Why did my Pictus Catfishes die?

Question

I have a 10 gallon freshwater acquarium.

Tap water filtered with Ammonia Clear tablet and Correct PH tablet treatment.. Water temperature at constant 76-78 degrees, active water filtration unit and feeding them shimp pellets.

I had two Pictus Catfish in this environment for exactly 1 week. They were both very playful and extremely active. This evening I discovered one of them dead along the side of the tank and the other one was pointing straight up and bobbing his head up through the water. His breathing seemed slow and deep (not with quick hyper-vent breathes) and it was obvious he was dying. I went to move him to a smaller container with fresh water, but it didn't do any good. He died within 2 minutes of the move.

Why do my Pictus Catfish keep dying?? The water's clean, they're well fed, and the temperature is good. There are no prior indications that they're ill or not liking the environment.

Someone help me!!

Answer 1

Is your tank cycled? If not, there is you're problem. If you don't know what cycling a tank is this should help: http://www.worldcichlids.com/faqs/cyclin...

As should this:

http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/Fish...

If your tank was not cycled, the fish most likely died due to a huge amount of ammonia and nitrite that built up over the week you've had them.  

Answer 2

I'm not sure why they died, but please don't buy any more of them. Pictus cats get to be about 10 inches long, which is far to big for a 10 gallon tank.

Answer 3

scales fish are very picky and ammona clear tabs and ph treatment stuff doesn't help first off forget about the ph level trying to adjust it isn't worth it and creates to much ph fluxation when you do water changes which does more harm than good

if your tank is properly cycled and you don't do things like wash the gravel you wont get ammonia as your tank will have the needed bacteria to elimanate ammonia scaleless fish should never be put in a tank that has not been properly cycled as they are very acceptable to ammonia burns

the ammonia clear tabs only throw off the balance of a tank it tanks a tank a month to cycle once it has a source of ammonia I.E. fish waste or excess fish food

also you would do better feeding them flake or frozen food they don't handle pellets very well at the size they were

Answer 4

First of all shrimp pellets cannot be substituting a main staple, it simply is not nutritious enough. Also it is possible that they were oxygen deprived, but they could also have been sick.

Answer 5

Take a sample of your water to petsmart and it might be the stuff you cant see.

Answer 6

how are you introducing them into your tank?

do the fish have any sign of disease at all?

Answer 7

pH tablets do nothing, forget them. and ammonia tablets don't mean anything either. you CAN'T cycle a tank with these fish.

please refer to your other question for my answer:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...