And Then There Were 5...dead Fish Overnight

[Jacob Da Jew]

Just got yesterday 3 danios, 2 corys and 2 tetras. One cory was possibly DOA and in the morning I found a danio sucked into the filter.

Baruch Dayan HaEmet.

How should I repopulate this 10 gallon tank? Maybe I'll start fresh....I need readily accessible fish that are available in the Brooklyn, NY area and how many etc.

TY

J

p.s. I would take them back to my LFS that I got them from but I just swapped 6 Chiclids that they sold to me (Idiots!!) even though I told them that I had a 10 gallon tank only. I'm NOT going back there!

 

[backtotropical]

Hi Jacob,

Is your filter properly cycled? What are your water test results? PH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

BTT

 

[Jacob Da Jew]

Hi Jacob,

Is your filter properly cycled? What are your water test results? PH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

BTT

My tank is properly filtered. Ph is high, about 7.6 , Ammonia is 0, i dont have a nitrate kit yet. I added bio-spira 2 weeks ago and yesterday.

I think that the cory was dying when i got it, and I found the zebra fish wedged into the filter, don't know if that what killed him.

BTT, do you have IM messenger?

 

[backtotropical]

I dont have IM i'm afraid. Can i ask how you cycled your filter? I have a feeling that not being able to test nitrite may be the problem.

 

[Jacob Da Jew]

I dont have IM i'm afraid. Can i ask how you cycled your filter? I have a feeling that not being able to test nitrite may be the problem.

Um...I"m kinda new to this but I added Bio-Spira about 2 weeks ago. Is that cycling?

 

[backtotropical]

Haha. We have the problem.

Your filter is not cycled correctly.

The term 'cycling' refers to building up a culture of bacteria in your filter which convert ammonia to nitrite, and nitrite to nitrate.

Ammonia comes mainly from fish waste and uneaten food left in the tank, and is lethal to fish in very small quantities. The bacteria convert lethal ammonia into nitrite.

Nitrite is also lethal to fish, but not to tthe same extent as ammonia, so this conversion is a step in the right direction.

Another culture of bacteria also forms in the filter which converts lethal nitrite into nitrate, which in turn is not so poisonous as nitrite.

Concentrations of up to around 100ppm of nitrate can be withstood by fish without adverse effects.

The building of these bacteria colonies in your filter is what is known as 'cycling'. The process will take at least 3 weeks, and longer if undertaken with fish in the tank.

I would advise that you take the fish back to the shop or get someone who has an established tank to look after them for you whilst you cycle your filter. Read the fishless cycling thread which is linked in my signature below. This is what you need to do.

If you cant re-home your current livestock, you will need to undertake what we call a 'fish-in cycle' which involves controlling deadly ammonia and nitrite levels by doing partial water changes, often 3 times per day.

This will cycle your filter, but be warned, you are likely to lose more lives in the process, and the fish who do survive will be permanently affected by the prolonged ammonia poisoning.

The first step is to perform many small water changes and invest in a nitrite test kit so we can assess your water stats fully.

Hope this helps.

BTT

 

[Inchworm]

Um...I"m kinda new to this but I added Bio-Spira about 2 weeks ago. Is that cycling?

Hi Jake

For all the result of using Bio Spira should be a cycled tank. However, since it is live bacteria, it's possible that some of it could have died before it reached you and your tank. It must be kept constantly under refrigeration and if there was a failure to do this, it might have gone bad.

Here's a link to their site:

http/www.marineland.com/products/mllabs/ml_biospira.asp

 

[Angel_Queen]

As you are showing 0 Ammonia, the addition of Biospira looks to have got the cycling process going. However, without the ability to check your nitrItes and nitrAtes it is going to be difficult to establish what the problem in your tank is and why the fish died. By the sounds of it, your tank is going through the process and you probably have high nitrItes or nitrAtes, even both. This is more than likely to be the cause of the fish deaths

How many fish do you have left? 5? Whatever you do, don't add any more!
Get your water tested at a fish store... asap.
If you then have readings for nitrIte above 0.5 do a water change.
If you have 0 nitrItes, but high nitrAtes (over 40) do a water change.

Hope this helps. Good luck x

 

[Jacob Da Jew]

As you are showing 0 Ammonia, the addition of Biospira looks to have got the cycling process going. However, without the ability to check your nitrItes and nitrAtes it is going to be difficult to establish what the problem in your tank is and why the fish died. By the sounds of it, your tank is going through the process and you probably have high nitrItes or nitrAtes, even both. This is more than likely to be the cause of the fish deaths

How many fish do you have left? 5? Whatever you do, don't add any more!
Get your water tested at a fish store... asap.
If you then have readings for nitrIte above 0.5 do a water change.
If you have 0 nitrItes, but high nitrAtes (over 40) do a water change.

Hope this helps. Good luck x

Well, I got a nitrIte and a NirAte kit, tested the water.

NitrAte was 10 and NitrIte was 5.

Spoke to sj2k and he told me to do a 50 % water change.

Did that, added declorination to it.

Whats next?

 

[SJ2K]

Sit back and wait keep doing your checks and you'll get back on track.

 

[Jacob Da Jew]

Sit back and wait keep doing your checks and you'll get back on track.

when should I do my next check for Ammonia, NI and NT?

 

[SJ2K]

Id do an ammonia and nitrite before going to sleep and first thing in the morning

 

[backtotropical]

50% water change is a good start.

I wouldn't say sit back and wait though. Even a 50% water change will only reduce your nitrite level to 2.5. This is still very dangerous for your fish.

I recommend another 50% water change tonight and the same again tomorrow morning. Then test again.

You really want to keep ammonia and nitrite below 0.25 to avoid death or permanent damage to your fish.

 

[Jacob Da Jew]

*Jacob, Report* Yes Suh! *Salutes* 8)

Time: 9:50pm.

After doing a 50% change of water and waiting a few hours, these are the stats before going to bed:

Ammonia: 0

Nitrate: 5 (Decreased from 10)

Nitrite: 0.50 (Decreased from 10) (Had my wife double check that card )

Ph: 7.2 (Decreased from 7.6)

Added Stress Coat to DeClorinate the water.


Should I do another water change? How much?

I've been told that my Black Tetras and Danios do not like high pH, So I had this rock in the tank that I origionally got for my cichlids to raise the pH and now took it out. Should I try to lower the pH by chemical means or just let it decrease on its own?

Will report further results in the morning. Special thanks to sj2k and MsInchworm and everyone else who gave from their time freely to this newbie .

 

[rabbut]

Ammonia: 0

Nitrate: 5 (Decreased from 10)

Nitrite: 0.50 (Decreased from 10) (Had my wife double check that card )

Ph: 7.2 (Decreased from 7.6)

Should I do another water change? How much?

definately, if ammonia and nitrite are ever over 0.25, its waterchange time. I would surgest that you rechck you nitrite reading, as the minimum possible value after the 50% waterchange would be half that of the origional, so you would have expected to see a reading of 5ppm.

I've been told that my Black Tetras and Danios do not like high pH, So I had this rock in the tank that I origionally got for my cichlids to raise the pH and now took it out. Should I try to lower the pH by chemical means or just let it decrease on its own?

let the pH lower with waterchanges, as dropping the pH too quickly will caurse unnecisary stress on the fish. Also, chemicals will not hold a steady pH, and a steady pH is more important than one in the ideal range for your livestock