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How Long Should Peacocks/Haps Live?

814 Views 3 Replies 2 Participants Last post by  DJRansome, 
R
Hi everyone. I feel like I am still doing something wrong. We bought 3 peacock/haps for a new 125g tank in April 2020. We then bought 10 more in July 2020. We have had one die, on average, every six to eight weeks. We've had three die in the last two months. Typically before they die they retreat a bit to a corner and stop eating as frequently (they still eat but just not as often). Sometimes the fish will do this for a few weeks before they die. They all look normal and do not appear to have any diseases.

Tank Specs:
-125g 6-foot wide tank
-Sand substrate
-2 FX-6 filters (normal media plus I added some crushed coral to increase PH and Nitrosorb to help lower nitrates)
-1 Fluval 307 filter (I did not seal off my rock wall background and I keep the intake of this behind the wall to keep water flow and filtration) - This has helped keep nitrates lower.
-Small powerhead behind the rock background to push water toward the 307 filter

I clean the tank and do a 50% water change every Sunday (have only missed two in the last year). I clean one filter each week and always use the tank water to clean off the bio-media and sponges.

Water tests:
PH: Shows 7.6
High PH: Shows 7.4
Nitrite: 0
Amonia: 0
Nitrate: ~10 ppm after a week
Temperature: 79 degrees

I am not sure how the PH shows higher than the "high PH" in the API test, but this number is consistent. I believe this is a bit on the lower side for peacocks/haps.

Any ideas why the fish may be dying what I would consider frequently? I bought them all from Imperial Tropicals. It seems like they use to be a bit more vibrant but maybe that is because the most beautiful ones have died.
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DJRansome
Figure an average of 8 years, I am not sure if there are individual variations among the various species of haps and peacocks.

Please list the species in your tank with scientific name and gender. I assume your goal is an all-male tank? You may be able to improve things with stock changes.
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R
It is an all male tank (with the exception of two albino bristlenose plecos which I am not sure of the sex).

I bought an all male peacock/hap package and honestly am not sure what types they are. We've had no issues with excessive fighting or chasing in the tank since it was started. We've also had quite a few of the most dominant fish in the tank die. I added some pictures of the remaining fish.

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DJRansome
You may not see aggression. What kills them is not bites or blows (usually) but rather constant harassment leaves the fish susceptible to illness.

You may find some unidentified females in the mix...those should be removed.

Dominant fish fight the most so they are just as susceptible to illness as the victim fish.

With all male you want fish that look nothing alike...don't assume the vendor provided a mix that will work. Were they guaranteed not to be hybrids?

What do the feces look like?
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