Lost another female L134 :-(

BECKIN1507

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Feb 8, 2011
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Really need to get to the bottom of why my females are dying, lost 1 a couple of months ago I came to the conclusion that she was eggbound. Surely this one couldn't of been eggbound too? I've only just found her she looked rather full of eggs or bloated, couldn't look at her much as she must of been dead for a couple of days, she really smelt bad and was a bit green. Didn't look like she had any injuries. Rest of the fish (adult and juvie L134's) are fine, I'll test the water later but due to it looking like she'd been dead a couple of days I don't think the water will tell me anything as it will probably have ammonia in due to her been left in there dead. Any other ideas on why she could of died? Thanks
 

BECKIN1507

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Feb 8, 2011
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They're in a 4ft tank, temp is 28c. They eat a large variety of foods, cucumber, peas, courgette, potato, frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp, prawns, mussels, hikari algae wafers and sinking wafers, tetra prima, tetra crisps things, flake, nutrofin pleco logs, bloodworm mussel and worm pellets, new era pleco, think thats everything they eat. I feed them a different food everyday but try and make sure they have peas once a week. They last had peas on sunday.
 

Joby

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Aug 9, 2009
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Seems like a varied diet, temp a bit on the high side, I keep mine at 26. Water results may help :dk:
 

BECKIN1507

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Feb 8, 2011
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Ph is 7.2, nitrate says 40 but this test kit always shows high for that, I did have another 1 which seemed a bit more acurate. Nitrite 0 and ammonia 0.25 but I think that will probably be due to a decaying fish been in the tank for a couple of days.
 

Brengun

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Apr 22, 2009
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You may have gotten a gluttonous one who scoffed far too many of the frozen bloodworms at once. Bloodworms do have tiny hard hooks on their heads which can cause bloat.
Perhaps instead of feeding all one food daily you could mix a few in there?

Egg binding can occur in the L134 females as I have had it before too. Check your GH levels and if they aren't up you would be safe to add a little epsoms salts to the water which can also help with egg binding troubles.
 

Irene0100

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May 14, 2009
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hmmm could be bloat, I would reduce protein food and add more peas.

also reduce ph, maybe add some indian almond leaf ?
 

BECKIN1507

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Feb 8, 2011
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Thanks, I'll do more peas, add salt and turn the temp down abit. Where would I get the leaves from? Going to have to try and get a couple more adult females when I know the tank is ok as there's only 1 left now, hoping some of my juvies will be girls. Is it not a good idea to feed bloodworm then? I said I feed them courgette and cucumber but I don't think the adults really eat it, when the juvies wasn't in there it always looked untouched, they prefer all the meaty stuff, the juvies eat everything.