I recently posted that I was doing a "fish in" cycling (never again) and that my fish had died. I received lots of helpful tips. However, now I'm wondering...the cycling fish were each only in the tank about 36 hours before they died. I bought a good water test kit (API) and there was no amonia, nitrate or nitrite in my water. So, something else had to have killed them. I'm wondering if maybe the bucket I used to fill the tank was contaminated with something.. I doubt it, but it is possible. So, out of fustration, I just dumped the entire tank and I'm starting over. I washed all of the stones in hot water, rinsed out the tank and now I'm about to rinse the plants and drift wood. Tomorrow I will go in search of 100% amonia. Any other ideas what could have killed my fish? Is there anything I should do to clean my filter before I put it back in?
Could My Water Be Contaminated?
- Thread starter Lisa67
- Start date
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
These types of queries are hard for us to answer over the internet. I suppose it's possible there could have been a problem with the bucket. Usually people obtain clean new plastic buckets for fish use, although it's not usually a very critical thing. All types of soaps and cleaners can be a serious problem - small amounts of soap can kill fish pretty quickly.
There can be other sorts of misunderstandings. Sometimes people read the testing instructions but just somehow get it wrong, later finding that they were just somehow missing the right way of doing it.
Is it city or well water? Sometimes the water actually does have other bad things in it that make it difficult to keep fish, but it's quite rare assuming the water is considered safe for human drinking.
If you are UK, most are getting the right type of ammonia from Boots these days, although there are others. In the US, many are getting it from Ace Hardware. It must not have dyes, fragrances, soaps or surfactants added (some household ammonia products do have one or many of these things.) When you shake it, it should make larger bubbles that only last for 2 or 3 seconds, just like plain water.
I guess you could buy new media for a complete startover but that seems like over-paranoia to me. Did you have good surface water movement in the tank? That helps some.
~~waterdrop~~
There can be other sorts of misunderstandings. Sometimes people read the testing instructions but just somehow get it wrong, later finding that they were just somehow missing the right way of doing it.
Is it city or well water? Sometimes the water actually does have other bad things in it that make it difficult to keep fish, but it's quite rare assuming the water is considered safe for human drinking.
If you are UK, most are getting the right type of ammonia from Boots these days, although there are others. In the US, many are getting it from Ace Hardware. It must not have dyes, fragrances, soaps or surfactants added (some household ammonia products do have one or many of these things.) When you shake it, it should make larger bubbles that only last for 2 or 3 seconds, just like plain water.
I guess you could buy new media for a complete startover but that seems like over-paranoia to me. Did you have good surface water movement in the tank? That helps some.
~~waterdrop~~
I am new at this, but I do believe I tested the water correctly. Even if I didn't, doesn't it seem unlikely that the fish would die so quickly after being put in the tank? It doesn't seem that there was even time for amonia to build up to toxic levels. Also, I brought a water sample to the pet store and they also said that there was no amonia (they did use test strips which I've learned is not that reliable). When I set up the tank I added 3 small plants. I also added some liquid plant food. Could that have been the problem? Well I just rinsed out my charcoal filter cartridge and plan to reuse it... oh, it is well water. I've been drinking it for the past 17 years and I'm still here. I do know that it is very hard water (I used conditioner when I filled the tank). Thank you so much for your speedy reply.
waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
The plant food is very unlikely to have been the problem, unless the entire bottle was spilled or something and obviously that's not the case.
No, it's more likely now that you've added more info that since you have well water and know that it is quite hard (high in mineral content) that your fish suffered from shock due to the hardness change. Changes in mineral content usually require that long, slow "drip" acclimations be done. (What you do is buy some extra "air line" such as is used for running between airpumps and airstones that make bubbles in the tank. You gently introduce the fish and their existing water to a container that has some extra room beyond the bag water but is narrow enough that the fish aren't uncovered (aren't in too shallow water.) Then you put one end of your airline in the tank you'll be introducing them to and put the container below tank level. You tie a knot in the airline and tighten it a little. It will allow you to slow the siphon action to a drip. You then suck on the airline and start the drip flow from your tank. You adjust the knot such that there is just a very slow drip from the tank into your container (I forget, a drip every few seconds, something very slow like that. You don't want their water to double anytime soon.) You can also do this with little manual water additions if you are patient and working around the house (I sometimes do this over the course of an afternoon.)
Of course it could be something else but this is my best guess at the moment.
WD
No, it's more likely now that you've added more info that since you have well water and know that it is quite hard (high in mineral content) that your fish suffered from shock due to the hardness change. Changes in mineral content usually require that long, slow "drip" acclimations be done. (What you do is buy some extra "air line" such as is used for running between airpumps and airstones that make bubbles in the tank. You gently introduce the fish and their existing water to a container that has some extra room beyond the bag water but is narrow enough that the fish aren't uncovered (aren't in too shallow water.) Then you put one end of your airline in the tank you'll be introducing them to and put the container below tank level. You tie a knot in the airline and tighten it a little. It will allow you to slow the siphon action to a drip. You then suck on the airline and start the drip flow from your tank. You adjust the knot such that there is just a very slow drip from the tank into your container (I forget, a drip every few seconds, something very slow like that. You don't want their water to double anytime soon.) You can also do this with little manual water additions if you are patient and working around the house (I sometimes do this over the course of an afternoon.)
Of course it could be something else but this is my best guess at the moment.
WD
drobbyb
Bowhead
Yeah, hardness shock can be a killer. What size tank is it? If the tank is not very large, most fish shops will sell RO (reverse osmosis) water. In a situation like this, you could fill your tank with half RO water and half local watter supply and halve your hardness making it a little easier for your new fish to acclimate. Depending on the size tank, it might be worth it to try. To fully acclimate them to your natural hardness, do 10% to 20% water changes every day for a week. This will gradually raise your hardness so you won't shock your fish on your next large water change.
Similar threads
Most reactions
-
406 -
197 -
167 -
142 -
140 -
120 -
119 -
116 -
107 -
107 -
101 -
95 -
75 -
A
59
-
53