Dying Fish

[dokead]

Hey Gang, just got registered here. I have had fish tanks since I was 11 years old with the exception of about 10 years. This year we got a 40 gallon tank for my teenage son for Christmas. It is a community tank with Tetras, Platties, Zebras and cories. The end of July, my son and wife went out of town and I thought I would supprise him with some black neons. WHAT A MISTAKE!!!! Since then, we have lost just about everything we had in the tank. 1st, the Black neons croaked, so I took them up and got replacements. THEN everything started dying off. IT has been two weeks and even today, we are still loosing fish. I noticed late last week that one of the fish had a white fungis on it so I treated the tank for that. The treatment turned the water green and the fungis went away, but fish are still dying. When the water was tested (multiple times) the only real abnormality is that the Nitrites or Nitrates were slightly high (Gee no wonder with all the fish dying off!!!!!) The fish seem to be struggling to breath is the only thing I have noticed and it is only on some of them. Until today, there was no abnormal swimming, but a couple today have been swimming on their sides and upside down before they croaked. Needless to say, my son hates me now because I killed off his fish.

Does anyone have any suggestions??? I have changed 25% of the water twice over the past two weeks, put in "PRIME" when I did and addes salt to the water, I am at a loss and the fricken store I bought the fish from is absolutely no help. I am off to have the wated tested, AGAIN, but this time I am going to two local stores to see what each one suggest. ANY help would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!

Thanks Gang,

Dokead

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Which was slightly high, relatively safe nitrates or lethally toxic nitrites?

Classic symptoms of nitrite poisoning is fish gasping at the water surface.

As you have not done already over the last two weeks, I would do a ~95% water change ASAP and see how the fish respond.

 

[fluttermoth]

When you get your water tested, make sure they write down the actual numbers from each test for you, and post them; it'll make it much easier for us to help you.

In the meantime, do as NOTG suggests and do a massive water change.