# What killed my peacock gudgeons?



## BettaStudent (Sep 1, 2016)

About 2 weeks ago I added 2 peacock gudgeons to my 20 gallon tall planted tank. The tank had been cycles for over 2 months and already housed 2 female honey gouramis. Whileven they were juveniles when I bought them and can't be certain, I believe I purchased one male and one female gudgeon.

For 2 weeks they were fine. They were beautiful, brightly colored fish who came out of their shells very quickly and we're not shy in competing with the honeys for food right up at the top of the tank. 

Then last Wednesday I added 6 juvenile celestial pearl danios, 1 tiger Nerite snail, and 2 large amano shrimp. For a few days prior I noticed the female acting a little sluggish but still eating. That night she stopped by and by Friday she was dead. Today, my male followed her and I found him dead as well following the same symptoms.

Water parameters were as follows: ammonia: 0 ppm. Nitrites: 0 ppm. Nitrates: ~5 ppm. Ph: 7.8. Temperature: 76-77.

Symptoms were as follows: began with a lack of movement in the fish. They began to dwell almost exclusively at the bottom of the tank even during feeding. No black or white spots, signs of velvet, fin rot, cottony patches, missing scales, clamped fins or gills. No visible worms hanging off. No bloating or emaciation. Fish were able to swim normally if prompted to even in later stages of the disease, making me thing it wasn't swim bladder disease. Appetite went next, female stopped accepting food 2 days before death, and the male 1 day. No other fish or invert shares their symptoms so far, including the fragil ed CPDs. I have, however, noticed that the gouramis have had a mix of normal as well as white, stringy poo. However all their food has been soaked in garlic since I got the gudgeons since they are picky eaters, and this has been observed in the gouramis for a 3 weeks now with no noticeable side effects.

I'll upload pictures after class today, if anyone could help me figure out what's going on I can't tell you how much I would appreciate it.


----------

