Everything Died!

[Naringlo]

Basically, everything in my 120L just died today for unknown reasons.

I noticed that the filter was being a bit weak so I took it apart and had a look. Internal Interpet Pf3 Filter. Stupidly, I did this over the tank and dropped it inside the tank while it was apart. Made a huge mess and couldn't see anything inside the tank so did a 70% water change. It was still messy but decided to let the filter clear it up and I'd do the rest after I got back from the LFS with more water conditioner. So got back and started on filling up buckets and emptied it and noticed they had all died expect for the pleco who was twitching. He later died. I've left my stocking as it was.

So I've gutted the whole tank and restarting like new. Anyone have any ideas on what happened? I went away to Portugal for 10 days and came back and did a water change the day after. They all seemed fine. Was it the sudden routine feeding after 10 days of not feeding? I feed a moderate amount every day. What they can eat in 2 minutes. Haven't checked the stats and forgot to do it before gutting it because it was so dirty. But any idea to what happened? I reckon it was an ammonia spike but thats just a guess.

Anyway to sum up simply:

7th - Did a water change (Tank been running for a year)
8th - Fed a small amount. Left for Portugal

18th - Returned to UK
19th - Did a 50% water change. (From this point, as I usually do, I fed them daily.)
22nd - Water change 20%/30% as always on every sunday.
27th - Noticed Filter, dropped it, cleaned it (in tank water), all dead.

Help anyone?

 

[ShinySideUp]

My guess would be an ammonia spike. When you dropped the filter in the tank you dropped a huge mass of decomposing material, bacteria and other things that were the right things in the wrong place, this may have promptly raised the ammonia level big-time.

I always worry when I do a filter clean as no matter what I do to get rid of all the particles, as soon as I reconnect and switch on the filter a whole mass of crud goes into the tank. I've got round it now by pushing my siphon tube into the filter outlet before switch-on so that the first lot of crud-filled water goes straight down the drain; only needs a few seconds like that. In previous tanks I was able to just point the outlet pipe into a bucket but my Fluval has bottom-connected pipes and it is no longer possible.

Sorry for your loss. I lost all my fish a couple of months ago due to an error on my part -- one learns the hard way sometimes.

 

[Scott MacAdam]

The easiest way to know what happened would be to do a full water stats test (if you have any of the water left from the tank, I assume you emptied it)

My guess would be that your ph at your tap was different enough to shock the fish with that big of a water change. Things in your tank can buffer ph over time and make it very different from your tap and thus big water changes can do this...

 

[ShinySideUp]

My guess would be that your ph at your tap was different enough to shock the fish with that big of a water change. Things in your tank can buffer ph over time and make it very different from your tap and thus big water changes can do this...

But a mass extinction?... Is that possible with a sudden pH change? Not criticising, just asking.

 

[Naringlo]

Ahhh right, I couldn't see a thing in there so yes, A LOT of decomposing material. I know now to be more careful about my filter and not to take it apart above my tank.

I have chucked the water away as I wasn't really thinking about testing it, more being sad about the loss and my tooth pain. (Had my tooth taken out yesterday)
I was actually one to test pH and it wasn't that much different from what the rocks made it. Always stayed around 6.5. I've done big changes before and it hasn't affected my fish. But I won't rule it out though, because I don't know. But again, I will learn from this.

On the plus side, I'm now allowed to get a bigger second tank and keep the current one out of sympathy.

Thanks for your help guys, at least I have an understanding of what probably happened. Much appreciated.

 

[MBOU]

If your filter was honestly that dirty... you had a problem to start with./.. either it needs cleaning a lot more often or you needed a bigger better filter or to cut down stock and feeding...

All that dirt inside the filter and water is being passed through that dirt and back into the tank

External filters will change your life!

 

[ShinySideUp]

On the plus side, I'm now allowed to get a bigger second tank and keep the current one out of sympathy.

Nice...but don't do it again!! lol

 

[Naringlo]

Yeah I hadn't cleaned it for a while. I find and I read that it's best not to touch the filter in most cases. I just leave it to do it's own thing. I should of cleaned it a while before so my fault of course.

But trust me, I want an external. Just looking for a summer job so I can spend it all on fish.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

What I do with my filters... some more than others. But I take tank water into two containers... one I clean the sponges in by squeezing the gunk off. Then I put it back together and place it in the other container and turn it on... so any loose debris blows into the second container rather than my tank... then I replace it in the tank.

Sorry for you loss... similar stuff has happened to me in the past, but not quite so dire.

 

[Naringlo]

Thanks for that tip PrairieSunflower. Thats pretty useful. I will be doing that from now on.

 

[Gilli]

I always worry when I do a filter clean as no matter what I do to get rid of all the particles, as soon as I reconnect and switch on the filter a whole mass of crud goes into the tank.

I just pop my fish net over the outflow of the filter when I turn it back on until the water runs clear - it catches all the crud!

 

[crazyforcordoras]

I hate losing fish when it can be prevented...

 

[Naringlo]

I cant imagine most people enjoying it? :L

Just a silly mistake.

 

[ShinySideUp]

I always worry when I do a filter clean as no matter what I do to get rid of all the particles, as soon as I reconnect and switch on the filter a whole mass of crud goes into the tank.

I just pop my fish net over the outflow of the filter when I turn it back on until the water runs clear - it catches all the crud!

I'll try that.