Entire Aquarium Wiped Out In A Few Hours!

[GoldfishAttentionSpan]

30 gallons
pH- 8.2
Ammonia-.5
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- .5

The tank was cycling with 4 red eyed tetras who were put in there about a week ago. Today I moved the six danios (3 leopard, 3 zebra) from the ten gallon into the 30 gallon with the tetras. (They had been in the ten gallon with four platies for a few months, and seemed completely fine. I had an outbreak of ich a few weeks ago, but it cleared up quickly.) Before I put the danios in the 30 gallon, my dad did a 5 gallon water change. He did decholrinate the new water before he put the water in the tank. Right after he finished adding water, I added the danios. within about ten minutes, one danio was dead and three others were looking very bad. They were sitting on the bottom, sometimes thrashing about or drifting around. We had to leave to go run errands, and when we got back, all the fish were dead. (The danios and the tetras.) The platies in my ten gallon are fine, as nothing changed in thier tank except the danios getting taken out.

I remember that in the past couple of weeks there has been some work on the water line that runs to our house, and I wonder if something got into the line and contaminated the water. I did the aquarium tests on just plain tap water, and got these readings:

pH- 7.8
Ammonia- 2.0 (!!)
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0



Is this water even safe to drink for dogs and people? Do we need to call the water department and have them check it out, or are we just going to have to use bottled water from now on?

 

[Boxermom]

Adding that many new fish to a cycling tank kicked the bioload into high gear and poisoned them. You should have waited until the cycle was complete, then move only a couple at a time.

 

[Fella]

Adding that many new fish to a cycling tank kicked the bioload into high gear and poisoned them. You should have waited until the cycle was complete, then move only a couple at a time.

I don't think adding 6 danios would kill that many fish that quickly, especially as they're considered the hardiest of fish.

I'd be more concerned about the tapwater readings. Can you guarantee the quality of your test kit?

 

[GoldfishAttentionSpan]

The first fish died within ten minutes, and that was one of the zebra danios. When we left, only the danios seemed sickly. The tetras seemed fine when we left.

I am inclined to belive the test kit, as I have used it before (maybe two or three times) and none of the readings seemed off. This is the first time I have gotten such a strong ammonia reading, and it showed the tap as being 2 but the tank was shown as being .5, and all the other tests seemed right.

 

[Fella]

What kind of a test kit is it?

Strip kits are apparently notorious for giving false readings.

Did you acclimate the fish to the temperature? Did the fish seem under stress when caught?

Also what is buffering the tap water up to a higher PH? What is the PH in the tank they were removed from?

 

[GoldfishAttentionSpan]

Its a liquid test kit from PetsMart. "Freshwater Master Test Kit."

The danios hated being caught, but I rigged up a large net with a feeding ring attached, sprinkled some food in the feeding ring, and scooped them up pretty easily.

I don't know why my pH is always so high. The tap water is 7.8, and as I recall, its always been high. I don't know why it is higher in the tank then the tap water.

The pH of the ten gallon is 8.0

 

[WILDER]

It sounds like to me that you didn't match ph or tempreture, if a tank was cycling the ph would of been different and they would of gone into ph shock.

 

[GoldfishAttentionSpan]

It sounds like to me that you didn't match ph or tempreture, if a tank was cycling the ph would of been different and they would of gone into ph shock.

That would explain the danios dying, but what about the tetras? They had been in the tank for about a week, and seemed pretty much ok, although a bit stressed out.

 

[ab420]

It sounds like to me that you didn't match ph or tempreture, if a tank was cycling the ph would of been different and they would of gone into ph shock.

That would explain the danios dying, but what about the tetras? They had been in the tank for about a week, and seemed pretty much ok, although a bit stressed out.

The Tetras were in the tank already right? He's saying that the stress from being in one tank with one pH and temp, and then immediately moving into a tank with different pH and temperature stressed them out.

 

[QuotheRaven]

sorry to read about your tank GoldFish

 

[GoldfishAttentionSpan]

It sounds like to me that you didn't match ph or tempreture, if a tank was cycling the ph would of been different and they would of gone into ph shock.

That would explain the danios dying, but what about the tetras? They had been in the tank for about a week, and seemed pretty much ok, although a bit stressed out.

The Tetras were in the tank already right? He's saying that the stress from being in one tank with one pH and temp, and then immediately moving into a tank with different pH and temperature stressed them out.

I understand that, but the tetras weren't moved to a different tank, only the danios were. The danios came from a different tank and into the 30 gallon, but the tetras were not moved the day this happened. They had not been moved since we got them from the pet store, and they were acclimated then, and had been fine until the water change and the danios were added.

Does anyone know if tap water with ammonia of 2.0 is safe for dogs and people to drink, anyway?

Thanks Raven

 

[The-Wolf]

Does anyone know if tap water with ammonia of 2.0 is safe for dogs and people to drink, anyway?

safe, sort of. acceptable no!
I suggest that you contact your water supplier.
do a net serach for "legal limit of water supply contaminants " (or similar)
and see what it throws up, I'm guessing that 2ppm for ammonia is
well over the limit.

 

[WILDER]

I agree with wolf get your water checked out.

 

[PaPeRo]

Adding that many new fish to a cycling tank kicked the bioload into high gear and poisoned them. You should have waited until the cycle was complete, then move only a couple at a time.

I don't think adding 6 danios would kill that many fish that quickly, especially as they're considered the hardiest of fish.

I'd be more concerned about the tapwater readings. Can you guarantee the quality of your test kit?

Exactly. The "bioload" of 6 danios killing everything in the tank in a few hours? Maybe in a styrofoam cup..sure.

 

[jgray152]

My GFs tank as about 15 fish in it. With no bio filtration. Its hard to believe they have been in the 10 gallon for a few months now with the ammonia at 8ppm +!

Her tap has about 2-3ppm of ammonia. So we need to get some spring water or somthing. When I get the money I will get those Hang On Back filters with the biowheel. See if that helps.

2ppm is not much. My cichlids have lived in more then that for about 6 months before getting the right filtration on the tank.

Just saying I have never had a fish die from ammonia being to high.