Cant Understand What Is Happening

[kerber]

1. Water parameters. (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, PH, temp', Hardness etc)
2. A full description of the fishes symptoms.
3. How often you do water changes and how much.
4. Any chemicals and treatments you add to the water.
5. What tank mates are in the tank.
6. Tank size.
7. Finally Have you recently added any new fish?

Here is my problem my fish are dying in my tank. I use to have no problem fish. I have been doing this for 10 yrs. My tank has been empty for about 9 months and I recently started it back up again 1 1/2 months ago. All of a sudden my fish are dying with in a few days to week after I get them.

Water parameters - Amnonia 0, nitrates 0, ph 7.4 temp 74-76 degrees
I do 10% water change every week but since i have restarted I do not vaccumm out my gravel frequently maybe twice in the last month in half. I have a 30 gal tank. I have a alge eatter that has been going strong since I opened it up. In the last month in a half I have bought neons, guppies, betas, mollies - all dyed! Right now I have 1 red platty left and my alge eatter.

Chemicals I have been using are - stress coat ( with water changes) stress zyme, aquarium salt.

Any suggestions? Thank you

 

[Bloo]

So your tank is only 6 weeks old (1 and a half months). How did you cycle it ?

 

[kerber]

So your tank is only 6 weeks old (1 and a half months). How did you cycle it ?

yes and no - I have had fish in it before but my son dumped a whole can of fish food in it last year. I took everything out and cleaned it up because he killed all the fish. I kept it running ( filter and heater) for about 6 months with no fish. About a month and half ago I started added fish again. Started out with about 6 guppies and they all died. Then I bought 2 alge eatters and 4 tiger barbs all the barbs died and 1 alge eatter. Then I bought 2 mollies and 4 more guppies. they all died ( all with in a few days to a week ) Last saturday I bought 3 red tail plateys. I have 1 left and of course my 1 alge eatter.

 

[Chris_Wood]

Hi Kerber,

It must be a water quality issue, even though your stats seem fine; how old is the test kit.... ...if is the dry strips try a liquid based one as they can be very unreliable!

I think in the 6 month period the bacteria in you filter may have died without any fish waste to process, therefore you may be going through a new cycle!

What symptoms were the fish showing before they died; gasping? listless?

What's the aquarium salt for? Most FW fish don't tolerate salt well, particularly when stressed!

CW

 

[Bloo]

Ahh - keeping it running with no fish would have meant that all the good bacterial colonies have died off (starting within a matter of days) and the bacteria to sustain fish life and keep them heathy. So in essence you still added fish to a tank that wasn't ready to sustain heatlhy fish.

My random guess is that that's the reason and your fish died from nitratite and ammonia poisoning. Tanks generally cycle in around 6 - 8 weeks or so (depends on size of tank etc.)

Test kits generally only have a 6 month shelf life once opened - how old is your current test kit ?

 

[kerber]

Hi Kerber,

It must be a water quality issue, even though your stats seem fine; how old is the test kit.... ...if is the dry strips try a liquid based one as they can be very unreliable!

I think in the 6 month period the bacteria in you filter may have died without any fish waste to process, therefore you may be going through a new cycle!

What symptoms were the fish showing before they died; gasping? listless?

What's the aquarium salt for? Most FW fish don't tolerate salt well, particularly when stressed!

CW

I bought new test kits here recently they are the liquid types. I really havent noticed symptoms. At times they do seem listless but most of the time its in the morning when I wake up they are floating dead. The day prior they looked fine. I have seen them resting at the bottom as well.

Could it be the aquarium salt? I thought guppies and mollies needed aquarium salt. I read that anyways. Could that be the problem?? If so how do I fix it? Take out all the gravel and restart with new? Thanks

 

[kerber]

Ahh - keeping it running with no fish would have meant that all the good bacterial colonies have died off (starting within a matter of days) and the bacteria to sustain fish life and keep them heathy. So in essence you still added fish to a tank that wasn't ready to sustain heatlhy fish.

My random guess is that that's the reason and your fish died from nitratite and ammonia poisoning. Tanks generally cycle in around 6 - 8 weeks or so (depends on size of tank etc.)

Test kits generally only have a 6 month shelf life once opened - how old is your current test kit ?

Like I said the test kits are brand new- I just bought them. If they are dying from nitratites and ammonia why would the kits say 0? When I do vaccum the gravel I do about 1/4 of it, it comes up with lots of muck!

What do you suggest I do to cycle this tank and to keep my fish alive?

 

[Chris_Wood]

1. Don't add any more fish for a while
2. Do daily 20% water changes, treat fresh water with a declorinator
3. Feed lightly (remove any unwanted food)
4. keep on eye on the water quality.

Do you know anyone in your area that also keeps tropicals, if so ask if you can have a small piece of their filer foam to help re-seed yours with bacteria.... ...you could also use Tetra Bactozym or equivenalnt which helps speed up the process!

CW

 

[Bloo]

Well if your nitrite and ammonia are both zero, the tank appears to be cycled now after 6 weeks.
Did you take these readings since day one of adding them to your tank ?
I would find it quite impossible for those to have remained zero these past few weeks if your tank had no fish in for 9 months though

Seeing that you still have a couple of fish left, I would say do a 40% water change and don't add salt going forward. Just dechlorinate your water. Don't add any new fish for the next couple of weeks. And then when you do add fish, just add a small group of small fish.

What do you plan to stock with now again ?

 

[kerber]

Well if your nitrite and ammonia are both zero, the tank appears to be cycled now after 6 weeks.
Did you take these readings since day one of adding them to your tank ?
I would find it quite impossible for those to have remained zero these past few weeks if your tank had no fish in for 9 months though

Seeing that you still have a couple of fish left, I would say do a 40% water change and don't add salt going forward. Just dechlorinate your water. Don't add any new fish for the next couple of weeks. And then when you do add fish, just add a small group of small fish.

What do you plan to stock with now again ?

I just took readings last night and it was 0. Like I said right now I only have 1 red platey and a alge eatter. The other fish I bought last saturday died with in a day or two. Before I added them I checked the levels also and they were at 0.

I do have stuff to dechlorinate the water I will do a water change today and do that.

What about the salt?

I would like to have angel fish but too scared to pay the money until my tank is ok. What kinds of cheap fish should I restart out in, in say 2 weeks?

 

[dwarfgourami]

What about your nitrite readings (you only mention nitrates)? (sorry, I keep pursuing you across the forums... )

 

[kerber]

What about your nitrite readings (you only mention nitrates)? (sorry, I keep pursuing you across the forums... )

Everything is reading 0 when I test.

I just did a 20% water change and added dechlorinate to the water. This one fish seems to be doing fine. Swimming around and such.

I guess I will take a water sample into the fish store if this one dyes on me.

 

[dwarfgourami]

What about your nitrite readings (you only mention nitrates)? (sorry, I keep pursuing you across the forums... )

Everything is reading 0 when I test.

Have you tested all three?

 

[kerber]

What about your nitrite readings (you only mention nitrates)? (sorry, I keep pursuing you across the forums... )

Everything is reading 0 when I test.

Have you tested all three?

No I dont have a nitrAte test. Only the nitrIate test. Could that be the problem? Or the salt?