# Celestial Pearl Danios Keep Dying



## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

First of all, have you read this article? Do you know a bit about this fish?
The Celestial Pearl Danio: A Cautionary Tale | Details | Articles | TFH Magazine®

I would look here for clues to care, feeding environment, etc....

However, what seems clear is that the issue is introducing new fish to an established group. Common problem.
There is no need to drip acclimate when you are adding fish who are used to a lower pH to a higher one, only the reverse case. I imagine that at a pH of 8, you are not going to need to be doing any drip acclimatizing. Drip acclimation in any case, is overrated except for the last case, you want your fish out of that bag as quickly as possible to eliminate the occurrence of ammonia toxicity. 

It looks to me like, because your established group died when you added the new group, that the group that was introduced brought in organisms that the established group was not used to. It is not parasitic, parasites are equal opportunity and dont choose who they like and who they dont. I would say you are looking at a bacterial issue. 

The bacteria (both good and bad) are balanced in a healthy established tank, a sort of equilibrium that can be disturbed by adding anything new to that system. But, add new members, new bacteria unfamiliar to fish and system, and if either the introduced or established fish have a weakened immunity, the fish will succumb to illness. 

Because the established fish were the losers here, I would look at my husbandry practice, feeding, temperature, etc...- there was a reason why your established fish died with the introduction of new ones- their immune systems are low due to environmental stress.


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## annadromeda_galaxy (May 21, 2018)

I have read that article! I had researched them a fair amount before deciding to get them. From what I've read, my pH is on the high side, but not unheard of for them to do well in. I also never had a problem with them eating flake foods that I crumbled into the tank. My last tank was also planted, and the lights kept it at a suitable temperature for them.

It is true that my husbandry was lacking in the 5gal before switching to the 10gal, however, so it's probable that is what started this domino effect. Now that I'm better educated and practicing better husbandry, when can I expect to be able to keep them happy? Or will my high pH and hard water prevent them from ever being happy? 

Also, good to know I don't need to drip acclimate. I was not looking forward to that at all lol


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

I would switch from the supplier that you are getting them from- first of all. After this many loses, time to try a new source. 
What is left in this tank? How many fish?
What size tank?
Temperature? How long since you started it with seeded filter?


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## annadromeda_galaxy (May 21, 2018)

I'll definitely be trying to find a different source! The shop I got the new fish from has an excellent reputation, but maybe just a bad batch of the little guys.

Currently left in the tank is 1 CPD, 3 Otos, and a rando ramshorn snail that hitch-hiked.

The tank is 12" x 13" x 15", but the internal filter at the back puts swimming space at roughly 12x11x15.

Temp during the day is 78F and falls to about 74F at night. It has been two weeks since it started running.


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

Is this a 5 gallon? Such a hard size tank to keep stable. You will have to work extra hard to keep your water parameters good and your fish healthy.
This is what I would suggest. 
1. Buy from a reputable dealer. One of the best online sources I have dealt with is The Wetspot out of Portland. You will pay more to get the fish for shipping, but you will get a superior group of fish. Maybe you can get some plants as well to make the shipping worth while.
2. Buy a group of 5-6 CPD's all at one. Do not add any other fish unless they are first quarantined to this group.
3. Do not drip acclimate, just temp acclimate 10-15 minutes.
4. Do daily 50% water changes for first three days on acclimating to make sure no rising levels of ammonia. 
5. Do water changes after that as often as needed to keep your nitrates at 15ppm. Develop a system and your fish will remain healthy and not succumb to illness.
6. Feed both dried and frozen foods. Add frozen dahnia, baby brine shrimp, small frozen foods or freeze-dried blackworms to diet ( excellent form of protein). 
7.Use a liquid vitamin like Boyd's Vitachem- excellent way to add vitamins to fish diet and improve overall health and immunity.
8. Make sure your filter is being maintained: sponges cleaned periodically so flow remains good and have adequate space for beneficial bacteria to grow.

If your system is good, your stock healthy, maintenance consistent, and adequate nutrition given- you should be successful. 
The size of your tank is a challenge to maintaining fish, you will have to work harder than I do with my 180 gallon tank.


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

I have a different problem with cpds and that is that I turned my 6 into so many that I feed the stupid looking ones to my rainbowfish... (pretty hard not to have inbreeding going on going from 6->100, some of them do not come out right.) 
I've been looking for someone local to trade with just so I can expand my genepool a little bit. Sadly the lady I do most of my shrimp / fish trades with has much worse success breeding cpds than me, and everyone else in the cichlid association is all wtf are cpds?! The LFS charges exorbitant prices for tiny juvenile CPDs  .

I basically don't have any tanks < 10 gallons but based on the dimensions of his tank it should be like 10g in total? a 12" cube is about 7.5 gallons?


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## FishRFriendz (Dec 21, 2016)

I used to have problems with adding new CPDs, add new ones that looked healthy albeit malnourished, and the old ones I had would get columnaris and die. But that was when I wasn't quarantining them. After I started quarantining them 2-3 weeks in a 5g bucket with a sponge filter and weekly water changes, getting them into the tank with the old ones went much better. Also, seachem stressguard for the QT and also when adding them to the tank. Also feed at least twice a day helped me.

So glad too. Went from 5-6 skittish fish that only came out to eat, with exception of 1 fat female that was always begging for food right up front every time I came by... to a school of em begging for food every time I come by the tank. I'd never thought I'd see these guys eating floating food on the surface till I had like 20 of em.

6 fish minimum for CPDs LOL... more like 12 minimum and much higher recommended.


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

Wobblebonk said:


> I have a different problem with cpds and that is that I turned my 6 into so many that I feed the stupid looking ones to my rainbowfish... (pretty hard not to have inbreeding going on going from 6->100, some of them do not come out right.)
> I've been looking for someone local to trade with just so I can expand my genepool a little bit. Sadly the lady I do most of my shrimp / fish trades with has much worse success breeding cpds than me, and everyone else in the cichlid association is all wtf are cpds?! The LFS charges exorbitant prices for tiny juvenile CPDs  .
> 
> I basically don't have any tanks < 10 gallons but based on the dimensions of his tank it should be like 10g in total? a 12" cube is about 7.5 gallons?


 LOL! The part where you feed the" stupid looking ones" to your rainbow-fish. Yeah, looks like the gene-pool needs to be widened. :laugh2: And also, I get that part about your cichlid association crew, if it isnt a big fish they have no idea what it is or why anyone would want it. Maybe you can send some of your better ones to the OP! :grin2:


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## annadromeda_galaxy (May 21, 2018)

This tank is a 10 gallon Innovative Marine Nuvo Fusion (such a mouthful), but swimming space is more like 8 gallons. I realize it's harder to maintain small aquariums than large ones, but I've been testing the water every other day since set up and all readings have remained stable 🙂 

Unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to afford shipping fish at this time 😕 I also live in Texas where they'll likely boil in transit before they get to my tank.

My plan is to find a new shop and get 10 of them. I still have the old 5 gallon tank, so I'll make that a QT tank. Hopefully I'll have better luck this time around!


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

Good luck to you-- let us know how your new group does


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