Disaster - Please Help

[petal040]

Something awful has happened in our tank, and I'm not sure what to do. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

We have a 175litre Fluval tank. It has been running for around 9 months. The first fish to join the tank were 5 xray tetras. They were followed by three clown loaches due to a snail outbreak. After that we added two algae eaters due to an algae outbreak.

Those were the only inhabitants of the tank and have all been there at least 7 months. We did move house 3 months ago which meant we needed to empty and refill the tank. Also, a couple of weeks ago we removed a skull ornamant because one of the loaches seemed to get stuck in it (and the colour seemed to have come off it so it didn't look good)

Up until today, all fish seemed healthy and well. One loach is a runt but has always been that way (he doesn't grow, and has had one cloudy eye since we bought him)

We do weekly quarterly water changes. I have beed checking the water levels fortnightly (ish - I admit sometimes there were longer gaps). Readings were always good. It took a long time for my tank to cycle and when it did, the readings only went up slightly. I put this down to there being plants in the tank.

Yesterday, we visited the fish shop to get water levels read as my test kit had run out. I got a new kit whilst there. We also bought some new fish. The shopkeeper said the levels were fine and recommended which fish to buy. We got 5 small tetras and two small angel fish. I wondered if adding all these fish at once might be a bad idea but the shopkeeper disagreed and I did think, as they were so small, it would be okay.

This morning when we got up, one of the algae eaters was lying on his side with cloudy eyes. He died in about 5 minutes. I checked the water levels, ammonia was reading at 8ppm (my test kit only shows as high as 8)!! Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5.

We did a 50% water change - whilst doing this I noticed the second algae eater had cloudy eyes. He is still alive as far as I know but hiding just now - I didn't want to disturb him and stress him more so have left him for now.

I have added some cycle liquid (healthy bacteria). Filter is working. Ammonia now reads around 2-4 (I can't tell which as the colours are so similar).

Is there anything else I can do? Should I go to the shop when it opens and buy some ammo-lock?

(we are all very worried).

Thanks!!!!

(edited to add, I don't have a pH reading but it has always been 'normal' according to fish shop (can't remember the number). Temperature is 26 degrees C. Not sure about hardness.

We don't use treatments apart from a tapsafe liquid when we do water changes.

 

[indigoj]

water change, water change and more water change - minimum 50% daily preferably twice daily with those readings.

Don't add any more chemicals or cycle (it doesn't work) try to get hold of Seachem Prime or Kordon Am-quel to use instead of your regular de-chlorinator.

Ideally you need to rehome the clown loaches too - they grow far far too big for 175l.

It is unlikely adding the fish too the ammonia so high overnight, I suspect it has been building over time (maybe your old test kit was faulty?) Or have you rinsed your filter media in tap water? That would kill off any beneficial bacteria. Did you water change and forget to add dechlorinator? Could there be a problem with your water supply? (try testing your tap water)

 

[petal040]

Thanks for your reply. We will do another 50% change this evening.

I'm not sure I have seen Seachem Prime or Kordon Am-quel before - could you explain the difference between these and regular dechorinator? (I'm in the UK - not sure if that is helpful to know).

Maybe the test kit wasn't good? I also had some strip tests (that you just dip in) and they never seem to be right. We always rinse the filter media in tank water when doing water changes. Could our dechlorinator have gone bad somehow and stopped working?

In my previous tank, I noticed the filter pads turned a dark green after cycling. This tank has never significantly cycled (just a slight raise then drop in levels), and the pads are always a light brownish colour. Is there something wrong with this?

Tap water reads 0 for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

What are your thoughts on products like ammo-lock - I've never used anything like that before - would it solve the problem for now?

Re. the clown loaches - we are hoping to get a bigger tank once we have saved up some money - so will look for one that is better sized for them.

 

[petal040]

Another question - I will keep doing the water changes until the ammonia is down - but how long do I keep doing them for after that - will the tank cycle again?

If my tests were faulty, and ammonia was creeping up - was I not doing enough changes? How much should I have been doing as routine?

*edited to also ask - how often should I be cleaning the filter pads? On the box it says to replace one half each month - I haven't been doing that (because of the lack of cycling) but have been regularly rinsing them. Should I just leave them until water flow goes down a little (this used to happen often, but not now).

**edited again --- okay - we are doing another 50% change as i was worried about the ammonia levels still being so high (4).
We have to go out but will do a third change this evening.

I have been to the shop but the only dechlorinator they have is Interpret Bioactive Tapsafe (that is what we are using).

I am not able to do the water changes by myself (because I am pregnant and the water bucket needs to be refilled upstairs - I could do it in small bits but realistically won't manage before work) and my partner won't be here in the morning. We could do another change tomorrow evening but that means leaving a gap of nearly 24 hours.

