2 Fish Dead, Afraid More May Die Too :(

[CJH0825]

Tank size: 20 gallon ( high )
pH: 7.4
ammonia: 1.0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: a little orange tint on the API master test kit, so guessing maybe 1.0
kH:
gH:
tank temp: 78

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): one fish stayed in bottom corner of the tank for a few days before it died. the other was a surprise.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: about 75% every 2 days

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: added API ammo lock 2 days ago.

Tank inhabitants: 2 fancy guppies, 3 pineapple swordtails, 1 kuhli loach, suckermouth, 2 red wag mollys, 3 fancy rasboras, 1 sunset fire swordtail.

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): Nothing added within 2 weeks.

Exposure to chemicals:
 
 
I'm not sure exactly what is going on, but I'm afraid more fish may die. I know my ammonia level needs to come down, But that seems to be the normal in my tank. My fish aren't as active as they have been in the past few days. they have always been very active, But now they just kind of " lounge " around, Not swimming the entire tank anymore. I do believe that one of my pineapple swordtails is pregnant. She is rather huge and has a more rounded belly than the others. Any help on what i can do to keep my fish is appreciated.

 

[laurac94]

Do a very large water change asap, around 80% and repeat with 50% for the next few days, are you using enough dechlorinator because not enough can kill your good bacteria and cause the ammonia spike you are experiencing. Also did you cycle your tank before you added fish?
Keep testing after every water change and it should come down to 0 in the next few days providing you don't kill your good bacteria

 

[fluttermoth]

You're right; that ammonia level does need to come down, ASAP.
 
I would be doing an 80 or 90% water change right now. Any level of ammonia over 0.25PPM can be lethal. And if it's not showing at zero once you've done one water change, then you'll have to do another one, I'm afraid. 75% every other day just isn't enough when your ammonia is that high.
 
How long has the ammonia been up high like that, and do you know why? Is your tank cycled?

 

[NeonBlueLeon]

One other thing in addition to what the others have said, I noticed your location is in Maine.  Do you have a heater for your tropical fish?  Cool water can cause complications and lethargy in fish, especially if the weather has gotten cool within the past few days.  Just checking.
 
Just to reiterate, did you cycle the tank before the fish were added?  Are there decaying plants, fish, food, or poop?  They could be causing the high ammonia levels.  Do the water changes as described above.  Keep ammonia as close to zero as possible.  Ammonia will damage gills, skin, and the fishes' brains at the very least.

 

[CJH0825]

My ammonia level has always been 1.0 or higher. I have had my water tested from the tap, and my tap water is 0 for everything, with a ph of 7.2. I have a 3 gallon bucket that I only use for water changes. My tank has been running for about 6 weeks.


Yes, I have a heater for my tank, My heater is set at 78 degrees. All my plants are doing great. I have noticed a few pieces of green leaves from one of them floating throughout the tank, and I removed them once I noticed them.

 

[NeonBlueLeon]

If your tap tests for zero ammonia, then there must be something leaching it in the tank.  Again, have you cycled the tank?  Your tank may have had 1 ppm ammonia consistently, but that certainly does not mean the fish are not being affected by it.  Perhaps the symptoms of ammonia are starting to show now, six weeks later.
 
Ammonia has been proven to be lethal to fish at levels lower than 1 ppm.

 

[CJH0825]

I have old media from a year old tank in my filter. It has been in there for about 2 weeks now.


oh crap, I forgot to mention, I did clean some green algae spots out of the tank 3 days ago. They were on the glass. I just took my net and scraped them off.

 

[NeonBlueLeon]

The fact still stands that your ammonia is not zero.  Address that first to begin keeping healthy fish.

 

[redskygrave]

Cycling can take 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 months. Its all luck of the draw from my experience. We have a 2 gallon bucket for 155 gallons of water so we change the water a lot. My advice is to definitely change the water asap. do 50-80% and then make sure your water is dechlorinated. 
 
Tomorrow do another 30-40% and then test. You should be at a much lower level. 
 
Fish excrete ammonia, excess food will make ammonia and even plants will. Fish even if they haven't eaten will give off ammonia because it comes from their gills not only their waste. 

 

[CJH0825]

I just did a 90% water change. My water does not have chlorine in it. It is well water.

 

[CJH0825]

Problem may be solved! I just bought a 55 gallon ( that is currently set up and running, been running for 2 years ) for 100$. They are only draining the water and I'll transport it completely set up, that way i won't have to do a new cycle on it.

 

[NeonBlueLeon]

Make sure the substrate stays wet, as well as the filter media.  Especially the filter media.  Nitrosonomas does not have a dormant stage, and will die if left out of water for a long time.

 

[CJH0825]

I made sure to tell the current owner to make sure that everything inside of the filter stays wet and not to drain the tank 100%, leave about 3 inches of water in the tank. I'll transport it like that.

 

[NeonBlueLeon]

Sound's good.  If the whole filter thing is an issue, you can leave the filter media in the remaining tank water instead of leaving the filter filled up.  I know my marineland HOB likes to siphon water out of the filter when I turn it off, so when I turn off my filter, I keep my media in the tank or in a bucket of tank water.

 

[CJH0825]

When I brought my media home from my ex wifes place, I put it in a plastic bag with some tank water in it.