Fish Dying...need Help!

[Tizer]

Do you have your own water testing kit? Im confused.

 

[marblek]

Do you have your own water testing kit? Im confused.

Yes. I have both tested it at home and taken it to the shop. It always tests just fine. I am confused too!

 

[marblek]

Your filter doesn't need a new cartridge every month; no filter does; the manufacturors just say that to get money off you. Just rinse it out in old tank water when you do a water change (just enough to get rid of the worst of the dirt).

Sorry about your neon; keep up the water changes and I really hope things pick up soon.

So, after yesterday's large water change, no one else has died. I feel like such an idiot for falling for the shop's rule not to do a water change of more that 20-25%. Thanks for advising me otherwise. Do you think I should do more just to stay ahead of whatever the problem is, in case it is still brewing in there? If so, how big of changes, how often, and should I vacuum my gravel each time? It is a newly cycled tank, so I don't want to muck that up too. Thanks again for all of your help!

 

[fluttermoth]

Having reviewed the whole thread, I think your problem was probably that the new fished pushed your newly cycled or not properly cycled filter over the edge, whatever the tests said.

I'd get some filter media from your friend if you can to give your bacteria a boost. Test the water daily to keep an eye on things and do maybe 20 or 25% changes every day for a week or so (be prepared to do some more, larger ones if you notice any traces of ammonia or nitrites creeping in).

You shouldn't need to bother with vacuuming the gravel; just take your water from low down in the tank (nitrates and other pollutants are heavier than the clean water).

Best of luck; hope this is the end of the troubles for you

 

[roadmaster]

Your filter doesn't need a new cartridge every month; no filter does; the manufacturors just say that to get money off you. Just rinse it out in old tank water when you do a water change (just enough to get rid of the worst of the dirt).

Sorry about your neon; keep up the water changes and I really hope things pick up soon.

So, after yesterday's large water change, no one else has died. I feel like such an idiot for falling for the shop's rule not to do a water change of more that 20-25%. Thanks for advising me otherwise. Do you think I should do more just to stay ahead of whatever the problem is, in case it is still brewing in there? If so, how big of changes, how often, and should I vacuum my gravel each time? It is a newly cycled tank, so I don't want to muck that up too. Thanks again for all of your help!

Would measure ammonia and nitrites daily and perform 30 to 50 percent water change if readings were anything but zero.
Would leave substrate alone,If not overfeeding,,the substrate should not need cleaning in such a new tank.
Would not replace filter cartridge for the next month or more but would rinse it out once a week in old aquarium water you pull out during water change.
Would not add any more fish for the next month in order for bacterial colony to build further.
When adding new fish,, I would acclimate fish slowly by drip acclimation or by adding a half cup of aquarium water to the floating bag of fish every five to ten minutes until the bag was near full. Then I would net the fish from the bag and throw away the water .

 

[shadow1200]

No 1 has said this or even thought it.
PH ?
Ph will cause the fish to get stressed and die ( swimming on side etc )
Do a ph test test your tap water and test your tank water. If there miles a part then that's whats wrong.
Ph should be 7.5 for your fish

I would bet any money that the ph is sky high and the fish are getting stressed and dieing. Ph kits are like 5 pound and saves your fish from dieing

Would bet my fish tank on it

 

[fluttermoth]

I'll take you up on that bet, shadow

PH will only kill fish if the values swing about wildly; a 15 or 20% water change once a week wouldn't cause that amount of change and the pH in established tanks tend to go down rather than up. I suppose it might be worth testing the pH just to rule it out, but it's pretty unlikely.

What kind of decor have you got in there, Elizabeth? Gravel or sand? Any bogwood, or limestone?

 

[marblek]

Your filter doesn't need a new cartridge every month; no filter does; the manufacturors just say that to get money off you. Just rinse it out in old tank water when you do a water change (just enough to get rid of the worst of the dirt).

Sorry about your neon; keep up the water changes and I really hope things pick up soon.

So, after yesterday's large water change, no one else has died. I feel like such an idiot for falling for the shop's rule not to do a water change of more that 20-25%. Thanks for advising me otherwise. Do you think I should do more just to stay ahead of whatever the problem is, in case it is still brewing in there? If so, how big of changes, how often, and should I vacuum my gravel each time? It is a newly cycled tank, so I don't want to muck that up too. Thanks again for all of your help!

Would measure ammonia and nitrites daily and perform 30 to 50 percent water change if readings were anything but zero.
Would leave substrate alone,If not overfeeding,,the substrate should not need cleaning in such a new tank.
Would not replace filter cartridge for the next month or more but would rinse it out once a week in old aquarium water you pull out during water change.
Would not add any more fish for the next month in order for bacterial colony to build further.
When adding new fish,, I would acclimate fish slowly by drip acclimation or by adding a half cup of aquarium water to the floating bag of fish every five to ten minutes until the bag was near full. Then I would net the fish from the bag and throw away the water .

Thanks for your input, I appreciate it.

 

[marblek]

As for pH...it tests at 7.2 out of the tap and 7.2 in the tank...so that doesn't seem to be the issue.

I have gravel substrate, artificial plants, a glass globe, ceramic pot and a little castle. The pot and castle were both purchased from the fish shop. The pleco was new when this mess started, so I haven't gotten him any bogwood, should I get him some, or wait? I am afraid to introduce anything new...fish, meds, or otherwise.

 

[clgklg]

just wanted to mention not to let your filter (media) sit out of water too long when taking it out to rinse off in old tank water ( kill off the good bacteria) and that your good bacteria will only grow to maintain what you have in your tank, no more, no less so that is why it is advised to only buy one fish at a time wait for the GB to build up and then get another. Good Luck!

 

[fluttermoth]

No 1 has said this or even thought it.
PH ?
Ph will cause the fish to get stressed and die ( swimming on side etc )
Do a ph test test your tap water and test your tank water. If there miles a part then that's whats wrong.
Ph should be 7.5 for your fish

I would bet any money that the ph is sky high and the fish are getting stressed and dieing. Ph kits are like 5 pound and saves your fish from dieing

Would bet my fish tank on it

As for pH...it tests at 7.2 out of the tap and 7.2 in the tank...so that doesn't seem to be the issue.

I have gravel substrate, artificial plants, a glass globe, ceramic pot and a little castle. The pot and castle were both purchased from the fish shop. The pleco was new when this mess started, so I haven't gotten him any bogwood, should I get him some, or wait? I am afraid to introduce anything new...fish, meds, or otherwise.

Guess you owe me a fish tank then shadow. Monday's a good day for me, you can bring it round then
You'd be fine putting a peice of bogwood in now; as it's kept out of water, it can't carry anything nasty.
A lot of the small plecs do need some lignin from the wood in their diet.