I have bought a small bottle of ammo-lock but haven't used any - if I do readings tomorrow morning and ammonia is very high again - should I use this as I won't be able to do a water change?

Agh!

The cloudy eyed algae eater is still alive. All other fish look okay just now.

 

[indigoj]

Sorry for the delay getting back, seachem and am-quel are useful as they can help neutralise ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

Could anything else have been added to the tank without you knowing eg could a cat have peed in the tank or anything daft like that? Has anything died and not been found? (a rotting dead fish could certainly cause an ammonia spike - so can rotting plants - are your plants in good condition?)

Weekly 25% changes should be fine in a fully cycled tank, and you are absolutely right in just rinsing sponges when the flow is affected, I don't touch mine otherwise. What filter do you have? Also what is your ph?

Whatever has happened it sounds like your tank is going to cycle again, so the water changes are going to be important. I'm not sure about ammo-lock, if you use it (or seachem/amquel for that matter) you will get a false ammonia reading so it can be hard to tell when the cycle completes. If you can't do water changes though it may be a good idea.

Do you know anyone with a mature tank? Mature filter media would definitely help, or even just some squeezings from a mature filter. Where are you based? Have a look at the list on here somewhere of willing media donaters. If you are near me then I can send you some.

For now do as many water changes as you can to keep the ammonia as low as possible, do daily morning and night tests and keep the water oxygenated well - I'd keep the light off as much as you can without killing off your plants to lower any stress that the fish are under. If you use the ammo-lock see how much ammonia a dose is supposed to neutralise and take that into account when testing. (if 1 dose gets rid of 1ppm ammonia and your test reads 4ppm then assume it is at 3ppm)

Good luck!

 

[petal040]

Thanks again for the reply - ammonia is now down to 1ppm (after 2nd water change). The algae eater is back out in the open and his eyes have cleared up, although he looks pale.

We have no other pets and haven't lost any fish (apart from the one that died this morning). I have some plants rooted on a bit of wood that seem to be growing, some long lines that are also growing (sorry - I don't know the names of the plants)... and I have one other plant that is rooted onto a rock. It doesn't grow. The leaves are mostly brownish, some are dark green. Should I take this one out?

(Yet) another question! I haven't fed the fish today - should I? I held off feeding because of the water problems.

I'm in Huddersfield... I will see if I can find someone with an established tank.

*edited to say - the filter is the standard fluval filter that came with the tank. Substrate is black gravel. pH is 6.0 according to liquid test although the lowest on the chart is 6 - if I use the test strips they also say 6. Strips say kh is 0, gh is 60 (I'm not sure what those tests mean).

 

[indigoj]

I'm fairly sure there are members out your sort of way. Could be worth sticking a 'wanted' in classifieds lol.

I'd not feed today and only feed lightly until the problem is resolved. It could be worth trimming the brown leaves off the plant, if you take a pic of them someone will identify them for you.

Sounds like the water changes have really helped the algae eater - what type is he?

 

[petal040]

He is a siamese algae eater (same as the one that died - the dead one was stripey - the surviving one is bigger and yellow coloured).

Just checked tap water - it comes out at a pH of 7.2. Why would it drop to 6 or less in the tank? Should I be worried about that?

*edited to say - the yellow algae eater has always been 'friends' with the loaches. They all lived together in the skull that is now gone, used to lie on top of each other etc. I was worried that one day, algae eater would turn against the loaches (as I read they can become aggressive) but there were never any signs of this. Now, he is out and about, and the loaches are 'sniffing' around him. Not sure if they are just saying hello or plan to eat him (because he is ill?)... they aren't clicking (which they do when they eat usually).

I wish I had a hospital tank now (used to have one - it got broken)

 

[indigoj]

At least the ammonia is less toxic at a low ph but the fact that it is so low and your kh is low is a concern

Has your ph always been so low? It could be your tank has crashed especially with such a low kh. Mine did that once and my ph dropped to 5!! Are those the readings after the water changes?

Are you in a very soft water area? What is your KH out of the tap? - Need a water chemistry expert to have a look at this thread!!

 

[petal040]

Yes those are the readings after the water changes. kH is 0 out of the tap.

I've posted in the general thread to see if there are any chemistry people who might have ideas!

My pH used to sit around 7. I stopped testing it after the test kit ran out, so last time I did was probably at the old house.

 

[petal040]

Returned home after being out and carried out the third 50% water change of today. I didn't take a reading immediately before doing this, but after the second change ammonia was at 1ppm.

Checked again after the third change - reading was still 1ppm. Could the ammonia have gone up that much in the space of 5 hours?

Help!