Fish Dying, Unknown Why

[BaylorPerez]

Request Help

Tank size: 20 gallons
pH:6.8
ammonia: 1pp
nitrite:3pp
nitrate:5 pp
kH:?
gH:?
tank temp: 76-78 degressF

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):
Hiding at the bottom of tank near the gravel, they dont come up or move until i start feeding them, color on fish seem to stay the same but the behavior is what im worried about as they die off one by one without a seeming cause. Feeding is done at 8 Am and 7 pm PST
Volume and Frequency of water changes:
20-30% 2-3 weeks between changes

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank:
Nitrite/Nitrate/Ammonia cleanser Herbal fin rot medicine
Tank inhabitants:
4 Tetras , 3 Neons, 1 Albino Catfish for excess food

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):
2 Potted Freshwater plants, 1 unpotted FreshWater plant
Exposure to chemicals: Unknown 

 

[fluttermoth]

Your issue is the high levels of ammonia and nitrite in your water. both those substances are highly toxic to fish.
 
You need to do some large water changes to get both as near to zero as possible.
 
Your tank is obviously not what we call 'cycled'; that means it doesn't have any colonies of good bacteria living in the filter that eat the ammonia and nitrite for you, and turn it into nitrate, which is only toxic at quite high levels.
 
Is this a new tank, or are you cleaning the filter media under the tap, or replacing it regularly?

 

[Far_King]

You're certainly not overstocked but it does sound like the filter isn't cycled or has crashed for some reason.  
 
I agree with Fluttermoth.  Are you still cycling or have you changed filters or filter media? Can you tell us what you're using as a filter?

 

[BaylorPerez]

im using quietflow 40 gal filter with Large carbon filter(only one meant for the filter) but does the presence of orange/redish algae, and black algae.
Water change was recent(yesterday after i did gravel pump clean), pretty much just the behavior is odd as these fish are supposed to be active during the day but inactive during the night 

Your issue is the high levels of ammonia and nitrite in your water. both those substances are highly toxic to fish.
 
You need to do some large water changes to get both as near to zero as possible.
 
Your tank is obviously not what we call 'cycled'; that means it doesn't have any colonies of good bacteria living in the filter that eat the ammonia and nitrite for you, and turn it into nitrate, which is only toxic at quite high levels.
 
Is this a new tank, or are you cleaning the filter media under the tap, or replacing it regularly?

Its a 5-6 month old tank, filter was recently changed to a 40 gal filter and by recent i mean 2 weeks ago

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

im using quietflow 40 gal filter with Large carbon filter(only one meant for the filter) but does the presence of orange/redish algae, and black algae.
Water change was recent(yesterday after i did gravel pump clean), pretty much just the behavior is odd as these fish are supposed to be active during the day but inactive during the night 

Your issue is the high levels of ammonia and nitrite in your water. both those substances are highly toxic to fish.
 
You need to do some large water changes to get both as near to zero as possible.
 
Your tank is obviously not what we call 'cycled'; that means it doesn't have any colonies of good bacteria living in the filter that eat the ammonia and nitrite for you, and turn it into nitrate, which is only toxic at quite high levels.
 
Is this a new tank, or are you cleaning the filter media under the tap, or replacing it regularly?

Its a 5-6 month old tank, filter was recently changed to a 40 gal filter and by recent i mean 2 weeks ago

What process did you approach in the transitioning of the new filter with? As in, did you allow the bacteria to colonize onto the new filter media before installing the new filter?
 
Also, on a side note, I would definitely recommend adding at least three or four more cories, as well as three more neons and whatever other tetra you have.
Unless those are new numbers after the die off...?
But definitely fix the ammonia and nitrite problem, then add more fish. If two weeks have passed by since the new filter installment, depending on how the new cycling is doing, you should be about half way through the process. You could always try liquid nitrifying bacteria to speed up the process. As for now, all you can do is really wait and keep an eye on those ammonia and nitrite levels. Get whatever die off you can out of the tank as soon as you see it. You don't want the other fish to nip and devour dead fish, which could lead to more problems...

 

[BaylorPerez]

 

im using quietflow 40 gal filter with Large carbon filter(only one meant for the filter) but does the presence of orange/redish algae, and black algae.
Water change was recent(yesterday after i did gravel pump clean), pretty much just the behavior is odd as these fish are supposed to be active during the day but inactive during the night 



Your issue is the high levels of ammonia and nitrite in your water. both those substances are highly toxic to fish.
 
You need to do some large water changes to get both as near to zero as possible.
 
Your tank is obviously not what we call 'cycled'; that means it doesn't have any colonies of good bacteria living in the filter that eat the ammonia and nitrite for you, and turn it into nitrate, which is only toxic at quite high levels.
 
Is this a new tank, or are you cleaning the filter media under the tap, or replacing it regularly?

Its a 5-6 month old tank, filter was recently changed to a 40 gal filter and by recent i mean 2 weeks ago

What process did you approach in the transitioning of the new filter with? As in, did you allow the bacteria to colonize onto the new filter media before installing the new filter?
 
Also, on a side note, I would definitely recommend adding at least three or four more cories, as well as three more neons and whatever other tetra you have.
Unless those are new numbers after the die off...?
But definitely fix the ammonia and nitrite problem, then add more fish. If two weeks have passed by since the new filter installment, depending on how the new cycling is doing, you should be about half way through the process. You could always try liquid nitrifying bacteria to speed up the process. As for now, all you can do is really wait and keep an eye on those ammonia and nitrite levels. Get whatever die off you can out of the tank as soon as you see it. You don't want the other fish to nip and devour dead fish, which could lead to more problems...
 


i put the old filter into the new filter, for atleast a couple hours, and those are the numbers i have now since my rainbow shark, albino catfish(2nd one) and chineese algae eater died. and i did buy 2 more black finned tetras(i think thats what their called)

 

[fluttermoth]

i put the old filter into the new filter, for at least a couple hours

There's the root of your current issues. You should leave the old filter in for at least a couple of weeks; although moving all the old media into the new filter is a better method.

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

I would say put the new media in the old filter for about a week. But what fluttermouth said could be done as well. This is just personally what I've been doing with no crashes. People say it only takes a couple days for the bacteria to colonize onto the new media, but I go as long as two weeks sometimes.

 

[Far_King]

I would say put the new media in the old filter for about a week. But what fluttermouth said could be done as well. This is just personally what I've been doing with no crashes. People say it only takes a couple days for the bacteria to colonize onto the new media, but I go as long as two weeks sometimes.

 
That would depend on the size of the colony required
 
There's no harm in leaving filter media for quite some time.  I leave filter media for my spare filters in cannister filters until I need to use it and it causes no issues.

 

[BaylorPerez]

Well a couple days since i bought the black finned tetras(hardy Fish) and none have died since i added the new filter