Angel Fish Dying

[WILDER]

Try removing all the rocks. Then test water the following day.

 

[delta]

Try removing all the rocks. Then test water the following day.

Will do.

Whatever is going on with the water, the Giant Vallis is loving it. That pic was taken last week and since then the Vallis has not only grown a lot but I can see lots of new little shoots too.

 

[WILDER]

I think like DrRob something in the tank altering your PH.

 

[delta]

Okay, rocks out. Odessa Barbs angry 'cos I've stolen their hidey holes - they'll just have to rough it in the plants. I tested the pH and believe it or not there's already a slight change in colour from just after the water change earlier today! If it is the rocks then that's one mystery solved, although I will be disappointed because I really like those rocks, but hey, I don't want to keep Mbuna or livebearers so I'll live with it. I'll have to try and find alternatives that won't raise my pH to such ridiculous levels as I really want rocks in the 'scape.

That doesn't however explain why my 200L has 8.2 when there aren't any rocks in there, sounds like I might need to check the sand in that one.

I'll update tomorrow morning when I do the next test.

 

[WILDER]

That doesn't however explain why my 200L has 8.2 when there aren't any rocks in there, sounds like I might need to check the sand in that one.


Do you have anything in both tanks which is the same.

 

[delta]

Okay. I'm prioritising the 240L at the moment as the fish in the 200L are all fine and dandy and have been for over a year. FYI though, the sand is slightly different in each tank. I can't remember what the sand is called that's in the 200L but I bought it from my Father-in Law's LFS near Stourbridge and they used in their Angelfish display tank.

Okay, so I've set up a little experiment seeing I'm slightly OCD.

Bucket 1 tap water plus de-chlorinator - pH 7.4

Bucket 2 tap water plus de-chlorinator plus 1 rock taken from tank - pH 7.4

Jug with tap water plus de-chlorinator plus some sand from 240L - pH 7.4

I'll test them and the tank in the morning.

I feel like a slightly mad scientist.

Both Angels ate happily when I fed just now. Odessa barbs their usual piggy selves, hubby likens them to squirrels.

Edited to add response to your question. Apart from plants, no, except the water comes from the same source of course. Also, the 200L gets dosed with liquid carbon and liquid ferts to help the plants.

 

[WILDER]

OK.


Sterilize test tubes in boiling water.
Make sure the test kit in PH is not out of date.

 

[Essjay]

To add to wilder's comment about expiry dates, you said earlier you were using api testers. They have the date of manufacture disguised in the lot number rather than an expiry date.
I emailed them a couple of years ago to ask and the reply said the lot numbers look somehting like 28A0108. The last four digits are the months and year, in this case 0108 which is Jan 2008. The email went on to give the length of time the various testers lasted from this date. The pH testers last for 3 years.

 

[delta]

To add to wilder's comment about expiry dates, you said earlier you were using api testers. They have the date of manufacture disguised in the lot number rather than an expiry date.
I emailed them a couple of years ago to ask and the reply said the lot numbers look somehting like 28A0108. The last four digits are the months and year, in this case 0108 which is Jan 2008. The email went on to give the length of time the various testers lasted from this date. The pH testers last for 3 years.

Thanks for that, I just checked and my pH testers are both well in date. 0311.

 

[delta]

Good Morning.

Tank with rocks having been removed last night High Range pH 8.0 (Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates a tad over 20)

Bucket 1 Tap water plus de-chlorinator 7.4

Bucket 2 Tap water plus de-chlorinator plus 1 rock from tank 7.4

Jug with sand from tank and de-chlorinator 7.4

So, nothing has changed from last night really. I will check the tank again this evening. The remaining two Angels are still with us.

 

[delta]

Update.

Took water sample to MA and they were perfectly happy with the readings. The pH level of 8 is the same as theirs and they don't do anything to their tanks to lower it so that was likely not the problem. The LFS were very good and gave me a credit note for the full amount of the fish that died. I was quite happy to agree with the assistant's recommendation to wait a couple of weeks before adding more fish. I am toying with the idea of adding a whole lot of bogwood to this tank and use the redmoor and rocks in the 200L which could do with a re-scape anyway. The idea being that the bogwood might stabilize the pH a bit so that I can maybe think about the possibility of having the rams I really would like to have in the 240L.

On the way home I stopped off at the retail park to go to M&S and just out of interest popped in to the P@H there where I have bought fish in the past and have never had any issue. They also have a ph of 8 in their tanks.

 

[WILDER]

Glad to hear the LFS have been reasonable and given you a credit note.
I agree with them about leaving it a few weeks before adding anymore fish.

Glad to hear the remaining angels are OK


Thanks for the update.

 

[delta]

Thank you for your help. I am still mystified as to why all the other Angels died though. Are the silvers more hardy than the more fancy types perhaps?

 

[WILDER]

It could of been that they were already ill when you bought them. The stress of another tank was just to
much for them.

I never kept angels myself so don't no much about them. Hopefully another member can answer your question.

Good Luck.