkeeping after a catastrophe like this. I know your not .

[phillyofish]

i made a hang on drain with pvc so i never have to worry about it falling out while draining or filling. I'll take a pic. you can use different lengths of pipe depending on how much water you want to drain.

[jennl]

Really sorry about your loss Ed. :(

[phillyofish]

Here is the DIY drain. no more worries about the hose falling out.

[fischfan13]

Even cheaper...

You can stand there and hold onto it.
If you take your eye off of the tank you can have a fish sucked up into the hose and either injured or killed.

[phillyofish]

True, you can always put a strainer on. I usually stand near by, so it's hands free. it helps when refilling.