Concerned About Water Stats

[Larkspur]

Stats were

Nitrate less than or equal to 20
Nitrite 0
Soft Water
pH about 6.8
Alkalinity very low

I used test strips so they are probably not as accurate as a fancier test kit.

It's a 37 gallon tank that originally had about 6 cichlids in it. 4 were moved and about 3 were in it up until about a week and a half ago. My boyfriend turned the pump off for about 12 hours after the fish left. I immediately fussed and had it turned back on hoping the beneficial bacteria wasn't all depleted. And for a week and a half since it has been running, but with no occupants.

Yesterday I did a 50% water change and changed from gravel to sand substrate. By last night the water was clear and though the stats were a little odd I went ahead and put all the fish that were in a 10 gallon temporarily into it.

6 guppies
2 platies
3 bettas
1 pleco
4 peppered cory
3 skunk cory


Today I noticed the cories seemed to be pacing. I noticed the pH seems extremely low. It's hovering just around the 6.8...maybe even lower. So I found some pH UP stuff my fiance has. Was afraid to shock them so I used about a quarter of a dose to see if it would help. Well, tonight before I left I glanced at the tank and one of the skunk cories are dead. I did just buy them yesterday though and I know my LFS had trouble recently with all his cories that came in. He wouldn't sell me any for about 2 weeks. It was when I saw the dead one I took another water sample and got the stats listed below.


Help? Advice?

 

[Larkspur]

Bump?

 

[arobinson1984]

Hi,

I'm guessing you will now be in a short fish in cycle situation.

If the tank was running for a week and a half with no fish then the bacteria will have had no ammonia source to keep them alive unless you were adding another form of ammonia?

Id keep your eye on the stats and treat it as a fish in cycle situation, hopefully not all of the bacteria will have died as the media was kept wet?

You need an ammonia test, I'm guessing you dont have one as you havent listed an ammonia result, an ammonia test is one of the most important. I'd recommend getting either an API or salifert ammonia test. In the mean time perform 1-2 large water changes daily until you are able to monitor your ammonia levels.


Andy

 

[Larkspur]

It just happened to be I had ammonia testing strips at my house. Took them to the fiances and tested the water and the ammonia levels were really low. In the safe range just above the 0 mark. So unless the strip is crap I don't think I have an ammonia problem so to speak. Though I will add that I tested the 55 gallon that's only been set up for 2 weeks and the ammonia was low in that too and the 55 is supposed to be in the middle of a cycle. And it has 13 african cichlids in it...

So...dunno.

We do water changes every other day usually on the tanks since they're not stable. Maybe we are lowering the ammonia a little. *shrug*

Definitely investing in an API test kit though this week. Tired of these cheesy test strips I don't think are entirely reliable.

 

[arobinson1984]

I'd definately invest in the API test kit or another form of liquid test kit as the strips are only really much use to burn on a really cold night

I remember somebody having problems on here a while back with ammonia, but the strips were saying it was minimal yet when tested with a liquid test turned out to be 4.0ppm

So definately keep up with large water changes until you get a more reliable liquid test and we can see more clearly what is happening


Andy

 

[Larkspur]

I work half a day today so I'm going to go off and buy one this morning. I have spent like upwards of $15 on a bottle of strips and the test kit will be like $40 and will last about 800 times...


Yep. Test kit here I come!!


If you're going to do something, best do it the right way.
I'll post back here later what the stats are with the kit.

 

[Larkspur]

Bought the Api test kit. Got the stats on mentioned tank

Ph 7.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20 ish

We did a 50% water change last night. These were my results this morning

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Looking good

 

[Jenni84]

Your stats are the same as mine

Maybe it was just the stress of being moved that killed your fish? Or like you say, it could have been still suffering from whatever was going on at the lfs.

Sometimes these things happen and we never find out why!

 

[Larkspur]

That's what I thought. Who knows what caused my skunks to die.

The third one is still alive and thriving though

 

[Jenni84]

Its always sad when you lose a fish

On the brightside though....at least your others are ok