Fish Death

[cheerycherry]

I got up this morning switched light on to find one of my favorate cichlids dead

Nothing seemed wrong with it that I could see but all the others have been gasping and not moving about at all so ive done a reading and they are as follows using nutrafin test kit

ph 8.0
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 1.6
nitrate 50

I only did my 25% change on tuesday all fish were fine and water readings were fine too.the only thing I can think of is I just this week got some nutrafin spirulina cichlid sticks which they havent seemed to want to eat would a little uneaten food that was only fed tuesday and wednesday cause the nitrite spike so fast? also after doing my water change on tuesday I did my test a few hours later and all readings were fine nitrate was only at 5 so thats shot up alot in 2 days!

Ive just sent hubby off to get some more de-chlorinator should I take the tank down to 50% then take another reading an hour later? or would 25% be better?

Im really confused on this to be honest and really hate seeing all the fish gasping and looking unhappy do you think its just the uneaten food?

Oh tank is juwel rio 300

2x yellow labs
1x albino zebra
4 x orange zebra
2 x orange blotch
2 x blue zebra
1 x demansoni
3 x synodontis

No new fish added since around 2 months ago

 

[moritzbuesch]

Could there have been something wrong with the water source.? I had it once where I did a water change and two german ram pairs died.. but only them! I was sooo gutted as one pair were breeding and had several batches of eggs.

I would do a big water change although in my experience, when they are at the bottom gasping for air and that its already too late. I hope not in your case though and please share if you manage to save them.

Mo

 

[MHunt]

Did you clean the filter out when you did the water change? perhaps you disturbed the bacteria too much?

I would do a 50% water change as nitrite is almost more toxic than ammonia, hopefully your filter will recover within a couple of days.

 

[cheerycherry]

No I didnt do the filter that was done around 3 weeks ago but the poly pad was changed last week.Filter will be cleaned today could there be a possibility its plants? I got some floating plants off ebay last week im wondering wether to take them out or not now.

Im in the process of removing the water now so hoping in a couple hours things will look a bit better re the fish