L046 found dead

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Joby
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L046 found dead

Post by Joby »

I was gutted to find one of my L046 Zebra Plecos dead this afternoon during a routine water change :(

Tested the water and all is spot on so don't know what happened. I had worried it had got trapped somehow but belly wasn't sunken at all so am puzzled as to what has happened :?

Don't appear to be any marks on it but it had been dead a couple of days as most of the fins were gone and hardly any colour left on it :(
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jerry58
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Post by jerry58 »

Hi joby sorry to your zeb has died. :(
Sounds like it could be of natural causes and will not affect other fish.Thats one thing I am not looking forward to find in my tank not if but when it happens.I think its one thing we all will suffer from one day.

I wish you the best of luck with your other zebs :)

Jerry
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Joby
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Post by Joby »

Thanks Jerry, yes was sick to my stomach to find it :(

Going to be paranoid around the remaining 5 now, but can't see any reason for it to happen so will just have to watch and hope the rest continue to do well :)
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Post by unungy »

Hi

Im sorry to hear that... I know the feeling of having to deal with one dead zebra in your tank.

May I suggest that you test your water's parameters and you place the results it in here for us to take a look?

Saul
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Joby
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Post by Joby »

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
PH 7

Temp 28c

Bare bottomed with slate/clay caves and stacked slate running for 18 months with Tetratec EX600 external filter plus a Fluval 2+ internal filter and an internal UV

The remaining zebs are behaving normal as before
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Post by unungy »

They seem to be normal but the Nitrate 10 will need to be brough down to 0 if possible. A would recommend a good water change of 30% when possible.

Maybe He was trapped? do you have your tank bear bottom?
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Post by Stevie.K »

Sorry for your loss Joby. :(
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Post by jerry58 »

Hi unungy

Think you mean Nitrite not Nitrate this is ok at 10 my zebs have bred in more and I have checked my water in breeding tank while breeding and tonight with Interpet easy test kit its under 6 months old (3 part liquid 1 part powder)and reads 12.5.
If your test kit shows 0 Nitrate then you probably need a new one.

Hope this helps Jerry
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Post by unungy »

Yes you are right... I'm at work and had a quick escape to check the forum.

What would you recommend? do you have any ideas?

Saul
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Post by jerry58 »

Hi
Think best thing to keep an eye on others and keep water perimeters good as can be as they are,is the best thing.

Jerry
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Post by TwoTankAmin »

Check the others for injuries. If I had to bet, I would bet that a good fight got it.
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Post by Joby »

I've been peering into the tank often since it happened and seen them all now and nobody appears to be injured, all fins ok and stripes look nice and clear plus 2 came out to feed right in front of me so don't think its anything wrong with the water :)

There were always 3 that occupied the caves and only 2 are now so not sure if that means it was a male that died as another bigger male didn't want the competition :roll:

Thanks again everyone am getting over the shock of it now and I guess will never really know what happened but hopefully was not my fault :(
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Post by TwoTankAmin »

If its any consolation...

I started with a proven breeding colony of 13 fish in Apr 06. So far I have lost 4 fish since then. I know my water is kept clean and conditions for the fish are good. I chalk up the losses to natural causes and/or fighting. The other side of that coin is a few 100 fry have also come out of that tank alive and healthy in that period.
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Post by Joby »

Thanks does make it a little easier knowing its not uneard of, but sorry you've lost some :(
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